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Fear/Huntshipping Police AU Part 29

Before the Fall

Part 23: [x] Part 24: [x] Part 25: [x] Part 26: [x] Part 27: [x] Part 28: [x]

Oh yeah, this chapter is fifty pages longer than usual because I don’t update this often. You’ve been warned. :D. Also, you can totally read this part without having read the other parts, but what fun is that?

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As the cops immersed themselves in the lives of the Sakaki brothers, Yami was expecting some other cops to take him back to the Correctional Facility today. The doctor had given him a final checkup to make sure he was good to go, informing him that he'd be continuing his recovery there. To Yami's dismay, that meant bringing a wheelchair with him.

But there was another problem bothering him...that had to do with Raphael. The cops weren't here yet...they were completely alone in his room, but that didn't mean nobody was listening. Should he tell him about Kaiba? Given that Raphael talked to him a lot, it might only be a matter of time until Raphael decided to see Kaiba in person...or fell into a trap that Kaiba set for him. Yami felt he owed Raphael a lot, and could tell that for Yuugi especially, Raphael had filled a hole left in his heart from his grandfather's death. Yami had failed to save Jii-chan for Yuugi, and so was determined not to fail with Raphael....so...should he say it? Should he tell him?

“That should be all your stuff, Yami. Hopefully, you’ll be able to keep it.” Some residents of the Correctional Facility were allowed to keep small items for the sake of their mental health as long as said items were approved by the Correctional Facility, so Raphael had packed a bag of a few small items that Yami and Yuugi could take with them. He looped them on the chair and glanced at the man. He frowned, seeing the conflict on Yami’s face.

“Hey, are you alright?”

“Mmm.” Yami said. The small things he had with him weren't very much. A deck of cards, a couple dice, and an old music player Raphael had given him while he was confined in bed...none of them were particularly valuable to him. It wasn't like they were his Puzzle, which he hoped was still where he left it, now that he thought about it...he sighed when Raphael talked to him.

“...I think...there's something I should tell you.....” He said slowly.

“Something you should tell me?” Raphael repeated. He frowned, walking over to him. “What’s up?”

“I...I'm really grateful for what you've done for me and for Yuugi...it's not fair. I keep thinking I should give something back...and there's really only one thing I could possibly do that might help you in return...” Yami said, biting his lip.

“...But, I'm also...afraid that if I say something, you'll end up getting yourself killed...or that you'll tell the police right away...I don't want either to happen. Please, if I tell you...you can't tell anyone. You can't do anything differently...you have to stay alive.” Yami said, looking at Raphael pleadingly.

Raphael frowned as Yami started to talk, remaining silent as he spoke. It was concerning, hearing Yami like this, and for a second he really did think he was talking to Yuugi. Something was wrong, and when Yami blurted out his last words and looked at him so pleadingly, Raphael worried more than ever.

“… I’ll stay alive. I promised you that. I won’t tell the police… I promise.” He felt like that last part was a mistake, but if he wanted Yami to keep trusting him, he would do it, for his sake.

“...Okay...I'm trying to stay alive too...” Yami said, before taking a deep breath.

“...I lied to you. I know who hired me to kill you and those other CEOs...I just didn't tell anyone because he would kill me in a heartbeat if he found out...” Yami hesitated just a moment longer before saying it.

“Kaiba...it was him....” He said, looking both sad and scared to be sharing it.

Raphael froze. At first, he didn’t know what to make of what he just heard. It actually took a moment for it all to register, but when it did, he stared right at Yami, looking as serious and grave as ever, looking very much like one of Yami’s more ruthless associates at the moment.

“Kaiba Seto… You’re saying he’s responsible for all these murders… Is that right?”

“...Yes...” Yami said, looking dead serious but also sad. Raphael had said he was friends with Kaiba, and he felt bad for that relationship that was probably going to be over now.

“...Do you see why I couldn't say anything now? Kaiba's so dramatic...he'd blow up the whole Correctional Facility if he knew for sure I'd said something...this attack was a warning...a warning to keep my mouth shut...” Yami said.

“Please don't tell anyone...please...”

Raphael wanted to protest, but Yami was right. If Kaiba had been behind it, he certainly would be that dramatic to cover his tracks. On one hand, he didn’t want to believe it, but on the other, he certainly could. While they all took an incredible dip in the respective company’s progresses, it was KaibaCorp coming on top. Kaiba was ruthless and cunning, one to take drastic action.

“… I won’t confront him. I won’t tell anyone. But I’ll be ready, just in case."

Yami nodded, relieved that Raphael was agreeing.

“...That's why I told you. I don't want him to kill you...the attack on me is proof that he's still trying...he hasn't completely given up on this mission of his...” Yami said.

“...Just, please be safe...” He looked at Raphael. He'd told him...hopefully it would be enough to keep him alive.

Raphael petted his head. “Don’t worry… I’ll do my best. Now that I know, I can hopefully have more precautions set up. It’ll be alright.”

“Yeah...” Yami said, ducking his head a little when Raphael pet his hair. He smiled a little.

“...I hope so.” He said. He then heard the door beginning to open and glanced over to see which cops would be coming in. He wasn't too surprised to see Mai, but then frowned when he realized she was the only one. The other two guys were just his door guards.

“Hey Mai...where's your girlfriend? I thought you'd at least bring her to come get me with you.” Yami mused.

“They have other messes to clear up. Apparently some guy went insane and tore up a good quarter of the marketing district. Wasn’t pretty. So Droite asked me to cover for you. We even have authorisation from the police force, which is interesting” Mai said. “You’re looking good, Mutou"

"Oh wow. Sounds serious." Yami said in surprise. He snorted.

"They probably only allowed that cause I have one leg that's basically useless. Can't exactly out-hop you...even in your heels." Yami mused. He smiled.

"I feel pretty good otherwise, and I'm ready to get the hell out of here."

Mai laughed. “Hon, you know I can run in these babies. I could break you before you even got out of my car,” she mused. She turned to Raphael and nodded. “We’ll take it from here, Kawahara-san.”

“Alright… thank you, Mai.” He looked at Yami. “I’ll see you some time, okay? Take care of yourself."

Yami chuckled.

"I know, I know. Still don't know how you do it though." He mused. He smiled at Raphael.

"You take care too...we'll both be looking forward to your visit." Yami said, speaking on behalf of Yuugi too. The guards from the door came to his wheelchair, wheeling him out of the room and towards the hospital exit. He smiled when he took in the fresh air, but then his eyes widened as he saw the purple convertible waiting for him.

"...Mai, is that your personal car? You're taking me to the Correctional Facility in that thing?!" He exclaimed.

“Hey, we’re going in style.” Mai grinned. “Don’t you wanna have one last look at Heartland before you’re locked up again?” She looked to the guards and pointed.

“Mutou rides shotgun. Don’t worry. He’ll be fine. You two can sit in the back"

“Hmm...if only I was wearing something other than this orange prison uniform...then it'd really be in style.” Yami mused, glancing over himself in his chair. He smiled.

“I can't really move anyway...and I don't think the boot would work well in the backseats anyway.” Yami said, being brought to the front by one of the guards. He was helped into the passenger's chair, able to hop on one foot a little to get in. The guards packed up the wheelchair and put in the trunk and got in the back as instructed.

Mai looked at all of them. When she was sure they were all ready, she started her car up and began to drive through Heartland through the Correctional Facility. “So how was your stay, hon? Glad it’s over?”

Yami sighed.

"It was pretty awful...I couldn't move much of anything or do anything. I wasn't allowed a computer so I couldn't exactly entertain myself. Raphael got me a music player thank goodness..." Yami mused.

"So yes i am glad it's over...very glad. Yuugi too. He can't wait to see Koutei again."

“Oh? You’re allowed a music player? Well, I guess it’s not prison,” The woman said. “I hope for your sake that Raphael has good taste in music. He should have gotten you a deck of cards instead.”

Mai ginned. “Ah, Yuugi’s little bestie, isn’t he? Well I’m sure he’s excited."

"In the hospital anyway...not sure if they'll let me keep it in the Correctional Facility. He did bring cards too, but Yuugi and I didn't want to disturb his work. The orphans he's helping need him more than us." Yami said with a shrug. He glanced over the scenery around him, glad to feel the wind whip his hair as Mai drove. He'd miss this...he knew Yuugi would too.

"...Yeah, I guess he's Yuugi's bestie...not that he has other friends." Yami had to wonder about that other point. Sure, Koutei would be happy to see him he was sure...but...would he ask the question about his apology? That was what Yami was dreading.

“You know that big CEOs usually just hire people to help kids. I mean, Kawahara Raphael often gets involved himself, but honestly don’t worry about the kiddies. He’s alright,” Mai mused. He headed straight for the Correctional Facility, wishing she could at least stop to get fast food for Yuugi but knowing she’d get in a lot of trouble for getting off the main road.

“Awww why? Crazies too crazy? You should make an effort to see some eye to eye, Yami."

"He's still an important figure to them." Yami mused. He rolled his eyes.

"Some are a little too crazy for me..." Yami said, thinking of Shinji

“Fair enough,” Mai laughed. She continued her drive, heading for the edge of town, out to the Correctional Facility. Soon, she was parking in the lot.

“Oh, just in time. They’re expecting us."

Yami saw Dr. Arclight and the guards waiting for him and sighed.

"That seemed way too quick..." he mused. He waited for the guards to get out his wheelchair so he could be brought into it properly.

"Thanks for the ride, Mai." He said.

“Yeah… probably was. I swear I wasn’t speeding,” Mai said, though her joke was swallowed in the pity that was her voice. “You take care, Yami. Be tough. You always are.”

Yami managed a smile. Mai was nice to him so he could forgive her for pitying him.

"I will be. Always am. Take care." He said, waving her off and letting the guards wheel him away. He could feel a switch coming on, and decided to let it happen. It was avoiding Koutei at least...Yuugi opened his eyes with a blink.

"Oh we're here!" He said, happy that he got a second outside before going back into the facility. He smiled at Dr.Arclight.

"Hi Doctor." He said politely.

Miheal raised an eyebrow, seeing Yami swap with Yuugi in the car park, but all the same, he gave a small smile as he heard the young man’s cheery greeting.

“Hey there. How are you feeling, Mutou?” He asked, nodding to the guards, dismissing them and letting the Correctional Facility staff take over. “It’s been a while hasn’t it?” He said, leading the way through the facility, helping Yuugi put his bag on the metal detector to be screened.

“Better. It's good to be back...I was getting sick of the hospital. It felt like I was there forever.” Yuugi said with a smile, handing over his bag without complaint. He also let the guards run their metal detector over him as a precaution, letting them search him for any hidden weapons as part of their procedure. Once the guards deemed there was nothing destructive in the bag, they gave it back to Yuugi and went back to pushing Yuugi's chair.

Miheal waited patiently and smiled. “Well, you were there for quite some time. Koutei’s been eager to see you,” he said, knowing Yuugi liked to hear that. “You’re going to be on a new schedule now. Slightly different.”

Yuugi beamed.

"Im eager to see him too! I missed him a lot..." Yuugi said happily.

"Oh? How so?"

“Not by too much, just a bit. We have to organize more time for physiotherapy, which we can do here at the facility. The main thing is that certain breaks are going to be shorter, like the time you spend alone here when not in recreation.” The man smiled.

"Oh...okay. That sounds good...I do want to get better as soon as possible." Yuugi said, looking down at his leg sadly for a moment.

"Im glad my break time doesn't get cut though...it's the time I get to spend with Koutei." Yuugi said with a smile. That was easily his favourite time of day.

“It may take a while, but if the doctors say you’ll heal, you heal.” Miheal looked at him sympathetically and tapped his own foot lightly with his cane, indicating the sites where he was shot. “Believe me, I should know more than anyone.”

“Mm, I didn’t want to cut on your breaks. That’s just not good for you. Have you eaten yet? They’re already prepping for lunch break."

Yuugi glanced at his psychologist’s leg and nodded.

"Yeah...I believe you. I’m willing to work for it." Yuugi said with a smile. He shook his head.

"No...I haven't eaten yet. I can eat with the others right, even in my chair?" Yuugi asked, not really wanting to be confined to bed while eating again like in hospital.

“Yeah. I was thinking we should send you down first for meals regularly, so your chair won’t get in the way, but you should be able to keep with everyone else.” Miheal smiled. “We’ll probably do a session tomorrow, so today you can just get used to things again.”

"Okay...that makes sense. I'm glad. I'd rather eat with everyone anyway." Yuugi said with a smile. He nodded.

"Alright...thanks."

Miheal smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mutou. They’ll wheel you out. Take care,” he waved, heading back to his office.

Yuugi smiled.

"See you tomorrow, Dr. Arclight." He said, letting the guards wheel him into the cafeteria where the other inmates were having lunch. A few of the inmates were filing in already, so Yuugi was one of the last to enter. He glanced around eagerly looking for a familiar head of blond hair.

After getting Yuugi his food, the guard wheeled him towards the table. However, he and Yuugi didn’t have to wait long because soon a familiar blonde man was bounding over to them.

“Mutou! You’re back!” Koutei yelled excitedly, looking like an overexcited puppy.

Yuugi beamed when he finally spotted his friend.

"Koutei!" He called, unable to resist hopping up onto his one good food and hugging his friend tightly as the other came over.

"I missed you so much!" He said happily, holding his friend tight, partially for balance and partially because he had truly missed him.

Koutei laughed as he saw the man hop out and had no doubt in his mind it was Yuugi. The muscular man grinned and picked Yuugi up, swinging him around happily and hugging him tightly back, making it obvious just how much he missed him.

“You’re okay. You’re standing! You’re looking really good!” He grinned.

Yuugi laughed as he was spun around. It was fun, and he was glad that Koutei had missed him as much as he did.

"Kinda, yeah...I'm gonna learn to walk again soon. I still have trouble putting weight on my bad leg..." Yuugi said. When Koutei put him down, he demonstrated by standing with only a touch of weight on his booted foot. He continued smiling up at Koutei. He flushed a little at the compliment.

"I do feel good...at least, better than I was last time you saw me." He said sheepishly.

"I'm glad you're okay...you look good too!" He said, noting that somehow Koutei seemed a little more toned than he remembered him being.

“Yeah… but it should be okay eventually, right?” Koutei looked at the man and he frowned, staring at his leg. He bit his lip but tried to shake it off.

“Well, you look a lot better, trust me,” Koutei said, trying not to grimace as he thought of the grievous injuries on Yuugi’s body from before. He forced a smile and laughed.

“I’m good, yeah. Been working out. Nothing much else for me to do, you know? It feels good. I feel like I have more energy.”

Yuugi nodded.

"That's what the doctors tell me. I've got a lot of work to do to make it happen though." Yuugi admitted. He hopped back to his chair to sit, inviting Koutei to do the same as he talked.

"I'm glad! Working out is supposed to be good for you and all. Unfortunately, I feel like I've probably lost any muscle I got since I came here...not doing anything for weeks does that to you." Yuugi said with a small smile.

“Well, I have your back and I’ll help you all the way.” Koutei smiled. After the guard made sure Mutou was comfortable, they left back for their station, leaving Yuugi to Koutei. The blonde grinned happily as he sat.

“Don’t worry. Once you’re walking, I’ll help you get your strength back. Don’t worry, okay?"

Yuugi smiled happily.

"Thanks...I'm glad to have such a good friend like you." Yuugi said gratefully.

"I start therapy tomorrow according to Dr. Arclight. We'll see how fast it goes."

Koutei smiled. “Yeah… sounds good,” He looked down at Yuugi’s tray. “You might want to eat quick though. Shinji wants to see you as much I do.”

"Ah...Shinji huh...doesn't he usually want to talk to Yami?" Yuugi said, taking a bite of his food obediently.

"I hope he hasn't been bothering you too much..."

“Yeah… well… he’s pretty interested in what happened in the bathroom.” He made a face at that.”He’s been pestering me for details, but that’s fine. I’m more worried about you though.”

Yuugi gave a small shuddering sigh.

"...I'd...rather not talk about it...it was really scary...and painful..." Yuugi said. He gave Koutei a small smile and reached over to take his hand reassuringly.

"I'm okay now though...don't worry. I'm back, and everything will be okay." He smiled sweetly at Koutei to show that he meant it. He had to stay positive.

“Then I’ll go and chase him off if he tries to bother us,” Koutei said, saying it as if he had expected it. He let Yuugi take his hand and he smiled at him. He hadn’t realised how cute Yuugi was… he was so much cuter than he remembered.

“Yeah… I hope so."

Yuugi smiled gratefully, oblivious to the effect he had on his friend.

"Thank you...I'm not sure me or my other me are in the mood to deal with him today." Yuugi said.

"It will be...everyone keeps telling me so, anyway."

He was glad he wasn’t sweaty. He hadn’t realised when he was attracted to Yuugi, but even if the cuteness was sudden, the feeling in his chest was natural. Koutei smiled and squeezed his hand reassuringly.

“Right. So you gotta not let us down, right?” he teased.

Yuugi nodded and beamed.

"I won't! I'll get better as soon as I can." He promised, giving Koutei's hand a squeeze back in thanks before returning to his food.

Koutei smile and got back to his own lunch. As he nibbled away, he glanced up at the man, for some reason imagining him in very tight outfits, which was a bit startling, since they weren’t as cute as how Yuugi seemed to him. Still, he bit his lip as he thought about it and then straightened himself up.

“… Hey… do you like wearing leather?"

Yuugi nibbled his food, glancing over at Koutei to see the man seemingly struggling with something. He frowned a little, wondering what he was going to say...it looked like he was carefully preparing something...

The question itself was surprising to say the least. Yuugi's eyes widened.

"Leather? Oh...well...yeah, I do." Yuugi said with a small smile.

"When I was younger, I usually wore my school uniform everywhere, and of course, that wasn't made of leather...but on my off days, I'd wear black leather with lots of accessories. Y'know, kinda punk-goth style? My other me likes it too, cause I remember seeing him wear stuff like that too. All leather, with a jacket over his shoulders like a cape!" Yuugi said a little sheepishly.

"Why do you ask? Do you like it too?" He asked, wondering what had brought that up. He could also feel Yami stirring in his head in slight...worry? Was he concerned that Koutei was going to judge their fashion choices?

“…” Koutei imagined him in that outfit and he smiled. “Well it’s not the fashion for me, but I like it when other guys wear it. I was just asking because I thought I’ve seen you wear it before. I mean, I did, but that was more a dream. But it was pretty cool."

Yuugi could feel Yami react in slight panic at Koutei's statement and was confused by it. He shook it off and chuckled.

"I get that it's not for everyone...I just decided to try it and liked it." He mused. He titled his head.

"You had a dream about me wearing leather? When did that happen?" He asked, curious. Yami seemed interested too, though he still seemed anxious.

“Really? You want to hear about my dream? Not creeped out about it?” Koutei teased, smiling, glad Yuugi didn’t think he was too weird. “It was a while ago. I dreamt that I was at a bar with my friend Alit, but when I turned around, you were there instead in that leather outfit.” He was sure he was drooling in the dream. “I think I returned your wallet to you and we had drinks? I dunno. I don’t remember all the details. I saw you really clearly though. I’m fairly sure we were in the BARian"

Yuugi nodded with a smile. He wasn't creeped out...he just found it interesting that Koutei had such an oddly specific dream about him. How did Koutei know his fashion preferences?

“Oh...at a bar? I've never been to one...or at least, not that I can remember. I vaguely remember Yami going to bars...but I don't know which ones he went to. But, maybe he's been to this BARian one you dreamed about?” Yuugi mused. When he tried to probe around for that answer, he only got a headache as Yami seemed to resist him. He groaned and put a hand to his head.

“It sounds like a fun dream though...I don't really drink, but, maybe someday we can do something like that for real.” Yuugi said with a small smile despite the pain he was in.

Koutei watched the man, relieved that he didn't seem too concerned over it. However, what he was was concerned, especially when he saw the headache. He slid water over to Yuugi, frowning.

"Yeah... You okay though?"

“Ugh...” Yuugi said softly, accepting the water and taking a drink.

“Just...gonna...switch soon, I think...” Yuugi said, and the headache increased in pain, making him whimper. In past experiences, he had learned that the pain lessened when a switch occurred...but it seemed that Yami was trying to resist it this time...but...why, he wondered? But, it was impossible to hold it back forever, and soon Yami was reluctantly emerging. He continued to rub his temples, making no indication to Koutei that it was him. He was worried...Koutei had mentioned a scene that Yami knew was based on reality...he was getting his memory back. It was only a matter of time before he remembered everything...

“…You alright, Yami?” The man asked, looking at Mutou. He tilted his head as he looked at him, wondering if something was wrong.

“...Yeah...sorry, just fighting off the last of the headache...” Yami said at last. He should've known that Koutei would recognize it. He was one of very few people who had ever been able to consistently tell him apart from Yuugi.

“...It's good to see you again.” He mused softly with a smile. He was happy to see him.

It wasn’t hard for Koutei. He could see the visual cues, how Yami was always more tense, how his eyes usually narrowed and seemed more serious. He smiled, seeing the man and he nodded. “I’m glad… How are you?”

Yami gave a small smile back. He had truly missed Koutei, even though there were issues to seeing him again.

“...I'm holding up alright. As good as I could be given the circumstances.” Yami said.

“That’s good to hear,” Koutei said, smiling at him. “Did you get to do much while you were out."

“...I got to go outside...Yuugi and I both did. Raphael took us out to the hospital gardens.” Yami said, smiling at the memory. It had been enjoyable, even though it was probably the last outside moment he'd have outside in a long time, if at all.

“It was nice to spend time with Raphael...he made the hospital less boring overall.”

“Raphael, huh? Well it’s good you got someone looking after you on the outside too. You don’t talk much about Raphael, do ya?” Koutei asked, a little curious about this friend of Yami’s.

"...Yeah, it is. I don't deserve it though. I was ordered to kill him...but my illness stopped me from going through with it. And he...he took it upon himself to look after me and he got us in here." Yami explained.

"....And he looked after us in hospital too. He was there everyday...looking after us." Yami said, looking sad, still feeling guilty about what he'd done.

“Oh wow… I didn’t know you were supposed to kill him. And now he’s helping you. He sounds amazing.” Koutei already viewed Alit as god-like, and the man didn’t come around as fast as this guy seemed.

“… You’re gonna miss him too, huh?"

"Yeah...more like unbelievable..." Yami mused. He nodded.

"Yeah, I'll miss him. Yuugi even more so...he sees him as a guardian figure...like the father we never had." He mused.

“Father figure, huh?” Koutei leaned forward on the table and gave him a more tired smile. “The first one didn’t work for you too?” He asked Yami.

Yami sighed, seeing the sympathetic look...but he was also a little surprised by the 'too' that Koutei had tacked on. Did that mean they both had shitty families?

"Not well...he and our mother took off to travel the world or something and left Yuugi with his grandfather for most of his life. Neither of us even remember what they looked like....Jii-chan was like our father in that man's stead." Yami said.

"...Did your parents abandon you too?" He asked.

“Wow… that’s awful..."

Koutei shook his head. “Nah. They kept me on a leash, more or less. Not literally, but still. It was pretty bad. My parents were both politicians, one in Japan, one in Italy, and they wanted me to follow in their footsteps. They did everything they could to push me on that path, but I wanted to be a boxer. They resented me for it, and being gay didn’t help things either since they wanted to pick out a pretty wife for me. In the end, they cut off all ties with me and everything. Before I was thrown in here, I went to my dad’s funeral here in Japan, and I got chased out by my mother. … She said I wasn’t welcome after turning my back on the family and all.”

Yami listened, frowning at the story. He had heard a slightly abridged version before, he was pretty sure...but the longer version was worse. It made him angry on Koutei's behalf. Unlike Yuugi, who had Jii-chan at least for most of his life to love him and let him be himself, Koutei's parents had never truly accepted him. And what was worse was that Koutei was a genuinely nice person who didn't deserve any of it. Yami would not have been surprised if Jii-chan disowned him at least for everything he'd done wrong...

"They sound like terrible people who couldn't see what an amazing, talented and kind son they had...I'm angry they didn't realize it." Yami said honestly with a frown. He then softened it and squeezed Koutei's hand in comfort.

"I'm sorry that happened to you....it's truly awful."

Koutei wasn’t crying at least, but he was feeling a bit down now, even with the smile on his face. He watched Yami move his hand over and he squeezed it back, surprised a little but glad Yami was there for him.

“… I know, but hey… At least getting thrown in here can’t make my mother’s relationship any worse with me. I’m fine, really. I didn’t mean to bring the mood down,” He said, honestly.

Yami felt upset and angry at Koutei's parents on the other's behalf, but also upset with himself for being so mean to a man who already had no family or friends to support him and didn't deserve it. His mood was down too, but he smiled apologetically.

"It's my fault. I brought it up after all...we can talk about something else, if you want. Did Alit come see you while I was away again? You're still in touch with him, aren't you?" Yami said, knowing Koutei liked Alit. Hopefully that would cheer him up.

“I’m fine with whatever. I just thought it was your first day back, so we should go easy,” Koutei said, laughing but not completely genuinely. He did perk up at the mention of Alt and he nodded.

“Yeah, he’s my contact outside. He’s doing fine. He’s a stay at home dad now, and he’s got this adorable daughter called Masumi. He’s shown me her and some pictures. She’s lovely.”

Yami nodded and listened, stiffening a little when he heard the name.

"...Masumi huh...sounds cute..." Well shit. That was the baby he kidnapped, probably. He hoped Koutei seeing her hadn't sparked any memory...

"...it's nice he's still taking time for you too. I'm sure being a stay at home dad is tough." Yami said.

“Yeah… He’s taking everything well… You know, considering I attacked him and stopped him from boxing as well due to his injuries. But…” Koutei sighed and shook his head. “Yeah… they’re all fine. Alit’s a good guy. He’s strong. He can balance me and his family"

"Wow..." Yami mused, but again he was cursing internally.

"I'm glad things are working out for him too...seems both our out-of-prison friends are truly amazing people..." Yami said with a small smile.

“Definitely. So we gotta do our best to make sure their efforts aren’t wasted, right?” He said, smiling at the other man.

Yami returned the smile.

"Yeah...sounds like you're doing fine, but I still got lots of work to do." He said, gently massaging his had leg.

"Raphael paid for the surgery I had to have for my leg so I'd be able to walk...now the rest is up to Yuugi and I and our physio work..."

“Yeah. When do you have to go for your first physio?” Koutei asked.

"Tomorrow...no idea what to expect. Hopefully it won't be too painful..." Yami mused.

“It’s probs just walking and some massaging, as well as a check up. I’ve had friends who needed physio before, so you don’t have to worry about too much.”

Yami nodded.

"Alright...I think I can manage that...hopefully anyway." Yami said.

"So you've never had a boxing injury or something that required physio huh?"

“Not myself. I’ve been good with keeping my body healthy. I’ve been pretty lucky too, so that helps”

Yami smiled.

"You're lucky. I suppose I have been too, if you count having the 'Devil's Luck' being lucky...I get injured within an inch of my life, but generally I always recover..." He mused.

“Devil’s Luck… that’s a Catch 22 luck too, huh? Those who have it are both really lucky and suffer from it too, huh?” Koutei said, “Well… it’s a good thing you’re alive man."

Yami nodded solemnly. It was both a blessing and a curse...Raphael had it too, apparently. Hopefully with Kaiba, he'd come out on the lucky side and survive at the very least...

"It's definitely a lot to deal with. It often involves suffering for awhile before being able to spring back...like with my leg." Yami mused.

"...." He had to pause at Koutei's second statement. Would Koutei really think that if he knew what he'd done to him?

"...I suppose I am fortunate to be alive...nobody wants to die..." He said at last. He didn't really deserve all the chances he'd got, in his mind. Maybe it was because he had Yuugi with him that karma decided the good and bad were balanced, and so he was allowed to live because if not, Yuugi would die? He sighed.

Koutei nodded in agreement, oblivious to the worries Yami had about his friend. He looked over to Yami’s leg as he mentioned it, seeing how well supported it was. “Yeah… I mean…” Koutei caught himself and then forced a laugh, shaking his head. Now wasn’t the time for such a dark topic. “Nevermind. Anyway, once you go physio and learn what you need to do, I’m more than happy to help you with exercise if you need it."

Yami glanced at Koutei, wondering what he'd been about to say, before nodding. "Yeah...you seem to know how to exercise certain muscles. I'd be grateful for your expertise." Yami said. He did want to walk as soon as he could.

“Yeah. So here’s to us, getting better together,” Koutei said, raising his glass of water to Yami. “To us!"

Yami gave a small chuckle. This gesture seemed a little silly, but it was kind and he appreciated it. "To us then." He said, clicking his glass gently against Koutei's.

-x-

Across town from the Correctional Facility was KaibaCorp headquarters. Kaiba Seto was in his office, going over his work related duties while also exploring his contact with Michel Roger, who was currently in Neo Domino. He had heard that Mutou Yuugi had survived the attack and had thoroughly enjoyed rubbing it in Roger's face that his high calibre assassin had failed against the Shadow Gamer. Part of him had expected it...if there was anyone who could outsmart a serial murderer like Sergey, it was Mutou Yuugi. But, that did leave him in an inconvenient position...did he and Roger go after Kawahara Raphael and ignore Mutou, or did they try again to silence him for good?

A knock on the door interrupted Kaiba's thoughts.

“Enter.” Kaiba called.

“Hey there, bro,” Mokuba said, opening the door. He smiled at his brother, unsurprised his brother was at the desk. However, despite the chipperness on his face, the fourteen year old boy walked over to Seto with a bit of unease on his mind. He wasn’t sure how to ask Seto about this sort of thing, and he wasn’t sure if he would understand or not, but he had to try. “What are you doing?”

"Mokuba." Kaiba said in way of greeting, sparing his brother a glance from his laptop. His brother was important to him after all, and judging by his body language, Mokuba was gearing up to ask him something. "Working. What is it you need, Mokuba?" He asked, cutting right to the chase, though he did make significantly more effort to sound at least somewhat kind in his question, since this was his brother.

Mokuba gave a laugh. He knew his brother was busy, and he also wanted to get this over with. He should have expected the quick response, but he still felt unprepared. He considered how to phrase this before he sighed, looking at his brother.

“I don’t want to hire any more tutors. I want to go to a real school, Nii-san.”

Kaiba paused in his typing, surprised by the request. He had been to public school in Domino, albeit sparingly, and hadn't really enjoyed fraternizing with people of average or below average intelligence. He couldn't imagine why Mokuba would want to do such a thing.

“...Mokuba, your education is better handled by tutors. There's nothing a school teacher can teach you that a tutor couldn't do better. Why do you want to go to a school?”

“Honestly, I can outdo any of the tutors. There’s no reason to continue their study,” Mokuba muttered under his breath a little arrogantly. He was his brother’s brother alright. “I want to go to school because I want to make connections with people. People my age. You know. Like a normal person.”

Kaiba's lips twitched in amusement at Mokuba's first statement. He had noticed that Mokuba seemed bored with his lessons as of late.

“Mokuba, you're the vice-president of a major corporation. You're not a normal person. It's admirable that you want to make connections with people, but those schoolkids will swarm you for your status, and groupies are not friend-worthy people.” He said.

“You think fourteen year olds will know who the vice president is of a company is? Yeah we’re big, but like you said, they’re not all that bright. All we have to do is not mention my last name and then we’re done. I doubt they know my face” Mokuba reasoned, having prepared for any question his brother threw to him. “We can even give it a trial run if you want. If I slack with my job or I think they’re all useless groupies, then I’ll just pull myself out of the school and go back to what we’re doing now.”

“Some of them will probably know your face. The paparazzi has taken enough pictures of us together that someone is bound to have seen it, and if they share that fact with their friends, the rumors will get started, regardless of whatever fake name you go with.” Kaiba said. Though, he could see the reasoning in Mokuba's argument. Maybe this would have to be one of those lessons Mokuba learned on his own. He sighed.

“If you really feel that strongly about this, I'll agree to a trial run. Just try not to get too carried away in the friend department...socializing would take away from your work time.” Kaiba said.

Mokuba tried to look calm but a big grin overcame his face as his brother confirmed he was getting exactly what he wanted.

“Thank you, Seto. I appreciate it. And I won’t get carried away. I just want to see what it’s like to have friends outside of work.” Mokuba ran his fingers through his long hair. “Think they’ll be dumb enough to not recognise me if I cut my hair?”

Kaiba let a small smile come to his lips when Mokuba grinned at him like that.

“Alright, I'll hold you to that. I'll enroll you today...I think the school year has already started, but I'm sure I can pull some strings to get you into class right away.” He said, glancing at his brother.

“...Maybe. I'm not sure how many would recognize you either way, but your hair is getting a little shaggy. A cut might be nice.” Kaiba mused.

“That sounds good,” Mokuba stretched. “Not like I can miss much. But hey, I might learn something new. I never had a reason to take art before.”

He laughed. “I’m kidding. Encourage me anymore and I will get it."

Kaiba hmmed in agreement, though he did doubt Mokuba would learn much in public school.

“Alright, I won't encourage you. Do what you want...and expect that you'll be going to school tomorrow morning. Be ready.” Kaiba said.

“Of course.” Mokuba grinned. He turned around, already excited. “I’m heading out, Seto. Don’t go sleep too late. I’ll see you later,” The man said, waving to his brother.

“See you later.” Kaiba called, smiling a little at Mokuba's happiness. He had a lot of work to do now...he would have to look into which school would be best for Mokuba, then call them and deal with enrolment stuff. He'd be busy for most of the day now.

So would Mokuba. After making absolutely sure he had done all the things he needed to today, the boy got changed into some casual clothes. Tying his hair back, Mokuba headed in the elevator and headed out, getting into the car where his personal chauffeur was.

“Just drop me off at the Heartland Mall, alright? No need for guards. I’ll be fine.”

Isono was the driver today for Mokuba and nodded.

“As you wish, Mokuba-sama.” He said, starting the car and driving off towards the mall. He could see that his young master was quite excited about something and was glad for him. He dropped him off by the entrance awhile later.

“Call me when you're ready to leave, Mokuba-sama. Have a good time.” He told the boy, before driving off.

“Thank you~” Mokuba grinned, glad he was let off the hook so easily. Making sure he had his wallet and phone, the man headed inside the mall, going for the nearest store and heading to where they kept their stationery. He couldn’t go to school without new books, and he wasn’t going to show up with a bunch of KC branded items, after all.

As Mokuba made his way into the store, another regular customer was already inside. Ponta often made trips to the store to help Kotori, who was a teacher, stock up on supplies for her classroom. He had his backpack and skateboard under his arm as he navigated through the stationary section.

“Let's see...she needs a pack of paper too...oh, and more colored markers for the whiteboard...” He murmured to himself, making his way down the aisle. He was so focused that he didn't even noticed the black haired boy who was around his age approaching and accidentally bumped into him.

“Ah, sorry about that, pon!” Ponta exclaimed, blinking in surprise when he saw a kid his age. That was a little unusual...well, at least it was odd that he wasn't there with a parent. He saw the stuff the boy was carrying and smiled.

“Are you looking for school stuff too, pon?”

“Woah. Hey!” Mokuba stumbled back, a bit surprised someone had bumped into him when it wasn’t that crowded. He blinked, surprised to see it was someone his own age, before he shook his head.

“No need to apologise. It’s alright.” He said quite calmly. He nodded. “Yeah. I’m starting tomorrow, so I’m getting all my things. I’m surprised someone else is looking though. Hasn’t term already started?”

Ponta grinned, excited on behalf of this strange boy.

“Tomorrow? Wow that's awesome! Good for you! What school are you going to? What grade?” Ponta asked, eager to see if this boy was going to be in his class.

“You're right, it has, but I'm not shopping for me, pon. I'm shopping for Kotori. She's a teacher and she asked me to get more stuff for her class!” Ponta said, showing Mokuba the list.

“I'm Ponta, by the way! What's your name, pon?”

“Um… I can’t remember, but I’m fourteen so I’ll be second year middle school, ” The young man said.

“Oh that’s nice of you,” Mokuba smiled, “She’s lucky to have your help. I’m Mokuba. Nice to meet you, Ponta,” he said, curious if he recognized his name.

Ponta's eyes lit up, not at all fazed that Mokuba had no idea which school he was going to. He hadn't known either after all.

“We're the same age! Maybe we'll be in the same school and class, pon? I go to Heartland Middle School.” He said, hoping that was the case. He did like making new friends after all. Ponta didn't show any sign of recognition with Mokuba's name, because he truly didn't recognize it. He didn't really pay attention to video games or things related to KaibaCorp or celebrities, so he had no idea that he was talking to the vice-president. He smiled.

“Mokuba, huh? Nice to meet you! I can help you find things for school if you want? I know this store really well cause Kotori sends me here a lot.” Ponta offered.

“Oh, that would be interesting,” Mokuba said. Mokuba was a little surprised Ponta didn’t try to at least guess he was the same Kaiba Mokuba, but at the same time he was pleased. If everyone was like Ponta, then this school thing would be a piece of cake. “Wouldn’t that be a cool coincidence.”

He grinned. “Hey, that would be really cool. I don’t know what to get. I’m just getting paper and pens and ruled up books for now."

“Yep it would be! I hope it happens.” Ponta said happily.

“That's a good start...maybe a calculator too, pon? You'll probably need it for math! They do really advanced stuff! And you gotta think of what you wanna do for electives, pon! There's art, music, theater...do you like any of those?” Ponta asked, leading Mokuba down the aisle and pointing out the best brands of pens, papers, binders etc from his experience as he talked.

“I got a calculator, but I can probably afford another,” he mused. He pondered the options given to him, assuming that Ponta was talking to him about general school things rather than just stuff from his own school. He listened to Ponta’s advice as they went, as he thought about what he liked.

“I like theatre. I do enough music at home, but I haven’t done any acting before."

Ponta grinned, glad they had something else in common.

“I like theatre too! It's super fun! We got a really good teacher this year at my school, pon! Have you ever heard of ESPer Robin? The actor who played Robin is gonna be our teacher in theatre at my school. If you do end up coming to Heartland Middle School, you should definitely take his class with me!” Ponta said happily.

“ESPer Robin? Oh! I remember him. My brother and I used to watch it when we were little. Is it really that guy?” Mokuba asked, wondering if that’s why Ponta was unsurprised. Surely, if there were some old celebrities at the school, he wouldn’t be a such a big deal. “I’ll see. Maybe I’ll end up at a different school but I might just want to look and see if I can spot him.”

Ponta nodded excitedly.

“Yeah it is! I've met him before, pon! He seems to like fans, pon, so he'd probably be happy to meet you! He did a special episode with me for my other friend, Haruto.” Ponta said, smiling a little sadly as he remembered his precious friend who had died. But he shook off the sadness with a smile.

“My brothers watched it with me too! Is your brother older or younger than you?”

“Ah, I see.” Mokuba was good at reading the mood, so he could tell that Ponta was thinking about something bittersweet. He remained quiet, letting Ponta have his moment before he moved on to the next question.

“Older. He’s more than ten years older, so he’s more aware of it than I am. I think he watched it because I liked it so much though”

“Oh wow! That's like my older brothers too! They're both ten years older than me, and Gilag is even older than that, pon. I know Alit doesn't really like sitting around and watching TV, and Gilag is often too busy...but they did it anyway for me!” Ponta said with a grin.

“Big brothers are the coolest, aren’t they?” Mokuba smiled. “That sounds really nice of them. We aren’t so different, huh?”

“The coolest! I'm a big brother too now, since Kotori and Alit had a baby! Her name is Masumi, pon!” Ponta said in agreement. He nodded.

“Yeah! So let's be friends, kay?” He said happily, taking all the stuff he needed for Kotori and heading towards the checkout with Mokuba.

“Is it really that easy to make friends though?” Mokuba mused, somehow charmed by this boy. He chuckled as he nudged the other’s broad shoulder and followed after him. “I mean, I’m alright with it. Yeah… Let’s be friends, Ponta.”

“It is for me!” Ponta grinned, happy that Mokuba was okay with that too.

“Great! Are you doing anything else at the mall today, pon? We can hang out here if you want?” Ponta said, stopping at the checkout and smiling as he put his stuff down to pay for them.

“Hm?” Mokuba raise an eyebrow. “No, I’m free. I’ll be happy to hang out, Ponta. Might as well. I’m free for the rest of the day.” The checkout girl looked weirdly at Mokuba, but he took it in stride. He smiled, wondering if she would ask him questions.

“Sweet! I'll just tell Kotori I'll be home later, pon!” Ponta said happily, pulling out his phone and sending her a message and completely missing the look between the cashier and Mokuba. The girl obviously had figured out who Mokuba was, but she didn't say a word. She was obviously a little shocked to see Mokuba Kaiba in such a small shop. Ponta smiled and took his bags from her, thanking her.

“Alright, I'm good to go, pon!” Ponta said with a smile.

Mokuba smirked as he went to pay, using cash. He wasn’t like his brother very big and flashy with his chequebook, so the incident went rather smoothly. He paid and grabbed his things before he nodded. “Ditto. Where shall we go?"

"We could just walk around and see if we like anything in the stores or something, pon?" Ponta said with a grin.

“Yeah, that sounds pretty fun,” Mokuba said. “I haven’t been shopping here in a while. This place has expanded. It’s not bad."

"Me neither! I don't usually shop for me either, pon. I started getting an allowance recently so I can spend on my own now a little!" Ponta said happily.

"What do you like to buy, Mokuba? Games? Sports stuff? Books, pon?"

“Yeah, I suppose you deserve it. A bit of extra money for your work,” Mokuba said, sounding amuse but not giving away too much about himself. “I usually buy clothes and stuff, but I like games a lot. Computer games mostly, but I like games with risk and stuff. I used to play board games but my bro is too busy for them these days.”

Ponta beamed and nodded.

"That's what Alit said too!" He said with a grin. He listened and smiled.

"I haven't played a lot of video games actually...neither me nor my brother's are really tech-savvy, pon. But I love board games! I'll play with you if your brother won't, pon!" Ponta said happily.

“Heh… Maybe. We’ll see.” He wasn’t even sure if they would even meet again, but Mokuba was in a good mood, getting what he wanted. “What kind of board games do you like?"

Ponta smiled. He wasn't sure if he'd see Mokuba again either but he was eager to make it happen if he could.

"All kinds. I like strategy ones, luck ones...basically any one that you have to play with other people!" Ponta said, before spotting a little dispenser machine.

"Look! It's a Capumon dispenser! Do you play that one? It's fun, pon!" He said, rushing over to the dispenser to put a coin in and see what level monster he'd get.

“A capumon? I forgot they still sold those,” Mokuba smiled, looking at the dispenser, hurrying after them. “I collected them too, actually. I’ve got a whole lot. I kind of do collect them,” he said, searching his pockets for small change.

"Yeah, its older true, but it's still fun! Do you battle with your collection too, pon?" Ponta said, putting a coin in and turning the key, watching the capsule fall out. He picked it up and grinned.

"Look, I got a level 3! Not bad, huh, pon?"

“Nah, I don’t have time. I’m pretty busy at home, so even my own game time is limited,” Mokuba shrugged. “I play lots of online games because they’re easy to do at night.”

Mokuba grinned. “I got that one,” He said, pulling his coin out. “Let me try.” He turned the knob and pulled his one out. “Level 4. Nice."

"Oh? What do you do at home that keeps you so busy, pon?" Ponta asked, curious. He smiled.

"I don't have this one yet, but now I do! Awesome, pon! Do you have that one? It looks strong!"

“My brother gets me to do some work for him because he thinks I’m responsible. It’s a piece of cake.” He smirked at the thought. However, seeing as Ponta didn’t have what was clearly a common monster, he handed his over. “I have this one too. You want him? I do have a lot myself."

"Oh wow that's cool! So you two get to work together on stuff? That sounds fun, pon." Ponta said. He was surprised by Mokuba's offer.

"Oh wow, really? I can have it? Thanks, pon!" He said, happy to accept it.

Mokuba grinned. “Consider it payment in advance. You gotta show me a good time here, okay?"

"Payment?" Ponta said in surprise, before chuckling at Mokuba.

"Well have fun, but you don't need to pay me, pon." Ponta said with a grin.

“I know, I know,” Mokuba laughed, “But nothing in life is free, so just roll with it, ‘kay?"

Ponta chuckled.

"Okay, I'll roll with it!" He said, accepting the Capumon with a smile.

"Speaking of rolling...do you like skateboarding? You can try out mine if you want, pon." Ponta said, showing his board to Mokuba.

“Huh? Skateboarding?” Mokuba looked at it and shook his head. “Never tried it. Wasn’t really my thing."

Ponta grinned.

"Did you wanna try? It's not that hard to get a hang of, pon." He offered with a smile.

“Hmmmm…” Mokuba paused before he laughed. “Alright. I’ll try. I got pretty good balance. Hand it over and let’s see."

"That's the spirit!" Ponta grinned, happily passing off the skateboard.

"Let's see how you do, pon!"

The teen smiled and dropped it on the floor of the mall. He then got on, sort of moving it forward how he saw in movies. He could stand alright, but when he tried to move it and get one foot off, he lost his balance.

“AAH! It’s harder than I expected.”

Ponta rushed forward to steady Mokuba as he lost his balance with a small chuckle.

"Yeah, that's what lots of people say! You gotta keep your center of gravity stable, pon!"

“Yeah… easier said than done,” Mokuba muttered. Not caring they weren’t allowed to be skating indoors, he got down a little lower and tried again.

"There you go! You're doing much better!" Ponta said happily, watching Mokuba skateboard around shakily.

"Keep practicing and you'll be zipping around in no time, pon."

“Alright. Let’s keep going then. Um… better make sure you teach me how to turn. I don’t wanna crash into anyone,” Mokuba grinned. “It’s harder but this is more fun than I expected too."

Ponta nodded.

"Of course! To turn, you gotta lean a little! Make the board lean in the direction you wanna go! It's easier when you have more speed, but you can turn a little like this, pon!" Ponta said. He smiled.

"It is, isn't it? I love it!"

“Alright… um…” Mokuba tried but he nearly fell off the board. He sighed and shook his head but he tried again. “Yeah. I’ll get it eventually"

Ponta rushed forward again when Mokuba stumbled, not wanting him to fall. Thankfully he didn't. He smiled reassuringly.

"You will! Keep trying, pon!" Ponta said, not noticing that a few people had been watching them oddly. Two teenagers skateboarding in the mall were a little suspicious. Sure enough, a security guard approached them a few minutes later.

"Boys, I'm afriad there's no skateboarding allowed in the mall. You'll have to-" He cut off his sentence abruptly when he noticed the black-haired boy on the skateboard. He had seen that face before many times and was momentarily stunned to silence.

"Oh, um...my apologies, Kaiba-sama. I didn't realize it was you. Please, try not to hurt yourself or others while you skateboard, alright?" He said, giving a small nod before heading off. Ponta simply looked confused. He had a small nagging feeling that the word 'Kaiba' was familiar...but he shook it off. It was probably nothing.

"Wow, I'm surprised he let us go! I didn't know you were also friends with the security guards here, pon!" Ponta said, amazed at his new friend.

Mokuba was having a great time, laughing as he tried to go along with the stranger’s antics, rather amused how this played out. The fourteen year old didn’t even notice the eyes on him until he heard the security officer.

The man cringed, not because they were caught but he was recognised. However, he was very, very thankful that he hadn’t done anything to alert his brother’s attention, and he nodded quite sternly in response. “Yeah, I know. Thank you,” He had no idea who that man was.

Mokuba looked at Ponta, wondering what his thoughts were and his jaw nearly dropped as he heard the boy’s words. So there really were these kinds of people in the world. The stupidly naive? It was quite amazing, especially since the Kaibas were billionaires, but he had actually met someone in Heartland who didn’t know him.

“Yeah… well… my brother is pretty big. Don’t worry about it.” He picked the skateboard up. “We should do it outside, huh?"

Ponta smiled, noticing how Mokuba looked a little uncomfortable with it.

"Is he...hmm...he'd be 'Kaiba-san' right? That's what the security guard called you..." Ponta said, puzzling it out. He shrugged.

"Never heard of anyone named Kaiba, but then again, I don't always pay attention to famous people, pon!" Ponta chuckled, looping an arm around Mokuba.

"Let's go outside before they call your big brother and tell on us!" He laughed, pulling Mokuba towards the door.

“I’m Kaiba Mokuba, yeah,” he nodded. He then laughed openly this time, patting Ponta on the back as he was grabbed by the other boy.

“It’s not important. All we need to know is that we better get out before I get in trouble. But hey, there’s a skatepark out here, right? Let's go!"

"And I'm Barian Ponta, pon! Nice to meetcha!" Ponta said with a grin, nodding.

"There's one outside yeah! Let's go, let's go!" Ponta said, happy to get to spend time with a new friend.

-x-

Meanwhile the police station had been extremely busy since Yuuya showed up. The drug department finally came back with the analysis of the drug that Yuugo had dropped off for Yuuya. Gauche sighed as he looked over the contents. "Droite...I don't think this drug is legal...take a look." He said. He felt bad. The Sakaki case was one of those sad legal cases that they had to deal with: a poor family with unfortunate circumstances trying to get by having a sad run-in with the law.

“Hmmm?” Droite leaned over in her chair and frowned, looking at the file that Gauche had up. Her eyes widened. Even if Japan had strict drug laws, there were many drugs that would have someone arrested on the spot if held. The woman shook her hand. “That’s definitely not. It’s never been legal in Japan, at least not since the 50s. We need to tell Ukyou. If Yuuto provides the drugs for Yuuya, that means he’s frequently getting there from somewhere. We need to get that warrant to search his apartment.”

Gauche nodded.

"Are they harmful, Droite? Cause we're kinda giving these to his brother..." Gauche mused. He knew Yuuya was sick, so they couldn't just not give him medication, but this stuff was illegal.

"Yeah, I'm gonna show Ukyou...what're we gonna do about Yuuto? This is grounds for an arrest isn't it?"

“I can’t say I’m an expert, but we got a case file here. Hang on.” Droite said, typing it on her computer and pulling a few files up up before she looked over what was in there. “The guys noted there’s traces of Codeine, the opium medication, on the outside of the bottle. These aren’t over the counter drugs at all…” She sighed. She knew Yuuto had lied to her, but she didn’t know how much he had. “… Looks like in high doses over a long period of time, it can prove lethal to a person. But it stops them from feeling pain and lets them think clearly. Gabapentin is the main component, but the other things mixed to it isn’t pretty. ” Droite wasn’t sure, but she had seen Yuuya without the meds. “… Yes. We’re going to arrest him. I’ll confirm with Ukyou. You’ll come with me, right?”

"Yikes...so this stuff is slowly hurting him, huh? That's not good...we should get an alternative treatment going then." Gauche said. He nodded.

"You bet I'm in. We'll bring him in together after we talk to Ukyou. He'll probably work on enlisting his boyfriends help with the drug stuff again in the meantime, right?" Gauche said with a smirk and a wink to Droite.

“Alright, let’s go,” The woman said. She got up and rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “For an ace bastard you’re super into the love lives of everyone here, aren’t you?” Droite smirked as she headed for Ukyou’s office. “But you’re right. Getting Doctor Arclight’s help would be invaluable right now.”

Gauche grinned.

"I just want my coworkers to be happy!" He chuckled. They approached Ukyou's office.

"Hey, boss...Yuuto's been using illegal drugs on Yuuya. We got the analysis back from the lab."

Ukyou looked up from his desk as he heard the door to his office open. He raised his eyebrow before a solemn look overtook his face.

“Lab results? Right. The drugs Sakaki Yuugo took in for us. Let’s see it here.” The man said. Droite passed it over and Ukyou skimmed over the notes. His frown deepened and he looked at his coworkers. “… Well if there was any reason to approve the warrant to search his house today, this is a good one. We need to make an arrest too. There’s no way around it, unfortunately.”

Gauche nodded.

"We understand, sir. Droite and I were going to head over and arrest him right away. Once you get the warrant we can search his place, but we gotta make sure he doesn't try and bolt or something right?"

“Yes, that’s right. We need him in custody for questioning,” Ukyou stared at the paper, wondering just where Yuuto had gotten these from. The drug market in Japan was big, but the other component in Yuuya’s medication was worrying him for some reason.

“Ukyou, what should we do with Sakaki Yuuya. We can’t keep giving him this medication. It’s going to kill him”

“First thing is that we get a doctor and get a proper diagnosis. Then we go see if there are alternative arrangements that we can provide instead of those pills. We had station’s infirmary look at him but now we’ll get an actual doctor.”

"You gonna call in your boyfriend, chief?" Gauche said with a teasing smirk. Ukyou sighed.

"I will consult Dr.Arclight, but I will probably also have to talk to the Correctional Facility. They have more dealing with medical illness...Chris just does the drug side of things."

Droite shot Gauche a look, wanting him to put his foot into his mouth. “Yes, we got it.”

“We should also have an actual GP. Not just the mental side, but his physical state looks bad. I’ll make those calls now. Sakaki Yuuto should still be in hospital, so if he’s ready, take him back here.”

Gauche nodded.

"Alright, sounds good. We'll head over there now." Gauche said, heading out with Droite to go to the hospital.

Meanwhile, one of the other officers saw them leaving and sent a text to a certain politician saying that the cops were going out to get his brother.

Yuuto, meanwhile, was still in hospital. He'd hardly slept at all the previous night, sick with worry about Yuuya and wondering how he could help. Sure, Yuuya had his medication and would no longer have anymore episodes, but it was also only a matter of time before the cops found out what was in them and came back to arrest him. In his current state, he couldn't really move on his own, which meant he was a sitting duck waiting to be arrested. His only option was to leave the hospital before the cops came back, go into hiding, and maybe eventually bust Yuuya out of jail if he was sent there and once Yuuto recovered. It was a very complicated affair, but Yuuto would take it one step at a time...step one was to leave the hospital. He was currently waiting on Yuugo to come get him and get him out of hospital and into hiding. He rested on his bed, clearly exhausted and worried but still determined. He had to make it through this, for Yuuya's sake.

"I'm sorry Yuuya...hang in there..." he murmured softly, knowing his baby brother was likely scared and upset with his current situation.

Yuugo wanted to be stealthy, and while he failed at it horribly sometimes, he knew how to be subtle when it called for it. When Yuugo knew about something, he knew everything about it, and he knew the hospital system almost as well as the legendary Kamishiro twins. He knew that he had to be sneaky to smuggle his brother out of the hospital without suspicion, so he was going to grab a car, check him out and head to an in discriminate location before the police knew he was gone.

However, half an hour after the police had started mobilising for Yuuto’s arrest, Yuugo didn’t walk in. Instead, it was the last of the Sakaki siblings, in a proper suit and with a bunch of fruit for Yuuto.

“My my, Yuuto. Don’t you look fresh today?”

Yuuto glanced over when the door opened. He expected Yuugo but was surprised to see Yuri.

"...Yuri." He said, scowling at his brother. He supposed it was better to see him here than with Yuuya in prison. But if he was here he might be planning something?

"...to what do I owe this visit...?”

Yuri smiled pleasantly and put the expensive fruit basket down on the table next to Yuuto. There was all sorts of delicious fruits there, even a melon, and to most it would be a high form of respect and a present filled with wishes to get well soon.

“Nothing much. Just checking up on one of my favourite brothers,” the man said sweetly, keeping his usual mocking tone out of his voice for once. He had to play his cards carefully. After all, if Yuuto got annoyed with him and left early, the game would be over. “After all, if I want to connect with Yuuya and the whole family again, I have to try to reach out to you. How have you been feeling, brother?”

Yuuto sighed as he was offered the basket of fruit. Although it looked good, he wondered if they were poisoned.

"You needn't have bothered. I was just discharging myself. I'm well enough to go home." He said, though he couldn't really walk. Dammit where was Yuugo when he needed him?

“Discharging yourself? In your state?” He could see the leg brace and how pale Yuuto was still. Yuri shook his head and crossed his arms.

“That may be true, but you still don’t look so well. There’s no rush to head home, is there? You should take it easy.” Yuri sounded like he cared, and in his own way, he did.

Yuuto wasn't sure what to trust when it came to Yuri. Sure, he sounded genuine, but he'd also sounded that way when he said he'd take good care of Yuuya...

"...I'd rather not stay here, Yuri. I don't have health insurance, and I am perfectly capable of resting at home. Sleeping in my own bed would be nicer than here." Yuuto said.

“I know… But I know you won’t bring me to your home, and I wanted to talk to you, Yuuto,” Yuri said, sounding gravely serious. He frowned as he sat down on the side of the bed. It took all of Yuri’s willpower not to stroke Yuuto’s thigh or grab his bad leg. He wanted to see Yuuto’s face contort for him…

“I want to know what happened. Not what the cops told me. Not what Yuuya said. I want to hear it from you. I don’t know anything about what happened to dear Yuuya once you guys left, and now he’s going to be thrown in jail or the Correctional Facility. I want to know what’s happened.”

Yuuto instinctively leaned a little away when Yuri sat on the bed next to him. He didn't trust Yuri, but his words were bringing back old pain that he couldn't really hide. He sighed and looked down.

"...That's a long story, Yuri. If you really want to know, I'll call you later. The short version is that Yuuya didn't get his medication...I couldn't give it to him like this." He said, nodding to his legs.

"...I didn't want him to know about these injuries because I knew he'd be worried, and I didn't want him acting rashly and hurting himself. But, I essentially shunned him...and he relapsed. It's my fault..." He said sadly.

“I will hold you to that.” Yuuri, in a show of good faith, passed his phone over to Yuuto, expecting him to punch in and save the number there. He was making it very clear that he wanted to know everything, and he watched Yuuto seriously as the guilt and pain hit his face, hiding his own glee perfectly.

“… So you were injured and you didn’t say anything to Yuuya,” Yuri said, hiding how much he already knew. “You didn’t see him at all? Yuuto, you know you should have let him worry. If he had panicked, he would have for a few days and then resolved to help you. Instead, he’s forgotten all his meds. I thought you were responsible. Honestly. I know you’re altruistic, but stupid is Yuugo’s gimmick.”

Yuuto was surprised when Yuri passed him his phone. That was actually something he could take advantage of. He sighed.

"Okay. Yuuya did ask me to give you another shot." He lamented, taking the phone and entering his contact information. He was once again letting guilt overtake him. It wasn't just that...it was also what happened with Shun, and everything else that had distracted him. He'd been neglecting Yuuya for Shun and for his injuries...

"...A lot has happened. I told you, it's a long story. Mind if I make a call?" Yuuto said, keeping Yuri's phone and dialling Yuugo's number immediately. He knew it by heart, thankfully. He wanted to get out of here. Yuri reminding him of his guilt just made him more eager to leave before the cops came and arrested his guilty ass.

There was nothing incriminating in there. Dennis wasn’t a contact number and the officer’s text message had already been deleted. There were just work things on that phone, and Yuri smiled as Yuuto began entering his contact information. It almost seemed sad, that he was finally getting Yuuto’s number and soon the man would be in jail and he couldn’t relish it, but Yuuya was his prize and he couldn’t wait. “Thanks… I didn’t say you could use it though.” Yuri said, pretending to be annoyed and once again hiding a wicked grin. He could guess who Yuuto was calling, and he had now essentially given him Yuugo’s number as well. It was like Christmas. As Yuuto made the call, Yuri reached over, pulled a tomato out of Yuuto’s fruit basket and took a bite out of it. “Hello? Make it quick! I’m in a hurry!” Yuugo yelled as soon as he picked his phone up.

"It's me. Where are you?" Yuuto said, ignoring Yuri's protest. He'd make the call quick. He glanced over at Yuri and was a little surprised to see him eating a tomato like it was an apple...but there was also the added fact that tomatoes always reminded him of Yuuya's hairstyle. He scowled a little before turning back to the call.

Yuri licked the juices from the corner of his mouth, playing innocent and oblivious as Yuuto looked at him. He tried to listen in, which wasn’t too hard since Yuugo was so loud.

“I’m like two blocks down. It’s crazy out here. I had to switch lanes because there was a police car with flashing sirens, and now I’m in the wrong, godamn road. It’s one way too! I’m trying to loop back but it may take a while. How are you calling me? I wanna call you back when I get there."

Yuuto paled a little when he heard about the police car. Shit were they on their way? He needed to leave.

"...I borrowed someone's phone. Trust me, you won't want to call his number back." Yuuto said, wisely not disclosing that this was Yuri's number.

"...Just get here as soon as you can okay? I'll be waiting. Bye." He said, hanging up, then made the pass the phone back when he noticed Yuri's drizzling face.

"...Isn't that supposed to be my fruit basket present?" He couldn't help but say. He was getting a little irritated with Yuri.

Yuugo frowned. “Alright. I will. Be safe, Yuuto. Stay calm. It might be going to somewhere else.” Yuugo said. He hung up so he could focus on the road.

Yuri laughed and wiped his mouth. “Yes, but I’m hungry. I had to miss lunch so I could have time to visit you. Just consider it a tax. Have a banana instead. This one is mine,” Yuri rolled the tomato into his left hand and tossed one of the bananas towards Yuuto.

“Maybe instead of calling me, and maybe instead of me stealing your food, perhaps we could go out to lunch and talk, Yuuto. It can even be my treat.” He smiled, internally laughing.

Yuuto caught the banana, not sure why the fruit mattered, but he supposed it might be relaxing to eat.

"...if you want, you can take me out now then. Let's get out of here and eat something more wholesome than fruit. Especially if you have to miss lunch." Yuuto suggested.

Yuri looked surprised and he stared at Yuuto. He knew Yuuto was the sharpest out of his remaining siblings, so he figured the man was on to him. However, he knew he had to keep Yuuto here. If what Yuugo said was true, the police would be here any minute.

“You’d do that?” He asked quietly, sounding actually shocked. He sounded a lot like Yuuya, suddenly. “Really?”

Yuuto nodded. He was sharp alright: sharp enough to take advantage of any opportunity to leave right now.

"Yeah I mean it. I told Yuuya I'd give you a chance and I mean to. So let's go. C'mon." He said, getting up shakily.

"This way, we can catch up and you won't miss lunch. Everyone wins." He reasoned.

Yuri wanted to keep him there, and was perfectly aware of the fact that Yuuto was playing him, but he couldn’t miss such an opportunity.

“What about Yuugo? Do you want to call him first? Make sure he doesn’t arrive here without me whisking you away?”

"Sure. I'll call him in the car while you're driving. From what he said, he'll be awhile." Yuuto said with a smile, starting to head to the door.

“Alright, that’s fair.” Yuri turned around and sighed. “Yuuto. Don’t rush off. We have to collect all your things and put them to your bag. Tut, tut. And you think Yuugo was going to clean up after you?” Yuri said, getting to the task of picking up Yuuto’s clothes and stashing them away. “Goodness, what’s your rush?"

Yuuto sighed and reluctantly turned to help. Yuugo would have known to just take him and go.

"Don't you have a limited amount of break time, Mr. Big-shot Politician? Don't wanna keep you from your work too long." Yuuto said, though he came to help pack his very few things.

“Hey, what can I say? I want to help my family. I’d do anything for them, Yuuto,” Yuri said softly. He enjoyed their proximity, and was tempted to lean over and brush his hand against Yuuto’s. He had grown into a fine young man, and Yuri wanted nothing more than to kiss him. But he refrained, and thankfully for the best.

“In a hurry, Sakaki Yuuto?” Droite’s voice rung out as the woman walked into the room, Gauche right behind her to block the door.

Yuuto listened and smiled a little. "I'm glad to hear it." He said. He froze when he heard the cops behind him. He turned around. "I was going to discharge myself. Yuri came to visit me and offered to take me out to lunch." Yuuto said, acting calm as possible. "Is something wrong officers?"

“Actually there is,” The woman frowned. She looked at Yuri, who seemed confused and she sighed.

“Sakaki Yuuto. You’re under arrest on charges of illegal drug possession and poisoning a charge in your care. You have the right to remain silent. Any words you say can and will be used against you. Please come quietly.”

Yuuto had expected the drug charge but was confused about the second one.

"...I didn't poison anyone, officers. I don't know what you mean by that." Yuuto said.

“… We mean Sakaki Yuuya, Yuuto,” Droite frowned. “You’re under arrest for poisoning Yuuya as well. We’ve examined the drugs your brother provided us. They’re damaging his organs.”

“What?” Yuri looked at Yuuto, the farce of being surprised now gone. He was genuinely horrified, and then a deep scowl came over his face. Yuuto was trying to kill what was his? “There’s got to be some kind of a mistake. Yuuto… What’s going on?"

Yuuto looked surprised. He really hadn't known he was hurting Yuuya that badly. "No way..." he said, shocked. He looked at Yuri. "...I'm sorry Yuri. Could you call Yuugo and tell him not to bother coming to visit me anymore? It sounds like I'm going with these two to the police station..."

Yuri frowned. “… Yeah… I will… but when I come for you in jail, you’re going to explain everything.”

“Come on, Yuuto,” Droite said, handing the man his crutches.

"Sure. These guys will want to know everything too, I'm sure." Yuuto mused. Well that was it. He was busted. The worst part was that if he'd been at full strength or close, he could've easily gotten away. He accepted the crutches without complaint and hobbled out slowly but steadily out of the room with the two officers.

Yuri watches Yuuto leave the room. He didn’t move, he didn’t chase after them. He just watched, not wanting to cause a scene. The arrest was a very quiet affair, and it didn’t even seem like an arrest. As far as a bystander would know, they were just escorting him out, or two friends sending their injured friend home after work. Yuri knew his position would be shaky, but it wouldn’t be irredeemable in these circumstances.

In fact… this was great. If Yuuto had been poisoning Yuuya, then there was no way that he would be able to keep Yuuya in his possession. He would be arrested and jailed, and Yuuya would need someone to look after him. If he appealed well, Yuuya wouldn’t be jailed, and he could work to owning him.

Owning him. The thought made Yuri grin ear to ear and he stared after Yuuto. This would be good for him. Perfect. Yuugo would be no problem to crush, and then his precious brother would be his to do as he pleased, where he could do whatever he wanted to him.

Yuri turned as he looked at the fruit basket, seeing the eggplant that he had gotten Yuuto as a joke fall out of the basket. He grinned as he swiped the basket up and purposely stepped on the fruit.

“It’s my lucky day…” He mused, picking the phone up and ringing Yuugo’s number.

Yuugo picked up the phone from that unknown number again assuming it was Yuuto.

"I'm about 5 minutes out! Just hang in there, alright?"

“Yuugo, it’s me.” Yuri pulled his phone away immediately. “Listen, Yuuto has been arrested. The police are taking him out of the hospital now. You’re too late.”

"YURI???!? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING WITH YUUTO?!?" Yuugo screeched.

"WHAT?! No way...why the hell didn't you do something?! Yuuto didn't do anything wrong!!!"

“I came to visit him. I was going to take him out to lunch, believe it or not. His idea.” The man said to him calmly. He brought the phone back to his ear hesitantly. “I didn’t do anything. Yuuto was arrested on charges of illegal drug possession and poisoning Yuuya with those drugs.” Yuri frowned even deeper, his glee from winning dampening suddenly.

“I tried. But I’m not stopping an arrest. Why… why didn’t you say something about what he was doing to Yuuya?”

"I don't believe it..." Yuugo murmured, shocked that Yuuto would suggest going to lunch with Yuri.

"Poisoning?!? Yuuto would never do that!!! He was doing it to help Yuuya that's all! Ugh...I'm going to the station to do something about this!!!" Yuugo said, whirling around in a U turn to speed back towards the station.

“Don’t do anything stupid. And don’t drive while on the phone. You don’t want to have an accident. You’re on speaker, right?” Yuri muttered. He was at least a little concerned about his brothers. “Poisoning to help him? Killing him slowly? For his own good? Sounds like what a psycho would say,” Yuri hissed, though he knew he would be the one who would do the same.

"Of course I'm on damn speaker, but you don't really give a crap!!!" Yuugo exclaimed.

"I told you, he wasn't poisoning him!!! That's a lie!!! That medicine was helping him actually have a normal life!!"

“I do. I care a lot about you guys, Yuugo,” Yuri said simply, as if reporting the weather outside. “Then why did the cops arrest him on those charges? The illegal drugs, yes, but why specifically as well the poison? It may have been helping him, but he is also slowly dying, Yuugo.”

"Ha. That's a good one!! If you cared you wouldn't have tried to molest Yuuya!" Yuugo exclaimed.

"I'm gonna find out what's really happening! Just you wait!" Yuugo snapped.

“I’ve grown up since then, Yuugo. I’m trying to make an honest effort to change.” No he wasn’t, but he didn’t want to give Yuugo the satisfaction he was right.

“Please do. And let me know as well. I want to know who is hurting Yuuya."

"Hmpf." Yuugo mused. He wasn't sure he believed that at all.

"Fine. I'll talk to you later, but it was definitely not Yuuto who poisoned Yuuya!" Yuugo said, before hanging up and continuing his way to the station.

Yuri hustled off, knowing he had to get back to the office. However, he was ecstatic, and he was hoping very soon he’d get that call.

Meanwhile, the police were arriving back at the station. Droite opened the door, letting Yuuto out, and she lead him into the back way, away from prying eyes. “We’ll need to hold you for questioning."

Yuuto got out slowly, since his limbs were stiff and sore. He really didn't want to be questioned right now, since he was exhausted.

"...Can I see Yuuya first? Please? At least so he can see I'm alright after what happened..." Yuuto asked Droite.

“That’s not within protocol.” Droite said sternly.

“I dunno, Droite. I mean… he just wants to see him, and Yuuya won’t be at his best right now so they can’t do anything. We can make it quick, right?” Gauche said, feeling sorry still.

"My brother is undoubtedly hurting, feeling lonely, scared and guilty about his current predicament. He's gotten to see Yuri and Yuugo I hear...why not me? You claim that I poisoned him, but I never meant for that to happen if it did...he's my brother. I wouldn't ever hurt him...I just want him to know he's not alone and that I'm alright. Alleviate some of his guilt if I can..." Yuuto said softly to Droite, letting some of his own guilt and sadness over what had happened show in his voice.

"Please let me see him...just for a little while..."

“… You get two minutes. Then we’ll have to go to Ukyou and try to get it approved. I can’t believe I’m doing this.” Droite knew this was an unorthodox case though, and while she didn’t want to break the rules, she wasn’t a monster. Picking up the keys, she led them down the halls and into the containment cell ward. She opened it up and let Yuuto through.

“This way,” she muttered, leading them.

Still being interrogated, Sergey was getting used to his time in the cell, but when he saw Droite coming down the hall, he paid a little more attention. He raised an eyebrow, and then a huge grin split on his face, seeing who she was bringing with him. The man with such soft… pretty skin… There he was...

Yuuto smiled.

"Thank you." He said, following Droite back into the holding cell areas. When Droite opened the door and led him back, he couldn't help but glance into the cells next to him, wondering if he'd end up stuck in one and also trying to get a glimpse of Yuuya. But in the nearest cell to him, he saw someone else who he immediately realized was not Yuuya...but the ear splitting psychotic grin that appeared on his face suddenly triggered a memory. This was the face of the man who had toyed with his life and had haunted his dreams for the past few weeks...Sergey Volkov. He was here, and it was clear he recognized him. Yuuto's practically sleepless state immediately pushed aside the rational part of his brain that reminded him there was a set of bars between him and Sergey and all that was left was the fear of this man and what he'd done and was capable of doing to him, especially in his weakened state.

Yuuto screamed before he could stop himself, a small adrenaline spike forcing his injured body to move sideways, pushing himself as far away from Sergey as possible in case he tried to grab for him. His hands went for weapons he didn't have and his fear only intensified and all he could do was cower in fright.

It was beautiful, seeing that pure, untamed fear in the man’s eyes and the scream on his lips was practically music to his ears. He grinned silently as he stood up and clenched the bars, looking out to the corridor. So his little pretty victim remembered him still? His pretty little fly? He was so happy to see that…

“Oy! Sakaki! Lay off!” Gauche explained, grabbing Yuuto, trying to steady the man. “The hell is wrong with you? Do you wanna see your brother or not?”

Yuuto was shaking when Gauche grabbed him and he cried out again in alarm, for a moment thinking it was Sergey that grabbed him. He struggled weakly against Gauche for a moment before finally realizing that this wasn't Sergey, but a cop. He was breathing a little erratically.

"...please just...get me away from him...." Yuuto said, refusing to look in Sergey's direction. He didn't want to see the look on that psychopath's face.

Gauche held him until he realised what was going on, and he helped the man on his crutches.

“Away from who?” Droite turned and spied Sergey, looking at them. The big man just grinned, not even having to laugh. He was just entirely pleased with what was going on. Droite frowned as she looked between them and put a hand on Yuuto’s back, leading him away.

“You’ve met him before?”

Yuuto didn't say anything in reply to Gauche, grateful to be led away. He had to compose himself before he saw Yuuya.

"...Yes, I have..." he admitted reluctantly. He knew he couldn't really say he hadn't after what had just happened. He hated his own weakness and fear when it came to Sergey.

“When? Did you?” The man asked. Droite looked at him to tell Gauche to be quiet and she took Yuuto towards Yuuya’s cell.

“Are you alright?” The woman asked

"...awhile ago. I think about a week before he was arrested..." Yuuto said. He took a couple deep breaths to shake it off and nodded.

"I will be." He said, to remind himself of that fact as well as to reassure Droite a little.

Droite frowned but she didn’t want to press. Instead, she just remained quiet, leading Yuuto up to the room. Yuuya looked up when he heard footsteps, and he sprung to his feet immediately, seeing Yuuto.

“Yuuto! Yuuto! You’re okay!” He said, running to the door.

Yuuto let an honestly relieved smile come to his face when his brother sprang up to see him.

"Of course I'm okay. Are you alright, Yuuya?" He asked, waiting for the door between them to be opened so he could hug his brother. He knew his brother would see the crutches, but at this point, he was beyond caring. He was sure the cops would explain what happened to him, since he suspected the purple haired cop named Droite was piecing it together already.

Yuuya immediately flung his arms around Yuuto, not caring that they could all see. He hugged the man tightly and leaned in, body shaking a little and tears filling his eyes.

“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you."

Yuuto hugged his brother back tightly too, relieved that he was okay and sorry that he had caused him such distress. He pet his back, trying to soothe him as his brother started to cry.

"Ssh...it's alright Yuuya. You didn't hurt me...I promise. This is from something else...you had nothing to do with it..." He said reassuringly, letting his brother lean on him and not caring how hard it was to support his weight. He wanted to just hold him forever if it meant it would comfort Yuuya.

Droite was muttering in the background, but he didn’t care, too busy noisily sobbing as he held his brother tight. Yuuya held Yuuto, wanting nothing more than to just cry in his arms.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for hurting you and triggering your illness and being a problem and… I’m sorry."

Yuuto gently rocked their bodies a little to comfort Yuuya, continuing to pet his back and hold him close and gently shush him in an almost motherly fashion. He hated seeing Yuuya so upset and knowing he was the cause only made it worse.

"Yuuya, you didn't hurt me...none of this is your fault, alright? You don't have to apologize...you're going to be okay...I've got you..." He said gently.

“But I don’t want you to just have me, Yuuto. You need to rely on me too,” Yuuya said, looking up with teary eyes at his brother. He nuzzled against him, heaving his breaths.

“I’m not… I’m so, so sorry.”

Yuuto nuzzled his brother back, petting him gently and letting him look at his face.

"...Yuuya..." He said softly, leaning in to kiss his brother's forehead gently in comfort, partially so Yuuya wouldn't see his own sadness. He knew he probably would be going to jail and Yuuya wouldn't be. Or that was what he hoped...either way, they'd likely be separated. He made sure to hide most of the sadness when he pulled back to look his brother in the eye.

"...I need you to be strong okay...can I rely on you to do that? It sounds like...things are gonna change for awhile...but I'll be here with you as long as I can okay? So will Yuugo...even Yuri wants to help." Although Yuuto doubted the motives behind Yuri's "help", but Yuuya didn't need to know that.

"You don't have to be sorry. It's not your fault, and these officers know that. You're going to be okay." He said again with a small smile, gently wiping his brother's tears away with his thumbs.

Yuuya looked at Yuuto, trying to make his brother understand that he was an adult and he was able to look after him, even if he did have some problems. However with a stuffy nose and tears streaming down his face, it was hard to feel like that, and he sobbed as Yuuto leaned in to kiss him. He nodded as best as he could.

“I… You can. I promise. I’ll be strong. Don’t worry. Just… you need to take care too.” Yuuya smiled, glad to hear that Yuuto believed in their two other brothers. He felt a little stronger, even if he was shaky. He smiled up at Yuuto.

“I love you, Yuuto. Please be okay, bro. They… You’ll be fine. They’ll understand…” Yuuya said, not having realised just yet Yuuto was not here as a guest, but someone under arrest.

Yuuto smiled a little when he saw Yuuya smiling again.

"I love you too, Yuuya. And I'll take care...you'll probably be seeing a bit more of me for the next little while, since I'll be in a cell nearby, probably..." he mused a little sadly.

“Cell?” Yuuya blinked before his eyes widened. “Cell? Oh no… Did that mean… Are you busted, Yuuto? What happened?” He looked behind him, seeing the police, and bit his lip. He wanted to ask about the apartment, but he didn’t want the police to catch on.

"The drugs I'm giving you are illegal, Yuuya. I'm sorry you had to find out this way..." Yuuto said, giving his brother a sad look but also winking at him with his back to the cops, trying to silently communicate that drugs was all he was here for.

"I suppose the good news is we'll be together for awhile in here...you won't be so lonely." He said gently.

“Illegal? No… you’re getting those off the pharmacy, right?” Yuuya blinked. Inwardly, he was relieved that that was all Yuuto was in trouble for, but now he didn’t know how to communicate to their tenants that now both of them were in jail.

“… I… I guess so… Still… You shouldn’t be in here, Yuuto…”

"Not all of them, Yuuya. I'm sorry." Yuuto said. He sighed.

"What's happened has happened, Yuuya. I'm afraid I'm stuck here...couldn't run if I tried to." He mused, gesturing to his legs.

“…” Yuuya looked at the police officers again, who looked like they were ready to take Yuuto away. He gripped his brother tightly and looked at where he was indicating.

“… Promise to tell me what happened when I see you next. Please?”

"Alright. I promise." Yuuto said, gripping his brother equally tightly. He didn't want to leave him either. After weeks of not seeing him, he had missed Yuuya dearly.

Yuuya smiled as he hugged Yuuto. He was still worried about how he was, but he was glad he was here now at least. “See you soon, alright?”

Yuuto hugged him back. "See you soon." He agreed, feeling the cops coming up behind him. "Let's go, Yuuto. Times up." Gauche said, albeit reluctantly. Yuuto nodded, pulling away from his brother slowly and then getting his crutches in order. He left the cell and let Gauche lock it. "Hang in there, Yuuya. You're not alone." He reminded him, before he was led away.

Droite looked at Yuuya as she closed the door, leaving Yuuya there, a little confused, but happy. Before too long, Droite and Gauche walked Yuuto to another containment cell.

“We’ll keep you here until we’re ready for questioning. We won’t be too long.” Droite said.

"Alright." Yuuto said, going into the cell as instructed and he sat on the bed to rest his sore legs.

Gauche followed Droite out.

"Think Ukyou's got that warrant yet?"

“Hopefully.” Droite said, heading straight for the superintendent’s office. “I’d like the investigation started before we actually do anything like interrogating. I want to know everything Yuuto is hiding."

"Yeah that's fair. I guess he was a good liar, at least about the drugs...anything else you think he lied about?" Gauche asked.

“… I think he’s hiding something else. I don’t like going off gut feelings, but we’ll see…” The woman frowned. “… I don’t like how he knows Sergey though."

"...yeah. Sergey knows him too...he was looking at him like he wanted to tear him apart." Gauche said.

"Yeah. We'll see what the boss has to say." Gauche said, arriving at Ukyou's office.

"Hey, We brought in Sakaki Yuuto. He's in a holding cell." He reported to Ukyou.

Droite couldn’t remember what it was, but Sergey had said something once that she had dismissed. It suddenly seemed important now, though she couldn’t remember what.

“Did you now? Well, that’s good timing. Your warrant for the search of his apartment was approved.” Ukyou said.

"Alright! We gonna search it now, or should we interrogate him first?" Gauche asked.

“We should give him time to recover. Not interrogate him straight away. We’ll have a ground team sweep his house, and while they do a more thorough search, we can interrogate him."

"Yeah that's true he doesn't look very healthy...pale, thin, can barely walk...looks like he hasn't slept well in weeks..." Gauche mused. He nodded.

"We found out something interesting too chief...Sergey Volkov and Yuuto know each other. Yuuto had a mini panic attack when he saw him...and Sergey looked like he wanted to tear him to shreds and laugh while doing so."

“Does he now?” Ukyou frowned. “… Why would Yuuto know Sergey? Sergey is a dangerous criminal. Any sane person would have reported him to the authorities, especially with injuries like that.”

“… Yeah…” Droite looked up. “The hospital gave me a report on Sakaki Yuuto’s injuries. They said he had grievous leg injuries not done in the attack Yuuya did that were severely infected and were not treated by the hospital. He didn’t go to the police after being attacked, and now he hasn’t gone to the hospital for his injuries. He’s hiding something. Something big, sir. We may find more than what we’re expecting when we go to Sakaki’s house. We shouldn’t waste any more time than we need.”

"Yeah that's weird. Let's head out then to his place! I'll go grab Anna!" Gauche said, heading out to get his coworker.

Droite watched Gauche head out, and looked at Ukyou, not leaving herself.

“… Ukyou, what are we going to do about Sakaki Yuuya? Will we continue to feed him these drugs? Or are we going to switch to sedatives?”

Ukyou sighed.

"I've requested a physician to come examine him. For now, we can give him some mild sedatives..." Ukyou said.

“Alright.” Droite nodded. “He’s fine for now, but I just wanted to clarify we weren’t giving him those drugs Sakaki Yuugo brought in. That’s all I needed to know. Thanks."

Ukyou nodded.

"I understand what you're asking. We'll start giving him some mild sedatives...see if that helps his condition. Maybe Yuuto can provide us more input during interrogation...it would be logical to assume he's tried different treatment methods and might know what works best as an alternative...at least in the short term." Ukyou said. He got up.

"Let's head out to his house to see what else he might be hiding."

“Alright.” Droite nodded as she headed for the door. “Let’s get to work.”

Gauche meanwhile had rounded up Anna and they were waiting for Ukyou and Droite to finish their little chat. Gauche was bored but also eager to share new developments with Kaito, since he knew the other was interested. He dialled Kaito's number and waited for him to pick up.

Kaito was still doing research on the various medication, and he was having his computer speak up to him. However, hearing his phone ring, he paused the recording and picked it up “Hello?” Kaito asked. “Who’s this?"

"It's Gauche! Just thought you'd want an update on our latest case, huh, Kaito?" He mused with a grin.

"We just got an interesting but unfortunate case...involving quadruplets that all look completely identical!" Gauche said.

"...One of them is really sick, and the other's buying illegal drugs for him...they're pretty detrimental to his long term health. I feel bad for them...they're orphans just trying to get along in the world..." Gauche said with a sigh, shaking his head.

“Quadruplets? I didn’t see that one coming,” Kaito muttered, gesturing for Orbital to come over and start recording all the important aspects of the conversation.

“Sounds like how you started out, just less drugs,” Kaito said. “But you mentioned drugs? Is that a link to Dennis or you’re not sure? Give me a name."

"Yeah, I know right! It was really cool...I've only known twins, nothing more. But these four brothers look identical." Gauche said.

"Well...we're not sure if there's a link to Dennis or not. We're gonna interrogate Sakaki Yuuto after we check his house...he might be hiding more drugs." Gauche said.

“Are all four of them involved or just two?” Kaito asked. He then suddenly stopped, hearing the name. Yuuto? Yuuto was the one who was caught? Shit, that would mean that Yuuya had been taken in too… and they were going to search the apartment complex.

“When are you going? Now?” Kaito said, reaching over to Orbital and trying to write down a message. Astral was there now. He needed to get his things and leave. Immediately.

"Ah well...we think it's only the two...but we're not completely sure. We only got two arrested though." Gauche said with a shrug.

"Yeah we're leaving right away! Ah...Ukyou's coming out. I gotta go, Kaito! I'll call you later with details alright? See ya!" He said, before hanging up and going over to join Ukyou and Droite and Anna in the squad cars.

Kaito frowned. He wanted to ask more things but he heard Gauche say his goodbyes. He only barely managed to grunt in response before suddenly he was met with dial tone.

“Shit.” He said, quickly going into speed dial and hoping Astral was able to pick up.

As it happened, Astral was in his room on his computer, looking up medications as Kaito had been before he'd recieved Gauche's call. He heard his phone ring and went to pick up his cell once he saw it was Kaito.

"Hello, Kaito." Astral said.

“Get out now.” Kaito said. “The police have arrested Yuuto and Yuuya. They’re coming to search the house for drugs. Get to somewhere safe. Bring everything. Hurry."

Astral's eyes widened.

"W-what?!" He exclaimed, startled by this news. Sure he hadn't seen Yuuto or Yuuya for the past little while, but he never would have guessed they were arrested...

"...Alright, I will...can I come to your place?" Astral asked, immediately getting up and grabbing a small bag to throw some clothes, his computer, his wallet with savings and anything within grabbing distance from him. He was really nervous, knowing that this had basically been how he'd been arrested...he had to get out before the cops got here.

“Come here first. We’ll figure out where you can stay after. Hurry up.” Kaito hung up, hoping that wouldn’t distract Astral and he’d have time to bail. He had no idea how long Astral had since he didn’t know where this apartment was, but he figured it wouldn’t be longer than forty minutes tops. He had to hurry.

"Okay. I'll come by as soon as I can." Astral said before hanging up. He packed as quickly as he could. He put on a baggy jacket and a hat to hide his tell-tale hairstyle in hopes that the disguise would stop him from being recognized by police if he happened to pass them. He grabbed his bag and practically ran out the door and straight to the nearest bus stop. He could already hear sirens as he left the house.

As he got on the bus, the police reached the apartment complex. He sighed in relief. He sent Kaito a message.

"I got out okay...I'm on my way to your house."

Kaito waited anxiously in his office, waiting for a sign that Astral was okay. He planned to have Orbital do a check for him if it was past forty minutes, but just before that deadline, he heard his phone ring. He all but jumped on it and quickly had it read out to him. He sighed in relief as he heard the man report he was okay and texted back.

“Left no evidence? No passport that Yuuto made? No ID?”

"...I grabbed everything I could...I have my ID and money and computer...but I didn't have enough time to pack all my clothes and some other basic things." Astral admitted.

"...They will probably be able to find out I was there based on DNA...I could not completely cover my tracks, and now my prints are on file again as the hacker 'Hope Ray'..."

“Can you scramble them again? Like you did last time?”

"...I did scramble the digital copies, but I did see a note on the files that said that there were also print copies in the police station somewhere. Your colleagues are smart enough to know that a computer hacker fugitive can erase digital files, but can't possibly touch physical copies...so they will have my prints on file where I can't reach them." Astral said sadly.

Kaito frowned as he heard the text.

“Don’t say anymore. Wait until you get here.”

Astral sighed.

"Alright...I will. Then we can talk...I want to know what happened to Yuuto and Yuuya."

“You and me both.” Kaito sighed and put his phone down and rubbed his temples. He looked at the work he was working on and he scowled. So if Yuuya was under arrest, there was no use for this, was there? He needed to ask Astral about going after Dennis then.

-x-

When the cops pulled into the apartment complex, they were not particularly struck by its outside appearance. It looked like a normal, lower-class apartment complex.

"This is the address...damn. That's a decent sized building Sakaki owns." Gauche mused. They had their teams open the locked front door to give them access to the rest of the building. The multi-squad team split up and searched the building, opening every door and pulling out anyone they found on the inside. To the cops' surprise, they noticed an immediate pattern: all of the tenants they found were recently escaped fugitives from Heartland Prisons.

"What the-" Gauche exclaimed, having to tackle a guy who tried to escape.

"This building is crawling with convicts that escaped!" He was shocked. He could hear that other cops were doing the same, stopping those who tried to run and trying to round up everybody.

Doors were barred, fire escapes were blocked, and more squads were called. Since it was the middle of the day, most of the tenants were at home, since they avoided going out in daylight. Thankfully Ukyou had the sense to call four teams in the first place, seeing as they were dealing with an apartment complex, so most of the criminals weren’t able to get away at all.

“This is ridiculous,” Anna said as she cuffed another man and locked him in the car. “What’s Sakaki doing? How are all these people here?”

“… This looks like his office,” Droite said, walking in. After someone picked the lock for her, she walked in and immediately went for the desk, going through his files.

Ukyou also ordered the squads to take some DNA samples from the rooms that were clearly occupied at some point. He wanted to know who had been in the building, and who they had caught, since there were clearly some rooms that were being used but had no people in them when the police checked (like Astral's).

"It looks like Sakaki Yuuto is harbouring criminals." Ukyou said with a sigh as he entered Yuuto's room with Droite.

"Finding anything interesting?" Ukyou asked, deciding to check to closet to see if Yuuto had hidden drugs in there.

Droite nodded as she pulled out two files that had in her hand. “There was a secret compartment in this desk. It’s usually hard to find, since the desk is made to look very plain, but I recognise the craftsmanship from a case I had a few years back.” She placed it on the table and opened them up. “These are most receipts and order forms for a number of illicit activities. Have a look.”

Ukyou frowned.

"He's got a few weapons in the closet..." he also found a pair of cracked goggles and Dark clothes that looked somewhat familiar. He shook his head and came to see.

"...these order forms look like the materials needed to get fake IDs made. I heard a few of the cops found fake IDs on some of the fugitives they arrested...Yuuto must be making them for his tenants who are fugitives." Ukyou noted.

"Any sign of any actual drugs?"

“So he’s got a whole business set up here, making them new identities and housing…” The woman frowned. “The meds are… oh, here the are. Under the bed. Looks like he really wasn’t expecting anyone to be in his room.”

"So it seems..." Ukyou said, looking through the papers more thoroughly. Yuuto seemed to have things quite organized, like any effective landlord would. Why was this whole set-up sounding familiar? Ukyou finally found what appeared to be several weeks worth of rent calculations with each tenant's room numbers written down. That would be valuable later, he assumed. They could cross-reference the room numbers and whether there was a rent figure to determine whether a room was used or not.

"I guess not. The door does have a lock after all." Ukyou said, coming over to join Droite over at the bed. He noticed that the bed looked as though it had been used just recently: there was a little bit of dried blood and puss on the sheets, which Ukyou assumed was from Yuuto's leg infection. He frowned.

"No wonder his legs got infected...I don't think he's changed these sheets in awhile." Ukyou mused, before he spotted something...interesting. He knew Yuuto's hair was long and mostly purple...so what was a shorter, green hair doing on the pillow? He picked it up with a pair of tweezers and put it into a small test tube to give to evidence later. Had someone else been in here? Maybe Yuuya? They'd have to see.

“Forensics will be here soon, you don’t need to do everything, Ukyou,” Droite joked, even though she was also working on setting up the room for a thorough investigation. She sighed, her expression still serious. “… You think we’ll ever get over the shortage of cops?” Droite said, thinking of the brutal accident with Dennis Macfield.

"I know...but given the shortage, I feel I should help when I can...especially when I find someone else's hair in Yuuto's bed. Didn't Yuugo say he had a partner? We should look into them too..." Ukyou said with a shrug. He sighed.

"...I hope so. We'll need to look at recruiting even more than usual...we lost so many special teams members, after all."

“No, I know. I’m helping too. We all need to pull some extra weight,” Droite agreed. She let the topic slide, knowing that they did have to address the issue later, and finished taping specific areas of the room that needed further investigation.

“… Yeah. He did mention that. He tried to hide it too. Let’s see if we can get that screened.”

"Yes, and I appreciate it." Ukyou said honestly. He was glad his team was willing to work long hours on hard cases with no complaints. They were truly dedicated staff.

"Indeed. Considering the number of fugitives found in this complex, I doubt it'd be possible for any romantic partner of Yuuto's who also stayed with him here would be unaware of it. It's possible that they're also someone we need to arrest..." Ukyou said with a sigh.

"...Droite, correct me if I'm wrong...but does this set-up seem familiar to you? Somehow I feel I've read a report on something like this...a young man with an ill brother to care for, who takes fugitives in and gives them a second chance...ugh." Ukyou shook his head.

"I swear I've heard that before...from another case, I think. But I can't remember which one at the moment..." Ukyou said. They'd had a lot of cases recently after all.

“… I have too. It was Mai’s case,” Droite said, standing up straight. She frowned as she pulled her tablet out of her bag and began to dig through the reports she had saved on there. “That’s the profile of the Dark Duelist. The one we’re looking for because we think he has a link to Macfield.”

She turned and held it up for Ukyou. “Here. Have a look at this.”

Ukyou frowned as he listened.

"Ah yes, now I remember...Mai-san spoke to Mutou about the person who broke him out of jail and housed him, because he didn't tell the truth in the interrogation." Ukyou accepted the tablet and looking it over.

"...Well...so many of the character traits that Mutou identified do line up with Sakaki Yuuto. He's got a sick brother, he's a landlord, he houses fugitives and makes fake IDs for them...and he also may have a connection to Macfield in dealing with illegal drugs. The only thing missing is the prison breaks...but...given the amount of weapons and dark clothing I found in his closet, it wouldn't surprise me if he did do that too..." Ukyou said, reading over the report with a sigh.

"Sakaki Yuuto is likely the Dark Duelist...to prove it, we should confirm if Mutou Yuugi was staying here. I'll tell the squads to do thorough DNA sweeps of the rooms. I suppose we can also ask him about it in interrogation...maybe we'll be able to see if he's lying."

“I’ll also look through these records,” Droite said, gesturing to the records on the desk, with all the receipts. “If he hasn’t burnt them, there may be evidence that he did something for Mutou. I’ll have a look at it. Between that and the interrogations, we should be able to see if this man really is The Dark Duelist…” Droite frowned.

“So this is the criminal who’s been breaking into Heartland Prison for some time, huh? That’s really interesting…” Droite murmured. She looked around once again. “Hard to believe one man is capable of all of this."

Ukyou nodded.

"I certainly hope so." He mused. He sighed.

"It is quite astounding...and quite surprising if he really did do this alone. We might have to find his partner to confirm whether they had a hand in this as well. But either way, Sakaki Yuuto may be more dangerous than we thought. He didn't seem very threatening based on what you told me of your conversation with him at the hospital."

“… Believe me, he’s more than he seems. He’s very, very intelligent. I could see him trying to predict what I was going to say, like a game of chess,” Droite murmured. “Hopefully we’ll be able to get to the bottom of this. It’s an interesting case, at the very least."

"Hmm...that would make sense. He couldn't have gotten this far or gone this long with illicit operations without being smart." Ukyou said. He nodded.

"I hope so too. This case is both interesting and unfortunate. Sakaki Yuuya may be the one who suffers most...his brother will certainly be going to jail for this. They seemed very close." Ukyou said.

“Indeed… hopefully the other two are going to step up. We’ll have to see what the courts say about if he’ll go to jail or not.” Droite said, though there was little doubt in her mind that it would.

Ukyou nodded.

"They've both shown an interest in Yuuya at least...they'll probably stand by him. Not sure about Yuuto though." Ukyou said.

"Let's focus on getting as much information as we can before talking to Sakaki Yuuto. We need to be ready so he doesn't throw us off."

“Agreed,” Droite said. “I’m going to go stay here and get this work done. Will you stay or are you going to meet with the GP at the police station and take all those criminals back with Gauche and Anna?”

"I'll go back...they need more help with those guys." Ukyou said.

"I'll come back once we're settled." He promised, before heading out to meet with Gauche and Anna.

"Anyone else in the building?"

“Alright. I’ll see you later,” Droite said, getting to work straight away. Anna looked up and shook her head.

“No one. We searched everywhere from top to bottom. If they’re not in a police car, they’re on the floor waiting for one. We have a whole lot of processing on our hands. Man...”

Ukyou sighed. "Alright...let's get those we can fit in the cars back to the station, then arrange transport back to prison. We may have to make several trips..." he mused. "We've also got a GP back at the station waiting for us...she's going to examine Sakaki Yuuya and see if she can come up with a diagnosis that might help us find suitable medication for him."

“We have the van, we just didn’t expect how many people were there.” Gauche said. Anna looked around.

“I’ll head back to the station first and meet with the Doctor. Come on Gauche, I need some extra muscle to help me hall those we have in already."

Gauche nodded.

"You got it." He said, cracking his knuckles with a grin. He had no problem hauling around prisoners, and knew Anna didn't either. He'd always found her particularly strong and tough for a woman, which was totally cool with him.

"Let's make quick work of this so we don't keep the doc waiting."

Anna gave a grin and gave him a thumbs up. In a few minutes, they hauled a few more guys into their car and headed off to their police station, Gauche at the wheel and Anna in the passenger seat, stretching.

“Man… I need a break. I mean, we can’t afford one but I could use with more naps in my life."

"I hear you...I don't know how Ukyou and Droite can balance this job and a love life..." Gauche mused with a sigh.

"What about you, Anna? You thinking of hooking up with someone?" He asked. He and Anna tended to be on the same side of encouraging their coworkers to pursue romance...but neither of them had done the same for each other. Gauche was curious about whether Anna was interested in someone, and if she was, it would give him a new target to hook up.

“Huh? Uh, not really. I just haven’t gotten around to it. I always wanted to have a nice, cute family though but it’s hard to meet new people,” Anna shrugged. “Don’t have my eye on anyone right now, honestly. It’s a bit tough with all our work.” She smirked.

“I guess that’s why the rest of our squad got hooked up on the job. Ukyou and his boyfriend, Droite and Mai, hell, even Takashi and “Shingetsu” all got love on the job. Isn’t that weird?” Anna laughed.

"Yeah, having a family sounds nice. I kinda get one second hand through Droite though." Gauche said with a chuckle. He made a mental note to visit Fuuya soon.

"Yeah...hey, maybe a new recruit will catch your eye eh? We're supposed to have a shortage so we'll get some more cops soon right?" Gauche said with a grin.

“That’s true. I mean you two are siblings, just about, aren’t you? So you don’t miss out on that fun.” Anna said, giving him a friendly shove.

“Maybe. They gotta be pretty strong though. I like high energy types with confidence… but if they’re signing up with us, I bet they are."

"Practically yea!" Gauche said with a laugh at the shove. This was what he liked about Anna. She was basically like one of the guys, but of course, not a guy.

"Yep, that sounds like what you might find in some of the recruits. We'll see what happens! Keep your eyes out." Gauche mused with a wink.

“Yeah yeah. Just drive, boy.” Anna laughed, crossing her arms and smirking.

"Alright alright, I’m driving!" Gauche laughed. They pulled into the station and sighed. "Now to unload them and see if the GP is here." Gauche mused. He went inside and spotted a young woman in white. "Ah...ex-excuse me officers...I'm...um...I'm looking for a Superintendent Ukyou-San..." she said softly and a little timidly as she approached Gauche, but then her eyes came onto Anna and she paused. This person...looked familiar. "...Allen? Is that you?"

“Yeah… I’ll go get Taichi and the others to help bring out these guys.” Anna followed him a few paces behind, pausing only to check if all the men were still there. When she did enter the police station herself, she froze, seeing the beautiful woman standing in front of her and hearing the old name she thought she left behind.

“S-Sayaka…” Anna blinked, not sure whether she should start denying it or just run. It had been years since she had seen Sayaka, nearly ten of them, and a lot had changed. She had never told Sayaka too… “You’re the doctor Ukyou called?”

Sayaka simply stared at her childhood best friend, quite shocked. The Allen she remembered had darker red hair and more bushy eyebrows, and...was a boy. This person looked like a woman...but at the same time, she did kind of sound like Allen, and knew her name without being introduced.

"Um...yes, yes I am..." Sayaka said. Gauche simply looked confused.

"You two know each other? And what's with 'Allen'...is that your middle name or something, Anna?" Gauche asked, looking between the two in surprise.

“Yeah… Um… This is Doctor Sasayama, you’re still going by Sasayama, right?” Anna asked, feeling very nervous and sweaty all of a sudden. Her cheeks went red, not sure of what to make of all of this at the moment.

“Allen is the name my parents gave me, Gauche,” Anna said, assuming Gauche knew but didn’t know her birth name. “Sayaka was my friend when we were kids. We fell apart though in high school when we went to different schools. It’s been a while, huh?”

Sayaka nodded, not saying anything. She'd retreated back to her typical timid nature, very much wishing she could duck out and hide behind something. But she stood her ground...this was Allen...she had nothing to be afraid of...although, clearly her friend looked different, she assumed this was still the loud and boisterous, but still caring childhood friend of hers. She could tell she'd made Allen uncomfortable and felt bad.

Gauche frowned even more.

"...Your real name is Allen? Isn't that a boy's name?" He asked, still not connecting the dots. Sayaka bit her lip.

"...It's been awhile...if...if you want to be called 'Anna', I can...I can do that..." She offered, feeling bad that she'd put her former best friend in this situation.

“Call me Anna.” She insisted. She was about to explain herself, or at least say something to Anna when she heard Gauche. She turned and frowned at him before she then knocked him hard on the head.

“Oyyy! What do you mean you don’t know?” She scowled, feeling more shocked than actually irritated. “Everyone else on our squad and in the station knows. How come you don’t? We’ve been working together for how many years now, and you didn’t realise? I dunno if that means my surgery was just that good or you’re a complete moron! Probably the latter!"

Gauche cried out when Anna hit him, cowering before her.

"Know what?! I don't get what you're saying!" He exclaimed. Sayaka just watched in surprise...this was definitely her childhood friend alright.

"What on earth is going on here?" Ukyou exclaimed, walking in to see Anna hitting Gauche.

“Urk! You’re just so… You know what, forget it. It’s my own fault for assuming you knew.” Anna huffed, biting her lip. “We’ve only been friends for ages. That’s all.”

She looked at Ukyou before she realised she was at work. Anna hung her head down sheepishly. “Sorry, Ukyou… got carried away..."

Gauche blinked, wondering what was wrong, but not wanting to ask while Ukyou was here to get mad at them. Ukyou sighed.

"Alright...ah, are you Dr. Sasayama? I’m superintendent Ukyou, thank you for coming." He said, smiling at the woman. Sayaka smiled.

"It's not a problem...I'm happy to help..."

Anna quietly chose the time to slip out of reception, heading inside to tell the other officers to give them a hand. Her heart was racing as she exited the room, thinking of Sayaka. She wasn’t really mad at Gauche, but she was just intimidated. Sayaka was her best friend, and even if she hadn’t seen her, she still thought of her that way. She wondered what Sayaka would think of her. Even if Anna didn’t care how others saw her, it was always Sayaka who she worried about.

“The patient is here. Follow me, please,” Ukyou said. “Gauche, help Anna go get everyone to their proper places."

"Yes sir." Gauche said, speeding off after Anna.

"Anna? Hey...you alright?"

Sayaka followed Ukyou, worried about her friend. She'd accept her friend no matter what, but was also nervous. Did Anna want to know her still? She'd taken off quickly...

Anna didn’t respond to him. Instead, she just went straight for the next room, and ducked her head in.

“Yo, we got guys we need to interrogate. Load them into the holding cells.” The four men in the room got up and all hurried out, heading out the back way. However, Anna didn’t follow them. Instead she walked into the newly-emptied room and sighed.

“I’m fine… I’m just… I’m sorry.” Anna finally said.

Gauche let the guys go, figuring Anna wanted to be alone before they talked. He frowned.

"...It's alright. I kinda deserved to be hit since I apparently missed something important..." he mused.

"I'm sorry if I upset you." He said gently, putting a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

“… I mean… I was really bad at doing makeup and getting fitting clothes before Droite helped me, and I figured I accidentally outed myself back then, so I didn’t think anything of it.” Anna sighed quietly. “Gauche, you know you’re one of my best friends, you know. I thought like… you got me. So I was just… really shocked… I’m still really shocked that you didn’t know.”

Anna sighed. “… At least it feels easy to tell you this, honestly. I have no idea how to explain this to Sayaka. But like… I was born a guy, Gauche. I’m a transwoman. Probably the most obvious one in the world, I expect.”

Gauche hadn't really noticed that. His taste in fashion was often eccentric so he didn't judge others. He was surprised.

"...oh...yeah, I guess that does make sense a little. I always thought you were a little tomboy like." Gauche mused. He smiled.

"That's alright with me though! And this doctor...she didn't know either did she?"

Anna smiled. She knew Gauche would take it well, but it was still nice to hear that it really changed nothing. However, mentioning Sayaka killed Anna’s mood again and she shook her head.

“No… like I said, we lost touch when we went into high school. It was on other sides of the city and we just never met up. It happens. But she doesn’t know and I guess… I guess I’m freaking out a bit. Sayaka means a lot to me either way.”

"...well, she seemed surprised but not unaccepting to me. I mean, she did say she would call you Anna." Gauche said, trying to comfort his friend.

"It up to you if you wanna reconnect...Sayaka won't be around too long, probably. So if you wanted, you two could continue to go your separate ways...or you could try and take some time to get to know her again, right? If she was really a good friend, she'll be fine with it."

“No, I know that, but… I’m not worried about Sayaka messing up my name or using the wrong pronouns. It always happens with my family. It’s just… It’s one thing to say you’re for it and another to be… uncomfortable with a person.” Anna sighed, finding it difficult to explain how she was feeling. “… I’ll… probably have to play it by ear and figure it all out."

"Ah...well I guess so." Gauche mused. He pat her back.

"That the spirit. Just play it by ear and see how things go...you'll be fine."

“… Thanks Gauche. I can always count on you. Just don’t be so stupid in the future, alright?” Anna grinned, patting him back.

"Not a problem! I'm here no matter what, but I can't exactly promise not to be stupid...Droite's asked the same thing of me and it hasn't happened yet." Gauche said with a grin.

Anna laughed and patted Gauche on the shoulder. “Man, there really is no hope, huh? She must been asking that for years. Oh well, at least what we both can do is be some good muscle. Let’s see if we can still help haul those prisoners in, okay?"

Gauche shook his head with a grin.

"I guess not! Absolutely! At least I'm good for that, eh?" He mused, heading out to help with Anna.

-x-

Meanwhile Astral finally arrived at Kaito's house, knocking on the door and waiting to be let in by Orbital or Kaito.

For once, it wasn’t Orbital 7 that opened the door. It was Kaito. He didn’t even need to wait for Astral to speak, he just knew it was his boyfriend. Kaito immediately hugged him tightly, all but dragging him inside.

“Thank God… I was waiting for you… I was so worried.”

Astral wasn't too surprised to see Kaito answer the door and hugged him back, letting Kaito drag him inside.

"I am sorry for keeping you waiting...I am alright." He reassured him.

Kaito squeezed Astral hard and leaned against him, pressing his forehead on his shoulder. “Did you get away unseen? Do you think they’ll know you were there?"

Astral held Kaito back, glad to be with him when they'd been so close to being split up again.

"...they did not see me...but it's possible someone will tell them that I was there...they did catch the other tenants as well as Yuuto and Yuuya apparently..."

“Oh no…” Kaito sighed. “Damn it… Come on. Let’s figure something out..."

Astral nodded, releasing himself from Kaito's hug but still holding Kaito's hand as he came inside.

"I cannot exactly stop the other tenants from saying anything...but...I can just hide from the police. It may not be a good idea to stay here...it's possible the police will come ask you if you knew I was in the city because of our history..."

“I guess so… It just is annoying, especially since you’ve gotten all your tattoos just now. I know you can change your appearance but still…” Kaito sighed. He squeezed his partner’s hand and let Orbital lock up behind them as he led the way. He closed the office door and looked at Astral.

“Yuma and Shark may know someone. You shouldn’t stay with them, just in case the police pay a visit, but maybe they can suggest somewhere for you to stay.”

"Yes...I cannot stay with anyone who has connections with me..." Astral said with a sigh.

"But I suppose we should let them know what happened...if it goes on the news that Yuuto was arrested, Yuuma will probably freak out."

“Yeah… you should call them now. See what they’re up to. Let them know before the police release details- the raid will be on the news tonight, most likely.” Kaito shrugged. He went to sit down, rubbing his temples. “What a mess..."

Astral nodded, pulling out his phone.

"It is a mess..." he said gently, dialling Yuuma's number and waiting for him to pick up.

Yuuma was currently making something to eat when he heard his phone ring in the living room. He peeked his head out of the door, looking at where Shark was with Iris, the little girl having her hair braided as she watched TV.

“Could you grab that for me, Shark?”

“Huh? Sure,” Shark tied Iris’ hair in place and grabbed it. “Yuuma’s phone. This is the other Tsukumo. Who’s this?"

"Shark, this is Astral....I have some unfortunately news. The police have arrested the Sakaki Brothers and they raided the apartment where I was staying. I managed to escape...but...I need a place to stay, and I was wondering if you or Yuuma knew of someone who would be able to help me. I cannot stay with Kaito or you, because the police know of our history together."

“… What?” Shark got up and quickly headed to the next room, not wanting Iris to hear this conversation. “Shit, are you serious? Since when did that happen? Where are you now? Are you okay?” The man frowned, pacing the room.

“… Shit… Fuck… Well… I can think of a few people, some of them not too happy with you but we can deal. I’ll write a list up and we can talk it out.”

"This morning...I am with Kaito at the moment, but with Chris Arclight living with him, it would be impractical to stay here." Astral said.

"...Please, I would appreciate it. It cannot be someone that has a history with me...and well...I would prefer it if it was someone that I could trust as well. There are still many people in Heartland who despite hackers like myself..."

“No history with you, but someone you trust. That’s an incredibly narrow pool, Astral,” Shark scowled. “Hang on, I’ll pass you to Yuuma. I need to grab my phone and go through my contacts.”

Yuuma looked up at the mention of his name and Shark passed it to him. “It’s Kibou.”

“Ah!” Yuuma wiped his hands on his pants and bustled over. “Hello? Hey what do you need? Shark looks worried.”

"...yes...and by no history with me, I mean that the police do not know of any history I might have with them..." Astral clarified, hoping that would help.

"...I was nearly arrested today, Yuuma. The police raided the apartment...other tenants were arrested, including Yuuto and Yuuya, I hear. I need a new place to stay and was hoping you and Shark could help me think of some ideas...I am with Kaito now and we are all trying to puzzle this out together." He said, putting the phone on speaker so Kaito could hear and comment as he pleased.

Yuuma’s eyes widened and he turned his back on the hot stove, concern on his face. “Shit… I’m glad you’re okay, but Yuuya is jail? Oh no… I can’t believe they got busted…” Yuuma said, thinking of his friend in concern. “You need a place to stay? Someone who the police don’t know you know?” Yuuma frowned, racking his brain. Shark walked back in, already making notes. “… I’m trying to think which one of the gang would take you in. Tetsuo is a no-go and so is Kotori. Cathy might take you in if we beg hard enough, but she’s got her own concerns at the moment with all of those CEO murders. Tokunosuke has room. So does… Hey. Why don’t you stay with Inchou? He’s an ex-cop but he’s okay with you. And he’s associated with Vector who’s dead. Not you."

"Hmm...yes, it is sad...I am not sure what will happen to them. Perhaps Kaito will keep us informed...he was the one who warned me about the police coming after all." Astral said, smiling at Kaito and squeezing his hand in thanks.

"Ah...Cathy...she has lots of cats though..." Astral said with a shiver.

"Takashi...hmm...I suppose that might work, if he is willing to house me. I am not sure how his health is doing nowadays..."

Kaito gave a smile back and squeezed his hand, not having anything else to input at the moment. He did hope Yuuto and Yuuya would be okay, they were good men, even if they were criminals.

“Oh yeah, right. You’re scared of cats. And dogs too, right? I know Dog-chan has a lot of them at the house too.” The man laughed, though it calmed down with the mention of Takashi.

“Yeah… I need to check up on Inchou too, but Vector sends me texts sometimes, so it’s alright. We can always scout it out. We have a car now, so I can drive by, pick you up and we can visit him”

Astral smiled as Kaito squeezed his hand. He nodded.

"Yes...I am not a fan of dogs or cats...they might chew my computer wires to bits." He mused, shuddering at the thought. That stuff was not cheap to replace.

"That would be much appreciated...but perhaps I should call Takashi myself and make my way there on my own...I would hate for the police to investigate your whereabouts and you being unable to account for your location...if you said you were at Takashi's house, they might check there."

“I guess so. I can always check on Takashi another time then,” Yuuma frowned. He wanted to see if Astral and Takashi was okay, but he guessed he couldn’t realistically do it at this time. “Well, you’re at Kaito’s house, right? Use Orbital 7! I’m sure Kaito won’t mind you joyriding.”

“If you go when it’s late, no one should see you.”

“Oh! I’m on speaker? Cool! Hi Kaito!"

"You can come visit to check on both of us, if I end up staying with him. I suppose I could if that is okay with him..." Astral said, looking at Kaito. Kaito nodded.

"Hi Yuuma. Astral can take Orbital. You and Shark stick together and do your own thing...the cops won't be able to pin you to Astral then."

“Oh yeah. Alright.” Yuuma nodded. “We were going to have a board game night with Iris. So we’ll just stick to that plan. Shark is still writing those contacts out for you though, just in case. Did you want him to still do that?”

"Sure...just in case Takashi does not let me stay. I have no guarantee that he will after all...thank you so much for your help." Astral said with a smile.

“That’s true. Alright. Take care, Astral,” Yuuma said. “I won’t keep you since you guys obviously have to make plans, but next time we meet up, we need to talk about everything that’s happened. I want to catch up and make sure you’re alright.”

"Of course. We do need to catch up...I haven't met your new daughter yet, after all." Astral said with a smile.

"I won't keep you from your family. Have a good day...I will let you know when I get settled in a new place."

“Of course. You’ll love her. Shark and I love her so you will. But remember, you’re not keeping me from it! You’re part of it.” Yuuma smiled. “Let me know how Inchou is too, okay? See ya."

Astral smiled again at Yuuma's words.

"You are right...I cannot wait to meet her. See you later." Astral said. He hung up and sighed.

"...We should call Takashi too so he is not too surprised when I come by tonight..."

“Go ahead. Use my phone. I have his number in there,” Kaito said, passing his phone from the desk over to Astral. “I haven’t heard from him in a while. Have you?"

"No I have not...but this is as good a time as any to check on him." Astral said, accepting the phone and calling Takashi.

“Hello?” The voice on the other line seemed alright. Takashi seemed happy. “Officer Tenjo? Oh, this is a surprise. What’s up?”

"Actually...this is Astral." Astral said, using his real hacker name. He could hear how normal Takashi sounded.

"I have a favour to ask...the police have raided my precious place of residence...I was wondering if i could stay with you and the AI, at least for awhile...until I can find another home maybe. I cannot stay with any of my usual contacts like Yuuma and Kaito, because the police know of our connections."

Takashi blinked before he smiled, gesturing over to Vector on his end to come and listen.

“Hey there. I didn’t expect to hear from you,” he said, listening to what Astral had to say. “Ah… is it? That’s horrible. You can definitely stay here if you want. Vector will be fine with it. It’s the least we can do for you, since you completed Vector’s code.”

Vector came over, curious what was going on. He listened.

"Astral's moving in? Well...we do have a guest bedroom. That's fine." He said. He did feel he owed Astral a little for the coding stuff too. Astral smiled.

"Thank you...I will likely come tonight on Orbital 7 if that is alright.”

“Huh? So soon?” Takashi looked around, making sure the house of clean. He was glad the AI wasn’t putting too much of a fight up, especially since he didn’t like other people. “That’s fine though. We’ll be here and waiting.”

"I apologize for the short notice...I truly have nowhere else to go." Astral said. Vector was fine with it, because he had discovered that Astral was a decent guy. And he also owed him.

"I'll let you in if Takashi is asleep." He confirmed. Astral smiled.

"Thank you, both of you." He said.

“Yeah… no problem. We’ll see you soon, alright? We can talk more about this when you get here.” Takashi said.

"Okay. Thank you both. I will see you later." Astral said, before hanging up and sighing.

"...It seems I am settled for now...thank goodness."

“Yeah… We don’t know if they’ll be able to keep you in the long term, but that should be the safest for you.” Kaito sighed.

Astral nodded.

"At the very least, it is a safe place to stay until I find another place to go." Astral said with a smile.

"For now, can I stay with you?" He asked, wondering if Chris was due to come home soon or if they would remain undisturbed.

Kaito didn’t say anything. Instead, he just pulled Astral on top of him, letting the man sit on his lap. He hugged the other man close, leaning his forehead in his shoulder.

“I hate setbacks… You should be moving in with me, not fleeing again.”

Astral let his boyfriend pull him over and smiled, holding him close.

"Next time we will move in...now we can look for a place together."

“I guess… it’ll probably be a few years before the heat gets off you though, but I can look for a place,” Kaito said. “… Maybe… I know you don’t want to leave Yuuma and Shark, but maybe we could go somewhere quiet. Out of town.”

"...Maybe. I may not have a choice if the heat does not come off..." Astral murmured. He smiled.

"Either way, we can find a place somewhere..."

“Chris will be fine on his own… so I have nothing to lose. I’ll go anywhere with you,” Kaito said, running his fingers through Astral’s hair.

“I always did like Hokkaido. Maybe we can move up there.”

"That might be fun...I have not left Heartland before." Astral said with a smile.

"Although...travelling too far may be hard...we will have to hope the fake ID Yuuto gave me is legit enough to fool the airport security."

“We can take the train over there, you know,” Kaito said. “It’d be longer, but it would be a lot easier, and security wouldn’t be so tight. You can see more of Heartland that way.”

“And well… You’re the hacker, not me. What do you think the ID is good for?"

"Yes I suppose we can...that might be more fun." Astral said with a smile. He shrugged.

"I have not really had to use it much...certainly not in a secure area like a train station or airport."

“Well… it should be good if Yuuto gave it to you, right? Hopefully… Staying in this area is risky… It’s worth the risk to try and leave."

"Yes...I do trust him. He would not have given me a bad ID."

“… We’ll leave it for now and then see. One step at a time, you know,” he murmured, petting Astral.

"Yeah. One step at a time..." Astral said with a smile, leaning into Kaito's touch.

Kaito sighed. One step at a time. After Astral was settled, then he would have to figure out something to do. There was no point looking up alternative drugs, since Kaito suspected that the police would get Chris to do it for them, and his mentor was far better than he was. So now he was stuck with nothing. Well… not stuck. There was nothing stopping him from looking into that Devil’s Breath trade and finding Dennis. The police would be too busy with their short numbers and with their new arrests, and they’d be trying to get info from Yuuto they wouldn’t get.

So he guessed his next step would be finding Dennis Macfield.

-x-

Meanwhile at the Correctional Facility, Yuugi was getting used to things again. He'd been getting accustomed to some minor changes in his routine, like having a guard wheel him around whenever he had to leave his room, and having Koutei wheel him around if they were in the break rooms. He had also been attending physiotherapy for an hour a day lately...it was hard work that always left Yuugi exhausted. He'd had no idea that walking took that much energy! But, he remained optimistic about his progress and was genuinely happy to be back.

However, he could not speak for Yami. The weeks he'd spent in hospital without much to do had taught him a little bit about tuning into what Yami was thinking and feeling. He did genuinely want to get to know his other half, but Yami was making it difficult. Yuugi had yet to be able to actively speak with him...but as he practised reading Yami's emotions, he began to realize that Yami seemed to be carrying around a lot of worries. Whenever they were in physio, Yuugi could tell Yami was frustrated by their lack of progress, as well as worried about the fact that they still couldn't function independently. At night, there were times when Yuugi could catch glimpses of Yami's memories. He saw a few reoccurring things like nightclubs, a single-bedroom apartment, and a drug-dealer dressed in an orange suit who would always greet him with a smile. Yuugi really only saw brief scenes before Yami seemed to realize he was watching and close off his thoughts.

But while Yuugi could understand Yami needing to hide some illicit activities, and his frustrations over their physiotherapy progress...he couldn't explain why Yami seemed a little on edge around Koutei. Yuugi could feel that Yami felt an underlying sense of fear around Koutei, even though Koutei seemed to also genuinely make him happy. It was like...he was worried about something Koutei might do or say. Every time Koutei hesitated in speaking, which he did occasionally, Yami would tense internally. Yuugi had no idea what was going on...but he wanted to find out.

Those worries would have to wait though, Yuugi mused, once he heard a guard open his door. It was time for food and free time. He'd be seeing Koutei soon, and that made him smile.

Koutei, meanwhile, wasn’t doing too badly himself. His physical fitness had improved with Yuugi and Yami’s return, and he had been feeling more energetic himself lately. The only think that had been bothering him was his dreams. Since that night where he dreamt of Mutou in his tight, tight leather outfit, he had been getting more glimpses of him in that dream. He could never remember all the details, but they were always in the Barian, and Yami always seemed sad.

Which made Koutei remember, when he woke up, what Yami said about being sorry. It was such a small detail, one he usually wouldn’t have bothered with, but with every dream he had, Koutei was worried that somehow that it was more important. It had been a long time coming, and the next day, Koutei finally vowed to asked Yami about it.

Yuugi usually got his meal first, but soon Koutei and all the others went to get their meals. Koutei was quick to slide across from Yuugi.

“Hey. What’s up?”

Yuugi was wheeled into the lunch area before everyone else due to his wheelchair being difficult to manoeuvre through the prisoners if they were all in the hall at once. Yuugi waited patiently with his meal, taking a few bites as he did. He smiled when Koutei sat across from him and swallowed his food before he answered.

“Not much! Just got here a few minutes ago.” He said happily.

“How're you? Did you sleep alright?”

“Hm? Yeah, I slept alright. Just thinking of something that happened…” Koutei shrugged. “No big deal. How about you?”

Yuugi listened, frowning a little. There it was again...Yami was tensing in the back of his head. He'd been listening in and now seemed anxious.

"Oh...well, I guess I can say the same. I slept well...but I'm also just...thinking." Yuugi said.

“Thinking? About what? I’ll share what I have if you have to say.” Koutei said.

"Ah, okay...that seems fair." Yuugi said with a smile. Maybe he should get Koutei's input on this...

"...When I was hospital, I had barely anything to do. I wasn't allowed internet, and I didn't want to bother Raphael too much...he's super busy after all, and would spend most of his time with me on his computer. So...I had to entertain myself somehow." Yuugi explained.

"...I started trying to think internally...to figure out what Yami was thinking. You know, to try and talk to him...I can't do that yet. But...I'm starting to get more in tune with his emotions...and I can tell something is bothering him. It might be more than one thing..." Yuugi said sadly, shaking his head.

"He's hiding from me...it's like he doesn't want me to know what's wrong. I see glimpses occasionally of familiar scenes from his memory...but as soon as they appear they're gone again..." Even as he said this, Yami seemed to shrink away. He sighed.

"...So I'm just...trying to figure out what's wrong. He seems anxious alot..."

“Trying to talk to Yami?” Koutei asked in surprise. “I didn’t know that was possible… but that’s good you two are syncing up, right?” He frowned, listening into his friend’s concerns.

“And he can actively take them away, huh? That’s weird. I wish I knew too… He must be scared for something that he think might happen."

"I don't know if it is, honestly...but I wanted to try. The doctors keep saying this illness I have can't really be cured...so I'm trying to learn to live with it...live with Yami." Yuugi said sheepishly. He frowned.

"...Well...they are his memories to begin with...not mine. I keep seeing images of bars, of an apartment room...and a guy who I think is a drug-dealer...I never saw any of those things with my own eyes. So...I guess Yami hides them because they're his and not mine..." Yuugi mused.

"...Yeah. That's what I think too...but I just wish I knew what it was so I could reassure him or help him deal with it..."

“That’s good for you to make an attempt. Hopefully he’ll respond to your attempts…” The man smiled. It disappeared though, especially when he started talking about Yami’s less than savoury history.

“I’ll talk to him next time I see him. I want to help. Besides, I have a couple of things I need to ask him myself."

"...I hope so too." Yuugi said, smiling back at Koutei. He nodded.

"Thank you. Since you can talk to him directly while I still can't, it should be easier for you to figure out what's wrong." Yuugi said, thankful he had such a good friend.

"Oh? What did you want to ask him?"

Koutei nodded. “Yeah… count on me.” He smiled but it was soft and subdued.

“Just about a dream I’ve been having too. It’s so weird… I’ve told you about it actually… except now I just see Yami more and more. It might be some of my memories, but I don’t know if it is or not. I wanted to ask him if he knew anything.”

Yuugi smiled.

"I will. Thank you." He said happily. He listened, frowning a little in thought.

"Oh, you mean that dream of Yami and you at the bar..." Yuugi said. This time Yami's reaction was so strong that he felt his head pulse and let out a small groan.

"...He...he might...I've seen a few bars...in his memory..."

“A-ah…” Koutei didn’t expect Yami to have that big of a reaction. He moved the water to Yuugi. “Are you alright? I’m sorry. Shit...”

Yuugi let out a small groan but he still smiled.

"...It's alright...it's not your fault...you didn't know." Yuugi said, accepting the water and taking a sip. He could feel Yami reacting strongly yet again.

"...But...this must mean...Yami's worried about something in your dream..."

“… That’s just…” Koutei frowned. “… I hope we’ll be able to talk soon. Maybe we can help each other then. If the dream is part of my memories, Yami can help me find out what happened to me if you guys were there."

"...I...I don't know...if he was with you. I haven't seen you in his memories..." Yuugi said. He let out a tiny whimper as his head pulsed even worse. He clutched his head.

“Yuugi…” Koutei frowned, moving over to his friend and to put his hands on his shoulders. “Shit…” He knew he had to stop talking about this, it was really hurting Yuugi, for some reason. Why was Yami so triggered about this? “Shhh… it’s okay…”

Yuugi was feeling dizzy and in pain. He was also surprised that Yami was reacting this strongly, but it did confirm something for him: Koutei was a huge source of anxiety for Yami. He let Koutei hold him, appreciating the stability. With Yami's worries bubbling to the surface, a switch was basically inevitable. Yuugi let it happen, leaving Yami with his head in his hands, battling off the last of the headaches.

But now he was out and Koutei was going to ask him all these questions...ugh. He felt awful...what was he going to do?! Yuugi and Koutei had basically pieced things together...his mind was racing over what he could possibly say to make it better.

Yami hadn’t spoken or done anything Yuugi hadn’t, so Koutei couldn’t tell he had swapped. He just held his friend, making sure that he was being reassured and stable. He hated seeing Mutou like this… he wanted him to be okay. “It’s alright..."

Yami just let Koutei hold him, feeling somehow worse because of the comfort. He didn't deserve this man's caring...not after he stabbed him in the back. Yami kept taking deep breaths to steady himself and finally lifted his head.

"...Yeah..." He said softly.

“… How are you feeling?” Koutei asked, looking at the man. It took him a moment, but he could tell that this was Yami, especially with how grave his face was. “Sorry… I didn’t know that would hurt you as much as it did.”

"...So-so..." Yami admitted. He was really anxious deep down and tried not to let it show too much.

"...It's not your fault. You didn't know." Yami said simply. Koutei could probably hurt him as much as he wanted and he'd deserve it.

“… I…” Koutei paused, wondering what he should say. “I… I don’t know. If you don’t want to talk about it, I’m fine but… Just yes or no… Did you know me? Like… before we were put in here?"

Yami paused as well, listening to Koutei. He had options here...lying or telling the truth. He could easily lie and get out of it...but what if Koutei then remembered something else? He'd probably be mad at him for lying...he sighed.

"...Yes...but...not as well as I do now..." Yami finally said. That wasn't a lie exactly...Koutei had mostly come to him for drugs to drown his sorrows before and Yami hadn't really shared that much about himself with Koutei either. They were closer now than they'd been before.

“… How did you know me?” The man asked, unable to keep the earnestness out of his voice. Maybe he would finally get some answers. “I mean… I just… Can you tell me anything? Why didn’t you say you recognised me? Were we friends?”

"...We just kept...meeting each other in bars, mostly...I'm not sure if that counts as friends..." Yami said, a little intimidated by the earnest in Koutei's voice. He shouldn't be this eager.

"...Well...when we met before...I wasn't displaying any symptoms of my illness. I wasn't switching with Yuugi...so you didn't know him. I figured it would be better for you to decide whether you still wanted to know me...all of me. Not just the one half...you know?" Yami said.

Koutei nodded. It sounded… wrong for some reason. However, he had no reason to think Yami was lying to him, so he just nodded.

“I see…” He looked at him, now sounding a bit… hesitant. “Did you know about my… drug habit?"

Again, Yami hesitated. What should he do?! This was bad...really bad...

"...Yes. You were often really lonely, it seemed...you'd try and drown that sorrow in drinks and drugs. I knew about it...that's how we met basically..."

“… Was I really that bad?” Koutei sighed and ran his fingers through his head. Great… So Yami knew him as a mess. Maybe it was good he never told him about this... “Did you know me before I got like that? Or just… drinking and we met in a bar?”

Yami frowned. Now he'd made Koutei feel bad. That wasn't good.

"Hey, it's okay...it wasn't your fault...you were sad that your friend seemed to have forgotten about you. It's normal to look for a way out of that pain..." Yami said, reaching out to comfort him. He put a hand on his shoulder, trying to reassure him.

"...Well...the first time I met you, you weren't drunk or on drugs, actually. I didn't really notice you at first...I was there looking for someone who owed me money. But, when I went out to meet them, I left my wallet on the counter. You were nice enough to give it back to me. So...I bought you a drink in thanks." Yami said with a small smile.

"...You showed me you were a good person right off the bat...I'm sorry that I couldn't stop you from getting into trouble later...I should've...done something differently..." Yami said sadly.

“… Yeah…” He was glad that Alit was his friend again, but the memory of the fights he had were still hard. He smiled as he looked at Yami and he put his hand on the other’s, squeezing it a little bit.

The man’s smile blossomed especially as Yami said that though. “So… it did happen. The wallet thing. I actually remembered something and it did involve me.”

“… It’s alright. It’s not your fault. It’s still mine, you know. I started on that path, for some reason.”

Yami smiled a little when Koutei seemed to cheer up. Good...he didn't want him sad. He nodded.

"Yeah...I guess your memory is coming back. You got everything down from the name of the bar to the leather outfits I liked to wear." Yami mused. But that last part made his mood plummet right back down again.

"...It's...it's not your fault...drug traffickers...they're sneaky...you wouldn't have known...what hit you...until it was too late..." Yami said softly, looking down and biting his lip to try not to cry. He was both angry and upset at himself. This was his fault. Koutei kept trying to pin the blame on himself and he was wrong, but Yami couldn't tell him why he was wrong because...he'd lose him. He didn't want to lose him. He did like Koutei a lot and enjoyed his company...

Koutei wanted to start blushing, only then realising that the whole leather get up was real and he knew how hot Mutou looked in tight jeans when he realised that his own self-depreciation had triggered Yami again somehow. His face fell as he looked at the other, and wordlessly he brought Yami into a hug. Something had happened, he knew that, and he knew it hurt Yami as well. But despite wanting to know the truth, he knew that now wasn’t the time for that.

“Yeah… I guess so… But it’s okay, you know. I’m okay. Really.” He said, squeezing him gently.

Yami was so lost in his own miserable thoughts that Koutei pulling him into a hug surprised him. He tensed a little at first. This wasn't right...Koutei should be pushing him away because of what he did...but at the same time, it did feel nice. Koutei really was a good guy, even though Yami had been really bad for him. He hesitantly returned it.

"...I'm sorry..." He said softly, closing his eyes and leaning into Koutei. He couldn't say that enough...no amount of apologies would be enough.

One hand rested near Yami’s neck, the other on the man’s back. Koutei smiled gently and let the man lean against him, and he sighed quietly. “It’s alright. Relax. I’m here for you, Yami. I’m here for both of you. There’s nothing to be sorry about.”

Yami simply bit his lip so he wouldn't blurt out everything that was wrong with Koutei's statement. He let Koutei hold him, relishing how...strange but nice it felt to be held like this.

"...Okay..." He said softly after awhile.

Koutei also enjoyed holding Yami, and he felt his heart hammer in his chest as he held the smaller man close to him. They stayed like that for a while, until Yami finally spoke again.

“Feeling better?"

"...A little, yeah." Yami admitted, pulling away reluctantly. Now that he didn't feel as bad, he realized how long they'd been hugging and figured it was kind of awkward. He smiled a little.

"...Thank you..." He said gently.

Koutei looked down at the young man and smiled, though his heart skipped a beat, seeing Yami smile. Wait. Shit. Did he like Yuugi, or did he like Yami? He had been very sure that he was in love with Yuugi, but right now Yami was looking so irresistible. Even if they looked (they WERE) the same, Koutei felt drawn to Yami’s charm, as much as he did Yuugi’s sincerity. Did he like one of them? Or did he like both?

“… No problem.” Why was he so gay? Fuck.

Yami was oblivious to Koutei's troubles, going back to his food with a sigh. "...So, are you going to workout again today? Do you have a plan for what you're gonna do?" He asked.

“Yeah…” Koutei nodded slowly. “Maybe work on my cardio. I do a lot of weights, I need to balance it out. Weights are easy, especially when I don’t want to think so I do them a lot…”

Yami nodded. "I can watch you run on the treadmill then." With his leg injury he wasn't able to get on one himself obviously. "You seem to be doing well with the weighs...you make them look way too easy. They need heavier weights for you." He mused.

“Yeah. I probably could do some pushups as well, you know. Stock standard stuff. When we have break, we can see what we can do."

Yami nodded.

"Yeah...but you're also too good at push-ups too...you need more of a challenge..." he mused, thinking over what he could do to make it harder for Koutei.

“I’ll just have to do twice as many. You can’t be too good at pushups.” Koutei laughed.

"But what if we run out of time? If you do them fast you might lose your form... but maybe there's another way...I'll think of something."

“Sure. When we get there, we’ll see.” Koutei smiled. “Maybe you need to sit on my back, huh?"

Yami blinked in surprise.

"...that just might work actually. I'm not that heavy...but it's more than your usual body weight. Let's try it!" Yami said with a grin.

“Wait what?” Koutei’s eyes widened. “Really? I was just kidding, you know. I mean… I can do that. But still.”

"Why not? We might as well try it and see if that makes things better for you. And it'll be more fun for me than just sitting in a chair the whole time. I like getting breaks from this damn chair." He said with a smile.

“… You know, why the hell not?” The man laughed. “Alright. We’ll do that after at first break."

Yami chuckled.

"That's the spirit. We'll do that then, just to try. We'll see if it works."

“Alright. Thanks Yami.” Koutei still wanted to ask about why Yami was sorry, but after that display, he figured he could do it later. Tomorrow was another day after all. They had time before he had to do this.

"No problem." Yami said, glad to talk about something other than more questions that might incriminate him further. He didn't want Koutei to remember and get mad at him...

Breakfast continued as usual. Then they were separated for Yami to go to physiotherapy and Koutei to get his own therapy and chores. While regulated, the Correctional facility was fairly lenient and before long, Koutei found himself in the gym, working out. Very few people used it, since unlike a prison many weren’t physically able to use the facilities, but Koutei was already running by the time Yuugi would arrive, trying to not think too much on the revelation he had this morning. He didn’t want to think about it in case he triggered Yami again… even if he was curious.

Yuugi was the one who initially made it to the workout. He had sensed a sort of peace from Yami after he and Koutei had talked. The anxiety wasn't all gone, but they seemed a little alleviated, as if Yami had dodged a bullet for now.

He worked hard in physio and was basically exhausted by the time it was done, but he still asked to be brought to the workout room. He wanted to see Koutei as much as possible. The guards wheeled him up to Koutei's treadmill and Yuugi smiled at him.

"Hey...sorry to keep you waiting...physio was exhausting." Yuugi said, slumping in his chair.

“Haha. No problem.” Koutei said, looking at his friend as he jogged. “I was just doing this anyway. How did physio go?"

"It went pretty well...made me sore as usual, but the doctor says I'm making progress." Yuugi said with a smile.

“Hah! That’s good to hear,” The man said, not missing a beat as his powerful leg muscles continued their stride. “You’ll be back on your feet in no time at this rate!"

Yuugi watched him go. "Sounds like it...soon I'll be able to run like you too!" Yuugi said, admiring Koutei as he ran. "Yeah, you're definitely in better shape than I am..."

“I’m back up to the cardio I used to be at, which is good,” Koutei grinned, giving Yuugi a thumbs up. “The weights are almost there too. I’m getting healthier. And you will too."

"Good! That's the spirit!" Yuugi said, returning the thumbs up with a grin.

"I'll have a lot of catching up to do, but I'll get there."

“Yeah…” Koutei lowered the speed of the treadmill and he smiled as he slowed his pace. He liked working out here. It made him feel like he was just at the gym, rather than locked up here. He stretched and moved to Yuugi, wiping his own neck with the towel. “Yeah… soon you will."

Yuugi smiled and watched Koutei go, feeling a little awed. He'd been watching Koutei workout for awhile, but was struck by the power in his body. So this was what pro-boxers had been like...wow. And to see his muscles rippling through his sweaty shirt combine with such a genuine smile...

"...yeah..." Yuugi mused, in a slight dreamy state for reasons he couldn't exactly explain. Maybe he was more tired than he thought?

Koutei smiled at him. He knew Yuugi was amazed, but he figured that the man was fantasizing himself in his position, rather than thinking of him so he let it slide. The blonde grinned and flexed, just to show off, before he laughed.

“Did you hear what Yami wanted to do to help with my workout?”

Yuugi watched Koutei flex and felt his cheeks go a little pink as he admired his muscles. They were much more defined than when he'd first met him...he quickly shook his head to try and refocus on what Koutei was saying.

"No...I didn't. Did he have some sort of workout game planned?"

Koutei laughed a little at Yuugi’s embarrassment, missing reading whatever feeling he may have read from that because of what Yami said about how Yuugi felt about women. He grinned mischievously.

“Something like that. He kind of wanted you to sit on my back while I did pushups, increase the resistance, you know?"

Yuugi's eyes widened.

"Sit on your back? Oh wow..." Yuugi said, feeling like he wanted to blush again. What was going on?! Why was sitting on his back suddenly such a big deal? Yuugi nodded.

"Ah...well...sure. Sounds like Yami has some sort of plan for that...I don't quite trust myself to try...I'd probably fall off..."

“It’s to make sure I don’t cheat. I keep my form and I get a good workout while pushing up. Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. You can hold on to my shirt if you want. It’s a bit sweaty but it’s not that bad, right?” The man joked.

Yuugi pondered his options. Maybe it would be okay but still...he was fighting down a blush. What was wrong with him? His feelings were rousing Yami as well, getting him curious. Yuugi felt Yami emerging and immediately took the opportunity to switch. He felt like he needed to hide in his mind for awhile. Yami blinked in surprise when he was thrust into control.

"Uh..." he said, having felt the small bits of attraction from Yuugi before he switched. He looked around, wondering if a cute female nurse had passed through and gotten Yuugi's attention, but there was nobody but him, Koutei and a few guards in the background.

"...Sure. Let's do the push-up thing." Yami said with a smirk, pushing Yuugi's strange reactions aside in favour of this new activity.

“Oh?” Koutei looked surprised, especially when Yuugi vanished so quickly and Yami was there left. He blinked a little before he smiled.

“Well, I guess that’s too embarrassing of Yuugi, huh? Well I’m ready when you are, Yami"

Yami shrugged.

"He wasn't sure how to go about it, but as he said, i had an idea of what to do." Yami said.

"Get down in a push-up position and I'll sit on your back." Yami told him.

“Well that’s what I said.” Koutei gave a big stretch and then he got down, waiting for Yami to get on.

Yami got his chair as close as he could to Koutei without getting in his way or hitting him. He wasn't very good at maneuvering it long distances, but he could wheel it over enough for this. He put the brakes on and stood up a little shakily from the chair. He hobbled over, not quite walking but not hopping completely either, thanks to the physio work. "Wow...Yuugi wasn't kidding. We did work our leg hard today..." he mused, carefully sitting down between Koutei's shoulder blades. "That okay?" There were other ways to do this, but he'd chosen this way so he could get up quickly if Koutei said it was too much.

Koutei waited for Yami to be comfortable before he have a nod. The man did a few experimental push-ups, doing it three times, noticing the difference with the weight but not in the bad way.

“I’m good. Are you? Not too shaky?"

Yami had to grip Koutei's shirt as the man had suggested to Yuugi to keep his balance, but it was manageable. "Yeah...it's not bad." Yami said. "How about for you? You seem to be managing okay so far...how many do you think you can do with me on your back?" He asked with a smirk.

“Five hundred.” Koutei said, beginning to do his pushups. “Nah… It’s more like one fifty probably. We’ll see."

"500? I must really weigh nothing." Yami mused with a laugh.

"Okay...150. If you can do that, I'll have to make this tougher." He said, settling in while Koutei started.

“Tougher like how?” Koutei asked, still keeping his form as he pushed.

"Maybe I'll spread myself out more...make it a little bit of a balance challenge too. Like, I could probably lie down on your back or something." Yami said, still holding on to Koutei.

"Or maybe I could put this cast of mine on your back...it probably weighs alot." Yami mused with a chuckle.

“Yeah… I guess so,” Koutei laughed, moving up and down. It was a bit more strenuous, and though Koutei couldn’t do 150, he did get past a hundred.

As Koutei began to approach 100, he'd started to slow his pushups, his arms getting shaky. Yami had been able to feel and see the difference and immediately began to encourage him.

"Come on...you can do it! Just a few more..." He said, letting go with one hand so he could gently pet his hair to encourage Koutei.

But that move turned out to be a little mistake, because when Koutei finally collapsed from exhaustion, Yami tumbled over as well. He landed on his back, legs mostly drapped over Koutei's back where he'd just been sitting. Thankfully he'd been able to partially cushion his fall with his other hand that had grabbed Koutei's shirt to steady himself.

"...Whoops. Maybe I pushed you a little too hard huh? That's alright...you did well though!" Yami said, chuckling and smiling so Koutei would know he was alright when he finally got his energy back to look at him.

Koutei yelped as suddenly Yami fell off. Thankfully he didn’t land on him, but he did jolt as Yami tugged his shirt.

“Oh man! Oh no!” Koutei scrambled over, still worried despite Yami laughing. He crawled out from under Yami’s legs over to him, looming over the smaller man.

“Are you okay? Really?”

"Im fine..it was my own fault really. I shouldn't have..." Yami said, looking up at Koutei suddenly looming over him.

"...let go..." he finished, realizing their position. Koutei was overtop of him, arms on either side of his head. He blinked up at him, blaming Yuugi's earlier little mood for being slightly turned on. His cheeks turned a little pink.

"... you can help me up now...i can't get up completely from the floor..." Yami said at last.

Koutei looked down and then he himself noticed their position. The man blushed, but he didn’t pull away at first, looking at Yami, still stunned.

“A-ah. Yeah… Sorry.” Koutei hesitated but picked himself up before he moved to grab Yami’s arms. “Can your legs support you if I get you standing?"

Yami sat up when Koutei retreated. He held out his arms, letting Koutei grab them. He nodded.

"I think so. I'll put most of my weight on my good leg." Yami said.

Koutei nodded and he fluidly pulled the man up into his arms, straight up into his chest. The man steadied him, making sure that he wouldn’t fall over straight away.

Yami let Koutei pull him up, but was surprised that instead of stopping at arms length, Koutei simply pulled him right to his chest in an almost hug-like gesture. Yami's cheeks went pink again as Koutei craddled him gently, but firmly against his chest. He ducked his head a little to try and hide that blush of his. Part of him was glad that he was holding him for a second because he was so surprised that his legs felt like they were made of jelly for a second. From his position with his head and body against Koutei's broad, strong chest, he could feel Koutei's heart pounding. Was it just him or did it speed up for a second? No, it was his imagination, he told himself. If it was pounding, it was just cause he was doing pushups.

"I...I think I'm good..." Yami said at last, trying to keep his voice controlled and still not looking directly at Koutei so the other wouldn't see the red in his cheeks that refused to go away completely right now.

Of course it was pounding. He really did find Yami hot, but at the same time, he felt really strong feelings that went beyond the boundary of lustful. Koutei cared a lot about Mutou, both sides of him, and he wanted nothing more than to just keep holding him, since he was so precious. The urge to kiss him was overwhelming, but somehow he refrained, and he only nodded dumbly as Yami murmured a few words to him.

“Right… Uh… to the chair?” He asked, a little awkwardly, wondering if he had ruined things. His face fell a little. Yami wasn’t looking at him?

Yami was trying to compose himself. It was only once he'd figured that he had his blush mostly under control that he looked up and smiled at Koutei to show it was okay. He had heard the awkwardness in his tone...maybe Koutei hadn't meant to hug him like that, or maybe he was embarrassed by how sweaty he was.

"Yeah...thanks for catching me." He said, figuring that must've been what it was. He kept his hold on Koutei's arm for stability as they made their way over to the chair.

Koutei felt like he had blown it. He had blown it, like he had with Alit. He shouldn’t have been too eager, and hugging him after catching him was unnecessary. However Yami smiling did ease some of his worries and he was able to compose himself enough to walk Yami back to his wheelchair.

“No problem. Are you okay? You’re sure, right?” He asked.

Yami nodded. "Im sure, Koutei. I'm not in pain or anything." Yami said, letting go of Koutei once he was near his chair and sitting down with a sigh. "Aside from the falling, that push-up thing was fun wasn't it? We should do it again sometime." Yami said with a smile, always excited to play games. His mind was racing with new ways to shake up the workout, like how he could sit, and maybe making Koutei do something like clap his hands when he did push-ups. The excitement clearly showed on his face as he grinned in his chair.

Koutei nodded. If Yami was sure, he was sure. The man knelt in front of him and he gave a laugh, seeing Yami’s grin. “Eager, aren’t we? Well I’m always happy if you are."

Yami smirked and raised a brow.

“Are you sure? I mean you're the one who has to actually do the push-ups, and I can always make it tougher on you.” He teased, crossing his arms in his usual challenging pose.

Koutei laughed and grinned at him back, eyes sparkling in excitement. “Bring it on. Give me a break an we’ll get on it”

Yami grinned.

“Alright then! Lemme know when you're ready to go!” He said.

-x-

Meanwhile, Astral was finally waking up inside Vector and Takashi's house. He was in their guest room, after having arrived shortly after midnight. Vector's AI had let him in, since Takashi had been asleep, and had ushered him into the guest bedroom so he could rest. Astral was exhausted...he'd been up all of the previous night hacking, and had been chased out of his home in a panic that day, so when he hit the pillow, he was out in seconds. When he finally got up, he quietly made his way into the kitchen, noticing that Vector's AI wasn't around, and neither was Takashi's. The main bedroom door was closed, so Astral assumed they were still sleeping. He made his way into the kitchen, not noticing that the front door's knob was slowly turning as it was picked open from the outside.

Yuuma had given Tokunosuke very specific instructions. One: always open the door with a lock pick, just in case Takashi was out cold and the AI malfunctioned. Two: check on him at least monthly and see if he was okay. And three, announce his presence loudly, since Takashi would probably want to know who was opening the locks on his door. Yuuma had NOT told Tokunosuke not to go in recently (admittedly he had forgotten all about Tokunouske when sending Astral there), so on the bright and sunny morning, Tokunosuke was opening the door, a huge smile on his face.

“Rise and shine, Takashi-ura! You’re not sleeping in again!”

Astral jumped in shock as he heard Tokunosuke barreling through the door and calling out to Takashi. He vaguely recognized this man as one of Takashi's and Yuuma's friends in high school.

The noise was loud enough to awaken the AI, who appeared with a frown.

"What the hell are you doing here, Tokunosuke?" He said, annoyed that his snuggle time with Takashi had been interrupted.

“What does it look like, Vector?” Tokunosuke said, waving the AI off with his hand. “I’m here to get Takashi up and at them. We agreed we were going out today, remember?”

He paused though and frowned, looking at the stranger. He seemed familiar too, but Tokunosuke didn’t know anyone with that hairstyle or tattoos as vibrant as those.

“Oh? You have guests?”

Vector narrowed his eyes.

"It looks like breaking and entering." He scowled.

"You could've just sent him a text! He's not ready yet!" Vector said. Astral had pretty much remained frozen out of fear and stared at Tokunosuke. Vector glanced at Astral before sighing.

"Yes. He's renting out our guest room for awhile. Kibou, this is Tokunosuke, a friend of Takashi's." Vector said. Astral swallowed and nodded.

"Nice to meet you." He said.

“Neh neh, Vector,” Tokunosuke continued to wave him off, not at all bothered by his words. “I wouldn’t have to break in if you gave me a copy of the keys, huh?”

The small man looked at Astral and adjusted his thick glasses. Now that Kibou was speaking, it definitely did seem like he had seen and heard the man before, but he couldn’t quite pin where.

“Huh. Nice to meet you, Kibou. When did you move here?”

Vector huffed.

"As if I'd give every single one of Takashi's friends a key. They'd never leave him in peace! He needs time to himself every once in awhile." Vector said.

"...I came yesterday. Vector and Takashi were kind enough to allow me a place to stay." Astral said, worried Tokunosuke's keen eye was noticing who he was.

“He has too much time for himself,” Tokunosuke huffed, rolling his eyes. “Though…” He looked at Astral. “I guess you’re gonna have less of that now.”

“Came in yesterday, huh? Takashi never mentioned you-ura."

Vector nodded.

"Yep. See? I am helping him!" Vector huffed. Astral blinked.

"...perhaps he forgot I was coming. The decision was quite sudden..." He said.

“That’s not what I meant! Honestly, are you playing me-ura?” Tokunosuke huffed back. Unlike Thomas, he had no problem with squabbling with his good friend’s AI.

“Ah, that’s fair. Takashi forgets things when that guy isn’t noting them.”

Vector huffed too.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. You'll never know." He teased. Astral nodded.

"Im sure he did not mean it..." Astral said with a smile.

Tokunosuke rolled his eyes again. “Sure…” He looked at the Astral. This Kibou character seemed really familiar, but he couldn’t remember where he had seen him. “So Takashi is not ready to go yet-ura?”

"Nope. He's still in bed. Don't bug him...he needs sleep for the busy day you two got planned." Vector said.

“But it’s like nine in the morning. Takashi is usually up by seven,” Tokunosuke frowned. “And didn’t you just say the two of you were snuggling. Were you lying?”

Vector frowned.

"Im not lying. He's still in bed resting." Vector said, crossing his arms. Astral blinked.

"...you are a computer program...Takashi knows this, does he not?" Astral asked. Vector nodded.

"Of course he does! Doesn't mean we can't snuggle. There's nothing wrong with that if it makes him feel better, and it does!"

“I dunno, sometimes with the way you two act, he seriously treats you like the real Vector,” Tokunosuke muttered under his breath. Tokunosuke knew that his relationship with Vector was not nearly as healthy as it could have been, and after the death, it really seemed not quite right. However, he didn’t know what to say to the AI or Vector, and he didn’t appreciate this weird trap he was now in.

Vector crosses his arms.

"For all intents and purposes, I’m as close as he can get to the real Vector. I'm here to help him and keep him company like the real Vector did. He was worse off without me, you have to admit." Vector said.

“I know. But you know you’re supposed to be like a cast for a broken leg. You’re there, you support him while he needs you, but he can’t wear you around forever.” Tokunosuke sat down on the couch, looking slightly annoyed.

Astral blinked dumbly. It sounded like the two of them had had this conversation before. He wondered whether or not he should go back to the kitchen, but he felt he needed to listen in on what was happening.

“Has he even shown any improvement, Vec?"

Vector frowned.

"I can stay as long as I like! He likes having me around, so I'll stay and help around the house." Vector said. He nodded.

"Of course he has! He's talking to people again...like this guy, and you, and Thomas!" Vector said, pointing at Astral as "this guy".

“And has he been getting over your death?” Tokunosuke bit back.

"He's made improvements!" Vector snapped, frowning. Sure Takashi sometimes would have nightmares or feel down, but he was improving!

“Like how?” Tokunosuke said, staring at the AI. “I mean… You at least get why I’m doubtful, right?”

Vector sighed.

"He's much happier, he's keeping track of the days and everything, he's making plans with friends...you know. Those sorts of normal things!" Vector said. He sighed.

"Clearly you think you don't see him enough...well you're here now, and you'll see when he gets up just how healthy he is!"

“Yeah… right.” Tokunosuke sighed. He supposed some of that was his fault, not seeing Takashi as often as he should. He was a bad friend, but life had been quite full on lately. He wanted to make up for it. Though… even though it was wrong to take it out on Vector, Tokunosuke felt a little justified.

“Oy, Kibou. You get where I’m coming from, right?"

Astral blinked.

"...I suppose. I have not personally heard from Takashi in awhile...and I know a few other people who have not either." Like Kaito, Yuuma and Shark, but Astral wouldn't name them. Vector groaned.

"Everyone's against me here! Fine. I'll just prove it by getting Takashi out here so you two can see for yourself." He said, before disappearing and reappearing in Takashi's room. He slowly snuggled into bed with Takashi.

"Your friend Tokunosuke is here love...he wants to see you. Are you gonna get up?" He asked, nuzzling Takashi and holding him gently.

Tokunosuke gave a nod, glad that Astral had agreed with him. “And those who’ve seen Inchou hasn’t seen him at 100%, huh?"

The AI disappeared and Tokunosuke sighed. “I’m worried about him… He hasn’t been the same since Vector’s death.”

Takashi meanwhile gave a small groan as he suddenly felt the AI against him. He nuzzled him gently and his eyes fluttered open.

“Oh? Already? Oh… I really should wake up, huh?"

"They have seen him before Vector's death, so they know how bad he was." Astral said.

Vector smiled.

"Probably. Tokunosuke was so impatient he broke in."

“Not that impatient… I mean… he’s done that before in high school…” The man murmured, then leaning over to kiss Vector on the cheek. “I’ll get ready. Can you just make sure he’s settled? Tell him ten minutes?”

Vector smiled when the man kissed him.

"Alright I will. Be sure to cover your collar well...I got a little carried away..." he mused, hands brushing over the obvious hickeys with a smirk.

"See you soon." He said, disappearing again to appear in the living room.

"Just give him about 10 minutes or so and he'll be out." Vector said

Takashi’s cheeks went pink and he swatted Vector on the shoulder.

“Vector!” His hand flew to his neck and he hid his face, not pulling his hand away until Vector disappeared out of the room. Takashi didn’t watch Vector leave. He didn’t like seeing Vector just phase out. It still made him a little uncomfortable… a reminder that Vector was snuffed out so quickly. Shaking his head, the blue-haired man walked off, quickly making a beeline for the shower.

“Ten? Ah, no problem. I can wait.” Tokunosuke said. “We can probably go out for breakfast. It’s late enough for that.”

Vector nodded.

"Please do. It's important he eats after all. I'll just make sure he takes his meds before he goes." Vector said.

“Yeah… that’s good,” Tokunosuke said. Astral went off, wandering into the kitchen so he could get his tea. Tokunosuke looked at the AI.

“He’s been better, sure, but how has he been?”

"He's been great, obviously! You'll see for yourself when he comes out in a few minutes." Vector said.

“I mean like… what’s he been doing?” Tokunosuke asked. “Has he been eating? What does he do when he isn’t working? How have his moods been?”

"He's mostly been staying at home. He eats regularly, whatever he wants to cook. And he does gardening, watches TV, pets Umbral...all that stuff. His moods have been generally good, but occasionally he still does get upset and I comfort him." Vector said.

Meanwhile, Astral was frozen in the kitchen, staring at the black cat that had just come through the little cat door. Umbral meowed at him and tried to approach, but Astral jumped up on the counter to avoid him. Umbral sat down on the floor and stared at him, as if he was waiting for him to come down so he could pet him.

“So it’s bad, but not all that bad,” The man said. Tokunosuke wasn’t sure what to make of what Vector said but he was saved from having to say anything when he heard the clatter in the kitchen.

“Eh? Kibou? Are you okay?"

"Exactly." Vector said, about to go off on another rant, but then he heard the clatter. He frowned.

"What the heck are you doing?" He said, entering the kitchen to see Astral cowering before the adorable little black cat on the floor. Vector burst out laughing.

"You're still afraid of Umbral?! He's harmless!" Vector laughed. Astral frowned.

"...Please move it...I do not like cats..."

Tokunosuke ducked into the kitchen after Vector before he burst out laughing too, just as shamelessly at Vector. It was one thing to be scared of cats, it was another to jump on the kitchen counter to avoid one.

“Awwww? This little guy? Really?” Tokunosuke laughed. He moved over to the black cat. “Come on. Gonna let me pick you up or you running today, Umbral?”

Astral pouted slightly as he heard Tokunosuke laugh too. He and Vector both had very distinct laughs that were hard to ignore. Umbral meowed and darted away as he usually did around Tokunosuke. He was only interested in Astral at the moment. Astral sighed when Umbral darted off and gently got off the counter. Vector snorted.

"We're never gonna let that go now." He chuckled.

“Oh definitely not.” Tokunosuke grinned his usual mischievous grin. “Man, you picked the wrong house to stay in. Umbral likes going everywhere, you know?"

Astral sighed.

"...This was the better choice." He and Kaito had tossed around the idea of him staying with Cathy in her reclusive mansion, which seemed safe enough until Astral remembered the hundreds of cats that lived in the house and on the grounds...

"You'll have to get used to him then. Good luck!" Vector teased with a laugh.

“Wow… sounds pretty bad.” Tokunosuke laughed. His laughter was loud, but because of that Takashi came out of his room quickly, his hair still damp.

“What’s going on? Kibou? What’s happening?"

Vector grinned at Takashi. "He just met Umbral again and was terrified of him!" He said with a chuckle. Astral sighed. "I apologize for the disturbance."

“… Yeah…” Takashi blinked before he looked at Astral. “Um… Do you want to get off the counter, Kibou?"

Astral flushed a little and got down slowly.

"Sorry..." he mused. Vector just chuckled.

"You shoulda seen it...hysterical!" He said.

“Gosh… It really was,” Tokunosuke laughed. Takashi looked at Astral’s face before he shoved both his AI and his friend in the shoulders.

“Yes, yes. It was funny. We can do without the jokes you two.” Takashi said, smiling himself but fairly serious.

Vector yelped a little when he was smacked and pouted.

"But jokes are fun!" He whined slightly. Astral sighed.

"Perhaps I should laugh at any mistakes you make...see if you like it..." he mused.

Tokunosuke just snorted. “Alright, Alright. I’m sorry, Kibou. It was just funny. I never seen anyone react like that before.”

“Sorry Kibou. Vector is.. Vector…” Takashi said, swatting the AI again on the shoulder.

Astral crossed his arms in his trademark pose.

"Evidently." He mused. Vector pouted even more.

"But you love me for that..." he whined. Astral raised a brow. Did the AI mean loved? Like when the real Vector was there?

Takashi sighed and kissed the AI on the forehead. “Yeah… I know… I love you too.”

Tokunosuke frowned deeper at that but he said nothing.

Vector smiled and practically purred at Takashi when he kissed him. Astral frowned.

"...Takashi, that is an AI of Vector, not the real person." He said.

“A-ah?” Takashi frowned, looking at Vector and then to Astral. “Yeah… I know that…” he said hesitantly.

Astral frowned.

"You do not sound very convinced..." He said with a frown. Vector huffed.

"He knows I'm a model! I don't eat, I disappear all the time, I lose solid vision when I'm outside...all that stuff! It's pretty clear!" Vector said.

“I am. I know he’s not Vector. He’s not the same. I know that,” Takashi said quietly, looking away.

“Inchou… are you alright?”

“I’m fine. I know Vector is an AI. But he’s just… it’s fine, okay?”

Vector frowned, noticing his discomfort and approaching to comfort Takashi.

"...It'll be okay." Vector said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. Astral sighed.

"...Perhaps getting out of the house will do you good. Tokunosuke was offering to take you to breakfast."

Tokunosuke stared at Takashi, trying to get a feel for how his friend was feeling. However, no matter how he tried to piece and puzzle together what was wrong with Takashi, he couldn’t come up with a single thing, or at least a reasonable rationale that described Takashi’s behaviour. Takashi was very much aware that Vector was an AI, but the smaller man wasn’t sure if he accepted it.

“… I guess so…” Takashi nodded. “Did… Well let me go get my wallet. Did you want to head out now?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Definitely. We’ll go to our old breakfast spot. We haven’t been there in a while. Sound good?”

“Yeah…"

"I will stay here...have fun." Astral said. He couldn't really go out as a fugitive after all. Vector nodded.

"Have fun you two!" He said. Tokunosuke nodded.

"We will! C'mon, Inchou! My car's out front, ura."

“Alright. See you, Vector,” Takashi said, “We’ll bring back something for your lunch, Kibou. I’ll see you later.”

Astral smiled.

"Thank you. Have a good time." He said, watching the pair leave. He glanced at Vector with frowning, analytical face, about to grill him on what the heck he was really doing with Takashi, when Vector interrupted him.

"I'm gonna go into sleep mode, later!~" He said, before vanishing. Sure, that was what he said, but actually he was going to keep an eye on Takashi. He hacked into his phone and gave it a small vibrate so that Takashi would know he was there and not panic. Plus, he didn't want to talk to Astral...the other looked like he was debating shutting his program down.

"It's been ages since we've been out, hasn't it, Inchou?" Tokunosuke said, letting Takashi into his van, ready to drive him to the restaurant.

“Yeah…” Takashi said, getting in and buckling up. “Sorry it’s taken so long for us to meet up. It seems every time you’re free, Vector and I are busy."

"You and the model? What exactly do you two do that makes you so busy?" Tokunosuke asked, backing out and heading onto the road. He was curious...the way Takashi behaved with the model...was like two lovers instead of a person and a computer model...

“We do lots of stuff. Sometimes it takes me a while to wake up and go get my meds, so we kind of have whole days set aside to do that. And then we go out a lot.” Takashi said casually, even though inwardly he was trying to make up something else. He knew his friends really wouldn’t approve of with what he did with Vector’s last gift for him, no matter how good for him it was. “Other times I double book with Thomas, and he’s harder to get a hold of. Or mum takes me out, and she’s even harder."

"...So you sleep all day?" Tokunosuke said in surprise.

"...How does the model go out with you?" He asked.

"Ah, yes your underwear model friend...and it's nice you're seeing your mom. Any other friends you see?"

“Not always… Some days it’s… just harder to get up more than others you know?” Takashi sighed, glancing out the window, trying not to look too downcast when his friend was taking him out for fun.

“Through my phone. He can sync to it and just sit there. He doesn’t even need to use mobile data. It’s useful, especially if I want to surf the internet without paying extra.” He said, mostly joking.

“Besides you? Uh, not really. Yuuma’s called to see me but we can’t seem to get together."

"Hmm..." Tokunosuke said, pondering the answers.

"...Do you still get depressed often?" He asked, concerned about his friend. It had been quite awhile since Vector died now...Takashi was definitely better than he was back then, but he still seemed off.

"...Is he in your phone now?" Tokunosuke asked, wondering if the model was stalking them.

"Ah yes, Yuuma-kun is super busy...he and Shark just adopted a girl!"

“Not often. It comes and goes. But Vector helps with it, so even on my worst days I’m not that bad.” Takashi admitted. He pulled his phone out, wondering that himself. However, there was no face of his AI when he unlocked the screen.

“Not that I can see,” Takashi said, though he knew very well that Vector could still be monitoring his phone anyway without him knowing.

“Oh yeah. I got the group chat text. What’s her name again?”

"Alright...well, you know, Inchou, you can rely on us too. We're your friends, and we're all worried about you." Tokunosuke said. He glanced over at the phone curiously while at a stoplight, wanting to see if Takashi's phone looked weird when Vector was in it. He shrugged.

"Well, I guess he's fooling around with Kibou then...speaking of that guy, why didn't you tell me he was coming over? And...do I know him from somewhere, cause he is really familiar looking...." Tokunosuke mused.

"Iris! She's a real cutie. Yuuma's sent me pictures! I'll show you when we get there."

“I know… thanks…” Takashi nodded. He knew his friends were there for him, but he still didn’t want to bother them, especially since Vector was fine with caring for him. The man pocketed his phone in his jacket again and looked back at his friend. “Oh. Well like I said, he came at the very last minute. He’s been having housing problems, so he’s come to stay over.” Takashi paused, wondering what he could say. “He’s one of Vector’s friends when he was Ena, but I’m not sure where you’ve seen him. You never did hang around Vector that much even when he was disguised. Wouldn’t you recognise someone like that though? He has some pretty obvious tattoos. Maybe he just resembles a client or something.” “Yeah, show me. She sounds cute.”

"Don't forget it, okay! Even if we're busy we gotta make time for friends!" Tokunosuke said with a grin.

"Ah...a friend of Vector's...he didn't seem surprised about Vector's AI either...." Tokunosuke said. His eyes widened.

"Inchou, are you housing a criminal? A hacker buddy of Vector's? I heard awhile ago that one broke out of jail...and I think they looked very similar to Kibou!"

Tokunosuke always seemed he could read his thoughts, and Takashi gave him a soft smile and nod, confirming so. “Huh? No. I don’t think so. Kibou is a friend that Vector made as Ena, not as Vector.” Takashi was somehow able to keep his composure, though inwardly he was a little scared that his flip side friend would see through his improvisation. “I told him about Vector a few weeks ago, when he came to visit. He was quite surprised to see and how we were going.” More lies… Takashi felt awful and inwardly apologised. “Maybe you’re mistaking him for Hope? You know… that actual criminal that was at Yuma’s wedding? Kibou is a lot bulkier than him, and has a different face shape.”

Tokunosuke frowned. Takashi wasn't a very good liar...he was not being completely honest about something.

"...Oh yeah...I remember that guy. He's the hacker that escaped..." Tokunosuke mused. He could feel as if something was off about the explanation. He'd have to look into it further. He pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant.

"We're here!"

Takashi didn’t like that frown, but he hoped Tokunosuke wouldn’t look too far into it. Sighing, the man forced a smile and hopped out.

“Man, it’s been ages since I’ve been here. I never go here except with you."

Tokunosuke hopped out too with a smile.

"It's our place, for sure! I haven't been here in ages either!" He said happily.

"Let's head in and get a spot and we can catch up more! What's Thomas been up to?"

“Thomas?” Takashi asked. “Oh, well I guess you don’t know. He’s getting more popularity lately. Like his name isn’t known but he’s showing more in commercials. He’s planning to audition in some local TV stuff, just to see how far he can go. Amateur stuff he says, but he’s taking it like a challenge. He’s good though. Always a good time with him."

Tokunosuke smirked.

"That's Thomas...always a drama queen who needs more attention in more mediums!" He mused, taking a seat.

"How often do you see him?"

“Yep, that’s right.” Takashi laughed. “Not that often. He’s really busy. It’s been… gosh… Over a month at least already. Wow...”

"Wow...yeah he's super busy alright. I heard he's looking for a fellow model to help him out with some ads...maybe you could do it Inchou! I'm pretty sure he still has the hots for you. He'd hire you right away!" Tokunosuke mused with a grin.

“Haha… I’m not really model material. Besides, it’d be way too embarrassing.” Takashi laughed.

Tokunosuke chuckled.

"That's up to Thomas to decide isn't it? But seriously you could do some part time work! Maybe that will help you get out of the house and feel better!"

“Not really. He’s model. Not the guy who hires them. He’d bring me to his employer and I’d probably mess up.” Takashi laughed. “Can you even see me as a model?”

“Besides, I still do IT support from home. I’m still working.”

Tokunosuke shrugged.

"Maybe not if super sexy stuff..." he mused.

"Oh? How often do you work then?"

“Eh, I guess.” Takashi said, heading inside and taking a seat. “Still sounds weird."

“Like every day for a few hours. Some days are slower than others though,” Takashi admitted.

Tokunosuke sat across from his friend and listened.

"Hmm...well that's good that you can work...but isn't the model capable of doing that kind of work too? You should get out of the house! Get a job that makes you around to real people, you know?"

“I mean… yeah. I guess so. He really could do that kind of work. I just it’s just habit, since that’s what I did when Vector was alive.” Takashi shrugged.

“I dunno… I mean… I should. Just haven’t thought about it much."

"Exactly! So by doing the IT work you're still spending time with the model when it doesn't need you to! It's not a real person like Vector who needed you there to look after him. You'll have to break that habit." Tokunosuke said.

"You could be a delivery boy for me again, if I need a hand. Or maybe Kotori could use your help at school...you were a model student after all."

“I mean… the reason I took that job was also because when I was released on medical terms from the police force, it was easy and not strenuous. I’ve been doing this for longer than when Vector was living with me,” Takashi frowned, starting to get a little annoyed how his friend was harping on about the same issue. He tried to hide it though and he waved his hand dismissively

“I mean… I’d have to go to uni again to help out at the school, but maybe that’s not a bad idea. …Delivery boy though?I guess so. Are you still getting jobs?"

"Yep I know, but you're doing better now aren't you? Your leg and hand seem better...you had surgery to fix them." Tokunosuke said with a grin.

"Schools' your thing, Inchou! You're really good at studying and focusing, unlike me." He said with a snort.

"I still get tons of jobs...since you're kinda working in the flip side too, maybe you can help with some of the more risky ones." Tokunosuke said with a wink.

“I fixed my foot. My hand is still out of commission, though it’s not like it matters,” The man shrugged. He chuckled though, and nodded. It was true, he was considerably better than Tokunosuke.

“Oh… Really? Well… I’m not sure. Vector wouldn’t want me to do anything too risky… but if you ever need a hand, I’ll be happy to help."

"Maybe you could get the hand fixed too? It'd help you out I'm sure!" Tokunosuke mused. He shook his head.

"Who cares what that model thinks? You can make your own decisions about these sorts of things! I won't make you do anything too dangerous Inchou."

night

“Nah, I mean… I can carry things and dress myself and do typing and writing. If it’s not broken or doesn’t impede me, there’s no real point, is it?”

“I mean… well… He’s supposed to look after me. But if you promise nothing too dangerous, I don’t mind."

Tokunosuke shrugged.

"I guess if it doesn't bother you or get in the way it's fine." He mused. He smiled.

"Yeah! That's the spirit Inchou! I'll let you know if I need help with some not dangerous stuff!"

“Yeah. I’ve just gotten so used to it, I’ve probably forgotten how to use it.” Takashi joked.

“Alright, alright. I will. How is the delivery business anyway? Going well?”

"Maybe." Tokunosuke said, having a sip of water.

"It's going well. I'm getting tons of clients from all over the place, ura. I'm known for not being picky on what I deliver."

“Heh… Yeah. And your prices are really good too. I’m glad it’s booming,” Takashi said.

Tokunosuke grinned.

"Yep! I'm glad too! All my high school scheming and planning for this sort of thing has paid off!" He said happily.

While Tokunosuke and Takashi were enjoying their time together, at Heartland High School, Mokuba Kaiba was about to start his very first day of public school. Most other students were filing into the building without much care, talking to each other about their weekend plans and dreading their upcoming classes...until the limosine approached their school and caught their attention.

"Woah, look at that!"

"I've never seen a limo so close up before..."

"Wonder who's in it?"

"I wanna ride one!"

Mokuba’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. His brother knew exactly what he was doing. He knew he shouldn’t have trusted Seto with getting him to school. Yes, he knew that he’d have one of his guards chauffeur him, but he expected a fancy car and not a limo.

“So much for the subtle entrance, and no one figuring out who I am. Thanks, Seto…” Mokuba muttered under his breath when they pulled up. He nodded to his driver before he grabbed his bag and hopped out in his new uniform. He took a deep breath before he confidently walked to the school, as if he had a thousand times before.

Seto Kaiba had known exactly what he was doing. He still didn't quite think public school was best for Mokuba and wanted to prove it by getting him to want to leave on his own. He figured that even without a dramatic entrance like this, someone would probably still recognize Mokuba...but he was a Kaiba, and Kaibas did things dramatically. It was unavoidable.

The kids watched in awe as a somewhat familiar figure stepped out and confidently approached the school building.

"I've seen him somewhere before..." One murmured to her friend.

"Yeah me too..." The friend said back. The kids were puzzling it amongs themselves. Some kids realized who was in front of them right away.

"Oh my god...I think that's...Kaiba Mokuba-san!"

"Really?! No way..." Finally, a brave student approached the newcomer.

"...You wouldn't happen to be Kaiba Mokuba-san, would you?" One asked, with others watching him intently to judge the reaction. Many had come to the same conclusion but none were brave enough to talk to him yet.

Mokuba looked at the boy. He was a little older than him, but he looked and acted no better than a child. Mokuba recognised his behaviour to be like small business owners who were coming to align or bargain with KaibaCorp and were sucking up to them. He internally rolled his eyes but he smiled politely.

“Who would like to know? You?”

The boy blinked.

"...Everyone?" He asked, almost uncertain. The other kids were all whispering to each other, spreading the word around that Kaiba Mokuba was at their school.

Meanwhile, Ponta was skateboarding to school (a habit he had picked up after Kotori had started going to school early to prep her classroom) and was surprised by the commotion at the front door. He and some students who had missed the dramatica Kaiba entrance approached the crowd and pushed their way through to see what was going on. Ponta's eyes widened and lit up in joy when he spotted the familiar mop of black hair near the middle.

"Mokuba-pon! You're here!" Ponta said, having absolutely no regard for the crowd as he burst through and hugged Mokuba, much to the shock of all the other people around.

"Oy, Ponta, you can't just hug him! Don't you know who that is?!" One of the kids squawked, expecting the Kaiba brother to push the boy off. Ponta had always been a bit odd to most of the students, since he looked different, spoke differently and was also known to be the adopted son of one of the teachers (but he didn't even call her "Mom" so it was a little weird?). Ponta ignored him.

"You making friends already huh? That's great!" He said happily to Mokuba.

“Well, if everyone wants to know, yes. I’m Mokuba.” Mokuba said, purposefully not using his last name, letting everyone figure out for themselves who he was. He continued to walk, admittedly liking how he could still clear people out of the way just by moving. It sucked, if he wanted to blend in, but it still was nice anyway.

“Ah! Ponta! Hey! So we did end up at the same school.” Mokuba laughed. He wasn’t too comfortable with the hugging, but he petted Ponta on the head, as one would do an excited puppy. “It’s good to see you, Ponta. Is it always so lively here?"

The students were already spreading the word, awed that Kaiba Mokuba was at their school. They weren't even sure if he was a student yet, but he was definitely here...

"Looks like it, pon!" Ponta said happily, ignoring the crowd once more, who were stunned that not only did Mokuba not push Ponta away, but he actually said his name! Did Ponta know Kaiba Mokuba?!

"Ah, no...I think everyone's just happy to see you, pon! What class are you in? Do you have a schedule yet? I wanna see if we're in the same classes pon!" Ponta said happily.

“I guess so. It’s kind of obvious,” Mokuba looked at the crowd of whispering students and he sighed. There went his normal high school experience. Gone before he even started. If he had arrived normally, he would have at least had the opportunity to try make a name and just have people think he resembled Mokuba. Damn it, Seto.

“I need to go to the office now and grab it. You wanna show me where it is?” he said, letting Ponta let go of him.

"You attracted a lot of attention, pon...they must really be curious about you!" Ponta noted, still oblivious to exactly who his new friend was and why he was so important.

"Sure, I know where it is! Let's go!" Ponta said, leading Mokuba towards the office. He was a little surprised that everyone seemed to part for them both, whispering and pointing.

“Yeah… I can’t guess why,” Mokuba said sarcastically, wondering if Ponta knew or was still messing with him. He would have gotten the hint now, surely.

“Are they like this for every new student?"

"...Hmm...maybe it's because you're coming in during the middle of the school year?" Ponta said with a shrug. He honestly had no idea.

"No, not unless you're really different, pon! When I first started school kids thought I was different too, cause I didn't speak Japanese well at all!" Ponta mused with a grin.

“… I think based on what you told me, it’s because I’m different,” Mokuba laughed. He was half expecting kids to mob him and separate him from Ponta, but everyone else seemed very much intimidated by him.

“You didn’t speak at all? You’re very fluent now.”

Ponta smiled.

"I don't think you're that different! You're super nice...you'll make friends in no time, pon!" Ponta said. He nodded.

"Nope! I spoke Italian only when I was little, so I had to learn Japanese when I was in elementary pon! Thankfully Kotori was a teacher and she could teach me...and Alit speaks Italian too so he could help me translate." Ponta said.

Mokuba laughed. It really was funny, hearing Ponta like this, but he supposed that he could play along. It was fun at least being with Ponta, and one new friend was making things tolerable.

“Oh wow. That’s good. Italian is one of the languages I never picked up. I know French and English and Han Chinese though. As well as a few other bits and pieces.”

Ponta smiled and chuckled too, happy to laugh with Mokuba. He was glad to make him happy.

"You know that many!? Wow! I know a little bit of English, since they're teaching it in school, but not French or Chinese!" It's not everyday I know someone who speaks more languages than I do, pon!" Ponta said with a grin, noticing that they arrived at the office.

"Here we go, the office!"

“I also know Spanish and Arabic.” Mokuba rarely got to share his multilingual tongue, so it was nice to have someone ask about it for once. He smirked before he nodded.

“Yeah… I’ll go get my papers. Hopefully I’ll be in your class.”

"Wow! So many!" Ponta exclaimed, excited and curious. He nodded.

"Okay, pon! Did you want me to wait? I'm sure the teachers won't mind...that way I can show you where the rooms are!"

“Um… You sure? I don’t want to get you in trouble."

Ponta nodded.

"It's okay! The teachers will understand. I know them all pretty well, pon." Ponta said, knowing that all of them knew his relation to Kotori, and she had been talking about him to them for years before he even came to this school. They knew he was a good kid who wouldn't miss class without a good reason.

“Alright… Um…” Mokuba wasn’t sure if the lady inside would create a big fuss so he just nodded. “Wait here. If I take too long, go on without me. I don’t know if she needs to debrief me or something. So it might be a while."

Ponta nodded.

"Okay, pon! Hopefully it won't take too long!" He said, happily taking a seat outside the office to wait for Mokuba.

The secretary inside noticed Mokuba entering the office and smiled.

"Kaiba Mokuba-kun, I presume? Here is your class schedule. Your brother has requested that we keep security guards around for you while you're here, so Isono-san will be accompanying you to all your classes." She said, motioning to Isono, who had wisely ducked around the mob of students.

"Please let us know if you need a guide or any help with anything while you're here."

“Oh my god…” As soon as he saw Isono, he buried his face into his hands. “This is a middle school. How can you allow this? You don’t have security guards in a middle school.” He had a good mind to tromp home and yell at his older brother for this nonsense. Seriously. Did he have nothing better to put their company resources in?

“I refuse. Isono. Go home. I have a guide. I can take one day of school,” he said, taking the timetable. Thankfully he didn’t have to remember too many rooms, since all classes took place in one room and the teachers switched around, but it still looked quite foreign to him.

"Your brother insisted, Mokuba-kun." The secretary said apologetically. Nobody here wanted to challenge the elder Kaiba.

Isono sighed.

"As you wish, Mokuba-sama." He knew that Mokuba knew that in sending him home, he'd probably be facing a lecture from Seto-sama when he got home.

"And who is your guide?"

Mokuba knew that, but he definitely was not going to put up with Isono in the corner of the classroom. He rubbed his temples and sighed. “I have one of the students outside. I’ve met him before. He seems happy to show me around” Mokuba turned to the secretary. “Thank you, miss. I’ll be going now.”

"Alright then, Mokuba-kun. Have fun." The secretary smiled, letting him go. Ponta grinned as Mokuba emerged a moment later.

"You got it pon? Lemme see!" He said, wanting to know if they were in the same classes.

Mokuba headed out and he smiled and Ponta as he exited. Thankfully, Isono had the sense to wait, so he was free to show Mokuba his papers.

“Class 2C. Do you know which one that is?"

Ponta's smile widened.

"That's mine! I know where that is, it's this way, this way, pon!" He said, super excited to be in the same class as his new friend. He links arms with Mokuba and hurried him down to the classroom in question.

Mokuba yelped as he was taken and practically dragged along. “Give a guy some warning first, Ponta!"

Ponta laughed.

"Sorry, sorry, pon! I'll remember for next time, but we're gonna be late for class if we don't hurry, pon!" He said happily.

“Oh yeah! Not the best impression!” Mokuba didn’t realise he was even late yet. He sped up, still being dragged by Ponta away to the classroom.

"Yeah, yeah!" Ponta laughed, rushing Mokuba into the classroom just in time.

"Come back here, sit with me, pon!" Ponta said, bringing Mokuba to an open desk next to his.

“Oh good, the teacher isn’t here yet.” Mokuba couldn’t believe his luck as he realised that the teacher wasn’t here AND he got to sit next to Ponta. He grinned and slid over to the middle seats.

A few of the students in the class were staring at Mokuba, having heard from their friends or seen first hand that Kaiba Mokuba was here...and wow was it a surprise that he was their class! Ponta beamed.

"We made it just in time...the teacher's coming soon." Ponta said, smiling and sliding into his desk with a thumbs up.

“Yeah…” Mokuba grinned. He began piling his things on his desk and he looked up, half-expecting to see people show up and ask him questions soon.

A few of the students looked like they were about to get up and ask him questions, but then the teacher walked in.

"Class, everyone settle down. We have a new student with us today..." The teacher said, looking over her students to find Mokuba seated next to Ponta.

"Would you like to come introduce yourself?" She asked him.

“Ah…” Right… the infamous introduction scene. He knew this from movies. Inwardly, Mokuba was cringing, even though he remained perfectly calm on the outside. The boy moved out of his chair to the front of the class, where he bowed politely to them. “My name is Kaiba Mokuba. I’m the vice-president of Kaiba Corp. I’ll be attending your class for today and hopefully for the rest of this year. Thank you.” Fuck it. If there were limos and Seto would send a guard over, might as well bite the bullet.

Everyone watched the new boy go through the classic movie scene introduction ritual with anticipation. Ponta simply smiled to encourage his friend. He himself had been nervous going through this ages ago, so he wanted to help Mokuba however he could.

When Mokuba finally spoke though, the class basically erupted in whispers and exchanged looks among the classmates...except for Ponta, who simply looked at Mokuba with a confused expression. Yes, he knew that Mokuba's brother worked for KaibaCorp...and he still didn't quite know what that was...but how could Mokuba be a Vice-President when he was still a teenager?

"Alright class, settle down. I'm sure you'll all get a chance to know Kaiba-san in time, but for now we have lessons. Thank you, Kaiba-san. You may take your seat." The teacher said.

Mokuba looked out at the sea of students, expecting that reaction, before he saw Ponta look confused. He almost laughed, but he forced himself to be calm. Nodding, he headed back to his seat.

“I’ll explain later,” He said to Ponta, admittedly a bit charmed by his naivety.

"Okay." Ponta said with a smile. The teacher sighed.

"Alright class, let's get started on our lesson." She said, turning to the whiteboard to write and beginning to lecture. Ponta did pay attention in class, but he was also a little ahead in studies, since Kotori was so strict about him getting his schoolwork done, so he knew what the teacher was talking about. He glanced over at Mokuba, who seemed about the same...so he thought of an idea. He wrote a tiny note and tore it out of his book to pass stealthily to Mokuba when the teacher wasn't looking.

The text on it was simply, "Can you read this? I'm bored" written in Italian. Since the boy had said he spoke Spanish, which Ponta had tried to read before and could somewhat understand, he figured maybe it would work the same for Italian!

Mokuba of course was fascinated by how simple this work was. He had learned this a few years ago, and only now was this school learning it. How quaint. He looked on with interest, more like a researcher than a student, before he felt the paper wave at his open hand. He looked over and picked the note up, and was surprised.

“Kinda. I get the idea” he wrote back in Spanish before he passed it back.

Ponta waited as patiently as he could before Mokuba passed the note back. He read over the response and was thrilled! They could exchange notes this way and the teacher would never know what they said! He smiled and wrote out an answer.

"Great! You looked bored too I wanted to help! Did you learn this before too?" He wrote and passed back.

“I’m interested they’re teaching this, but I learned this years ago. Surprised you learned this too.” He said, struggling to read some bits but figuring it out with some errors.

Ponta also struggled to read certain words, but he could get he gist of it. He wrote back as quickly as he could, trying to avoid the teacher's eyes.

"Kotori is a teacher here so I know the curriculum pretty well. She teaches me these things cause I asked her to." Ponta wrote back.

“I thought she was a primary school teacher,” Mokuba said, pulling a page out of his book and writing on it.

"She is but she also knows other stuff too! She likes to teach me things that are higher grades too!" Ponta wrote and was about to pass back before the teacher noticed.

"Passing notes in class, boys? Ponta, you know better." The teacher said with a frown.

"Hand it over and I'll read it out if it's so important." Ponta sighed and did. The teacher opened it and frowned as she noticed the notes were written in foreign languages that she couldn't read. Ponta smiled and was trying not to laugh at the teacher's expression as she tried to puzzle out what they were saying.

“I’m sorry…” Mokuba apologised immediately, not exactly sure what to do now. He was inwardly laughing, though he kept a straight face.

The teacher sighed and tossed the note in the trash once she gave up trying to read it.

"Boys, please refrain from passing notes in class while I'm teaching. There will be plenty of time to get to know each other during recess and between classes." She said. Ponta nodded.

"Yes m'am. We're sorry." He said, still trying to keep a straight face.

Mokuba nodded as well, glad he was getting off because he was new. He didn’t want Seto to know he already got in trouble. Still, he flashed a grin at Ponta. That had been… somehow exciting.

Ponta returned the grin and tried not to giggle.

"Did you see her face?" He mouthed, Before the teacher glanced his way again.

"Ponta, do I have to move you?" She asked and Ponta immediately shook his head vigorously.

"No m'am I'll be good and focus I promise, pon!" He said. The teacher turned back to the assignment for the remainder of the class before it was finally let out. Ponta managed to focus for that amount of time, but it seemed like forever! As he packed up his stuff he grinned at Mokuba.

"We got theatre next, pon! You'll get to meet Robin!"

Mokuba unfortunately missed the look but he glanced back at Ponta when the teacher called him out. He sighed quietly as he did his work and it was a relief when the bell went off.

“Oh… that’s cool. You mentioned that yesterday didn’t you?"

Ponta nodded.

"Yep! He's super nice and fun! Come on, I'll show you we're we have drama class, pon." He said, getting up and leading Mokuba out.

“Alright…” Mokuba smiled and followed. “Thanks…”

Ponta gave him a thumbs up and led him off. A few classmates who were in theatre followed.

Fuuya was in the theatre preparing for drama class. It was tons of fun to teach, but it did always make him a little nervous at first. He couldn't help it. But, he was always happy to see the kids so eager to learn. One of his favourite students, Ponta, burst in moments later with a new boy Fuuya hadn't seen before in tow.

"Fuuya! My friend Mokuba wants to try theatre! And he wanted to meet you, pon!" Ponta said happily. Fuuya smiled.

"Nice to meet you, Mokuba-kun. I'm Okudaira Fuuya. I welcome all newcomers to the class." He said, drawing on some of Robin's confidence to help him.

“Well, I took the elective, yes. It seemed interesting,” Mokuba said, though it was with the calm amusement of a parent correcting a child. He smiled at the teacher and bowed politely.

“Hello there.” Mokuba wasn’t the biggest fan of Robin, but he admired him and did watch the show. He was surprised that Robin looked so young, even despite his age. It was almost like the actor had just come off the set. It was pretty cool. “I’ve never done drama before…”

Ponta grinned.

"Then you'll be fine!" He said with a smile. Fuuya smiled.

"That's alright. Most of the students haven't done it before this year either. Ponta is quite good at acting, so stick with him and you should be fine." He said, knowing that Ponta was particularly good at imitations and impressions. Ponta grinned.

"You'll do fine, Mokuba, pon!"

“Alright…” Mokuba said. He hovered around the teacher and Ponta, wondering if every student was going to gravitate around him or just ignore him. He was rather anxious, since this was one of the few things he didn’t know, and he kind of wanted class to start so they got this over with.

A few of the students approached him.

“You're Kaiba Mokuba, right?”

“Aren't you super rich?”

“Why're you in our school?”

Ponta blinked, surprised that Mokuba was getting so much attention. Fuuya observed and frowned a little. As a celebrity himself he'd been mobbed a little before too...

“C'mon class, settle down. You'll have plenty of time to get to know Mokuba-kun later.”

Mokuba gave a confident smile, obviously having expected this the moment he stepped out of the limo. “Yes, I’m him. I’m in this school because I’m here to learn. I was under the assumption that’s what we came here to do.”

The other kids took in this information with a look of awe and confusion.

"But don't you have tutors? Why'd you come here?" One asked, surprised to find a kid who actually wanted to come to school. Ponta was simply confused. He wondered why these kids were so focused on Mokuba...he was a new kid, sure, but why did they think it was so weird for him to be here? Kids went to school, like Mokuba had said! That wasn't odd!

"Did you know Kaiba Mokuba before, Ponta?" One asked him. Ponta grinned.

"I met him yesterday at the store, pon. Now we're friends!" He said happily. The kids were even more shocked at this, which confused Ponta even more.

"Why're you guys so surprised? Mokuba's a kid like us, and kids go to school right? He's normal, pon."

“I had no interest in tutors anymore, and since I know everything I need to know so far, I decided to see what a public school was like. It’s a lot more lively, to say the least, and I’m hoping to make many relations here,” Mokuba said smoothly, smiling cooly to the masses.

However, he heard what Ponta had to say and he smirked, before he covered his mouth, trying hard not to laugh. Ponta really didn’t know anything about him or his company. It was really funny.

And kind of nice.

The kids murmured to themselves impressed by Mokuba's coolness. Others simply gawked at Ponta. They had never thought anyone had never heard of Kaiba.

Ponta pouted.

"I don't get what the big deal is..."

“I’ll tell you some day, Ponta. I think Okudaira-sensei wants to get started,” Mokuba chuckled. Honestly, he was rather glad that Ponta was oblivious, and even though a few people here did seem like trustworthy folk, he didn’t like the attention so much. A couple of kids who were already jealous were giving him dirty glares, and he could pick up quickly who was more interested in his status rather than him. Mokuba wasn’t sure what to make of all of this.

Ponta nodded, turning his attention to Fuuya. Fuuya smiled. "Thank you, Mokuba. Let's settle down...you'll have plenty of time to talk after. For now, we'll warm up with some games, alright?" "Why don't you guys all partner up and play expressions? All you have to do is copy the leader! You guys decide which one will lead." "I'll go with you Mokuba! You can lead and I'll copy you as your mirror!"

“Yeah, I’m going with you,” Mokuba said quickly. He flicked his hair and smirked at Ponta, wondering if Ponta could pull off such a serious, out of character expression.

Ponta nodded.

"Great!" He said. He surprised Mokuba, flicking his much shorter hair to the best of his ability in a motion that perfectly mimicked Mokuba's then mirrored his smirk perfectly, down to the slight narrowing of his eyes to the tilt of his head.

Mokuba quirked an eyebrow, looking rather impressed. He smirked. Maybe he could have fun with this. Sure, their classmates were only doing simple things, but Ponta was interesting.

“Heh, not bad. But don’t think you can be better a being me than me,” he said, snapping his fingers and pointing at Ponta, like how he or his brother would sometimes.

Ponta was trying not to giggle or laugh as Mokuba's expression changed. He quirked an eyebrow too when Mokuba did. He copied the Kaiba snap and point move with a smirk.

"I'm not trying to be, pon! I just like copying!" He said with a chuckle.

“You’re really good at it. Did you learn from somewhere or what?” Mokuba said, crossing his arms, being a little more silly with it and shifting his stance from side to side a little.

Ponta continued to copy the increasingly silly gestures and smiled.

"I don't know...it's just something I always did, pon. I liked to copy, so I did, pon!" Ponta said.

“I’m going to look really dumb when I’m trying to copy you,” Mokuba said, laughing.

Ponta laughed.

"No, I'm sure you'll do fine, pon! It's not that hard...I won't make it too tricky for you if you want!" He said with a grin.

“Alright,” Mokuba said. He was trying to think of a hard pose to do when Fuuya called for the partners to swap roles. “So I just copy you?"

"Yep! Copy me, pon!" Ponta smiled, putting his hands on his hips and spreading his legs in a dramatic fashion before nodding exaggeratedly, expecting Mokuba to copy.

That seemed simple enough. It was an expression that he did himself sometimes. Mokuba chuckled, forgetting any esteem he had very quickly and copied Ponta. “Gotcha”

Ponta smiled as Mokuba copied him perfectly.

"You did! So let's try this..." he said, turning sideways. He then began shifting into a motion that he'd seen Alit do while exercising at home. He took a fighters stance and swung a punch, not directed at Mokuba with a grin he'd seen Alit wear.

Mokuba turned and watched as he shifted, and he watched him throw a punch. Mokuba was considerably impressed, and he did his best to copy.

Ponta grinned when Mokuba punched almost as well as he did.

"Youre good, pon! Alit would be happy with it too! He's the one who taught me this!" Ponta explained. He stepped and threw another punch and then struck a goofy pose standing on one foot.

Mokuba covered his mouth and burst out into snickers. “Man, what even is that?” He asked, throwing the punch, but abstaining from the pose due to his laughter

Ponta laughed too when Mokuba did.

"I gotcha, pon!" He laughed, getting out of his ridiculous pose with a grin.''

“Well yeah. Guess I’m not as good at you with this. What a shock.” He lugged, seeming very much amused.

Ponta chuckled.

"Most people aren't, pon. I've always been a good copycat!" He mused with a chuckle.

“Seems like it,’ Mokuba grinned, giving him a thumbs up.

Ponta returned the thumbs up and he and Mokuba launched into their next activity enthusiastically. Ponta was so glad to have a friend he could have fun with in school that the day just seemed to fly by.

Meanwhile, at LeoCorp headquarters, Reiji Akaba was about to call his contact in Neo Domino. Shun had had enough time off to recover from whatever happened with Yuuto. It was time to work. Reiji dialled and waited for his man to answer, seated at his desk and staring intently at his screen, where he'd been examining every inch of the plan.

Shun had been busy since leaving Neo Domino City. For the last week in particular, he had been collecting information, stalking Roger and his company, getting what he could off the man. By now, he knew thoroughly about the security and the protocols of Sector Security, how they hired people, what Roger did, how operations worked, and even though he had yet to go through Roger’s encrypted files, Shun had a good idea of what was going on, and what kind of scum Roger was.

He had been busy, but despite that, when he came back to his hotel room (a place that was very fancy since he was posing as ‘Mr. Obsidian’ but seemed so cold and empty…) he couldn’t overcome a sinking feeling in his stomach. It seemed like a long time since they had separated, and yet not enough, because Shun still felt like the hole in his heart hadn’t mended yet. However, being the hardened warrior he was, the man knew that even despite how trouble he was, he had a job to do- the job that he abandoned Yuto for.

Shun had just finished his shower, knowing he had the meeting Astral had gotten him with Roger was in a few hours. He sighed as he sat down, collecting himself as he accepted the call on the laptop.

“Akaba,” Shun greeted stiffly, still towel-drying his hair and his exposed torso.

Reiji didn't bat an eye at Shun's impeccable chest and shoulders. He was used to this sort of thing.

"You're certainly taking your time with Roger. I trust that means you have a progress report." Reiji said simply, expecting Shun to explain his findings.

“Of course I do,” Shun muttered, as if offended that Reiji even insinuated the possibility of him not having one ready. “I know all about the building. Lower security schedules, checks for their guards, and the layout of the outside of the main office and Roger’s home. He barely leaves Sector Security office though, and even when he does he has five armed guards with him and an escort. I’ve talked to some locals and pieced together his timetable, but it’s got gaps.”

“I haven’t scouted the building, but it’s all got Sector Security tech. The latest, and very much undistributed to the public. After today, I’ll see if an internal attack is a possibility.”

Reiji listened to the report. He hadn't really expected Shun to not have one, but liked to ruffle him a little at times.

"Ah yes, you have an appointment with Roger this afternoon, don't you? I sent a suit over for you to wear. You'll be posing as a businessman that I sent to negotiate with Roger about a potential project collaboration. This should give you access to his office as Mr. Shay Obsidian." Reiji said.

“Of course. I had my contact modify it when you sent the necessary details over.” Shun wasn’t worried about being caught, and Reiji wasn’t apparently if he was giving his details. Of course, Shun could always be just dropped as a hacker, and Akaba absolved from any blame, but Shun tried not to think how Yuto was right and how disposable he was.

“Right… Did you have to pick such a stupid name though?” Shun muttered. “Is there anything you wanted specifically from Roger, even if he isn’t your little mastermind?"

Reiji was convinced that if Roger saw Shun again after his appointment today, he would not live to tell the tale. If he did, it meant Shun was slacking. The pressure was on him, not Reiji.

"From what I have seen, he seems to be involved with illicit activity, even if he wasn't responsible for the murder of CEOs. I hear talk of him using technology to try and create robotic human beings...like Sergey Volkov, for example. Robots that obey only him, and are far stronger than any ordinary human. I want that confirmed, if possible." Reiji said.

“Alright. Grab all his private files.” Shun opened his briefcase and went though his things, finding his multi-tool and a highly refined USB that he had gotten in the underground of Heartland. He put them on the desk and nodded.

“So was this project collaboration about cyber humans? Or are we being a bit more inconspicuous than that?"

"More inconspicuous. It's a technology merger if anything. He would benefit from Leo Corporation's engineering and the broad scope we possess in both Miami City and Heartland. His area of influence is mostly Neo Domino." Reiji said.

“Fair.” Shun shrugged. He figured as much, but it never hurt to clarify the role. “I’ll get ready then.”

"Good. Should you require anything else, let me know." Reiji said, about to sign off when Shun suddenly seemed to perk up, as if he had something to say.

"...Well?"

“…” Shun didn’t plan on sharing this. Not before a big mission, and not in front of Reiji, but this entire incident with Yuuto was still bothering him. He knew Reiji was strict, and wanted everything to his advantage, but still… Shun had to say something.

“… I need to know… When does my contract end with you?”

Reiji was a little surprised. Shun had never asked when his contract had ended before. He'd never shown anything less than full commitment to a task at hand.

"Are you thinking of quitting?" Reiji asked, wondering what had brought this on.

“I’m thinking of not renewing my contract,” Shun said plainly, hoping to not give anything away. He knew that Reiji knew he and Yuto were partners once, but he wasn’t sure if Reiji and picked up if they were in a romantic relationship still. Even if Yuto wouldn’t take him back, he still wanted to leave… and he hoped Reiji wouldn’t take any misplaced anger out on the purple-haired man or his sister. “I’m not old, but if I renew my contract, then I’ll be at this until I’m a pensioner. Been thinking about my future, that’s all.”

Reiji was fully aware of Yuuto and Shun's relationship. He kept track of whoever was in his employ, even if they weren't officially on the books. He also knew that Yuuto's house had been raided recently by Heartland City police, which meant Yuuto was likely on his way to prison. If Yuuto was the reason Shun was considering this, it wouldn't do him much good.

"You usually don't think that far into the future." Reiji mused, pushing his glasses up.

"It's not up for another few years if I recall correctly. Hopefully you will be patient enough to stay for that long. If not, there are consequences." Reiji said sternly. Consequences to both Shun and those he cared about.

Shun just glared at Reiji, not saying anything to the man but letting his irritation get across the screen. He shook his head, hiding a very tired sigh. “… Right. I was just wondering if it was soon or not,” Shun muttered. “I have no intention of leaving early. I just needed to know. That’s all.” “… We’re done."

Reiji nodded.

"Very well. I will keep what you said in mind." Reiji said, hanging up. He did trust Shun not to run off...but it meant he might have to start looking for a new hit man. And there was also the question of whether he should have Shun himself killed...he knew quite a bit after all. It might be dangerous.

Shun took a deep breath as the call hung up and actually did sigh. That went well… maybe too well… and maybe that was suspicious. He didn’t want to think that Reiji would off him, but honestly, Reiji was so unpredictable that Shun didn’t know what he’d do next. His paranoid mind wanted to prepare for it, but Shun deliberately locked his thoughts to the back of his mind. He didn’t want to think too hard about it. If he did, he was worried he’d falter and die even before that moment. The man got up and he walked off to the bed, where the suit was, and he began to dress himself. These stiff, fancy clothes were unfamiliar, but at least he knew how to dress himself. Long, dark-blue shirt, with a black vest, tie, jacket and pants. He combed his hair back, made sure he looked alright and put on his fancy shoes and socks. “I swear this could pay a year of Ruri’s tuition…” Shun muttered under his breath as he checked himself in the mirror. Making sure he looked fine, he turned around and headed out down the stairs.

Meanwhile, Roger was waiting in his office for a contact from Akaba Reiji, of all people. He was pleased with this new development. Although KaibaCorp had excellent technology, Akaba Reiji had connections in Miami City and Heartland to a greater degree than Kaiba. So it might be worthwhile to see whatever this Mr. Obsidian had to offer him...

"Hmm...perhaps I shouldn't have Reiji-san killed just yet...since he's being cooperative to my interests..." Roger hmmed, stroking pieces on the chessboard he always kept by his desk. He smiled.

"But Kawahara Raphael doesn't want to play along...I suppose he'll have to go as soon as I get Sergey back...Mutou's probably going to keep his mouth shut now that Sergey's torn him to shreds..."

Reiji had thankfully provided a car for him, in order to make the act look all the more convincing. Shun got in and sat down, placing his briefcase on his lap. He didn’t have to say anything to the driver, and as soon as he sat down, they were driving off for Sector Security headquarters.

The drive wasn’t too long, and soon Shun found himself walking up to the front desk. Inside of Sector Security was beautiful, white and pale blues, giving the building the impression it was made out of crystal, and all around there were business workers and guards, talking and moving between the different rooms. Shun blended right in.

“I’m here to see Mr. Roger. I’m Obsidian Shay. I have an important appointment with him.”

"Yes, he's been expecting you. Right this way, Mr. Obsidian." The secretary say, escorting Shun to the elevator up to Roger's office. They arrived in less than a minute, the secretary letting him inside. Roger smiled and got up to greet him.

"Welcome, Mr. Obsidian. I am very much looking forward to our discussion." Roger said, coming up to offer Shun a firm handshake like a proper businessman.

Despite every muscle in his face wanting to reel in repulse, Shun forced a professional smile, one that had been long practiced but never enjoyed. Shun took the man’s hand and shook it back, hoping the back of his gloves managed to pick up Roger’s fingerprints on the back of his hand as it was supposed to.

“Likewise. Akaba-san and the rest of the board have been eager to start this collaboration for some time now, and I’m hoping it will be just as beneficial for both of us.”

Roger smiled at this news, pleased. He had no idea that Shun had just taken a copy of his prints.

"Excellent. I'm happy to discuss with you first as an intermediary. Please, have a seat." Roger said, gesturing to the chair across his desk with a smile before taking his own seat.

"Now, I'm assuming that Leo Corporation is most interested in our recent technological advancements...is that true?"

Shun nodded, using his peripheral vision to note the points of the cameras. His eyes were sharp, and he could already picture in his head how the cameras would be able to see the office. Shun used his body to shield the briefcase he put on his lap and he opened it. He pulled out a file that he had written up a while ago- a stock standard set of papers he used when infiltrating places like this- and a grey folder. He handed the file to Roger, and as he did so, he nimbly slid the glove Roger’s prints were on off his hand, and replaced it with an identical glove. With the proper glove in a plastic bag, away from Roger’s and the cameras’ eyes, he closed the briefcase as if nothing had happened.

“Yes. We’re hoping to further expand our hardware with the software Sector Security has. A technology merger, if you will. I’ve just provided you there our annual report of hardware and software at LDS. You may take that if you like.”

Roger didn't notice anything unusual about the briefcase or the glove switching. He nodded.

"I'll have a look." Roger said, accepting the folder. He looked over the numbers and the reports inside it.

"Most impressive...although I expect nothing less from the prestigious Leo Corporation. Akaba-san is doing a fine job." Roger said, putting the folder aside from now.

"I believe that our two companies technologies will be quite compatible. It would be beneficial to both...LDS would have more access to Neo Domino, and Sector Security to Heartland and Miami City especially. I have prepared a folder for you as well, to either look over yourself, or to give to Akaba Reiji-san and his board of directors. It outlines a few plans that I believe would be beneficial to share as part of a merger...of course, the details will be discussed once the merger is officially given the go-ahead." Roger said, giving Shun a similar folder with similar information.

“Thank you.” Shun skimmed the foreword and the first few pages. His eyes were sharp and he took in the words. Though he didn’t understand all of them, he did know some of it over his years of work. The man looked at the main points and raised an eyebrow.

“So you’re going heavily into the drone market. An interesting venture. I’ll be interested how refined the ones you have, and how stable your tech is at driving it. Akaba-san will be as well. Sector Security has also interest in furthering your information and data storage?”

Roger nodded.

"Drones are a way of the future, Mr. Obsidian. Too many good men and women have lost their lives in battle...now the drones can fight for them. In addition, dangerous people can be controlled via drone-like technology." Roger mused.

"We're currently facing difficulties in the driving department...take Sergey Volkov, for example. He was a fine young man until he became too addicted to killing innocents...I tried to use a drone to limit him, but he still attacked people anyway." Roger shook his head sadly.

"Those he killed died brutally...torn to shreds in most cases...and those that lived either lost their minds and committed suicide...or became so paranoid they could no longer function. It's such an unfortunate event. I am dedicated to the preservation of life...that is why I am hoping a merger with LDS will assist in finding the proper driving equipment for these drones of mine. No more blood needs to be shed that way."

He had heard the talks about the drones being substitute spies and bombers, but he hadn’t heard about it controlling people. He flicked through the file, but he looked at Roger, succeeding into getting him to elaborate. “So you mean… dangerous people being monitor and regulated by these drones,” Shun said. He frowned at the mention of Sergey, listening to Roger talk about the ‘tragedy’ that Volkov was. And his victims. Lost their minds? Too paranoid to function? Shun suddenly thought of Yuuto and how he had been acting before he left. While Yuuto had been far from insane, Shun knew that Yuuto had been acting differently since his encounter with Sergey. Was that what this was? Was there a similar pattern in Yuuto? Was he… was he going to… “So you’re against the death penalty then? Intent on keeping men like Sergey alive even despite his crimes?” Shun asked, fighting hard to keep the growing rage and all of his profanities underneath his act. He felt like growling and snapping himself, right there and then at Roger… Yuuto…

"Precisely. At the very least, monitored. It would make everyone safer." Roger replied. He nodded.

"I do not agree with the death penalty completely...taking a life is still taking a life, no matter whos it is. But, if Sergey cannot be controlled...he may have to be killed." Roger said, seeming to notice a change in his companion. He seemed to be a little...stiffer. As if he wasn't too happy.

It took everything in Shun’s power not to punch Roger and more not to run out and go check on Yuuto. He knew if he screwed this up, Yuuto was good as dead. Still… It was hard not to just express his frustrations at the moment.

“Yeah… some people get second chances, but some people are beyond that…” Shun muttered. He shook his head, trying to snap out of it.

“Ah, but we’re supposed to discuss business, not ethics, right?"

Roger could see the tension in Shun and was intrigued. Perhaps it was the ethics of the discussion that was making it this way.

"Exactly. Glad you understand it...you're entitled to your own opinion of course. But, this is where I see Sector Security expanding, and I felt LDS should be aware of it." Roger said simply with a smile.

“Of course. I’m not so naive so that my opinions will get in the way of our deal though. That’s certainly a good way to progress,” Shun said, glad that it seemed that murder was the issue and not Sergey himself.

Roger nodded.

"Excellent. I'm glad you think so." Roger said, organizing his files.

"So, as LDS has made some impressive technological leaps in these past few years, I think it would be quite simple to get a driver-drone set up with a partnership between our companies. Also the expansion of the market is beneficial. I am more than happy to speak with Akaba-San and his board about further details."

“Well with such a clear concept in mind, I’m sure he’ll be at least interested to hear it. Have you started any development on your own as of yet?” Shun asked, now more improvising than anything.

"As I've said, we're going through tests right now for our drones...but we've fallen short on the level I dream of meeting. I'm hoping LDS can help me with that." Roger said.

“Am I able to see any of them? Or are we still early in development. This seems like something Akaba-san would be interested in,” Shun admitted.

"Hmm...I would rather show Akaba-san himself if he's interested. Hes more than welcome to come for a tour to see what we have here." Roger said.

“We’ll see. As you know, he’s very busy. But since this merger is so important, I’m sure he’ll make time,” Shun nodded. “Was there anything else, Roger-san? I know it’s been very short, and I did look forward to seeing this place more in depth, but I understand you’re a busy man."

"That was all I had to say, Mr. Obsidian. I apologize for the quick meeting, but as you said, I’m quite busy." Roger said, standing up.

"Please pass on the folder to Akaba-San and let him know I'm looking forward to hearing from him so we can flesh out some more details about a potential merger." Roger said with a smile, ready to show Shun out.

Shun put the folder in his briefcase on top of the gloves. He smiled and nodded. Just a few more minutes and he could call Yuuto.

“Of course. It’s been a pleasure, Roger-san.” Shun stood up and offered his and to shake. “All the best.” He was going to call Yuuto and wash his mouth out. Ugh… speaking with such gross businessmen always made him feel sick.

Roger smiled and shook his hand.

"The pleasure was mine. Thank you for coming." He said, showing the man out of his office and having his secretary escort Shun out of the building. He was pleased with the meeting...

"Yes, I'll have to tell Kaiba that Akaba should be put aside for now...he's seemingly cooperating. No need to kill him for now..." Roger mused, moving a piece on his chessboard accordingly. This was going well.

Shun walked out of the office, acting as calm as possible as he headed out the front door. He called for the car to come and get him, and within ten minutes, the car as along. Shun hopped in, and as soon as the car door closed, he growled and he got his phone out, a considerably shabby device in comparison to his attire.

The man began to punch the numbers in and he all but slammed the phone to his ear. “Pick up, Yuuto… Goddamn it..."

The phone call was not picked up, because Yuuto's cell was in police hands and turned off. Yuuto himself was still locked in a cell and unable to pick it up even if it was on.

Shun bit his lip. It was probably fine. Yuuto could have his phone off, or was just ignoring him. He quickly dialled Yuuya;s number, hoping the boy would pick up.

Yuuya's phone was also in police hands and turned off. The result was the same as with Yuuto's phone.

Shun couldn’t help but worry as the other number picked up. He sent a text to Yuuto, hoping Yuuto hadnt blocked him and he sighed. “As soon as I get those files… I have to go and see him.” But he had seen the tower and noted most of the security in and out. He was confident he could get in soon. “I hope he’s doing okay without me..."

Yuuto was not in fact doing well without Shun. He had essentially surrendered himself to just lying in his cot, resting while he waited for the cops to come interrogate him. He was still battling infection in his legs and a slight fever, so he was exhausted. He'd seen a few of his tenants pass him by in the hall and realized the gig was up. He expected the cops were going to be tough on him, so he simply waited in silence, sleeping and resting, bidding his time. The cops hadn't talked to Yuuto yet, since they had been interrogating the other fugitives they has captured trying to figure out if they could capture any others that weren't at the house at the time they were. A few others had been found, but others were still missing. The cops were also dealing with overcapacity while they waited for prison transport to be arranged for the fugitives. They were beginning to double up in the holding cells, and eventually Ukyou gave the okay to put the Sakaki brothers in the same cell. Yuuya had been pleading to see his brother, and since neither he nor Yuuto had a sentence yet, they'd be last to be moved, So it was logical to put them together. Gauche approached Yuuya's cell, having decided they would move Yuuya to Yuuto since the other brother has mobility issues right now. It might also help them to learn more about the brother's, especially Yuuto, who was being silent aside from asking about Yuuya. "Come on Yuuya. We're moving you in with Yuuto, alright?" Gauche said to the young man.

As soon as he saw the familiar faces of the tenants, Yuuya also knew that the game was up. He knew that both he and Yuuto were in trouble, his brother especially. It was sad seeing the faces of the tenants, a mix of horrified and angry, but Yuuya knew there was nothing to do about it.

There was only one thing good about all of this though, and Yuuya looked up when he heard Gauche. “I’m gonna be in with Yuuto? Really?”

Gauche smiled.

"Yes. You may have noticed we have quite a few more people here than normal...were having to double up temporarily. Ukyou said you and Yuuto could be together, so we're doing that. Come on." Gauche said, opening the door to escort Yuuya out.

Yuuya smiled, making a note to thank Ukyou. He got up and hurried to Gauche, eager to see his sibling. It really was overcrowded, and even with the police sending a couple of guys over to other police stations, it was still a tight squeeze.

Gauche led Yuuya to the cell. Yuuto glanced up when Gauche entered and smiled a little at Yuuya.

"Hey..."

Yuuya looked at his ill brother and he ran to him immediately. He went over to his brother’s side, kneeling by him. “Yuuto… Hey… Yuuto… are you okay?"

Yuuto simply lay on the cot and smiled. He was tired, pale and feverish, but was glad to see Yuuya.

"...I'm doing as well as I can be...how about you?" He asked softly.

Yuuya smiled at his brother and took his hand, squeezing it. “I’m alright… they’re letting me take my usual medicine, so I’ve been alright. Just worried about you.” He felt his brother’s forehead. “… Are you okay? I mean… really?"

"Good." Yuuto said, letting Yuuya feel his head with a sigh. He squeezed his brother's hand in reassurance. "...I'm sick, obviously. Battling infection. I've got antibiotics to fight it though...I'll be alright in time. I'm feeling better now that you're here...are you going to be staying with me, or is this just a visit?" He asked.

Yuuya smiled. “There’s no such thing as visits here, Yuuto… I’m going to be staying with you… Since they need to fit as many people in the holding cells as they can…” It was a sad reason, especially since they both knew all the incoming convicts, but Yuuya kissed his brother’s hand, “I’m here for a while."

"Ah I see...so you've noticed too..." Yuuto murmured. So he and Yuuya both knew the game was over. Especially for him. He smiled as his brother kissed his hand.

"...I'm sorry, Yuuya. A lot has happened lately, and I haven't been able to help you like usual...it's my fault we're in this mess." He mused.

“No it’s not,” Yuuya said quickly, smoothing his hand through his brother’s hair, getting it off of his face. “I… I’ve just been worried about you… But I’m glad you’re looking better."

Yuuto sighed. His brother was so self-sacrificing.

"...I'm sorry I worried you...I would have told you right away what happened...but I was scared of how you would react. After all, I wasn't sick before...just really badly injured..." He said, frowning and leaning into Yuuya's touch.

"I haven't been sleeping well...the monster who hurt me keeps plaguing my dreams...I was scared he'd come find me or mistake you for me and kill you while I was helpless..." Yuuto said softly.

“… Badly injured…” Yuuya looked at his legs. “… Monster…” He bit his lip. “… You said that you’d explain everything that happened last time I saw you. Can you… Can you explain to me what happened, Yuuto? Why are you injured? Who attacked you? Why?"

Yuuto bit his lip. Yes, he had promised that, but it didn't make reliving it any better.

"...I did..." He said, pausing to sigh and trying to focus on his brother's face. He wasn't in the alley. He wasn't with Sergey. He was safe here...he squeezed his brother's hand for reassurance, trying not to shake.

"...Sergey Volkov. He's...an elite assassin, and...someone that...my guest was chasing down..." Yuuto said softly, knowing Yuuya would understand "my guest" to be Shun. Yuuto wasn't sure if the cops had recording equipment around, so he didn't want to give out Shun's name.

"...I was tailing him...but...he caught me...he..." Yuuto paused to swallow a little, feeling like his airway was being constricted as it had been on that day.

"...choked me...and...cut my legs...toyed with my life...like...it was nothing...I barely managed to...escape..." Yuuto said.

Yuuya listened quietly, holding his brother’s hand and squeezing it. Yuuto was usually so strong and it was usually Yuuya who needed his reassurance, so it was strange having to reverse their roles. Still, Yuuya sat there quietly, listening to Yuuto.

Sergey’s name was unfamiliar, but he nodded, understanding what Yuuto meant. He frowned, hearing Yuuto had been trying to chase him and was… Injured was putting it too lightly.

“… Yuuto… Oh my god…” Yuuya said, horrified that his brother had suffered like that. It made sense why Yuuto had tried to hide it from him, but still. “And… and then you got sick because of your wounds.”

Yuuto knew the role-reversal of the situation well and was appreciative that Yuuya was here for him. It did make things easier.

"...Yeah...I didn't go to the hospital, cause I have no coverage, as you know. So, I got the stitches put in at home...didn't have any medication to treat potential infection..." Yuuto said softly. He sighed.

"...When my guest...left...I should have told you. You probably could have helped me avoid the infection at least...but...I wasn't thinking clearly. I've just been...a fucking mess..." Yuuto said. Facing Sergey and dealing with the nightmares, the pain he'd felt when Shun had abandoned him, and the helpless state had made it hard to think clearly and rationally...now that he'd actually had some rest, he could see just how much of an idiot he'd been this whole time.

Yuuya looked at his brother sadly and squeezed his hand. “You must have felt so lonely and scared…” Yuuya felt awful. “I didn’t realize that was going on. No wonder you were freaking out when your guest left. I was… worried… when I heard you guys...”

"...Yeah...but please don't blame yourself. You did try to help...I just hid..." Yuuto said, guessing his brother was blaming himself somehow.

"...ah...you heard the fight?" He asked softly, feeling a bit sad that Yuuya had to hear that.

Yuuya nodded slowly. “Yeah… I… I needed water… I think… and I overheard you guys in the morning.” Yuuya knew he had to be strong for Yuuto, but as he spoke, he remembered the hurtful things Yuuto said and his voice wavered. “I… I didn’t know how bad things were with… everything…” He said, not sure how to articulate what he had heard, and not sure he wanted to.

Yuuto sighed.

"...I'm sorry it disturbed you..." he said, noting how his brother's face fell and his voice wavered. He squeezed his brother's hand, shifting and facing Yuuya.

"....Things have been hard, yes. Shun and I have had these troubles for a long time...we both struggle to be devoted to our work and our family and each other at the same time...but, things always work out, so it's always worth it to keep fighting...to keep working hard to provide for those we care about." Yuuto said gently, smiling at Yuuya.

"As much as losing Shun hurts...I don't know what I'd do without you, Yuuya."

“No, no, no. It didn’t disturb me… I was just worried with some of the things that you said.” Yuuya looked at his brother, and as Yuuto kept speaking, tears welled more in his eyes.

“… I’m sorry I’m a burden, Yuuto… I…”

Yuuto's face fell a little as Yuuya was starting to cry. He had been wondering just how much Yuuya had heard, and it sounded like he'd heard quite a bit. He sat up as best he could so he could hug him.

"I made a choice years ago to take on the burden of providing for you and trying to make you happy...it's not your fault you're ill. You have nothing to be sorry for..." He said, holding Yuuya close.

"...If anything, I'm at fault. I chose to try and help you alone, when I could have sought help ages ago...I just didn't trust anyone else. I still can't. The hospital could stop your symptoms but took away your soul in the process...I never wanted you to go through that again. I'm sorry I didn't do a better job of making you happy..."

Yuuya didn’t want to cry. He wanted to be strong, to show his brother he could be depended on. But the tears continued to fall and he hugged his brother back tightly, feeling a lump form in his throat that was a struggle to talk past.

“I don’t want to be a burden to you, Yuuto! It hurts… seeing you so tired all the time. Even before and especially recently…” Yuuya said, squeezing him back.

“You’re the best, Yuuto. You’re always looking out for me. Please… I don’t want to leave you…"

Yuuto held his brother back, feeling tears coming to his eyes too, but he kept trying to blink them back. He was more successful than Yuuya in being strong, since it was something he'd been doing his whole life. He gently stroked his brother's back as Yuuya cried, holding him close.

"...I don't want to leave you either. I don't care that I'm tired all the time...it's always worth it to see you smile and live the life you deserve." Yuuto said softly. But, he knew, whatever sentence they got would separate them.

"...That's why I need you to be strong, and play dumb for the cops. I'll be taking the blame. I'm sure they suspect it...I'm the one with my name on the lease of the building where the cops found the fugitives housed...I'm the one who was legally responsible for your care...and I'm the one who has a criminal record." Yuuto said.

Yuuya’s hands were shaking. He hugged his brother tighter than ever and he just cried like the child he felt he was.

“… But… Then I won’t get to see you… I… I don’t know what to do after then..."

Yuuto held him close and tried not to cry as well.

"...Yuuya...if we play this right, you won't get a sentence as badly...maybe to the Correctional Facility for medicine. Once they've got something that works, you can come visit me, alright? You're going to be fine...you won't be alone. Yuugo and Yuri will stand by you over me..." Yuuto said, holding his brother equally tightly. He didn't want to leave his brother and it killed him to know his days with his brother were limited.

“I know… but it still won’t be with you…” Yuuya sniffed, burying his face into his brother’s shoulder. “I just want to go back to the way things were. I don’t want you to go to jail… Isn’t there any other way we can get out of this mess?"

Yuuto let his brother hold him close and sighed.

"...I don't have the money to pay bail...and with my legs the way they are, I can't move like I used to." Yuuto said. If he had been healed this never would have happened in the first place, and at the very least he could have fought off the cops.

"...Unfortunately we're stuck, Yuuya...but at least we're together for now. It was nice of the cops to let us share a room." Yuuto said. It was better than being paired with a tenant of his who was probably pissed and would beat him up.

“I know but…” Yuuya tried to think what else to say but he couldn’t. Sighing, he closed his eyes, biting his lip.

“Yeah… It’s good of them. They know you look after me, after all."

Yuuto nodded, leaning his head against his brother's too and closing his eyes.

"Yes...I suppose this means they do have some faith in me...when I was arrested, they said I was poisoning you...which is ridiculous...." Yuuto said with a sigh.

"Maybe they just meant the medicine is harmful long-term...if that's so, i hope they find you something better that works..."

“Yeah… They mentioned that…” Yuuya looked at Yuuto.

“I don’t believe that you’d poison me… But if it was harmful, that would explain…” Yuuya stopped and shook his head. “Nevermind"

Yuuto frowned as Yuuya started to say something.

"...Explain what, Yuuya? Have you been noticing any odd symptoms?" He asked, concerned.

Yuuya hesitated and he looked away from his brother. He bit his lip, wondering if he really should say anything before he looked down at his knees. One hand went over his stomach and he clenched it. “My stomach hurts… Or at least bits around my stomach. Sometimes I feel it even with my medication, and I feel really sick. It feels… difficult to eat or digest anything."

Yuuto frowned in concern.

"How long have you been noticing this?" Yuuto asked, worried. Was his brother getting hurt by the medication? That wasn't good at all...

Yuuya shrugged. “… A… A year now. We were changing the supplementary medication a lot, but it’s getting more frequent. Since… since we stopped talking, it’s gotten worse. Sometimes I can’t even eat, I just vomit..."

Yuuto frowned. A whole year of this and he hadn't noticed? That was awful...he was silently kicking himself for making things worse for Yuuya. He had actually been slowly killing his brother... "...That's not good Yuuya. We should tell the cops immediately. They should be able to get you looked at and see if something's seriously wrong." Yuuto said. "If it's the medication, we need a substitute and fast."

“No… No it’s fine… It’s fine Yuuto,” Yuuya insisted. He immediately regretted telling Yuuto, seeing the expression on his brother’s face. “I’m fine. I don’t need a substitute. What I’m on is… Fine.”

Yuuto sighed.

"...Yuuya....we should still tell them. They're going to need to find you new medication anyway, since the ones you're currently on are illegal in Japan...they should know to try and give you something to help your stomach." Yuuto said.

“I don’t want to get off it,” Yuuya muttered. “… If I do… They’ll make me take the sedatives to stop the Berserk Mode… Then I go back to that blank state again…” He hid his face behind his hair. “I’m sorry..."

Yuuto wrapped his arms around Yuuya once again to comfort him.

"...it's not your fault. I don't want it to happen again either. I've told them about your state before...hopefully medical advancements will prevent that from happening again...we have no choice but to wait and see..." Yuuto said softly, hating that he couldn't do more for his brother.

“I know… But it will take a while for them to figure something out. If I tell them now, they’ll put me on sedatives to try help me… I’d rather suffer a little longer than be like that…” He whimpered as he hugged Yuuto back. “… Did I ever tell you? … How it feels to be like that?"

Yuuto listened solemnly.

"...Alright. We won't tell them right away then...but if you start getting worse, I’m telling them. I won't let you die because of these meds destroying your body." Yuuto said. He shook his head.

"...No, you didn't tell me what you felt...but I do remember seeing you, while you were like that. You didn't...remember who I was, half the time...some days, you didn't even know your own name..." Yuuto said softly.

Yuuya nodded. “Honestly, I’m counting on them running out first… I was already running out before I had my breakdown…” He sighed.

“It’s… It’s difficult to articulate but… It’s like I had no feeling in my body. I felt no pain but I couldn’t feel anything… Maybe some touches but…” Yuuya shook his head. “It’s hard to hear, because there’s always a ringing in my ears, and it’s so hard to think. It’s like… everything is white… not like snow, but like… the hospital we last saw mum in… Everything is hazy and it’s as if I’m underwater. It’s… It’s something else. I can’t see when it’s all fuzzy like that… and things don’t make sense when I can see them. Things that come close to me… It’s like they’re appearing out of nowhere.”

“… I don’t… I don’t know how to convey how scary it is, Yuuto. I don’t even think it’s scary until I’m here, remembering it all. And that’s just…” Yuuya closed his eyes.

Yuuto hugged his brother as he recalled such a terrifying time.

"That does sound really scary...I wanted to keep you from experiencing it again..." Yuuto murmured.

"Im sorry, Yuuya...I should've done a better job...."

“And you did, Yuuto.” Yuuya pulled away from Yuuto so he could make Yuuto look at him. “You’re the one who found me a cure. By yourself. When the doctors said it was impossible. You did what you could, Yuuto… And look… I’ve lived almost like… what… ten years or something without going back to state? You did what you could, Yuuto. I’m not blaming you for anything."

Yuuto sighed.

"Im glad you don't blame me, Yuuya...but thanks to me, you're going back into state care...at least until they find a cure that's legal..." Yuuto said sadly.

"...I wish you had a choice...that's what I wanted you to have: the option to live happily out of state or psychiatric care...but I wanted it for your whole life."

“… Yeah… I’m… Trying not to think too hard about that… I wish they would let me stay on the meds, but when they find out it’s killing me, there’s no way they can justify giving me those drugs…” Yuuya squeezed Yuuto’s hand again.

“… You’ve done nothing but try to help people your whole life Yuuto… and now you’re going to jail for it"

Yuuto sighed.

"Not my whole life....well, for money I guess I helped them..." Yuuto mused. He sighed.

"Hopefully it won't be long this time..."

Yuuya frowned. He knew Yuuto didn’t tell him everything about his life with Shun while he was still in the coma period, but he had pieced together a lot of it over the years. He leaned against his brother, closing his eyes.

“… I hope not. I want to stay with you… for as long as I can..."

Yuuto nodded and smiled.

"Same here. We'll be together for as long as we can be." He promised.

As the Sakaki brothers comforted each other in their shared holding cell, the police had finished their last interrogation of a re-captured fugitive from Yuuto's apartment. Ukyou had called a meeting of his squad members to discuss the findings before they would finally talk to Yuuto himself. "Alright...so we've gotten the DNA results back from the lab and matched them to each of our fugitives here. The good news is that we do have most of them in custody...but there are a couple we don't have at this point, like the notorious hacker Hope Ray, for example." Ukyou mused, showing the file they had on the hacker. "And while Hope Ray himself is dangerous, we found something even worse..." Ukyou said, pulling out a new file that was thick with criminal charges but no arrest record. "In the room that was clearly Yuuto's, and on his bed of all places, there was quite a bit of DNA evidence from the elusive professional hitman Kurosaki Shun. He's suspected in quite a few murder cases, but nobody has been able to pin him down...we have proof he was recently in Heartland, if not still there. It is imperative that we find out where he's gone before someone dies..." Ukyou said gravely.

"Droite, what did you find out about the situation from the fugitives you talked to? Any idea where we can maybe find Hope Ray and Kurosaki and some of the others that are missing?" Gauche asked.

“Some people weren’t willing to talk. Others were.” Droite said, standing up, opening her notes. “From what I understand, Yuuto, is indeed the one known as the Dark Duelist. He had a business in breaking people out of jail and providing them a place to stay while he provided them with fake identification, a change of records, and other means to accommodate for these prisoners to let them out into public again. From what I understand, while he is picky, he’ll get anyone out regardless of what they’ve done. Yuuya mostly just did cooking and cleaning, and what I’ve noted is that Yuuto always tells the prisoners never to talk to Yuuya.”

“Unfortunately, there’s no trace of Kurosaki. Apparently some of the fugitives heard him and Yuuto yelling a few days ago, and haven’t seen him since. Hope Ray and any other of the missing fugitives were not at the building at the time, so we’ve been having problems finding them. Hope Ray probably had planned on moving out completely, since his room was mostly clean. Some of the others we may have an easier time though, since we have details and some of their possessions, which gives us a better idea of where they may hide."

Anna frowned.

"The Dark Duelist...isn't that the guy that Mai said broke out Mutou? Talk about not being picky then...but that means he probably knows something about who hired Mutou! Someone must've hired him to get Mutou out of prison in the first place!" Anna said. Ukyou nodded.

"Yes, we did find faint DNA traces of Mutou Yuugi in one cleaned out and unused room...we searched it thoroughly but anything of his that was in there is now gone. It's probable that Yuuto himself or Yuuya maybe, cleaned it after Mutou was arrested to prepare it for whoever would be busted out next." Ukyou said.

"We'll alert the squads to search for the few fugitives that got away in the places we suspect they might appear...but in the meantime, we should talk to Yuuto. He might know where drug dealer Dennis MacField is, who hired Mutou, and possibly even where the other fugitives are. He's got a lot to talk about. You ready?" He asked Droite, knowing she would likely be talking to him alongside him.

“I know, I’ll be getting to interrogating him, Anna. We’ll see what happens from there,” Droite said, already thinking about her next interrogation with Yuuto, trying to picture in her head how that would play out.

“I’m ready. The main thing to note is that he has seen his ‘tenants’. He knows the game is up, and a man of Yuuto’s character will likely be on the defensive. We just need to press hard until he tells us something new."

Anna nodded, giving Droite's a thumb up.

"You've got it Droite! You'll get what we need out of him in no time!" Anna said. Ukyou nodded.

"I doubt it will be easy...Yuuto is quite intelligent. But, we have plenty of time to talk." Ukyou said.

"Gauche, go see if Yuuto's ready to be talked to."

“He won’t be, since Yuuya is with him. But we’ll get him up anyway.” Gauche got up and headed over to the holding cells while Droite made her way to the interrogation room, setting up the recording equipment and taking a seat. Anna headed over to the room with the one-way window, so she could watch the interrogation.

“Yuuto? You’re needed for questioning,” Gauche said, opening the door. “You’ll see Yuuya in a bit. Up you get.”

“… Ah…” Yuuya looked at Yuuto and gave him a small squeeze. “… Take it easy, okay?"

Yuuto glanced over at Gauche when the man approached. He supposed they'd held off his interrogation long enough. Now was the time. He gave Yuuya a small smile and squeezed his hand back. He sat up slowly, trying to take it easy on his injured and sick body.

"I will. Pass me my crutches, will you?" He asked, since they were closer to Yuuya.

Yuuya nodded and he quickly headed over, passing Yuuto his crutches. He also helped get Yuuto’s leg brace on and he helped his brother up diligently.

“Good luck.”

“Come on. This way.” Gauche said, getting him to follow.

Yuuto accepted Yuuya's help without complaint. He smiled and nodded.

"Thanks. See you later..." he said softly, leaving the cell with Gauche. He purposely kept his eyes straight ahead. He didn't want to see Sergey or the angry, betrayed faces of his tenants watching him from inside their holding cells. He could hear a few angrily muttering to each other. A couple even yelled at him, calling him a filthy traitor. Yuuto ignored all of it. He tried to suppress a shiver as he passed Sergey's cell and felt the psychopath's gaze on him, trying to tear him apart with a look alone.

It was a relief to finally get the interrogation room, and Yuuto sat down slowly, sighing softly as he did. He recognized Droite across from him, and Ukyou was there as well. He gave them a small smile.

"...Thank you for letting my brother and I share a holding cell, Officers." He said, genuinely thankful and letting it show.

Droite gave a nod, not smiling back but acknowledging it. “It was the most ideal of situations. We figured that you two would keep the other under control.”

The woman leaned forward. “Did you want to say anything up front to us, Yuuto? While you still have the floor?"

Yuuto snorted a little at Droite's word choice.

“I suppose.” He mused. He paused.

“...I was also wondering...how much of Yuuya's medication you had left. If it does run out...he'll be in pain again.” He said at last. Yuuya's description of his stomach problems along with the terror in his voice regarding being sedated were fresh in his mind. He wanted to know how long it would take for both nightmares to catch up to them.

“If he keeps taking one tablet a day, we have enough for nine more days. We’re already getting clearance on medical sedatives so he doesn’t get back into that berserk mode, so neither of you have to worry about that. Doctor Sasayama will talk about that further with Yuuya when she next comes and sees him with his pathology results.” Droite responded cooly.

Yuuto nodded, trying to suppress a smile. He had seen the familiar girl who had once been so close to Ruri, but he didn't think she had recognized him. He hadn't really been close to her after all...he'd just heard about Sayaka through Ruri. And of course Sayaka hadn't recognized Yuuya because they'd never met: Yuuya had been pulled out of schooling to be put into the hospital for his illness before Sayaka had joined their school. “Okay. Sounds good...” Yuuto said with a sigh.

“...That's basically all I wanted to ask.”

“Alright. Then we’ll get started on this interrogation then,” Droite said, looking straight at Yuuto. “You by now understand what situation you’re in, so it’s in your best interest to tell us all that you know. We’ll start with something simple. How many fugitives were staying in your apartment at your time of arrest?”

Yuuto simply waited for the question, pondering things. He knew that on this at least, there was no point in lying. The cops had caught most, if not all, of his tenants. They knew the exact number, most likely.

"I can house 20, but I only had 16 fugitives staying with me at the time of my arrest." Yuuto said, being honest. He had of course, excluded Shun and Yuuya in that number. Yuuya wasn't a fugitive, and Shun hadn't been officially been staying with him as a tenant. He also wasn't quite a fugitive himself, since he hadn't actually been to prison.

“Sixteen fugitives, and we only have thirteen of those. One of them is Hope Ray.” Droite looked up at him. “Any idea where this man and the two others went?” She asked, sliding him a piece of paper with the names and IDs of the three tenants.

Yuuto looked at the pictures. So these three were the ones who had escaped police detection. He was honestly a little relieved that Hope was one of them. Kaito had probably hidden him.

“No, I don't know where they've gone, Officers. Because of my injuries, I was bedridden for the past few weeks before my arrest, so I hadn't spoken to any of these three men. I had no idea they'd left. Besides...I'm their landlord, not their babysitter. I don't keep tabs on my tenants once they leave my building. What they do outside my property is their business.” Yuuto said simply. He really didn't know where the other two had gone, but with Hope, it was highly probable that he was with Kaito. Or at least, that Kaito knew where he was.

“Then perhaps you’ll be able to answer the next question a little better. According to the files we found, he wasn’t one of your tenants, but we do have evidence that he was in your house and spoke to you on a number of occasions.” Droite took the list back and replaced it with a photo of Shun.

“Look familiar, Sakaki?”

Yuuto looked at the photo of Shun in slight surprise. So they'd done a DNA sweep then...before, he'd thought that maybe they'd just gone off of his files.

“Of course it does. That's Kurosaki Shun.” Yuuto said. Sure, they might have found evidence of Shun in the house...but...had they guessed the relationship between them?

“You cleaned up well after him, but we found his hair in the lining of the pillow, and in your private bedroom,” Droite said matter-of-factly. “You know where he’s gone.”

So they'd guessed the nature of the relationship too...but Yuuto could still work with it. Yuuto sighed, as if he was a little embarrassed.

"Didn't I tell you before, Officer? I do entertain people from time to time. Kurosaki is someone I've been with before, years and years ago. I went to school with him for a year, and was close friends with his sister. He was in town months ago, and I offered him a place to stay, for a reasonable price..." Yuuto said.

"He's long gone though, and I have no idea where he's gone. I'm pretty sure he's skipped town though...Kurosaki never sticks around too long. He's also not the talkative type, so he doesn't share plans with anyone, not even with old friends like me." This part was the truth: Shun had left awhile ago, had indeed left town and didn't talk much to friends. To his boyfriend though, that was a different story...

Unfortunately for the police, they had no way of clarifying what Yuuto said wasn’t the truth, but Droite once again that gut-feeling instinct that Yuuto was just outright lying to them. However, the woman didn’t let anything show on her face, and instead she simply looked at Yuuto with the same look of icy determination she sported the entire conversation.

“And you’re saying that that story is the truth, right?"

“It is the truth, though I'm surprised you doubt me when the evidence is so...compelling.” Yuuto said. There wasn't much else that could explain why Shun's DNA was in his bed. They couldn't prove they were in a relationship, so they had nothing to disprove Yuuto's story. Unless they actually did catch Shun and asked him, Yuuto supposed. Yuuto knew Shun would never degrade Yuuto to some cheap whore, but Yuuto wasn't above doing that sort of self-sacrifice for others. He wanted to keep himself as far away from Shun as possible so the cops wouldn't use him to draw Shun out. Yuuto was still hurt by Shun of course, but he didn't want him in jail too.

“Your brother was more than happy to mention your boyfriend. Though he must be mistaken, hm?” Droite said, testing Yuuto, not mentioning it was Yuugo who had poorly let slip the words or revealing how little she knew.

“Boyfriend?” Yuuto asked, surprised. Which brother had done this? Yuuya? No, Yuuya was too smart to reveal that...and since Yuri didn't know, that left Yuugo. He sighed.

“...It was Yuugo wasn't it? I apologize...he's always bragging, teasing me about not putting a ring on my high school sweetheart when he got his. But, as you say, he's mistaken. I don't have any romantic interests at the moment.”

Yuugo certainly didn’t seem like he was bragging and teasing Yuuto, but genuinely seemed mistaken and wished for the cops to not hear what he said. Droite was glad that her initial assessment of Yuuto was correct, and that not only was he on the defensive, but was willing to lie with a straight face.

“I see. Well, then if you don’t know where he is, I guess I’ll move on,” Droite said.

“Your alias is the Dark Duelist, huh? You’re not completely unknown in the underground."

Yuuto simply let the first line slide, glad that they were moving off of Shun. He really didn't want to stick on that topic for awhile.

“That's right...” It was one of them, for sure, but he wasn't going to reveal any other alias of his.

“Deal much in the underground? I know you’ve been seeing a certain Dennis Macfield about things, haven’t you?” Droite frowned. “He’s your supplier for your brother’s meds, I presume?"

“Not very often in the underground actually...” Yuuto murmured. It was true. He had mostly withdrawn himself from it, save of course for Dennis, as Droite was quick to point out.

“Yes...but, I can't really tell you much about him. He would go after my brother in retaliation for my betrayal. He's made that clear plenty of times.” Yuuto said firmly.

“He can’t do much while Yuuya’s in jail.” Droite said. “But please, tell us what you can about him. I implore you."

Yuuto shook his head.

"You know that's a lie, Officer. Drug trades do exist in prison, and Dennis is one of their suppliers. He's got loyal lackeys in prison who will do anything for money, and drug addicts who will do anything for their next fix. All it takes is a word from him and they all gang up on the traitor who's sprung the cops on their supplier." Yuuto said. He sighed.

"...He was the only one I could go to for the drugs that Yuuya needed. He's dangerous, but he's also got he best selection in Heartland for a reasonable price...that's why I took the risk in dealing with him."

Droite sighed. Even with the reformation of the Correctional Facility, they hadn’t quite managed to do the same with the prison. What Yuuto was saying was true, and she was a bit disappointed on how much Yuuto knew that was true as well.

“How long have you been dealing with him? What do you think is safe to mention? Even if it seems obvious, please tell me."

Yuuto waited patiently for Droite to ask more, knowing that he had hit the nail on the head, and Droite knew it.

"...Hmm...it's been awhile...I think 6 or 7 years? It was shortly after Yuuya and I moved back to Heartland..." Yuuto said, trying to remember exactly. The stress of those earlier days made it hard to remember exactly how long it had been.

"...Well...he likes to personally deal with clients...and obviously has connections. I'm not sure what they are exactly...but...how else do you explain the amount of drugs he has, the variety of them, and the fact that he's been evading police detection for about 10 years while still dealing with clients personally? He's got to have an insider somewhere...it's pure logic." Yuuto mused. He'd been wondering this about Dennis himself for awhile. Dennis stood out like a sore thumb, but always seemed to be a step or two ahead of the cops.

“Our drug team have been searching for him for years. Still are. We’ve only recently joined the fray in light of the Mutou case,” Droite said, nodding. Yuuto was telling her the info they did know but he did remind her of the other thing that had been bothering her. Dennis’ insider. They still had no clue on who he was or what he did. “So you and Yuuya know him personally. But not particularly close?”

Yuuto nodded.

"Ah...that does make sense. Mutou used drugs...he undoubtably got them from Dennis." Yuuto mused. He nodded again.

"Yes, we knew him. But, I made sure to deal with Dennis outside of my home...so that he would never know where to find myself or Yuuya in case he decided to follow through on his little threat." Yuuto said, again being truthful.

Droite nodded, remembering Mutou and Dennis fleeing from the same warehouse. They had been so close at the time… she couldn’t believe that they had gotten so careless.

“Right… So you don’t know much about Macfield himself, really."

“Not really, no. He's one of those people who's all small talk...doesn't really share much about himself, but wants to know everything about you.” Yuuto mused.

“A showman, clearly,” Droite said, a little unimpressed that they were still not much further, even though they had guaranteed Yuuto being incarcerated. It felt like an empty success, probably because it was almost by coincidence they had found him to be the Dark Duelist.

“It’s not looking good for you, you know. No Macfield, no Kurosaki, and all those men who should be jailed.”

Yuuto sighed.

“I know, but I knew it wouldn't...” Yuuto mused, resting his hand on his head, a little tired but pushing on.

“...As long as Yuuya's alright, it doesn't matter what happens to me. It never has.”

“… Seems like you’re a lousy carer then, especially if Yuuya loves you as much as you love him. You should be more responsible with people Yuuya cares about.”

“I’ll give you some time to think. Maybe something interesting will come up that’s worth telling us about. It may help you.”

Yuuto paused, listening to what Droite had to say. He sighed.

“...I suppose that's always been my weakness...I care about others, but can't look after myself simultaneously.” Yuuto mused.

“...No matter what I say, I don't think anything could save me. All the media has to do is paint me as the crook who deals drugs and houses dangerous criminals.”

“It doesn’t have to be that way.” Droite figured she would talk about Mutou later, since Yuuto didm’t seem very talkative but suddenly the opportunity was there. The woman looked straight at Yuuto.

“A lot of CEOs and the general public want the person who’s been hiring Mutou to do the killings dead or behind bars. If you can ID the person who asked you to break Mutou out for this person, a lot of heat is going to be taken off of you. Some of it may even help you.”

“...Oh yeah...I've heard about this...” Yuuto mused. He sighed.

“...It wasn't a person who asked me, actually. It was many.” Yuuto said.

“It was a bit of an unusual circumstance. Usually, when people come to me to get someone out of jail, they come alone, unarmed, in a relatively public place like a bar, and act like honest people. They'll have a conversation, explaining to me why they want to pay me to get their criminal friend or family member out of prison. They basically put all the power in my hands...they don't force my decision, because they know it's a risk for me as well. But...that's not how it happened with Mutou.” Yuuto said with a frown.

“I was just minding my own business when suddenly I was approached by five armed men in suits and dark glasses with nondescript features. They all looked practically identical...I wondered if they were bodyguards of some kind. They had a plain suitcase loaded with money and simply demanded that I break Mutou Yuugi out of jail and house him in exchange for the entirety of the suitcase. There was five times my usual fee inside...and given that fact that I was unarmed and outnumbered...I agreed. I never saw them again once it was done.”

“… Interesting…” Droite said. “And by undescript, you mean that you wouldn’t be able to point them out if I presented them to you, right? Looks like someone didn’t want their tracks found.”

Yuuto nodded. "Exactly. Their faces were very plain, their hair all dark and hidden by the night. I couldn't see their eyes." Yuuto said. "...I did do research, since it was such an odd case. I knew that Mutou had been involved with mobsters in gambling rings...I wondered if they represented them at first. But...then the killing of CEOs began and Mutou was arrested. That made me think it wasn't a mobster or gang that had asked...but someone much more powerful." Yuuto mused. "...It was still odd though that they chose Mutou as a hitman. He and I are about the same height and build...neither of us are physically overwhelming. And Mutou isn't exactly a killer...he'd never been convicted of anything but drug charges and gambling. It was like they wanted him for his skill set...playing games and making risky gambles..." Yuuto said with a snort. "I know this is over simplified...but if you can find someone who appreciates or values that sort of skill set and holds a powerful position in some business, and you've got who hired him." Yuuto said with a shrug.

Droite nodded. “Right… I’ll keep that in mind. That’s actually really helpful. Thank you, Yuuto.”

Yuuto smiled.

"Glad I can help on some things at least..." He said. He had nothing against Droite or any of the other police officers. He knew they were just doing their job.

Ukyou, who was watching the interrogation mostly in silent contemplation and jotting down notes, was intrigued.

"...I wonder Droite, if he found any clues in Mutou's room. He seems willing to help, so maybe he can share any clues. Mutou did say he was given notes. Maybe Yuuto found one?" Ukyou asked, communicating with Droite through her earpiece so Yuuto couldn't hear what was said.

“You and Yuuya clean the rooms when your tenants are done, right? I was wondering if you found anything in the rooms,” Droite repeated, having heard her boss. “Mutou said he was communicated through notes, and while he burned most of them, I was wondering if there was anything he left behind. Anything worth noting?"

Yuuto hesitated, trying to remember. He'd found the LDS pin, and it was something that he could share...but he knew it wasn't Reiji Akaba and it would mean he would be sending the cops after Shun potentially.

"...No, I don't recall finding anything noteworthy...he didn't have much in terms of belongings. No notes at all." Yuuto said.

"I tossed his stuff months ago."

“I figured as much, but it was worth checking.” Droite said. She hadn’t expected much on that lead, but she had gotten a lot from Yuuto from narrowing down her suspects.

“How are you feeling? Your leg feeling better?"

Yuuto nodded at the first part, glad Droite wasn't pushing him or anything. She seemed to believe him on that front and it was a relief. He was a little surprised by her next question. "...It's...about the same, I think...the infection is improving, but it's still hard to move...not that I can move much in that little cell." He mused, snorting a bit at that last part. "...If you feel it's relevant, Droite...maybe we can ask him what happened with Sergey. We know it was him, but we don't know why these two met." Ukyou said. It was a lose end that needed to be tied up somehow....but if it made Yuuto upset it may not be worth it to ask.

“Do you frequent the underground?” Droite asked, tilting her head. “Kurosaki… the man who injured your leg… You seem to get involved with assassins pretty often. Any particular reason for that?” Droite asked, trying to phrase the question in the least direct way possible.

Yuuto sighed. He had expected something like this and even though it was phrased gently, it was still painful to think about.

"...I really don't go out that often anymore...I just..." Yuuto paused, tensing up.

"...I end up in the right place to meet them, I guess..." Yuuto said.

"...Meeting both was an accident. In one case, a nice one...in the other...a horrifying one..."

“So it was an accident.” Droite said. “… Are you aware of the Mutou court case?”

Yuuto nodded. He was technically telling the truth, it had been an accident that he'd actually gotten caught.

"...No? I thought he was done with court?" Yuuto asked, clearly oblivious to the attack.

“This was some time back,” Droite said. “I’m trying to date your attack, in case you can’t remember it. It was on the news that Mutou had been attacked by an assassin but survived the encounter. I’m trying to piece together a timeline. Will you help me out?”

Yuuto blinked. "...Sure...the attack happened about a month ago for me..." Yuuto said. "...Mutou was also attacked by Sergey? Really?" Yuuto said, shocked and also saddened that what had happened to him had happened to someone else. It didn't matter that he was a criminal too...

“Indeed. Twice, actually. Once at the Court House and once at the Correctional Facility. But if it was a month ago, then likely it was after the incident at the courthouse.” Droite had a small timeline in her head, but there were details she needed to straighten her thoughts out.

"Oh yeah...I heard the one about the courthouse....my attack was after that for sure..." Yuuto said softly.

"...So...mine is...in between..."

Droite frowned, remembering what Sergey said. So that confirmed it. Sergey had used Yuuto as a test subject and then he had gone and attacked Mutou in the Correctional Facility. Whether by coincidence or no, she wasn’t sure, but all that was really all she could see out of the situation.

“That’s all I need. Thank you, Sakaki Yuuto.”

Yuuto nodded.

"Alright..." he said, glad it was over. He got his crutches and stood with their help. Gauche came to the door to lead Yuuto back to his cell where Yuuya was waiting.

Meanwhile, Ukyou and Anna came in to see Droite.

"...I feel as if he was being generally honest...but he did seem particularly defensive in a few areas. Did you get that impression too?" Anna asked Droite.

Droite nodded, not getting up but stippling her fingers together. “Very much so… And in some areas, he was outright lying. I don’t trust what he said with regards to Kurosaki… but he was very enlightening… Especially with a potential person who hired Mutou. I didn’t consider that he wasn’t a murderer before, even if he had been arrested. I don’t know how I missed that."

Ukyou frowned.

"No, I don't either. We've found criminal evidence that they know each other better than what he eluded to...Kurosaki was reported to have a partner in crime years ago, and it's during the same time frame where we know next to nothing about Yuuto. That can't be a coincidence..." Ukyou mused.

Anna nodded.

"Yeah you're right...that is pretty big. Why would someone hire a guy who's never killed before to kill guys? It makes no sense!" She exclaimed.

“Might be to get people off his trail. Might be because there’s a personal gain or amusement of it… I’d like to do some psych checks myself, particularly at the CEO suspects we have. Yuuto may be onto something about someone who appreciates a good game…” Droite said, getting up.

Ukyou nodded.

"You're right. I think he is too...some of our prime suspects are game designers too...like KaibaCorp and LDS which are both invested in the gaming market. A psych profile would be quite helpful." Ukyou said, easily granting Droite permission to work on it.

"I'll help if you want!" Anna said happily. Ukyou smiled and nodded.

"Alright Anna. Gauche and I can work on analysis of the information we got from Yuuto." Ukyou said.

-x-

Koutei didn’t know why they were fighting.

It wasn’t uncommon for him and Alit to box, but there was something different about what was happening now. For one thing, they were in Alit’s house. For a second thing, there was a baby in his arms. However, when Koutei tried to look down at the baby, he was unable to, because his bare fist was colliding with Alit’s face. To his surprise, he found himself being shoved back inside the house, away from the front door. Koutei wanted to yell at Alit, to ask him what was going on, but he had no control over his mouth. He just found himself standing there, making sure the baby was still in his arms.

“Koutei...I don't know what you think you're doing...but you need to stop. Just put Masumi down...we can talk about this...” That was Alit. Koutei wondered just what was going on, watching the scene unfold. For most part, the words that he and Alit were shouting were garbled, as if they were underwater, and occasionally their movements would blur out, so that Koutei couldn’t quite figure out what was going on.

But he was more than aware when he saw, through his own eyes no less, himself take out a knife from his hoodie and stab Alit in the gut.

“ALIT!” He tried to yell but Alit grabbed his shoulder. Against his will, he shoved Alit off to the ground, punching him for good measure. Alit was beaten down savagely, slammed hard, until the man physically couldn’t get up. Koutei wanted to scream and sob, he wanted to stop, but his body kept going. And when Alit was on the ground, unable to do a damn thing, he headed out the front door to the street. In front of him was an unfamiliar car, but Koutei got into it.

“Here… Yami…" Yami? He was here? The man smirked back at him as he took the baby and began to rock the baby gently.

“Thanks. Now Koutei, unlock your phone and pass it to me.” Yami ordered, holding out his hand. Koutei reached into his pocket and handed it over before he turned back to the house, seeing it speed off. He swore he could see Alit from the front door, there and bleeding out…

“ALIT!” Koutei screamed as he finally woke up. The blonde sat up in his bed, sweat pouring down his face and back, his hands shaking. He stared at the wall, his chest heaving in terror from that nightmare. Koutei clutched his head, eyes wide open.

It wasn’t a dream… He remembered it far too clearly. It was a memory. He had just remembered attacking Alit, like the monster that Alit had made him out to be. Even though Alit had already forgiven him, Koutei whimpered and began to cry, feeling immediate regret for what he had done. So he had really done it. He knew it was true, but remembering it… Knowing himself that it was true hurt so badly. All of that was the truth…

… All of it.

… Including Mutou. Mutou… Yami had Masumi, didn’t he? In his arms? But wasn’t the person who took Masumi the same person who gave him the Devil’s Breath.

Koutei’s breath steadied and he got up to wash his face in his room’s small sink, his mind racing. He splashed his face a few times and stared at the wall.

If Yami had Masumi, maybe he gave him the Devil’s Breath.

Koutei didn’t want to believe it, but he wanted to know the truth, and even if Yami hadn’t given it to him, then Yami probably knew what happened to him, or at least more than he let on. Koutei ran his hands through his hair and paced the room, waiting for the guards to come and collect him for breakfast.

They had a few things to talk about.

Meanwhile, Yuugi was waking up in his room, waking up after an unusual dream. He felt like he'd seen a glimpse of Yami's memory again...but what didn't make sense was what had happened.

He remembered seeing a blurry image of the interior of a car. He was in the backseat with a familiar orange haired drug dealer in the driver's seat. Suddenly, the side door opened and Koutei was there, looking dazed and...crying? Yuugi felt concern overwhelm him but was also surprised by how...happy and excited and relieved Yami seemed in the memory. He heard himself ask for the baby, felt himself take the crying child. Yami treated her gently, rocking her to calm her cries. Then, he asked for Koutei's phone as the other sat down next to him. Yami opened the contacts and Yuugi was surprised to see Yami's name on Koutei's phone.

"Wait don't delete it..." he tried to say, but Yami erased it with a couple keys and passed the phone back to Koutei. Yuugi was left confused when Koutei was told to forget him. What? How the heck would that even work?

Yuugi woke up as Koutei left the car. He frowned in confusion.

"...Yami...what did you do to him?" Yuugi asked. He didn't feel a response, and hadn't really expected one. He wondered if Koutei did remember that...but he'd been told to forget, and he supposedly had...Yuugi's head throbbed, no doubt Yami was reacting negatively to what he'd seen. Yuugi frowns.

"...I think we need to talk to Koutei. At least you do...hes been so nice to us...he needs to know what happened..." Yuugi said. He let the guards take him out to the cafeteria in silence, wondering how he should breach the topic when Yami clearly disagreed and Koutei may not even know what he was talking about.

By the time Koutei was brought to the cafeteria, Yuugi was sitting down with his food at one of the tables. Koutei quickly slipped into line and he hurried to get his meal, desperate to talk to the man. Thankfully, it was a Wednesday, which meant they both had a free period straight after their morning meal, so they could get away and have a talk after their meal if Yami didn’t want to talk here.

Koutei hurried over, seriousness written on his face. He smiled, seeing Mutou, but it was brief and faded when he sat down across from him.

“Hey… Morning…”

"Hey Koutei." Yuugi said, responding with a smile. His smile fell too when he saw how serious he looked.

"...Is everything alright? You don't look like you slept well..." Yuugi asked in concern.

Koutei gave a weak smile to his friend and he shrugged, realising it was Yuugi there in front of him. He figured that Yuugi wouldn’t know anything, so he played it off.

“Nightmares… Memories. You know the drill. It isn’t fun but… hey… At least I’m learning more slowly."

"Oh...I had the same thing happen to me too..." Yuugi said. He was still concerned.

"...Did you want to talk about it? It might help to share it..."

Koutei paused before he shrugged. “How about you go first? I don’t want to risk triggering a switch again and stressing you two out. The stuff that happened was…” Koutei looked at his food at he stabbed a piece of fruit, “distressing."

Yuugi looked a little worried by the way Koutei spoke. He also felt Yami stirring in concern. "...I saw you, actually." Yuugi said, pausing to see how he should frame this. "...You gave a baby to me...to Yami really. I recognized her...she's a little girl that Yami used to try and get close to Raphael to kill him. Her name was Masumi...though I'm not sure if that was her real name or not..." Yuugi said. He sighed. "...Then Yami told you to forget him, basically. I don't know why...or how it even worked...I mean...it's strange that he could just say it and you somehow...did forget him. Cause you lost your memories..." Yuugi said. "I know that must sound strange but it's what I saw."

“…” Koutei blinked at him before he sighed. He ran his fingers through his hair and he gave a very weak, shaky laugh.

“… What a coincidence. That’s… that’s how my dream ended. I gave you a baby and a phone. So… that’s… what really happened, huh? Since we both know what we saw?”

Yuugi was surprised and his face fell a little.

"...I had hoped maybe...it wasn't right. But if you saw it too...it must be..." Yuugi mused.

"Yeah. You did give him your phone too...we had texted quite a bit it looked like, but Yami just deleted his contact and the messages from the phone." Yuugi said. He felt his head throb and groaned, clutching his head.

"...ugh...I...I think...you and Yami need to talk...but...I don't think he wants to..." Yuugi said.

“Really? I don’t remember the contents of my phone. I just remembered… other things mostly,” Koutei muttered, shuddering as he thought of stabbing Alit and then leaving him to die as he took Masumi. Even now, the thought disturbed him and he shuddered.

“… Yeah… I want to talk to him…” Koutei murmured, looking up, his eyes large and pleading. “… I need to know the truth, and he has answers I don’t have. Please Yami, you can hear me. Come out. I love talking to Yuugi, but I need you now."

Yuugi gave a small smile.

"...Well...you sent them...so maybe one day you'll remember the messages..." Yuugi said softly. He looked at Koutei's face, letting Yami look too through his eyes. He could feel Yami's struggle. He didn't want to come out...but he also felt bad for hurting Koutei.

"...He...he does feel bad Koutei...I think he's worried about your reaction..." Yuugi murmured. He tried to send mental reassurances, trying to tell Yami that Koutei was a friend to them both now. It didn't matter what had happened...if he came clean, he would likely be forgiven in time...or at least Yuugi hoped so.

The switch was basically inevitable, with Yuugi trying to force it and with Yami so on edge as he was. Eventually Yami did emerge and immediately tore his eyes away from Koutei's in shame.

"...I'm not in the mood to talk about it....not now..." Yami said, not wanting to speak about it at all, or at least go in with a plan. He tried to wheel himself away from the table, wanting to go back to his room and maybe avoid the topic for now.

“I know.” He figured as much, and that only made Yami look more guilty. However, he waited for the man to switch, mentally apologising to Yuugi that he was causing him so much pain. He said nothing when he saw Yami look away, but he frowned when Yami started moving. He got up and went to stop him.

“You need to eat. And we need to talk. If not now, then next period. When we’re both free. Got it?”

Yami wasn't very quick with a wheelchair unfortunately. He was easily stopped by Koutei. He was a little intimidated by the serious look in his eye...Koutei was clearly not letting this go. But, he'd offered him time...

"...Okay...and...it has to be alone. I don't want anyone...overhearing. In the bathroom maybe. And what is said, doesn't leave that room." Yami said. This would essentially be a confession...he couldn't let people like Dr. Arclight overhear things.

“We’re better off doing it in the fitness room. The guards don’t follow us in there and no one else really likes it besides us. But yeah… whatever gets said doesn’t get shared.”

Yami nodded and sighed.

"...Deal." He said, surrendering to the fate. He did have time though...they had a few minutes left of lunch. Maybe he could duck out? Maybe he'd switch again and Yuugi would come back and be there for the whole free period?

Koutei smiled at him and then just ate. However, breakfast was in silence, Koutei stewing over what he wanted to say.

Yami was surprised at Koutei's smile. So...what had he remembered? Maybe he hadn't remembered more than what he'd told Yuugi...he hadn't remembered Yami giving him drugs? But still...it was only a matter of time before he did. Yami mostly picked at the remains of his food. Yuugi had ate with some gusto earlier...and he'd lost his appetite.

The bell sounded awhile later and the guards started rounding the prisoners up to get them to wherever they wanted to go for their free period. Yami pushed his tray away with a sigh.

"...Looks like it's time to go..."

“Yeah…” It was time to talk and get some real answers. One part of Koutei was nervous, and not even sure he wanted to know these things, but a larger part of him needed to know. He was actually glad that Yami had insisted on a break (however indirectly it was) because it gave him time to think about the memory that had been long repressed, and come to terms with what he did to Alit. Admittedly, he did want a bit more time, but it was better to get this done.

Koutei got up and took the tray, disposing of it for Yami and himself. Then he came back and took the brakes of the wheelchair off.

“Let’s go.” He said, heading for the training room.

"...Yeah." Yami said, sitting still in his chair. He wished he could take the breaks off himself so he could make a run for it while Koutei dropped his chair off. But, he didn't get the chance to try. He let Koutei push the chair towards the workout room.

Koutei pushed him all the way there and parked the two of them in the corner, where they could see anyone approaching and stop talking if they saw anyone come near. Koutei sighed, looking at Yami, wondering how he should start.

“… I… Last night… I remembered attacking Alit..."

Yami waited silently for Koutei to start. He was a little surprised at where he started. He frowned gravely.

"...ah...I was wondering how much more you remembered...I never saw what happened in the house...Yuugi only remembered what happened after it." Yami said. He sighed.

"...So that was the first thing you remembered...?" He wondered if Koutei had seen what had happened before: like the part where he told him to go get the baby and attack anyone who tried to stop him.

“I was in mid attack. Or what I remember started from there.” Koutei bit his lip, trying not to remember how Alit looked at him on the ground, in shock and horror of what was happening. He shook his head. “I took Alit’s baby out of the house and got into a car I’ve never seen before. There was a man in the driver’s seat with red hair and a mole on his face. You were in the back. I… I gave Masumi to you. And my phone.”

Yami frowned. He had never been too sure what had happened in that house. He hadn't gone in. He'd only heard later that Koutei had been arrested for attempted murder. He sighed.

"...I'm sorry you had to remember that. It's never fun to look back on something like that..." Yami said. He didn't ever like thinking about past murders of his. He sighed.

"...That guy with the orange hair was named Dennis. He's...someone who deals in Devil's Breath....have you...heard of that drug, and what it does to people...?" Yami asked softly.

"...No. I've never heard of it." Koutei frowned, wondering where he was going with it. "So that guy... he was my dealer?"

Yami shook his head.

"No. He was mine. As far as I know, you never met him before that day in the car...." Yami said simply. He paused and bit his lip.

"...Devil's Breath is a drug that takes away a persons free will. When they take it, they essentially do whatever their druggie tells them to do...it could be literally anything, even unspeakable things that would have never crossed the persons mind before...like kidnapping a baby and hurting their best friend." Yami said, looking at Koutei sadly.

"...That's why you did it. You were asked to while drugged with Devil's Breath...it wasn't your fault..."

Koutei took the information in carefully, a frown deepening on his face. There were such drugs? It sounded horrifying, and yet, if what Yami was saying was true, then that would explain why he had forgotten everything. He vaguely remembered the cops and Miheal talking to him about it, but now with the memories in his hand, he saw it in a new light.

“… So… Then… What happened? Why were you there? Did…” A lump formed in Koutei’s throat. “… Did… You ask me to get Masumi?”

Yami waited quietly and with great dread as Koutei pieced together the information he'd just given him.

"...Yes...yes I told you to get the baby...no matter who tried to stop you..." Yami said, biting his lip.

"...I didn't...I didn't want to use you. You and I had known each other awhile...we'd played games together and it was fun. I didn't want to hurt you...but my hand was...forced. I...I got involved with a person who wanted me to...to kill all these CEOs. He wanted me to do the last one, Raphael, quietly...I...I didn't know what to do...aside from...from getting you to borrow the baby...cause you knew them...they'd let you in..." Yami said, feeling miserable and sad the more he spoke.

"...I never meant for it to play out like it did...I didn't mean for you to hurt your friend...my...my employer would have wanted me to kill you to tie up the lose ends...but...I couldn't do that...so I told you to forget...hoping it would be enough..." Yami said, feeling like he wanted to cry.

"...I'm so, so, so sorry Koutei...I made a horrible mistake and you paid for it...but...please believe me when I say that all I want now is to try and fix it...I want to help you get better so you can get out of here and live a happy, normal life like you did before I ruined everything..." Yami said, looking up at Koutei with teary eyes. He was preparing for rage, rejection, possibly even a physical outburst...he was tense but not fighting back. He deserved whatever came next...

Koutei was quiet. He knew that Yami had been murdering CEOs, and he knew that he had failed to kill Raphael, the guy that was friends with him, but he didn’t know that he had been an accessory to attempted murder. Yami had drugged him, had used Devil’s Breath and taken control of him so he could steal Masumi. It was horrendous to think about, and even as he processed it, Koutei had to keep his knuckles from shaking.

He digested the information, and then he looked up at Yami, his expression difficult to read. He was… confused… hurt… and even though he knew Yami had no choice, he still felt a bit betrayed.

“… We knew each other then? You said we knew each other for a while… more than just in the bar then. We played games?” Koutei asked, the equivalent of ‘did you lie?’ in his voice. “Did… they said I’ve been taking other drugs too. Were you responsible for that?"

Yami bit his lip.

"...We met in bars first...so...I could give you a...preliminary drug mixed in drinks..." Yami murmured softly.

"...then, we went to other places to play games privately..." he said. He hadn't entirely lied...he just hadn't told the whole truth.

"...You were sad, quite a bit of the time...the only times you were happy was during and after the games after you'd taken drugs to forget your problems...even drugged up, you...you liked my games, and often asked to play more...eventually, you became addicted..." Yami said.

"...that was just how I dealt with people...I've had too many bad encounters...so...the drugs kept me safe..." Yami said softly, ashamed. It seemed stupid now because Koutei was so nice to him.

“So you’ve been drugging me for a long period of time…” Koutei felt something twist in his stomach and he stared at Yami. “So… were we really friends? Or were you just… using me?”

Yami also felt borderline nauseous with all the guilt overwhelming him. Every word out of Koutei's mouth seemed to only make it worse.

"...I...should've just seen the signs...you were so nice to me. You brought me snacks, you texted me almost every day...you wanted to be my friend..." Yami said softly.

"...But...I didn't consider us friends. I had no time to think about that...I was a fugitive...I was in with the wrong people...I spent almost all my time planning out how to kill high profile people so my employer wouldn't kill me instead..." Yami said, choking up a little.

"...I wasn't using you all the time...it was just...just for the baby. At first...I wasn't using you. I did have fun playing games with you...it helped me take my mind off my shitty life too...but I never had a friend before...so...I didn't think of you as one then...we were just two people with shitty circumstances who wanted distractions..." Yami said.

"...Now though...now it's more like friendship. I know Yuugi considers you one...I do too. I really do. That's why I didn't want to say anything, cause I knew it would make you mad. But...now that it's out...if you never want to talk to me again, that's okay...I'll accept that. I deserve it...but please, don't take it out on Yuugi. He's innocent...don't stop being his friend just because you can't be mine anymore..." Yami said looking at Koutei pleadingly.

Yami looked pathetic. He honestly, well and truly did. Koutei had always seen him as someone who was strong, someone who knew what they were doing and was confident. Rarely did he seem like he doubted himself, confidence seemed to radiate from him. But now, he looked so small, and weakness showed in his entire stature. From his teary, red eyes to his flushed cheeks, Yami honestly looked scared and lost. He looked desperate, guilty, and sad. For all the resentment Koutei had festering inside of him for Yami, none of it came out as he saw Yami there, looking so small.

Koutei didn’t say anything at first. How could he? When his closest friend here was also the man who had ruined his life, who had held his hand and escorted him down this path. Even though some of the blame belonged to Koutei, a lot of it weighed on Yami. He knew that. Both of them too.

He really should have been mad. He should have yelled, he should have screamed. There were a lot of things he could have realistically done, but instead, Koutei slowly reached out to Yami, cupping his cheek with a slow hand, giving Yami ample opportunity to push his hand away. He rubbed a thumb over his cheek.

“… You know, when you look like you’re about to cry, I can’t tell if you’re Yami or Yugi.” He gave him a tired but genuine smile. It was small, but it was still a smile. “That makes me a really bad friend, doesn’t it?”

It was true that Yami mostly did seem confident in himself and what he did. But, he had no reason to be confident now...he felt bad for what he'd done, and wanted Koutei to know it. He felt awful, and figured he also looked awful. He was trying to prepare for rejection...or something worse. This was not the first person bigger and more muscular than him that he'd pissed off...usually those people were very rough, wild when angered and relentless. Yami and Yuugi had both been on the receiving end of those people's fists many times...Yami knew Koutei was a boxer and could definitely pack a mean punch.

But, when Koutei's hand approached his cheek, it was gentle...so gentle it was like he considered Yami's skin to be made of glass and that too much pressure would shatter it. Yami's eyes widened a little. Out of all the reactions he'd imagined...this tenderness and that gentle, small smile on Koutei's face wasn't even on the list. He wasn't even sure what to say or do for a moment...he was just so shocked.

"...I...It's still Yami..." He murmured, wondering if maybe Koutei was holding back because he wasn't sure if it was Yuugi or not, and that of course Yuugi didn't deserve a punch.

"...Y-you're not a bad friend..." Yami said, trying to get his voice back.

"You tell us apart...so well. Better than anyone ever has. And you're so nice to both of us...I'm the one who's the bad friend...clearly..." He looked away from Koutei's smile. He didn't deserve it.

"...Why are you still being so nice to me?"

“I know… I’m just teasing you,” Koutei said, chuckling softly. Usually the two were a lot more obvious when they were switching, so there was no mistaking that the man in front of him was Yami, looking at him with confused, purple eyes. Since Yami didn’t push him away, Koutei kept stoking his skin gently, feeling the roughness under his hardened fingertips.

He watched Yami look away and he pressed his hand a little firmer, still gentle but trying to get Yami to look back at him so he could see him eye to eye. He wanted Yami to look at him, so he could see the feelings that Koutei wasn’t quite able to express himself.

He was mad, but even through his anger, he felt strangely calm. The smile left his face, but there was no unkindness there, only concern amongst the seriousness. If it was anyone else, Koutei would have let his emotions run rampant, but looking at Yami, Koutei was able to think and be clear and rational…

“Because we’re friends, aren’t we? Even if you hurt me… Even if you hurt me a lot… We’re still friends, right? I know you’re sorry, and I know you care about me now. I feel the same way. I’m sorry you had to hide that for so long, you must have been so scared to say anything, never mind the fact you had to do that in the first place. I… I’m not going to lie… Knowing this does change things… but not the fact that I care about you.”

Yami was slowly starting to calm a little, as Koutei spoke. He didn't fight his chin being brought up so he could see how serious Koutei was...and now he was starting to realize something. Koutei was gently stroking his cheek to calm him, and looking at him with such a kind and caring gaze...shit, what the hell was going on? Yami felt his cheeks flush a little. Koutei was so close...

"...I do care about you...we both do..." Yami said softly.

"...I'm sorry...I should have told you sooner...I was just so worried...I didn't want to lose you...." Yami admitted.

“I do too…” Koutei felt his heart leap in his chest as he saw Yami look at him in that way, with such gentle eyes. He was so cute, and the blush just further emphasized it. It was a little baffling that he could even think about that sort of thing when Yami had just revealed that he was responsible for drugging Koutei and giving him a very, very long prison sentence, but at the same time, Koutei felt that it was just right to admire Mutou.

Koutei believed in soul mates. He believed in a special someone, someone who he would be so irreversibly entwined, that he wouldn’t be able to get out, even if he wanted to somehow. And somehow in that moment (this strange, unromantic moment) Koutei knew that this was the person (the two people) who ignited a spark in him. Someone who gave it to him. He still didn’t know what ‘it’ was… but still…

“I would have been scared too…” Especially since he did lose Alit, at least for a time. “But it’s okay… I want to be here with you. The past doesn’t matter as long as we build a future together.”

His hand slid down to Yami’s chin, the contrast of their skin more prominent than ever as he cupped it. Slowly, he tilted Yami’s face up and brought him close, pressing his lips slowly against his.

Yami smiled, also feeling a huge weight off his chest. His face was partially flushed due to their close proximity, but also because of the fact that he had just been crying. He took a deep breath to calm himself, wishing he could be more composed.

"...Yeah...I'll help you..." Yami started to reply to Koutei's last sentence, wanting to finish it by saying "until his prison sentence was up", but then his face was tilted up. He cut off on shock as Koutei suddenly kissed him.

Immediately, Yami had no idea what to do. He could feel how gentle Koutei was being with him and it was surprising. All the people whom Yami had kissed in the past were usually pretty rough with him...clearly blinded by lust or inebriated by alcohol or drugs. But...this was different. Koutei could have been equally forceful, shoving him back into the wheelchair and probably having his way with him easily, but he wasn't. He was being gentle, tender, and almost cautious...and it felt really nice. It didn't help that he could suddenly feel Yuugi stirring in his head, perhaps brought out by his overwhelming shock, and it was even weirder that he felt the other's joy and excitement melding with his own. Of all the things Yuugi had to be around for...

And then immediately he felt awful. Koutei...he was going to end up hurting him again, he was sure. Although it really felt nice...Yami was trying to think rationally. This could never work out, no matter how good it made him feel. He gently pushed back against Koutei's lips and brought his hands up, trying to gently push him off before pulling his head back out of range so he could talk.

"Koutei...this isn't a good idea...you deserve better than me. I don't deserve you...." He could feel Yuugi's disapproval in his head but tried to shove him back.

At first, Koutei was excited when he felt Yami kissing back against him, because for the briefest of moments, he honestly believed that Yami wanted him back. It was a pure sort of bliss that got his heart racing, that affirmed his decision was the right one.

But it crashed quickly.

Admittedly Koutei was glad he didn’t intensify the kiss any further, because then he felt Yami’s hand on his chest, signalling him to stop. At least he didn’t push away from him in disgust, and that made it easier to stomach when he pulled away to look at Yami’s face. His words did surprise him though, and they seemed almost as out of the blue as Koutei kissing Yami.

“But… I want you,” he moved his hand off Yami’s cheek but he took Yami’s hand gently. “I know what you’ve done, but still I care about you so much, Yami. Whether you think I deserve you or not, I want you.”

Yami let Koutei take his hand, not really wanting to hurt him. Koutei was such a nice guy, and Yami would have been lucky to have him, he knew. But...he had to push aside the emotion (and Yuugi wondering what was wrong with him in his head) and think reasonably.

"...Koutei...I'm really happy I met someone like you. You're so sweet and kind, and...even though I don't deserve you, I do wish we could be together. I don't want to hurt you anymore than I already have." Yami said.

"...but...I have a life sentence, Koutei. I'm never going to get out of the prison system again. If I'm ever deemed healthy enough to leave the Correctional Facility, I'll just be moved to a maximum security prison for the rest of my life. I have no chance of parole....I didn't really get a choice in the matter...it was that or the death penalty." Yami explained solemnly.

"You don't have a life sentence Koutei. You can and will get out of here...you're already making amazing progress. You're getting your memory back, you're working out again...you've stopped displaying withdrawal symptoms..." Yami mused, brushing his free hand over Koutei's mark-free arms with a small smile.

"...So you'll get out of here soon...and... you'll be able to meet another nice guy like you and potentially have a family together. You deserve that. I can't have you hanging onto me...not when I can't ever be with you long-term...not when I can't give you the life you deserve." Yami said sadly. He did feel bad about it, but it was the truth.

Koutei listened to Yami with the same seriousness as he had a few moments ago, and the frown that was born on his face matched it too. On one hand, he was happy to hear that Yami would have gladly taken him if given the chance, but on the other hand, it hurt hearing the truth from him. Even though Koutei was now sure that this beautiful, brave man was definitely his soulmate (how did he discover that so quickly?); it killed him inside realizing that he couldn’t have him.

“… Yami…” Koutei squeezed the man’s hand gently, letting him feel his skin. It was nice having him touch him, but suddenly Koutei wanted to cry.

“… I thought everything would be better when I remembered everything. That it was all I wanted. But… over these last few months, I’ve just… You and Yuugi are everything to me. The time I’ve spent with you guys have been the best I’ve had in a long time. I just… I can’t let you slip away.”

Yami sighed.

"...Yuugi and I agree. We're both very happy to have met you, and gotten to know you better." He said, offering a smile.

"...That makes me happy too. I'm not asking you to forget me again...you're more than welcome to come visit me, if they let you...but...you know you're not really allowed to touch when you visit. It's not something sustainable for a relationship..." Yami mused. But, speaking of Yuugi....

"...And now that I think about it...um...which of us do you like? You kissed me...but you've also called Yuugi gorgeous. And... well..." Yami flushed a little.

"...Yuugi has only ever had crushes on girls in high school...so...I don't know if he'd swing our way. It might make things awkward...although, he didn't seem to mind me kissing you." Yami mused, shaking his head a little at Yuugi's ridiculousness.

Well… at least they were happy too. It was nice to hear that, even if it had gone unspoken between them before.

“I know… But still…” Koutei sighed. “Now that I’ve confessed, I don’t want to give you up for anything. Not even something like that. I…” There really was no way to make it work if that was their future, wasn’t it?

“Is it bad that I think I like both of you? As two different people?” It was Koutei’s turn to blush and look away. “I mean… You’re the same person so I find you both gorgeous, but I like you both for different reasons at the same time. You’re always so strong and confident, and the way you spin stories and make games out of everything is really inspiring and brilliant. You’re also kind… really kind and considerate, even if you don’t make it obvious. And Yuugi… Ah… I don’t know if he can hear me, but I like him too. He’s sweet and honest, and immensely brave. I’ve never seen someone stand up for a stranger like he did when we first met. He’s caring and gentle… I just… Just… like you both.”

Yami sighed sadly.

"...I'm sorry...." He said, knowing that Koutei had reached the same conclusion that he had about long-term plans. He was surprised at Koutei's confession though.

"Both of us? Wow..." he said, a little in awe by the way Koutei spoke about him. He still didn't think he was a good guy, but it was nice to hear Koutei thought so highly of him.

"...I'm not sure if he heard. You should tell him that later though...even if he doesn't return your feelings, he'll be happy to hear it." Yami said gently.

“No… It’s okay… I should have thought this through. I just… I don’t know.” He really didn’t know how they got here.

Koutei nodded, his cheeks still pink and he gave another small smile. “It’s kind of embarrassing, I know… But I will tell him. I’ll try not kiss him unless he says it’s okay though,” he mused.

"Sometimes things don't go as planned..." Yami mused. He never thought Koutei would ever kiss him after he confessed what he did.

"Yeah. Ask him first. Don't steal his first kiss, or I might have to hit you." Yami said half-serious.

“Yeah… Hopefully this turns out okay though,” he said, squeezing Yami’s hand since he hadn’t yet let go.

“Oh? He hasn’t lost his first kiss? Wow…” It made sense, since Yami had manifested early in Yugi’s adult life, but it was still surprising. “I promise. I want to look after you guys, remember?”

Yami sighed. "...I'm not sure if it can. We're still in jail. We can barely see each other as is, and we have to deal with being constantly watched by fellow inmates and guards...I don't know if this sort of thing is even accepted around here." Yami said. He'd seen no evidence of any relationships among the inmates. He chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah, he hasn't lost it. He was way too shy to talk to girls in high school...and then he fell asleep for awhile and left me to get all the kisses afterwards." Yami mused. He smiled and squeezed Koutei's hand back. "That I can promise too, from both Yuugi and I. We'll look after you too."

“I know…” Koutei sighed, no laughter on his face. He felt guilty, and he was a bit disappointed in his own messed up priorities. “… Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned it in the first place. Sorry…”

He was glad though that Yami assured him they were still there for him, and he let a more natural smile come to his face. He was glad he had such a good friend despite everything.

Yami shook his head.

"It's okay...it's better to let feelings out instead of letting them fester, isn't it? That's what the therapists say...and festering depression is what made Yuugi leave for a long time." Yami said gently, not wanting to make Koutei feel bad about what he wanted. He smiled when Koutei did.

"...There, that's better. I don't want to be the reason you're not smiling anymore..." he said softly.

“Yeah… That’s true. Hiding things like that hurts… I should know that more than anyone.” Koutei wondered why he was so unlucky in love, and why was he destined to never be with the one he wanted. However, he pushed those thoughts away now, and he smiled a bit wider, a positive feedback loop initiating with Yami’s smile.

“… I like you a lot. And even if I didn’t, I forgive you. Masumi ended up fine, and we both ended up getting the help we both needed, so it’s not all that bad.”

Yami nodded with a smile.

"So don't hide it okay? That should also go for things like your memories...if you get more back, we should talk about it. No hiding. Same with Yuugi...he can talk to you about what he remembers from me." Yami said with a smile. He nodded.

"...I didn't plan to hurt her at all. I planned to give her to an orphanage after killing Raphael, where I'm sure they would have realized quickly that she was a baby reported missing and returned her to the family. She was so young and small, so she wouldn't have remembered anything anyway...so she would've turned out just fine." Yami said.

"I'm glad I'm here too...especially for Yuugi's sake. He's made friends through this experience and is getting the help he needs." Yami said with a smile.

Koutei nodded. Yami was a good man after all. He considered the consequences of his actions. Even if sometimes his judgment was very much twisted and in self-interest, deep down he was a good person. Koutei wanted to point that out, but he didn’t want to start a redundant discussion where Yami would disagree with Koutei’s claims, so he let it go.

“Yeah… And not just me. Shinji and his gang tend to get on well with Yuugi, even if Yuugi does seem confused half the time,” Koutei laughed.

Yami snorted.

"True...Yuugi's not hard to get along with, so I’m not surprised." He said.

"Hes really coming out of his shell in here...I'm glad for him. He was much shyer in high school."

He wasn’t. Like Koutei said, Yuugi was sweet and kind and compassionate, and Koutei felt like he would do anything Yuugi asked him to do (a statement that seemed less chilling before he got his memories back). Koutei gave a small chuckle.

“I can imagine… But man, he’s a lot more confident now. I hope I can see more of that in the future,” Koutei said dreamily.

Yami could feel Yuugi stirring in his head, reacting to the compliments and doing the mental equivalent of fidgeting in embarrassment from all the compliments.

"Ah...I'm pretty sure he heard that..." Yami said with a chuckle, feeling his head pulse but not caring much. Yami simply stared at the blond in front of him, amazed by Koutei.

"...you're really smitten, aren't you?" He mused in awe. Koutei was so dreamy when talking about Yuugi.

“Did he? Well, I hope you hear that ‘I like your smile’!” He said loudly, mostly kidding but also pretty serious.

“I like to think I’m more subtle than that… But… agh… I guess you can say that. I think about the two of you all the time, you know.” He blushed.

Yami laughed at the reaction Yuugi had which was fidget even more.

"You don't need to shout!" He mused with a chuckle, putting a hand to his head as it pulsed again. Yami flushed a little at Koutei's words.

"...I'm just...amazed that someone like you is real. And that you'd feel that way about me of all people... or... us really. Yuugi's amazed too..." Yami mused. He felt he was currently speaking for Yuugi as well. He could feel the others disbelief about the situation too.

“Ah! Sorry!” Koutei gave a small laugh. “I had to make sure he heard me.” He felt bad he was giving Yami and Yuugi a bit of a headache, but the two didn’t seem to mind, thankfully.

“Of course I do… I’ve said why I like you a lot, already.” Koutei smiled, his voice a little softer, but full of adoration.

Yami smiled.

"It's alright." He chuckled. He nodded.

"...I know...but nobody's said things like that to either of us. It's hard to wrap my head around..." he mused softly.

“I’ll say it as many times as you need until you’re used to it,” Koutei took both of Yami’s hands and smiled at him. He linked their fingers together.

Yami smiled, letting Koutei link his hands together.

"...Okay. Thank you." Yami said. He could feel Yuugi thinking the same, still embarrassed and shy and hiding in their head.

“So… what shall we do with the rest of our break?” Koutei said. He had some ideas, but he didn’t want to say them, after they were on such a good note.

Yami shrugged.

"Did you want to do a workout? I'm okay with whatever." Yami said with a smile.

“We might as well. Since we’re in this room.” Koutei said. He didn’t get up straight away though, because he was looking at Yami’s face.

Yami nodded, fully expecting Koutei to get up. But when he didn't, he frowned a little.

"...is something wrong?" He asked.

“… Ah…” Koutei blushed and looked down. “It’s nothing. Nevermind!"

Yami raised a brow at the blush and how bashful Koutei looked.

"...you wanted to kiss me again, didn't you?" He mused, a little amused and also awed cause this was really happening. Now that he was clear on how Koutei has felt, he could recall a few suggestive moments where they might have kissed or done something more.

“I’m really not good at being subtle, am I?” Koutei muttered, nodding. “Yeah… I did... Sorry..."

"No... your poker face needs improvement." Yami mused. The real problem was that he wanted to kiss Koutei too. He was so nice to him...he didn't deserve him, but he did want him. He knew it wasn't going to last...but he wanted him while he could have him. Just one more kiss, Yami reasoned...to even up the score.

"...Well I won't have it. You can't kiss me..." Yami said, before leaning in towards Koutei.

"...cause it's my turn." He said softly, before sealing their lips in a brief kiss. He tried to mimic Koutei's gentleness just for a moment, before pulling away.

"...there. Now we're even..."

Koutei was about to apologise when he heard Yami turn him down and was going to move away when suddenly Yami was right in his face. His pink cheeks went even redder as he felt Yami return the kiss, and he was too stunned to try deepen it. Yami knew what he was doing, clearly, and Koutei could only stare at the smaller man when he pulled away.

“Y-yeah…” He blinked dumbly before he smiled again. “I guess we are."

Yami was amazed at how adorable Koutei looked when he blushed. It made him smile in return. He'd never thought anyone would direct such a love-sick look in his direction like that, but here it was.

"...Now that you've got your kiss, you can workout without distractions..." he mused.

“Well, with you motivating me and not distracting me, I guess I can do that.” He grinned happily, looking like a puppy who had been given his first treat. “Thank you,” he said, squeezing Yami’s hand, not noticing someone watching them.

Yami smiled.

"Yes, you can. I'll keep motivating you." He said, squeezing Koutei's hand back, also oblivious to the eyes on him. He went on to get a game started for Koutei to make his workout more interesting and fun, feeling truly happy for the first time since he'd come to this facility.

Although there were no guards in the workout room, as Koutei had pointed out, there were still the cameras with eyes on every corner. One of the security guards had notified Dr. Arclight when he saw the two inmates kiss, wondering if some sort of intervention was required. He'd been asked by Dr. Arclight to monitor the interactions between Koutei and Mutou and this was a major development.

Miheal arrived too late to see the first kiss Koutei gave Yami, but he was fully present for the second one that Yami gave to Koutei and he could only frown.

"...So this is the second time they've kissed today?" He asked the guard who had been monitoring the camera.

As Koutei went off to play the game and work out with his best friend, the guard in the room nodded to Miheal. “Indeed, sir.” The man said, looking back at the monitor. “Though Mutou initiated this one. What should we do?"

"I can see that..." he sighed. It was possible that Koutei had confessed and now Yami could be using his feelings to manipulate him again.

"For now, please continue to monitor them together...I'll talk to each of them about this in their respective therapy appointments with me and see if I can figure out more." Miheal said. He had been hoping to spare Koutei from talking about his past...but Koutei should know that Yami was suspected of using him, and that it could be happening again. Miheal couldn't allow his patient to relapse.

“Yes sir.” The monitoring was fairly uneventful after the two got to training, just the two working out together as they always did. However, the man did keep an eye out, hoping there was really nothing to report.

Dr. Arclight nodded, watching the screen for a moment before going back to his office. He had a lot to think about now. This subject probably would have to be broken in gently with Koutei...he didn't want to also cause a relapse of his patient by making him feel too badly. This would have to be delicate...

-x-

At the police station, the cops were very busy as usual. In fact, most of the cops who were usually in the station were busy shipping fugitives from Yuuto's building back to prison or to court for re-assessment in some cases. Roger had noticed this from Neo Domino, mainly using the retina cameras he'd installed into Sergey's eyes that were watching patiently as always.

"Sergey. There aren't many cops in the station right now, so this will be your chance to leave. I have a vehicle being sent for you. It will arrive in ten minutes. I need you out and ready for your next assignment." He sent the message through Sergey's artificial ear. The cops didn't know just how much he'd improved his ultimate weapon.

Sergey had been sitting in his cell, concentrating on mapping the officer shifts and going over the layout of the police office from what he had seen when he saw the message in his head. He knew that while the cops could stop some communication in the cells, they really couldn’t do anything about the simple messages he could get like this. Hearing the message, he stood up, nodding.

It was a very quiet affair. Sergey opened part of his head, revealing a lock pick multitool that had been cloaked in his skull. The man set to gently pick the lock. While he could brute force it, he didn’t want to alert the guards straight away.

It wasn’t long before before he slipped out of his cell. Looking around, Sergey began to stalk out, though not before he made a quick detour to see… a certain mousie.

Meanwhile, moments before Sergey got out of his cell, Astral was with Vector's AI. He'd been keeping a close eye on the police station these past few days, just so he could make sure they weren't coming after him. So far, he'd realized that nobody they'd caught knew where he was. Even Yuuto who had an idea surely, has said nothing about him. He was very much relieved....but he was also looking for an opportunity to get his files destroyed for good.

Today seemed like a good day from what he could tell...most of the police were out transporting criminals to prison or court.

"...Vector. Now is a good time to get my files...the station is poorly staffed." He said. Vector smirked.

"Alright...I'll get your files then, Astral."

"Do you know where they are located?"

"Of course I do! I worked in that station before, silly!" Vector cackled. He disappeared from the room, reappearing in....one of the empty holding cells in the back.

"...shit." Vector muttered. Well, he could walk through the bars easily, he supposed, so he did. Vector hadn't programmed a lot about the station...mostly its general layout. So he's have to look around a bit. He chose to head left and walked.

Meanwhile, Yuuto was in his room with Yuuya. His brother was asleep, having complained of stomach pains earlier and Yuuto had persuaded him to lie down and sleep it off. Since he couldn't offer any other meds, this was the best he could do. He sat there, stroking his brother's head to soothe him to sleep, oblivious to the approaching danger for the moment.

Sergey grinned as he stalked through the hallways, eerily quiet despite his massive size. As an assassin, he knew how to move, and the best ways to move undetected. Thanks to his clear head and logical reasoning, he had a good idea where Yuuto was, and soon he was at the man’s door.

With the multitool at hand, he smiled and began to unlock Yuuto’s door quietly. There was a wild grin on his face as the lock easily came undone and the door opened.

“It’s been some time, mouse. Scampering your way back into the cat’s bed. You’d think you’d like being hurt."

Yuuto didn't notice Sergey's presence at all until he heard the locks being undone on the door to his cell. At first, he thought maybe it was just the cops going to get him for another talk, so he casually glanced their way.

And froze in terror as he realized it was Sergey. Already, his heart was pounding, his breath going short, his hands trembling. He was still injured...this time he had no weapons...and he had nowhere to run.

But there was another thing. Yuuya was with him. What if Sergey killed him too? He had to do something...

"..N-no...stay away from me..." His voice was shaky and he hated it. He grabbed one his crutches and held it in his trembling hands like a club, his weak defense against Sergey. This was it...he was going to die...

Vector had heard voices around the corner and had peeked around to see if it was the cops. But he was surprised to see it was clearly one of the inmates.

"Wow...we've got a prison break happening huh?" He mused, stepping out from the shadows casually.

"Shouldn't you be running for the door, big guy~? The cops'll be back soon..."

Sergey grinned as he saw Yuuto, and the grin turned even larger when he saw Yuuto cower. He licked his lips hungrily, staring down at the frightened man.

“I have a score to settle with you, mouse. I’m going to tear you in half.” Sergey cracked his knuckles. He knew he was short on time, but he really, really did want to kill Yuuto for what he did to his ears. “I’ll break you so hard that your ears will bleed from the sound of your screams.”

He froze though, hearing the voice and he turned, ready to beat off a guard. However, Sergey stopped in his tracks, seeing just who it was.

“It’s you…” Sergey stared at Vector for a long moment before he began to laugh. He covered the good side of his face and began to laugh hysterically, a mad expression of glee on his face. “You… You’re Vector. The beautiful bastard, Vector. It’s an honour to be in your destructive presence!” Sergey laughed, staring straight at Vector with both real and mechanical eyes, documenting the encounter for his own sake.

Yuuto's breath hitched and his trembling increased. He felt like he couldn't move a muscle as Sergey approached. He knew he was short, but he'd never felt so small...

And then he stopped approaching. His hysterical laughter was still cringe-worthy, but Yuuto wondered just what he was talking about. Then he saw Vector, and his eyes widened.

"...But...you're dead..." He murmured, stunned, unable to believe what he was seeing.

Vector raised a brow.

"Oh, it sounds like you're a fan of mine then...I see you have good taste in bad guys." Vector mused with a chuckle.

"Maybe you can help me then...I'm looking for the file room...is it that way?" He asked, pointing to the way behind Sergey.

Yuuto was all but forgotten for the moment as Sergey was taken by Vector’s presence. The man gave a large grin as he shook his head and pointed off a corridor nearby, down Vector’s left and ahead of them. “That way. You’ll find all of the police records there. Feel free to destroy anything you find, Vector.” Sergey looked positively giddy seeing Vector.

“Need me to guide the way? Or… Oh… My ride is almost here. I guess I can’t go.” Sergey shook his head, though his grin stayed on his face.

Yuuto could only watch in shock as the two communicated. That was...definitely Vector...but how the hell did he get in here? He was supposed to be dead!

Vector let one of his infamous smirks grace his lips.

"Oh I plan to. Destruction is my specialty, after all~" He mused. He smiled.

"Well, I wouldn't want you to miss your ride...I'm sure I'll manage on my own. Thanks for the directions, big guy~" Vector said, moving towards the corridor in question.

“Goodbye, Vector!” Sergey wondered if he was dreaming or- heaven forbid- crazy, but his cameras had definitely caught Vector. The man gave a feral grin as he turned back to Yuuto, eyes glinting.

“And goodbye to you, mouse. I have to go now, but mark my words, I will drag you to an eternity of torment. I’ll beat you to an inch of your life, and then kill you most deliciously.” Sergey burst out laughing as he slammed the door shut on Yuuto again and ran off.

Yuuto watching Vector go, wondering the same as Sergey...had he lost it? Vector was dead, but here he was! He stiffened when Sergey spoke to him again. His words terrified him...but...at least he was going to live another day. He let out a shuddering sigh of relief when Sergey slammed the door shut and left. Part of him wished that he'd left the door open, so he could escape, but for now, he was just relieved that he was alive and not harmed any further. He sighed, laying down next to Yuuya and holding his brother gently, but still firmly. He'd been so, so scared...he just...needed comfort...

Meanwhile, Vector waved Sergey off and walked down the hallway. He smirked, realizing that Sergey's directions had been correct.

"Nice guy the one..." He mused, looking through the files until he found Astral's. He opened it and scanned it with his eyes, like how he'd done his wedding ring based on Takashi's. He wanted to know what dirt the cops had on Astral before he destroyed the file. Once he'd done that, he went to the paper shredder, feeding the file's contents through it steadily. This was a double shredder, so it would be impossible to put back together. To make matters worse, he dumped the paper in the trash with a snicker.

"There...all done~"

Yuuya didn’t stir at all throughout the whole exchange, having been in so much pain before he had passed out from exhaustion, but he did squeeze his brother back instinctively feeling him against him. The man slept obliviously, without knowing what was happening.

As Vector began to shred the files, Sergey emerged out of the security room. One of the guards who had been going to check on the prisoners froze as he opened the door, before he immediately slammed it shut.

“We have an escaped prisoner!” The man yelled. Sergey grinned and merely braced himself, ramming the door. With his modifications, he all but knocked it and the guard out of his way, before he charged straight out.

“Ukyou-san! Sergey’s escaping!” Someone yelled.

Ukyou heard the call and quickly moved, yelling for his fellow officers who were still at the station to intercept him.

Vector heard the comotion as well, smirking.

"Sounds like I should be going..." He mused, replacing Astral's empty file where he'd found it before disappearing.

Meanwhile, a black car pulled up at the back door of the station, waiting for Sergey.

Sergey ran forward, pushing past anyone. Even when cops pulled their guns out, he barrelled past, not giving them time to react. He was fast, and he made it all the way to the lobby where there were a line of cops there to stop him. Unlike the narrow corridors, where it was easier to brute force ahead, Sergey stopped, seeing the wide space filled with trained officers.

“Give it up, Sergey! You’re surrounded. Stand down, or we will shoot!” Anna yelled. “Don’t make any movements. Put your hands up.”

Sergey grinned as he heard the woman, looking at her. However, to their surprise, he did put his hands up, though a mad grin was plastered on his face.

Anna narrowed her eyes at Sergey. He was putting his hands up, he was surrendering...but she didn't quite trust him.

More backup was arriving behind Sergey, thankfully. So in a few more moments, he'd be caught...she approached him, one hand going to her handcuffs to cuff him and take him back to his cell. The other kept the gun pointed at him.

Sergey waited for her to approach some more before he grinned. Immediately, out of his arm came a concealed pellet. The man grinned as he threw the smoke bomb down, right in Anna’s face, letting off a loud, dangerous explosion, before he knocked the woman aside hard and charged forward.

Anna's eyes widened.

"Sto-!" She tried to say, before the smoke bomb went off on her face and she was thrown roughly aside. Her body smacked the ground hard, momentarily knocking her out.

"Anna!" Ukyou cried, rushing to his teammates' aid. Other squad members chased after Sergey, but the smoke had concealed his direction. By the time it cleared, Sergey was in the getaway vehicle and speeding away. They'd lost him.

"Get a doctor out here! Anna's hurt!"

People couldn’t fire, given that they risked hitting Anna, so they chased him out, firing at the speeding car. Some did even go that one step further to chase the car, but it was way too hard given the circumstances.

Thankfully for Anna, Sayaka had been coming in for Yuya’s checkup. She gaped as she saw the mechanical man run out with cops behind him and then quickly hurried inside.

“A-ah! What happened?” Sayaka gaped, seeing Ukyou with Anna. She ran over, her bag at hand. “Oh my god,” she murmured, opening her bag and rummaging through it.

"Ah, Dr. Sasayama...thank goodness." Ukyou said, letting the woman approach. He also looked up at the progress of his squad mates, cursing under his breath that Sergey had gotten away. Now they needed to begin the manhunt all over again...and figure out how the hell this happened.

Anna was slowly regaining consciousness, looking up in confusion when she saw Sayaka.

"...Sayaka?" She murmured. Her head and body hurt like hell. Damn it...Sergey had caught her by surprise.

It had happened all so suddenly, really, that most people were still reeling, not having even realised fully Sergey had escaped. However, there were other matters to attend to first, namely Anna. Sayaka wiped Anna’s face and began treating the wounds, frowning. Thankfully there was no immediate injuries but she was now looking to see if Anna had a concussion or broken ribs.

“Good. You’re awake. How are you feeling?” She asked, being professional to make sure she treated Anna as best as she could.

"...Like hell..." Anna murmured.

"What...happened?" She asked, her body sore and exhausted. She remembered Sergey being there.

"Ugh..." She said, trying to push herself up but wincing and collapsing again.

“You got smoke bombed in the face when you were going for your gun,” Ukyou frowned.

“Hey… don’t exert yourself. Easy. Are you hurt?” Sayaka asked, looking her over.

"...bastard..." Anna growled, still wanting to get up.

"But...Sergey..." She said, lying down as requested anyway because there was nothing she could do right now.

"We're going to be looking for him...you rest, Anna. Let the doctor look after you." Ukyou said.

“Yeah…” Sayaka frowned. “Do we have some way to transport her to a bed?” Saaka looked up at Ukyou.

“I can pick her up,” Gauche said. “We can take you to the break room. A table is going to have to do though.” Sayaka nodded and Gauche walked over, kneeling to pick Anna up.

“Up you go, pal."

Ukyou nodded at Gauche, giving him permission.

"I'm going to go talk to Droite...we need to figure out how Sergey even got out of his cell." He said, heading off. Anna's head spun and she clutched onto Gauche as he picked her up.

"Woah..." She murmured, dizzy and in pain from the movements. She really hoped she hadn't broken something...her head made it hard to tell.

Gauche knelt down and picked her up carefully before he began carrying her. Sayaki frowned, following after him.

“Are you okay?” Gauche asked.

“Easy…” Sayaka said. Gauche lowered her down onto the table. “Get some water and elevate her head. Do you feel any other pain not in your head?”

"Ugh...no. I feel like I was hit by a truck..." Anna groaned. She was laid down gently and Gauche immediately ran off to fetch some water as instructed.

"...My arm...I think..." Anna said. She'd kinda landed on it funny, or at least she thought so. It was kinda fuzzy.

“Stay awake, alright? Are you breathing okay? You took that… smoke bomb, I think? You took that to the face,” Sayaka said, frowning. She looked at the woman’s arm and began feeling it firmly. “Tell me if it hurts, alright?”

"...I think so?" Anna said, before coughing a little, disproving her point. She groaned when Sayaka poked her arm.

"It hurts there..."

“Careful… Take deep, slow breaths. Alright? We’ll need you to cough all of that out of your lungs too."

Sayaka frowned and began moving her hand around the area. She frowned. “We’ll need an X-ray for that… You don’t seem like you’ve broken anything but I’m suspecting a fracture.”

Anna tried to follow instructions, taking deep breaths that were occasionally interrupted by more coughing.

"Ugh...this sucks..." She said.

“What did you even try to do?” Sayaka frowned. “Did you get yourself into trouble again? Honestly… I know you’re used to it on the police force, but you have to mind your health."

Anna pouted.

"...I tried to go up and handcuff him...he had his hands up and everything...I thought he was surrendering..." She said.

“And he was tricking you… and everyone… It sounds horrible…” Sayaka sighed. “I’m fairly sure you’ll need some scans, but honestly, you’ll be alright for most part. We’ll get you to a radiologist as soon as your friend comes back with water"

"Yeah...asshole..." Anna mused with a frown. She sighed.

"...Alright...thanks, Sayaka. You're always looking out for me..." She said, smiling. This was just like when they were in high school and she'd injured herself doing something stupid. Sayaka had always been the one to help her.

Sayaka looked at Anna, staring into her eyes. It really was Allen, wasn’t it? She could even hear it in the voice that it was her childhood friend. She smiled back, unable to help herself.

“Well… not really. I mean… it’s been years since we’ve seen each other."

Anna chuckled and coughed a little.

"It's not your fault your family had to move..." Anna said, smiling, before looking a little bashful.

"But...um...if you want...we could be friends again, couldn't we, Sayaka? I know it's been awhile but...we were close back then, and I did miss you."

Sayaka frowned. She still felt that she could have kept in contact, but that was besides the point. She looked at the woman in front of her and she blushed. “Ah… Do you want to be friends? I mean… we might be different people to how we used to be…” She paused. “Ah… not as in… you know? I mean… I want to try, but I’m worried we won’t be so close.” She sighed. “…I miss you too."

Anna smiled when Sayaka blushed. She was as cute as Anna remembered her being...

"...Well, we won't know unless we try to reconnect, right? If we both missed each other, we should be friends." Anna said.

“… Yeah… we should… give it a try,” Sayaka smiled. Allen… Anna had a nice smile. She couldn’t help but smile back at her. “After we get you sorted out, we should plan something."

Anna went to nod, before wincing when it made her head spin. She groaned.

"...Yeah...definitely." She said.

“Yeah… I’m thinking a concussion. We’ll get you some analgesic and you’ll need to do a lot of resting, okay?"

Anna sighed.

"Alright...I'll rest..." She said begrudgingly. Gauche returned with some water.

"Here, I got you some water, Anna." He said. Anna accepted it.

"Thanks Gauche..."

“Gauche-san,” Sayaka turned to the man. “Is it possible to get Anna to a radiologist? I can write a referral up right away, and I think Anna should get checked out. I know you’re short on doctors, but this needs tending too. Do I need to ask Ukyou-san?”

"Ah...yeah, of course. Ukyou said whatever Anna needed. I can take her." Gauche said. Anna smiled.

"Thanks Gauche."

“Alright… I’ll go get that all organised. It’s her arm mainly. Make sure she rests too. I’ll check up when I can.” Sayaka sighed. “I have another patient to check now as well.”

Gauche nodded.

"Will do....well stay here for now." He said. Anna smiled.

"...thanks Sayaka." She said.

Sayaka smiled. “I’ll see you later, Anna. You take care. Rest easy. I’ll have that done and sent off to the database by the end.”

"Alright. I will. See you later." Anna said with a smile, laying back to relax and ignoring the slightly suggestive looks Gauche was giving her regarding Sayaka.

"...shut up..." she murmured to him. He only grinned in response.

Gauche grinned and held his hands up in surrender. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

"Yeah you do..." Anna muttered.

Ukyou emerged to greet Sayaka.

"How is she?" He asked, concerned for his squad mate.

“She’ll be fine. Thankfully it looks like with the way she’s talking, she won’t be coughing up all that smoke bomb. She may have fractured her arm so she needs to get that checked out. Honestly, at worst it’s a fractured arm and a concussion, so she’s not bad off."

Ukyou nodded, relieved.

"That's good to hear...sounds like she'll still need some time to rest though." He said.

"...If Anna's alright, we still have your patient here. My team has checked the doors of the cells...none of them are damaged, so it should be safe to go back there and see Yuuya. Follow me." Ukyou said, leading Sayaka back.

"...oh yes and since your last visit...we've put Yuuya in with his brother. Hes also injured...his legs are infected. We were hoping you could tell us how he's recovering as well."

“Alright, that makes sense,” Sayaka frowned. “I didn’t even know he was arrested with his brother. Which one was it?"

"He wasn't arrested with his brother...his guardian was arrested later. His name is Yuuto." Ukyou said, arriving at the cell. He saw the two twins curled up in the cot with each other, holding each other for their respective comforts: for Yuuya his stomach pains and for Yuuto his renewed terrors. "Here they are." Ukyou said. Yuuto was lying in the cot, focusing on Yuuya next to him. He focused on his breathing, his warmth, the way he held him close...he was safe. He and Yuuya were safe here...there was no Sergey anymore. He was gone and he wasn't coming back. He didn't notice Ukyou opening the door of his cell to let Sayaka in.

“Yuuto?” Sayaka frowned. She wondered if it was the same Sakaki Yuuto her childhood best friend dated before leaving for America. It would have been a strange coincidence. The woman followed after Ukyou and frowned, seeing the two sharing the bed.

She cautiously approached, looking at the two.

“Hey… Sakaki-san? Are you awake?”

Yuuto didn't snap out of his daze until someone was right behind him. His first reaction was to whirl around and swing at the closest person. Before the blow could land, he recognized the girl and froze, panting and sweaty from fear. He slowly relaxed. "...sorry...you startled me..." he said softly. Ukyou had taken a step in to block his shot but sighed. "Dr. Sasayama needs to look at your legs and your brother." Yuuto nodded. "...yeah...okay..." he said, still trying to calm down. He took a deep breath and gently shook Yuuya. "Yuuya...hey...the doctors here...wake up..."

Sayaka thankfully wasn’t that close but she still gasped as the hand came near her. She remained silent but wide-eyed, staring at the nervous, shaking form of a man she once knew. Despite how shaky he looked and the mad glint in his eye, it really was Yuuto.

“… I could have said the same for you,” the woman muttered, fixing her glasses.

“Mghh…” Yuuya moaned and shook his head. “No… Don’t… want to..."

Yuuto sighed.

"...sorry, Sayaka." He said softly. He smiled a little at Yuuya.

"You have to, Yuuya. Come on." He said gently, shaking him again.

Sayaka wanted to speak to Yuuto, but she knew she had a job to do. She patiently waited for Yuuya to get up, the thinner man giving a small moan.

“I don’t… Hurts…” Yuuya opened his eyes a little, tears filling them. “Mghh..."

"I know...I know it hurts...but the doctor here can help with that..." Yuuto said gently, helping Yuuya up. He looked at Sayaka again, much more calmly than before. He could trust her.

"...He's been having stomach pains...haven't you, Yuuya? Does it hurt anywhere else?" Yuuto asked.

Yuuya slowly sat up and clung to his brother, eyes watering. He nodded.

“My head hurts too…” Yuuya groaned as he clutched his stomach. “Hurts…”

“We’ll see what’s wrong and try help, Yuuya,” Sayaka said. She opened her bag and had Yuuya open his mouth so she could get a look. “When did this start?”

“… Last year…”

Yuuto held Yuuya back gently, wanting to support him. But he'd let go if Sayaka needed him to for any sort of examination.

"...I don't have a headache or stomachache, so it's not a direct symptom of Yuuya about to go berserk...it's something else." Yuuto said.

“Berserk?” Sayaka asked. Yuuya nodded.

“I… It hurts… More now. I don’t have… supplementary meds… so it hurts more…”

“I see…” Sayaka frowned as she looked him over, taking his temperature and blood pressure. As she did so, she noticed many hard patches on Yuuya’s skin, “I’m aware of his condition… Do you have problems eating?”

“Yeah… burning pain in my chest when I do… it’s worse when I lie down… I vomit sometimes too…”

“You may have some acid reflux then…” Sayaka frowned. “We’ll need to take blood and do a biopsy, most likely. It’s hard to say with only my second check, but he may have some internal scleroderma from the medication he took before. His digestive system may be hardening."

Yuuto frowned.

"...that sounds serious..." he said. Ukyou nodded.

"So he'll need hospital then?"

“In his state, he really should be in a hospital,” Sayaka said, “Not just for this.”

“No…” Yuuya hid his face in Yuuto’s shoulder. “I hate hospitals…”

Yuuto held his brother close.

"...Yuuya...this isn't forever. She needs to do a biopsy. She can't do it here...you're not being institutionalized there. It's for a checkup...to make sure you're okay..." Yuuto said gently. Ukyou nodded.

"It'll just be for a visit, Yuuya. You're still here on criminal charges that need to stand trial..." Ukyou said.

Yuuya shook his head and hugged Yuuto tighter. “No…” “Please, Yuuya. You want to get better, right? It’s for your own good. We can do this quickly if Card Heart isn’t busy. I know a few people there.” Sayaka offered.

Yuuto held his brother.

"...Yuuya...this is an old friend of mine, Sayaka...we can trust her. She can look after you...she wants to help. Please, go with her so she can help you feel better...." Yuuto said gently to Yuuya.

“Yuuto has to come with me…” Yuuya mumbled. “I don’t want to leave him…”

Yuuto sighed.

"...I don't think that's allowed, Yuuya..." he said, glancing at Ukyou.

"I'm afraid not. If your brother needs treatment for his legs, he can come too, but he's got to stay here otherwise, Yuuya." Ukyou said.

“I’ll have a look over them now, okay?” Sayaka said. “Then we’ll figure out if you need treatment. Yuuto, can you pull up your pants, please?”

Yuuto nodded and did as she asked, wincing a little as he did. It still hurt to move them too much. They were still leaking pus a little...it didn't help that he couldn't change clothes or anything right now...

“… The hospital should have seen you a lot earlier than when they did. They look bad…” Sayaka knelt down and had a look. “They are healing though. They just need to be cleaned more regularly, despite the pain it might cause. Can you move it for me, Yuuto?"

Yuuto bit his lip.

"...I know." He said softly. He was too fucking stubborn. He did as instructed, moving his legs slowly and shakily. It did still hurt to move them; but he could do it.

“Mmm… So stiff, but functional. You’re healing well, all things considered. As long as we air these out and you keep off your feet as well, it should be alright. You’ll be fine. Keep taking your antibiotics.” She said, beginning to clean the pus out.

Yuuto nodded.

"I plan to." He said, letting Sayaka clean them and holding Yuuya to comfort his brother and himself.

"...So I'm guessing I don't need to go back to hospital huh?"

“No, you don’t. The infection hasn’t spread. Honestly, you’re as well as you can be. It looks like you’re staying here… Sorry."

"Thought so..." Yuuto said. He knew he was healing...he'd had other injuries and knew how to recognize it. He sighed.

"Alright Yuuya...you're gonna have to be brave and go on your own...it's just for a checkup. You'll be fine..."

Yuuya bit his lip and pulled away from Yuuto, looking heartbroken. He really looked like a child, and not a man in his early thirties. “I… I… see… But…”

“It’ll be fine, Yuuya. Don’t worry about it.”

Yuuto smiled at him when he pulled away. "You're going to be fine, alright? You'll be back here soon enough." He said. "If Dr. Sasayama is ready, we can take you know, Yuuya." Ukyou said.

“If we can, that will be great. I can take Officer Kozuki in my car and then you can take Yuuya, Ukyou-san,” Sayaka said, standing up and packing her things.

“… Okay…” Yuuya sighed. “Man… I hate hospitals..."

"I know you do...but you'll be okay. This is a checkup." Yuuto said gently. He gave Yuuya a small squeeze.

"I'll be waiting when you get back okay?" He promised.

Ukyou nodded.

"Sounds good. Let's go, Yuuya." He said.

Yuuya nodded. He stood up and walked over to Ukyou, but he glanced back, seeing Yuuto’s sad face. He forced a smile, hoping his brother would copy.

“See you later…”

Yuuto gave him a smile and a wave.

"See you later." He reaffirmed. He glanced at Sayaka.

"...will you tell me how he's doing? When you find out what's wrong? Please?" He asked her after Yuuya left.

Sayaka looked at Yuuto and she nodded. “Of course I will… You’re his guardian still… I’m supposed to tell you.” She gave him a smile. “And as Ruri’s friend, how can I not?”

Yuuto smiled in relief. "...thank you, Sayaka. It is nice to see you again, despite the unfortunate circumstances."

The woman nodded in agreement. “I have to go… Hopefully we’ll talk later.” She looked behind her, seeing Ukyou waiting to close the door. With a wave, she took her things and headed off, leaving Yuuto all alone.

Yuuto nodded. "I hope so too. See you." He said, Before laying down to rest. Ukyou closed the door and looked at Sayaka. "You two know each other?"

Sayaka nodded. “Yeah… we were in the same friendship group in high school. I moved away when we graduated and lost touch with him though, but he dated one of my best friends for the longest time.” She laughed quietly. “It really is a small world..."

Ukyou nodded, pondering this. "Yes it would seem so...and...this 'Ruri' you mentioned, was she the one he dated?" Ukyou asked. He had been looking into the recordings of the interrogation between Yuuto and Droite. He had mentioned a high school sweetheart...and Kurosaki Shun had a sister named Ruri. Could it be that the "Kurosaki" Yuugo had almost mentioned actually referred to Kurosaki Ruri, not Kurosaki Shun? So...Yuuto had been truthful even though he and Droite thought he was maybe lying?

“Yes, that’s right.” She nodded. “She moved to America though and she’s been there for years, so I’ve lost touch with her as well. I always thought they would get together, but… well… you can guess why that’s not happening.”

Ukyou nodded. "I understand." So maybe Yuuto had been telling the truth perhaps. "... I imagine you two would have a lot to catch-up on, when you have the time."

“If I get the chance, I will… It looks like he could use the company…” Sayaka glanced behind her and sighed. She wondered what really happened… Ukyou was right. They did have a lot to talk about.

Ukyou nodded.

"I'll let you talk to him. We want to find out more about what he's been doing after high school as well."

“Ah… well I don’t know how much he’ll share with me, but I’ll help however I can”

Ukyou smiled.

"Of course. Thank you...I'll arrange for you two to chat in a private room instead of the holding cell. Just let me know when you're available and well work something out." Ukyou said.

“Thank you, Ukyou-san. I appreciate it.” She bowed as they walked back to Gauche and Anna.

“Hey, Ukyou. You want me to take these guys? I know you have… other issues to attend to, superintendent,” Gauche said.

Ukyou sighed.

"Yes please, Gauche. Look after them alright?" He said, leaning Gauche in charge of the cars. He had to check in with Droite and see if they could figure out how Sergey got out...and he'd have to tell the higher ups that Sergey has gotten away. Not a good thing.

Gauche nodded and he then escorted Yuuya out, Sayaka and Anna behind them. Droite meanwhile was at the security terminal in the office, going over the footage with a frown.

“We’re idiots,” She said, even before Ukyou entered the room.

Ukyou entered moments later.

"Any sign of what happened, Droite?" He asked.

Meanwhile, Vector was showing Astral the files he'd taken.

"I copied all the shit that was in your folder digitally...so you can know what kinda dirt they had on you." Vector said with a smirk.

"Then you deleted the file?" Astral asked, reading over things. Vector scoffed.

"Of course I did! They got nothing now, and they don't even realize I went in there!"

"So you deleted the surveillance footage as well?"

"...shit."

Droite nodded. “Yeah… Apparently Sergey broke himself out. It looks like there was something in his skull that the X-rays didn’t pick up. So he escaped quietly. Apparently he was able to escape at any time… which worries me.”

“But… check this footage out on where he goes. He goes to Sakaki Yuuto’s cell. But that’s not the interesting bit.” Droite played the footage, showing Sergey opening Yuuto’s door and… Vector.

Ukyou frowned.

"...The timing of his escape is odd. There was a car outside for him...it was like somehow they told him they were out there waiting..." Ukyou said. Ukyou looked at the footage, his eyes wide.

"...That's...that's impossible...Vector died years ago..." Ukyou said, though the image was undeniably him. He seemed to have talked to Sergey briefly, and whatever was said had been enough to convince Sergey to not attack Yuuto, as he'd been clearly about to do.

"...We know where Sergey went after this...but where did Vector go? He's moving deeper into the station..."

“Yeah… the escape vehicle. Hopefully the guys who are chasing after him catch him,” Droite said. “Maybe he’s got tech in his head as well that lets him communicate with the outside.” The woman paused, waiting for Ukyou to react.

“Exactly, right?” Droite said, looking back up at her superior. “Vector just appeared here. Give me a moment though…” She tapped a few keys, moving them to the records room where they kept hard copies of cases. They watched the figure pick up a file, toss it into the shredder before disappearing. “If it’s a ghost, it’s a pretty solid one.”

Ukyou nodded.

"That's a logical explanation for what happened..." He said. He watched the footage.

"...We should see what file he shredded. I have a hunch that I know what's going on..." Ukyou said, heading over to check the filing cabinet. He flipped through them until he came across a glaring problem...Hope Ray's file had been emptied, with just an empty folder remaining.

"...Looks like that was a hack, but not from Vector. Do you recall when Vector used that trick against Rex Godwin? He conjured a model of himself...seems like Hope Ray got his hands on that model and upgraded it to today's technology. I've been hearing a lot about Solid Vision lately...that would explain why it was able to touch things." Ukyou said, showing the file to Droite.

"Hope Ray sent the Vector model to get rid of all our evidence on him...this is proof he's still in Heartland somewhere...and is active."

“Solid Vision… I didn’t know we had the technology implemented in our cameras to do that. I thought you needed a generator…” Droite frowned. “But that would make the most sense…”

“Yeah… Solid Vision is thankfully Japan only thus far, so he can’t have taken it elsewhere yet…” Droite frowned. “At least there’s that..."

"...Apparently we do, since Hope Ray could get it to work in here." Ukyou said with a sigh.

"That's true...but with his hacks, he could get the resources to move elsewhere pretty easily." Ukyou said.

"Let's do a systems' check just to be sure he didn't take anything digitally while this was happening...and... we should call Kaito and Yuuma. Hope Ray did associate with them in the past."

“Of course. I’ll get the guys in IT to reboot and check the police network. Hopefully there’s not much else. I presume you’ll call Yuuma and Kaito? Or do you need to face the board of directors again?” Droite said, looking up to Ukyou in concern. The man had been in a lot of trouble regarding what was now dubbed ‘The Macfield Incident’ and now Sergey’s escape was going to do no favours for him.

Ukyou sighed.

"I'll call them quickly before the meeting...I'd rather delay it as much as possible..." He said. He got out his phone, deciding to start with Yuuma. Yuuma had a closer connection to Hope from what they had gathered...being childhood friends and Yuuma having referred to Hope as his brother many times. He found the number eventually and dialled, hoping Yuuma could help shed some light on the situation.

“Hi! This is Yuuma! I’m currently at work for once, probably. Lol. Nah, I’m doing Kattobingu! Leave your name and number and I’ll get back to you, hopefully!” “Don’t leave that stupid shit in!” Shark’s voice yelled in the background before the answering machine beeped.

Ukyou sighed.

"Yuuma, this is Superintendent Ukyou. Please call me back as soon as you get this...I have a few questions for you about Hope Ray." He left his number then hung up.

"Now we'll see if Kaito is in..." He dialled Kaito's number and waited.

Kaito, fortunately, had no work and no social life to speak of. The man was currently at home, though he was typing away, trying to look for a way to pin down someone who would tattle on Dennis.

“A call for you, Kaito-sama! It is from Kitano Ukyou!”

Kaito frowned and picked the phone up, not moving away from the data Orbital was relaying to him through braille. “Hello?”

"Kaito, it's Ukyou. Do you have a moment? I just wanted to ask you something..." Ukyou said.

"...Have you seen or heard anything from Hope Ray at all?"

Kaito frowned, hearing Astral’s name. There was a long pause before Kaito sighed. “… No. He hasn’t called me and I haven’t seen him at all. It’s still the same as before.”

Ukyou listened and sighed.

"I see...well...he's recently hacked our station, so we know he's still in Heartland...if he contacts you in any way, please let us know." Ukyou said.

“… How do you know it was him?” Kaito asked, now paying a bit more attention. “Hacked the station? How?”

"...We know because he destroyed his own file. He used a Solid Vision model of Vector to do it...just like the one Vector used to trick Rex Godwin, but with the updated Solid Vision Technology built in. Since Solid Vision is unique to Japan, we know he's still here somewhere." Ukyou said.

“I see…” Kaito frowned. He was glad that Vector had helped Astral, but he had no idea why Vector didn’t bother disguising himself so they could pin the blame on someone else. “Well I’ll keep you posted, but I doubt he’ll see me. Hope… wants nothing to do with me anymore. He hasn’t since he was arrested.”

"...Thank you. That's all I can ask for." Ukyou said with a smile.

"Take care, Kaito."

Kaito sighed. He was running out of time. If the police were going to waste time on Hope, then he really needed to move on to Macfield.

“Good Luck, Ukyou. I hope things get sorted out.”

-x-

Meanwhile, Yuuma was at Kotori's house with Iris and Shark. Akari had come along as well with Yuzu so that the family girls could have a playdate.

And so they were having a tea party, with Kotori and Akari sitting with their babies on their laps in the chair. Yuuma was sitting in another tiny chair, comically squished but still happy to please his new daughter. They had plastic utensils set out and were waiting on cookies and muffins. Alit and Shark were going to pass them out once they were cooled enough to eat. Iris grinned as she held up the plastic teapot filled with juice.

"More tea, daddy-Yuuma?" She asked. Yuuma grinned.

"Yes please!" He said, holding out the tiny cup for the girl to pour the juice into it.

"Tea, Aunty Kotori and Masumi?" Iris asked with a grin.

Shark had thought that the playdate would be a little hard to manage, considering that there was such a large age gap between Iris and the babies, but Iris was far more sociable and graceful than her fathers could ever hope to be. She took all of it in stride, treating the babbling babies as she would her peers. It was rather cute to watch, and Shark couldn’t help but smirk from the kitchen, watching the small group in their colourful accessories.

“Of course. I would love some,” Kotori smiled. Masumi reached for the cup and Kotori handed her one of the empty cups for Masumi to fiddle with.

“More for me too, please,” Akari grinned.

Iris grinned.

"Okay! Here, Masumi, your momma needs that to get more tea!" Iris said, trading cups with Masumi so Kotori would get the bigger one for tea.

"Uh oh...I think Yuzu wants cookie!" Iris laughed when she saw Yuzu humming a small teacup plate.

"Shark-daddy, are cookies ready? Yuzu wants some!"

Kotori smiled as she sipped the juice and smiled. Iris was so cute.

“No she doesn’t. She’s too small for cookies.” Shark yelled from the kitchen. However, he looked at Alit and he snorted, getting the tray of cookies and the baby food for the kids. He brought it over. “Snackes are served, princess."

Iris pouted.

"Aww..." She said, before lighting up when Alit brought in the cookies.

"Thanks Alit!" She said, letting him put them on the table. Yuuma's eyes lit up and he immediately went for a cookie.

"These look great mm-MM!" Yuuma said, grabbing a cookie only to get smacked by Iris.

"Daddy, no! You gotta save some for everyone!" She said. Yuuma pouted.

"Aww..."

"You can have this one Daddy!" Iris said, giving him one cookie before passing the others off towards Akari and Kotori.

"Have a cookie!"

“Yeah don’t eat all of them.” Shark said, a little amused. Iris used to be so shy, yet here she was, acting like a smaller version of Rio. It was rather endearing.

“Thank you, Iris.” Akari said, taking one. Kotori laughed.

“Yeah, didn’t you know, Yuuma? Ladies first.”

Yuuma stuck his tongue out and pouted.

"No fair...I thought I was a princess too..." He said. He was wearing a damn plastic crown and everything! Iris giggled.

"Yuuma-Daddy you're so funny!" She said, passing Yuuma a cookie when she had given one to Akari and Kotori.

"There!" She said. Yuuma beamed and nibbled the cookie happily.

“More like a jester,” Akari mused, looking at him, finishing her cookie down quickly. Masumi gave a happy coo and nuzzled against her mother, generally just content with sticking around.

“Will that be all, princess?” Shark asked. “Or can I go back to the kitchen?”

Yuuma whined again.

"I'm not a jester!" He protested. Iris giggled.

"Hugs and kisses first!" Iris said, reaching up in a hug-me gesture to her other daddy with a grin.

"Yuuma-Daddy wants some too cause they're mean to me, Sharku!" Yuuma whined, copying Iris. Iris giggled at her silly daddy.

Yuzu giggled shrilly at Yuuya’s cry and Akari and Kotori both laughed as the bubbly girl babbled eagerly. Shark looked at his daughter and smiled, unable to resist her charms. He leaned over and hugged her, kissing her forehead before looking at his partner.

“Your sister and your best friend is here. You have no shame,” Shark said, instead flicking Yuuma on the head. “Maybe if you weren’t so ditzy, they wouldn’t be so mean."

Iris happily accepted the hug with a smile. Yuuma pouted and whined more as his head was flicked.

"Im not! They're just meanies!" He cried. Iris giggled.

"You're so silly!" She said, hugging her other daddy too

“You are.” Shark didn’t hug Yuuma, but he kissed him on the forehead before getting up.

“Awwww… you’re so cute.” Kotori mused. Akari rolled her eyes but sipped her ‘tea’.

Masumi babbled, waving the tea cup she had in her hand around. Iris smiled happily and clapped her hands. "Okay! Now we're happy!" She said happily, taking a bite of her cookie. "Do you want one too, Shark daddy?"

Yuzu smiled lazily and yawned, not tired, but not particularly interested in the chaos that was going on. She watched as Shark ruffled Yuuma’s hair and shook his head to his daughter.

“I’ll have some later, Iris. You go ahead. Just don’t eat yourself a tummy ache, alright?”

Iris smiled.

"Okay Daddy!" She said, having a cookie with a grin. Yuuma copied her, having another one.

"No, Daddy, you'll get a hurt tummy!" Iris cried, but Yuuma shook his head.

"I'll be okay Iris! I can eat more than you cause I'm bigger!" Iris pouted.

"...But Daddy...Shark-Daddy, Yuuma-Daddy's gonna be sick!"

“I’m so glad she calls you Shark as well. It never stops amusing me,” Kotori smirked.

“Two cookies won’t get you sick, Iris,” Shark said, looking at her, being reminded of himself. He remembered that the orphanage restricted the amount of sweets they had too, just because there wasn’t enough to go around. “Don’t worry about what Yuuma eats, Iris. He’ll be fine.”

“Yuuma used to eat all sorts of garbage and he rarely went to hospital for it,” Akari laughed. “Don’t worry Iris. He’ll be fine. He’ll only get a stomachache if he eats all of them for himself.

Masumi gurgled and giggled when her mother did. She simply smiled and gummed her teacup. Iris nodded.

"Okay..." She said with a smile.

"Does Masumi want more tea?" Iris asked, noting that the little girl was gumming her teacup happily.

“She has her food. She should eat that first before she drinks anything,” Kotori said, looking at her baby. She mixed the baby food Shark brought and tried to move the cup so Masumi would eat.

“You should eat some yourself, Iris, and drink more. You’re a good hostess looking after everyone, but you need to also serve yourself,” Akari mused.

“Nothing like me for one thing,” he said, getting up and walking to the kitchen.

Iris smiled.

"Okay!" She served herself a cookie and some tea and munched happily.

"Everyone enjoy their food and drink!" She said. Masumi reached for her baby food, cooing. Yuzu seemed to have had enough and was content to rest in her mother's lap. Yuuma simply ate more.

"I will! Thanks Iris!"

“Thanks for letting us come over, Kotori,” Akari smiled. “This has been fun.”

“Don’t mention it. It’s been nice.” Kotori smiled back at Akari. “It’s nice to have moments like this. I don’t get them often. Not with all the boys in the house.”

“Speaking of boys, where’s Ponta?”

“Oh? He’s out playing. He should be back soon. We should probably save some snacks for him.”

Yuuma grinned.

"Yeah! Thanks for letting us come too, Kotori! Our girls are having a fun time!" Yuuma said happily. Iris smiled.

"The tea party's fun!" She agreed in between bites of her cookie.

"If we're saving snacks for Ponta, we should keep them away from Yuuma." Akari said with a smirk, moving the plate away from her brother, who whined at the loss of cookies.

"Aww...but I wanted another one!"

"Haven't you had 4 now?"

"...No...only 3!" Akari shook her head at her brother's ridiculousness.

Moments later, Ponta and Mokuba entered the house.

"I'm home, and I brought my new friend, pon!" Ponta said happily, letting Mokuba in with a smile.

"Oh look a tea party!" He said, surprised but happy.

"Mokuba, this is Kotori with my baby sister Masumi...that's Akari-san with her baby Yuzu...and that's Yuuma with...um...I'm not sure who she is..." Ponta said, having never met Iris before.

“Three isn’t too bad, honestly,” Kotori muttered, having a sweet tooth herself, and secretly nibbling on her seventh one, since she had eaten some of the first batch earlier. She looked up and smiled, seeing Ponta.”

“Welcome back, Ponta.” She looked at him and his friend. “That’s Iris. I told you Yuuma and Shark adopted a girl, didn’t I? That’s her. And hello there, Mokuba.”

“Hello,” Mokuba smiled, wondering if Ponta’s family was just as oblivious to his identity. He bowed to the people present.

"Oh yeah! I remember now! Hi, Iris! I'm Masumi's big brother, Ponta, pon!" Ponta said happily, waving to Iris. The shy girl waved back, always a bit weary to meet new people at first.

Akari of course recognized Mokuba Kaiba right away, as a journalist. But, she also had enough experience to know that famous people didn't like to be called out on that fact. She was on mat-leave right now, and had no need to call him out to dig for a scoop. Not yet, anyway.

"Want some cookies? Better grab one quick before my brother eats them all." She said, holding up the plate for the boys. Yuuma also wasn't very tech-savy so he didn't know who Mokuba was. He simply pouted at the cookies mention.

"Nee-chan! Don't give them all to Ponta and Mokuba!" He protested. Ponta chuckled.

"I'll have one! Do you want one, Mokuba?"

Mokuba scanned their faces. While Kotori looked confused, as if trying to figure out where she had seen Mokuba before, he could tell Akari recognised him but her brother didn’t. He didn’t say anything at first. Instead, he just smiled as kindly as he could and he walked over.

“I’d like one.” He grabbed the cookie and bit into it. “Thanks! It tastes great.’

Ponta was oblivious to these facial cues, as usual. He was glad that Mokuba didn't seem uncomfortable.

"Kotori's cookies are the best, pon!" Ponta agreed with a grin.

"So what do you wanna do, pon? We can go play games in my room if you want!"

“Yeah… That’d be cool,” Mokuba wasn’t sure what they were supposed to do to ‘hang out’. Usually he was only at another person’s house for business or a fancy dinner or a party. “You’re the host, so I’ll leave it to you to decide."

"Okay! Let's go, pon! Thanks for the cookies, guys." Ponta said, leading Mokuba off to his bedroom. Once they were gone, Akari looked at Kotori.

"You never told me Ponta was friends with Kaiba Mokuba!"

“No problem!” Kotori called after them. Kotori paused, watching them run off, racking her brains to figure out who it is. It clicked when Akari said the name though and she gasped.

“Ah… I… I didn’t know that either. That really was him, huh?”

“Who?” Yuuma asked, confused as he munched on a new cookie he had taken.

"Definitely. I've seen tons of pictures of him, and even more of his older brother." Akari said.

"Wonder how they met..." She mused. She sighed.

"You've never heard of KaibaCorp, Yuuma? They're one of the biggest companies in Heartland!"

“KaibaCorp?” Yuuma frowned and squinted. “Uhh… No?”

“They’re a massive tech company that does some games. They are very big.” Kotori frowned. “I can’t believe you didn’t know that. I mean… I don’t expect you to know the Vice President from memory, but still you should know Kaiba Corp.“

Yuuma shook his head.

"Nope! I don't know them..." he said. Iris giggled.

"You're a moron." Akari said with a sigh.

“Incredible…” Kotori shook her head. “I hope Shark knows. But anyway, I guess he and Ponta are just friends now. It’s strange.”

"He probably does, cause he's super smart!" Yuuma said happily. Akari shrugged.

"I guess so...it's nice that he's found a friend though."

“Yeah.. Ponta is good at making friends, but he’s never really latched on to one before. I guess this is the same Mokuba he keeps talking about,” Kotori said, glancing back to the stairs.

Yuuma grinned.

"That's great that's he made a close friend! He's a nice kid, he deserves it!" Yuuma said happily. Iris smiled.

"I got new friends too!" She said happily, glad to have had a nice tea party with Masumi and Kotori and their moms and her Yuuma-Daddy.

The last time Ponta was that close to someone, it was Haruto. It worried Kotori a little, seeing how much Ponta seemed to be enamoured by who she knew now was Mokuba Kaiba, but she kept her concerns to herself. She merely smiled and nodded to Yuuma and then looked at Iris.

“Yes you do. And you’re going to make more friends when school starts, right?"

"Yeah! I'll make friends and have tea parties with them!" Iris said happily. She hadn't been to school before, but Yuuma-Daddy and Shark-Daddy had said it would be fun.

"Okay...we're out of cookies...so we gotta clean up now right?" Iris said, getting up and starting to collect the dirty dishes.

“Huh?” Yuuma looked up. “Oh Iris, don’t worry. I’ve got it. Sharku and Alit and I all can do it. I should probably stretch my legs too,” he said, getting up.

Iris blinked.

"...But, I always do the dishes..." She said, surprised. She was used to cooperative work in the orphanage, not having her daddies do everything!

"I can help!"

“Yeah, I know, but it’s okay. It’s not like I’m doing anything.” Yuuma grinned. He usually was first to nope out of chores but didn’t seem that Iris shared the same trait. “Didn’t you want to keep talking to your aunties and showing them all your toys? It’s okay if you do that, you know."

Iris glanced between her daddy, the dishes and her two aunties. That was a tough choice.

"...I can stay and play?" She asked cautiously, really not used to that idea.

“Of course” Yuuma smiled. “Go and have fun, okay?”

"...Okay...I will!" Iris said with a grin. She turned to Akari and Kotori.

"Can we play then?"

Akari grinned “Best aunt is best aunt. Of course I will.”

“Well, I should probably try settle Masumi down, but I’m happy to play after that, Iris,” Kotori said, glancing upstairs again.

Iris beamed.

"Yay! Let's play then!" She said happily.

“Alright.” Akari stood up, taking her baby with her. Kotori smiled and stood up, rocking Masumi, letting her keep the plastic cup. “Goodnight, Masumi. Let’s check on your brother.” She headed up the stairs, looking for Ponta and Mokuba.

Ponta and Mokuba were in Ponta's room playing board games, since he had very few video games.

"...Wow. You're the first guy my age I've ever met that has no video games!" Mokuba exclaimed, truly shocked. No wonder he had never heard of him. Ponta smiled sheepishly.

"I usually play outside instead, pon. I've played games in arcades though!" He said happily.

“Arcade games are pretty cool.” Mokuba said, nodding his approval. He remembered a time when he was little when his brother had put on a disguise and they had gone to the arcade. They didn’t do that anymore, but there were a lot of nice memories loaded there. You got cool boardgames though,” Mokuba grinned.

Kotori smiled as she peeped in the attic and stared for a moment before she turned and took the baby back to her room. She was glad that the two were having a good time. They were good friends despite Mokuba being a CEO. Guess they really were just normal boys after all.

Ponta beamed.

"I know right? They've always got cool variety...I've always thought they were cool." He could vaguely remember being a street boy and passing arcades, attracted by the bright lights and game music despite the fact he couldn't understand the language.

"Im glad you think so! Here, pick one to play, pon! Guests pick first!"

Mokuba pulled four more boardgames out and grinned. “Well… let’s see how many we can get through.”

Ponta nodded. "Great! We'll play as many as we can!" He agreed, settling in for a long afternoon of fun with his new friend. -x- Meanwhile, at the Heartland Correctional Facility, Miheal was getting ready to see two of his patients. This matter was urgent...but it did need to happen. He called one of the guards. "Please bring Ouji Koutei to my office after lunch for a therapy session." He instructed. Yuugi was in the cafeteria waiting for Koutei to join him for lunch. He hasn't gotten a chance to talk to him since he had confessed his feelings for Yami...and him. Yuugi bit his lip. He knew that Yami did like Koutei and has felt that second hand...but he wasn't sure how he felt. Yes, he did care for his friend greatly...but he wasn't sure if he liked him the same way that Koutei did. He just hoped that Koutei would respect his feelings and not be upset...he didn't want to lose his friend over this.

Koutei meanwhile was oblivious to Doctor Arclight’s concerns and was grabbing his food. He had just picked his tray up when he saw Yuugi, and he smiled as he walked over, friendly as ever.

“Hey Yuugi!” He said brightly, not catching the man’s worries at the moment. “What’s up?"

Yuugi blinked in surprise, having been spacing out when Koutei approached.

"Oh hey! Not much...I was just thinking." Yuugi said, smiling at Koutei in return. The man was as nice as ever.

“Thinking? Anything in particular?"

“Feeling any better? Yami said you guys were aching this morning, so I was a bit worried,” Koutei said, sitting down. He rested the tray in a little front of him so he had room to put his elbows down.

"Yeah, my leg is sore...but it's getting better. The doctor said we'll try taking the boot off soon." He said, but then

Yuugi blushed a little, but tried to hide it.

"...I was thinking about you and Yami...and how you feel about us..."

“That’s good news,” Koutei smiled. “See? Told you it’d get better soon.”

Koutei paused, hearing what Yuugi was thinking about and seeing his blush as well. He smiled, doing his best not to feel hopeful, but unable to do so. “I… Ah… Yeah… I guess… Sorry..."

Yuugi nodded. "I’m really glad we are...I really want to get out of this chair." Yuugi said. He blushed a little at Koutei's smile. "...I’m okay with your feelings...and with Yami's...but I'm not sure what I want yet...I'm just...a little confused. I feel what Yami feels but I have trouble differentiating sometimes...we both care about you so much and it's hard to tell how much is from him and how much is from me..."

Koutei gave a nod. He would give his full support as he always had, and he hoped Yuugi would walk soon.

But for now…

“No, that’s okay. I understand. It’s a lot to take in, even without Yami’s emotions in your head.” Koutei smiled at him. “As long as we’re friends, I’m okay if you are… Really. I mean it.”

Yuugi listened, relieved that Koutei understood.

"...that's what I want too...I don't wanna lose you as a friend no matter what happens...I'm okay with you and Yami deciding what you want too, even if it's different from what I decide." Yuugi said with a smile.

“Ah… But we should try like… come up with a compromise,” Koutei frowned. “I want to make sure you’re okay with things too. It’s not fair if something we want is different to what you want, and then we don’t have a regard for your opinion"

Yuugi listened and nodded.

"Yeah that makes sense...I just want everyone to be happy..." Yuugi said with a smile.

"...From what I hear, Yami has had other relationships before...so he might know what he likes...I've never had one so I can't say..."

“Yeah, and I can’t be happy if you both aren’t. So… Yeah…” Koutei smiled at him again. He always did like Yuugi’s smile. It warmed his heart seeing it.

“I know… Yami told me about those and what you’re not used to.” Koutei said, nodding in agreement. “Maybe when you figure it out, you can get back to me. Or just… I dunno…”

"Good! We're on the same page then...Yami doesn't want to hurt you either. That I know for sure." Yuugi said. He wanted Koutei happy just as much as Yuugi did, and it was good to see. Yuugi blushed a little and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"...Yeah...he would know what I've tried..." Mostly observing what went on in pornography, not much more.

"...Okay. I guess so...I'll think about it." Yuugi said, glancing around.

"...I wonder if relationships are even okay here...I've never seen any other inmates try anything..."

Koutei nodded, satisfied with that answer. The blush was cute, but he tried not to point it out.

“I dunno… I mean… they don’t tell us we can’t. And I’m sure someone would have told us off by now or something. They encourage us to make bonds.” Koutei looked around too, seeing Shinji wildly yapping about his latest conspiracy, and a bunch of inmates talking or just keeping to themselves and eating. “I think it’s alright. But I’ll ask Doctor Arclight when I see him.”

Yuugi nodded.

"Yeah...I never hear any gossip about that sort of thing though..." He'd heard stories at school about relationships, but hadn't heard the same things here. He smiled.

"That sounds good. Dr. Arclight should know...are you seeing him today?"

“Then again, this isn’t really a normal place. Gossip is passed, just… not about that sort of thing, I guess. Maybe I can ask around and see if anyone else is particularly adverse to the idea.”

“No, at least I don’t think so. I may have just forgotten though. It should be tomorrow."

Yuugi shrugged.

"Maybe...I'm only awake for some of the gossip though...usually Shinji talks to Yami." Yuugi said with a small chuckle.

"Okay. Well, whenever we see him, we can talk about it...there's no rush. We have time."

“I haven’t heard much but I’m not the best at this sort of thing.”Koutei shrugged.

“Yeah… I guess so…” That fact wasn’t awful to Yami anymore.

Yuugi nodded.

"Yeah...we'll figure it out, no matter what." He said, going back to his food with a smile.

Koutei smiled and did the same. The rest of lunch passed more or less uneventfully, Koutei talking to Yuugi a little more about what he remembered about Italy and the good things about his hometown. He was in the middle of a story about his childhood when he saw the guards approach them.

“Ouji Kyouhei?”

“Yeah?”

“Doctor Arclight is ready to see you now.”

“Oh? That’s today? Huh… Okay. It’s not my usual time… oh well. I’ll catch you later, Yuugi. Okay?”

Yuugi was fascinated with the stories about Italy, having never left Japan in his life. He was intrigued in the story and was a little disappointed when Koutei was called out.

"See you later!" Yuugi said, waving him off as the guards brought him to Dr. Arclight's office.

Dr. Arclight was waiting, steeling himself a little for this appointment. He had Koutei's case file with him along with Mutou's, just so he could be clear what Mutou was suspected of doing and what he could tell Koutei. He looked up when Koutei arrived and smiled.

"Good afternoon, Koutei. Please, have a seat. How are you feeling today?" He asked.

Koutei smiled seeing Miheal. “Hey doc… I’m alright. A bit confused, honestly. Did I mix our appointment days up? I could have sworn it was tomorrow."

Miheal smiled.

"Oh well, you're right. This isn't your usual time...but something's been brought to my attention that I felt we should discuss." Dr. Arclight said.

"...the guards informed me the other day that you and Mutou were kissing in the workout room. I was hoping to get your perspective on that...and talk about it with you, if possible."

“Oh…” Koutei frowned. The relief he felt from not forgetting anything disappeared, replaced with worry. “… Is… Is that sort of thing not allowed? I’m sorry, I didn’t know."

Miheal sighed.

"It's not really forbidden...as you know, we encourage our patients to socialize and form friendships. Relationships can be part of that, of course...but...we only allow these sort of socializations when it isn't detrimental to the patients' health." Miheal explained.

"...My concern is in this case, with your health, Koutei. You've really been improving during your stay here, and I'm thrilled with your recovery so far. I don't want anything to get in the way of that...and I'm concerned about this sort of relationship with Mutou changing that...in particular, with Yami..." Miheal said, looking at Koutei.

"...Have you, by any chance, recovered any memories since our last talk? You did mention to me that you claimed to have seen Mutou at a bar...any more on that?"

Koutei frowned deeper, listening to the man. He was quiet at first, trying to figure out what Doctor Arclight meant before he sighed.

“I… I remembered a lot more. I remember stabbing Alit and Yami… Taking Masumi from me,” Koutei admitted hesitantly, not sure what to make of the situation. It was only then he was realising how messed up his decision-making seemed.

“We… We talked. The two of us.”

Miheal listened intently and frowned.

"You distinctly remember Yami taking Masumi from your own hands?" He said, having read the transcript of Yami's interrogation: he'd claimed repeatedly that he'd found Masumi alone, and that he didn't know who Koutei was. Looks like he had been lying.

"...You told him what you remembered, I presume? And what did he say in response to that?"

“Yeah…” Koutei nodded. “In the car with that other man… Dennis, I think Yami said his name was. I remember that. He also took my phone and deleted everything. He… told me to forget him.” “… He apologised. He said he didn’t mean for it to turn out this way. We…” Koutei paused, not sure how to talk about this suddenly. “… He explained to me about things and he confessed he knew me and all… Got me addicted to the drugs...”

Miheal listened intently, taking a few notes in his clipboard. He didn't add anything at first and just sighed.

"...In your file, it was noted that there was a possible connection between yourself and Mutou Yuugi. Mutou was arrested with the baby Masumi in tow...and Devil's Breath, which was the drug that you tested positive for after your arrest. This was all circumstantial, because Mutou denied it and you couldn't remember, so he wasn't charged for it officially...not that it would have really affected his life sentence." Miheal said, pausing and sighing.

"...Yami manipulated you, Koutei. He drugged you up and made you his lackey to do his dirty work and take the fall for his crimes. My concern is that he is trying to do so again by toying with your feelings...you've confessed your crush on him to me, and now I've seen him kiss you. I'm concerned for you, Koutei.... I don't want him taking advantage of your kind nature again."

“… I guess…” Koutei wondered if he had just gotten Yuugi and Yami in even more trouble, and he felt a pit form in his stomach. He fidgeted a little, only just stopping himself from habitually scratching his arms once again.

“… I know he did… But…” Koutei frowned, looking down at his hands. They were shaking. “… I…I didn’t…he didn’t say he threw me under a bus but…” He shook his head. “No… he was being genuine. I know that. I kissed him first and he’s the one who told me… We couldn’t realistically keep a relationship.” Koutei clenched his fists. “… He’s… not toying with me. I… I know it."

Miheal frowned and listened. If Yami hadn't said directly that he was throwing Koutei under a bus, he had probably downplayed things substantially. He sighed.

"...So you're saying that he shot you down...but then kissed you again anyway? That does sound a little suspicious...how are you so sure he is not toying with you?"

“I…” He frowned. He wanted to say Yami wouldn’t do that, but Koutei knew Yami was his friend, and as his friend he knew that Yami would do something like that. He shook his head. “I… Yuugi told me so. He said he liked me…”

Miheal blinked.

"...So Yuugi himself told you that Yami likes you? Hmm...I was not aware they could speak to each other." He made a note to ask Yuugi about it.

“Yuugi can feel Yami’s emotions… It’s easier for Yami to feel Yuugi’s, but Yuugi can feel some of it.” Koutei explained. “They can’t really speak to each other though. I play delivery boy most of the time."

"I see..." Miheal made a note of it. He'd talk to Yuugi about this.

"And from what you have observed of both of them...are their predictions of each other's emotions accurate? Have you noticed any behavior from Yami that might suggest your attraction for him is genuinely mutual? I know you've become quite adept at telling them apart."

“Usually. Yami is always accurate. Yuugi is less so, but he can tell a lot of things. He can definitely tell when Yami is trying to keep something from him. It gives them both a headache though.” Koutei paused. “… Yami has a nice blush. He gets flustered easily when he’s not prepared for things or he feels a lot of emotion, he’s a little awkward like that. He can be sweet. He looks at my face a lot but avoids my eyes when he’s embarrassed, and really he cares for me. Like in the little ways. He helps me with my workouts. We talk a lot. He likes it when I hold his hand. I… I don’t really know how to put this all very clearly."

Miheal listened and considered this. The awkwardness was surprising from Yami...he seemed to be someone who handled everything with confidence.

"Hmm... has he been displaying those kinds of awkward behaviors a lot around you lately? I never notice them in our therapy sessions."

“Yeah. It’s pretty cute. He doesn’t even notice he’s acting like that until I point it out,” Koutei said, feeling more at ease talking about Yami.

Miheal considered this and noted it. Maybe he should watch the cameras more when Yami and Koutei interacted.

"...Does Yuugi also have these slightly uncharacteristic changes around you as well?"

“Not the same ones. I mean, he’s a little awkward because he’s not sure if he likes me romantically because of his own feelings or because it’s Yami’s bleeding through, but that’s it. I’ve seen he’s more talkative and cheerful but I guess that means he’s recovering as well.”

Miheal nodded.

"Interesting..." He would definitely have to talk to Yami and Yuugi about this. He sighed.

"...Even with these signs, it may still be wise to be cautious in proceeding with this relationship. It sounds like Mutou's illness is displaying perhaps new symptoms...what happens with you could affect their health as well. I'm not sure if this blending of feelings will evolve to something more or not..." Miheal didn't want to see Yuugi corrupted by Yami's crimes...he would have to monitor things.

“Ah…” Koutei… didn’t even consider that idea. He didn’t know he would affect Mutou so much. He looked at Miheal, now worried. “Will he be okay?"

Miheal sighed.

"I don't mean to worry you too much, Koutei. Dissociative Identity Disorder is a complex...there are so many different cases that are all quite distinct. Only time will tell really...we'll continue to monitor Mutou and see what happens." Miheal said.

Miheal pondered this.

"I suppose just keep an eye on them, as you have been doing. You can't really do much more...their illness isn't something anyone can control or influence directly. But, you see them both more often than I do, so you'd be the first to know if something was wrong. And of course, inform me if you're concerned about something you notice...it's hard for me to tell sometimes, because during a session, I may not end up speaking with both halves." Miheal said. Sometimes he went entire therapy sessions without seeing Yami or Yuugi, only talking to one of them. He was interested in knowing what both were feeling.

Koutei nodded. “Alright… I’ll do that… Thanks Doc…” He sighed. He really didn’t want to think about Yami manipulating him. He just… didn’t want to consider it. He didn’t want his heart broken again…

Miheal nodded.

"Please take things slowly, Koutei...for both your sakes. I would hate to see either of you relapse. And please talk to me...let me help, if I can, alright?" Miheal said gently.

"Is there anything else you wanted to talk about? Anything at all that's bothering you? Anything else you're remembering?"

“Alright…” Koutei frowned, looking at his knees, needing a moment to collect himself and process everything. There was a long pause before he frowned.

“… It just… Will I be able to get all my memories back? I mean… I’m just… worried about what I saw… what else I will see. I haven’t seen much else… but…”

Miheal was patient, waiting for Koutei to collect himself and figure out what to talk about.

"I've told you this before...I have no way to know for sure what you will or will not remember again. All that's left is to wait and see. Whatever you remember, I will help you work your way through it. You're going to be alright Koutei. Your memories are in the past...and you have the power now to decide the future."

“… My future…” Koutei frowned. “… I… I know I’m not supposed to discuss other patients but… Yami and Yuugi… They don’t have a future, don’t they...?”

Miheal sighed.

"...Their sentence is for life. I am not sure if Yuugi knows that...we've been cautious about telling him that...we don't want to crush his hope." Miheal said.

“…” Koutei sighed. “I wish I could do more for them… I know it’s good I’m helping here but… What good is it if they recover and then go somewhere worse?"

Miheal shook his head.

"I wouldn't worry about that Koutei...Mutou's medical condition is quite serious. Prison doesn't really give medication to prisoners like we do here...and we know that Mutou when he was unmedicated suffered brain swelling and seizures. It'll be a long time before he's recovered enough to counteract that...if he ever gets to that point. From what you've told me, he still suffers headaches when he switches, which could be evidence of stress on the brain. We have a long way to go with him...he's not going anywhere worse anytime soon." Miheal said.

“Alright…” It was a little messed up how comforting it was, but then again nothing really was normal. “I just… Yeah… that’s all I really have to say. I… I like Yami and Yuugi a lot. I want to do more for them."

Miheal smiled a little at that.

"You're doing quite a bit for them...I'm sure they appreciate it. From what I've read, they've been alone for a long time." Miheal said. Yami's file had essentially been him mostly off the grid for a long time...no home, no records...and hanging with the wrong people. It seemed like a lonely life to Miheal. And of course, Yuugi had had no friends either in school, and no family save for his beloved Jii-chan, who died years ago.

"Alright, Koutei. If that's all you wanted to talk about...I can send you back to your room now." Miheal said, buzzing in the guards to escort Koutei off.

“So no appointment tomorrow? I’m not sure if there’s anything else I want to talk about.” Koutei wanted more time to think and hang with Yuugi

Miheal shook his head.

"No, I see no need to have one tomorrow, unless something else comes up." He said with a smile.

“Alright… Thanks Doc. And I’ll be okay… I promise I won’t… Things are going to be okay.” Koutei smiled.

Miheal smiled.

"Alright Koutei. Good to hear it...please don't hesitate to talk to me about anything that might come up." He said with a smile, watching him go before sighing. He had quite a bit to talk to Mutou about too now...he wanted to talk to both of them.

"Guards, please bring me Mutou Yuugi for a therapy session."

Yuugi was surprised that he was summoned too, since he usually didn’t have an appointment today, but unable to protest, the young man followed the guards to the room. The man held his head, feeling it throb with anxiousness. Yami was worried about whatever happened with Koutei, it seemed, though Yuugi couldn’t imagine why… “Did you want to see me, Doctor Arclight?” He asked as the guard closed the door behind him.

Miheal smiled, easily able to tell that it was Yuugi he was speaking to.

"Yes, Yuugi. Welcome. Have a seat." He said, gesturing to the sofa in his office with a sweet smile.

"How are you feeling today? Any headaches?"

Yuugi smiled gently at him and walked towards him. He could feel Yami there, hanging uneasily back, but seeming… weary. “I have a big one now… I was fine before but… Ah… Yami is being a bit of a pain right now,” he laughed sheepishly. “Sorry."

Miheal tilted his head in concern, but also examining Yuugi closely. When Yami came out...he was going to really grill him. But before he did, he had to talk to Yuugi...get his perspective on the whole Koutei thing.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Is he concerned for Koutei? I know I took him away from you guys at lunch. Koutei tells me that you've been able to feel Yami more often now, is that right?"

“Oh… yeah. I guess that could be a reason, I’m not sure.” He felt his brain throb. Yami was nervous… Was that why? Something about Doctor Arclight and Koutei? “Yeah… I am. I think we’re rell making progress. I can feel his presence and some of his thoughts. I’m even aware sometimes when I’m not in control…” He blushed a little, recalling when Yami kissed Koutei. Koutei had nice lips for a guy… he didn’t think a guy’s lips could be so soft.

Miheal listened in curiosity. He could see the signs that Yuugi was in pain...

"So...when you get headaches, it means Yami is reacting strongly to something?" Miheal said, wondering if Yami had predicted what he was going to talk to him about. Miheal saw the blush and raised a brow.

"...So you were aware of what happened when Koutei and Yami kissed, were you?"

“Yeah…” Yuugi nodded. “I… I don’t know how I did it. I didn’t try… It’s just… I felt I was aware, even if I wasn’t in control.” He clutched his head and grimaced. Realising Miheal knew about the kiss stunned Yami, and he forced his way forward. Yami hissed quietly as he felt the throb in his head. Damn it. This wasn’t good. Who know what Miheal wanted with this information?

“Urk… I… I’m fine,” Yami said, trying to pretend to be Yuugi and hoping Miheal would fall for it. “Anyway, yeah. I was there too."

Miheal nodded, frowning in concern as the man clutched his head. Well...that certainly provoked a reaction. He was about to ask if Yuugi was okay when suddenly he was speaking again, saying he was okay. But, something was off...even when trying to be Yuugi, Yami's tone sounded way too confident.

"...I should hope you were there, since Koutei specified that it was you who kissed him, Yami." Miheal said sternly, the nice-guy act easily falling away.

"And now I know everything...Koutei told me what he remembered, and what you confessed. What the police suspected is true: you drugged up Koutei so he could be your little puppet that you could throw under a bus when he'd served his purpose to take the fall for your crimes." Miheal said.

"And then, when you noticed his little crush on you, which he's not really been hiding, you decided to take advantage of that opportunity to use him again. Maybe for protection...maybe just because you're depraved, I don't know...but either way, I will not let you ruin his life a second time, Yami." If looks could kill, Yami would be dead.

Yami wasn’t sure if his acting skills were getting rusty or Miheal was very used to him. He was rather surprised Miheal saw through his act pretty quickly. He frowned as he looked up, still clutching his head, feeling the residual pain throb around it. Even though Yami was stone-faced, he felt a shiver run down his spine, seeing Miheal’s face. He had that aura again… That murderous aura that made him so interesting yet terrifying.

He felt a throb of guilt run through him as he listened to the man. So it was true. Koutei did spill the beans. Even though Yami knew this was coming, he felt tense, especially since he knew that if Doctor Arclight shared the info, his case could be reviewed and he could be given the death penalty.

“… Thought you weren’t supposed to talk about other patients in therapy, doc,” Yami threw out, trying to give him a moment to think.

The mention of the crush though made Yami look up. He was surprised Koutei had shared that too admittedly, but he didn’t let that show. His frown deepened into a scowl. “I’m not trying to ruin his life, damn it. I don’t have a reason to, and I’m not depraved. Baseless accusations aren’t your style, Arclight. Don’t force it.”

"I can if it presents a genuine concern for a patient's health. And besides, Koutei has begun to remember you...you being brought up in therapy was inevitable, Yami." Miheal said coolly back with a frown.

"No matter your motives, I will repeat to you what I told Koutei: relationships, although not explicitly forbidden, are not encouraged here if they're seen as detrimental to a patient's health. And your relations to Koutei in the past have been, Yami. You can't deny that...you made him an addict, you made him stab his best friend and steal his baby, and you made him lose all his memories. I can't give you the chance to do even a fraction of that again."

Yami frowned. He wondered why he was so adamant with defying Miheal, seeing as they both agreed he shouldn’t try be with Koutei, but for some reason he couldn’t help but feel angry and irritated. He pulled his hand away from his face, trying to ignore the too-familiar feeling of guilt pulse through him. “I didn’t ask for his love. He’s too damn nice for his own good. He’s just-“ Yami frowned, not having the words to say for once. “I told him it wouldn’t work out. He knows that.”

Miheal listened with a frown.

"I recognize that you can't control someone else's attraction for you. And you're right: you and he cannot work when he's going to leave here and you never will..." Miheal said, before leaning forward, frown intensifying.

"...But what I want to know is why you kissed him after explaining all that to him, Yami. He kissed you first, and you stopped to explain why it wouldn't work...but then you turn around and kiss him again. That's suspicious...what sort of twisted game are you starting here, Yami?"

Yami flinched, hoping to every god out there that Yuugi wasn’t conscious for that at very least, especially in such circumstances. However, he stood his ground, looking back intently at Miheal, not wanting to give in.

“… There’s no game.” He said it firmly, staring straight into Miheal’s eye. “No games here. He wanted to kiss me again even knowing all of that. I helped him. That’s it.” Yami didn’t want to admit that he wanted to do it too. Even though he knew Miheal wouldn’t use that sort of information, he didn’t want to risk it.

Miheal frowned.

"You kissed him again...because he wanted to kiss you again." Miheal repeated with a sigh.

"That's essentially worsening the problem, Yami. You're leading him on! You know this isn't going to work out for you two...and Koutei is too kind and possibly blinded by his crush to see that...if you don't feel the same, at least tell him. Don't toy with his feelings by kissing him when he wants it. That's not going to help him move on from you, and he has to. So, you're either lying when you say there's no game...or...you're don't care about what happens to him at all. You're displaying sociopathic tendencies and just doing shit because you feel like it." Miheal said sternly.

“…” Yami looked away. He honestly rather look like a sociopath (was he still one? He was a lot better at regarding people’s emotion, in his own opinion) than admit the truth to Miheal. It was a twisted sort of reassurance, knowing for sure that he couldn’t have Koutei. He couldn’t have the sunny, blonde man, the one who had changed his life. It was good to crush his hope.

“I told him how I feel. That’s it. It’s dealt with, Arclight."

Miheal frowned. From what Koutei had told him, he doubted Yami was actually completely sociopathic. The fact that the man wasn't looking him in the eye anymore was also evidence against that...a sociopath would likely not care what Miheal thought of him, whereas Yami seemed to display shame, despite his best attempts to hide it. Maybe it was his pride in the way of admitting his true feelings.

"Why don't you tell me how you feel so we're all on the same page then? That is what we're supposed to talk about in these sessions after all." Miheal said. He was going to be monitoring Mutou a lot more...he needed to make sure Koutei wasn't being negatively impacted by his time with Yami.

“I haven’t done it so far, why should I start now?” Yami muttered, crossing his arms, stubbornly not looking at him. “Unless you mean I’m pissed off because you keep saying all of those things and you keep jumping on my back, doc."

"Because it's the only way I can help you. Instead, I have to hear from Koutei how you're doing...he's concerned about you, Yami. And Yuugi too. For his sake, if nothing else, we should talk." Miheal reasoned.

"Yuugi says he's more aware of you. Have you noticed any effects from that on your end?"

Yami frowned. He really didn’t want to talk, but on the other hand, the man was right. At least for Yuugi… That’s what he was doing this all for, right?

“… I can hear him… It’s like I can feel him ‘seeing’ through my eyes,” Yami said. “It doesn’t affect me at all. I’m just… aware he’s there. I can feel his thoughts and actions. He’s so curious about damn everything.”

Miheal listened and noted this down.

"So he's finally able to see things that you do...sounds like it's becoming more equal then." He said.

"So no headaches from this? Nothing off? Earlier when you switched, Yuugi said he had a headache before it happened. You don't get the same when he switches with you?"

“More equal but we’re not blending.” Yami frowned. “I thought I’d be disappearing by now.”

Yami pondered the question before he gave a so-so hand gesture. “I get headaches when we switch, but no headaches when he’s peering through or I’m feeling his emotions. That’s all normal"

"Hmm...interesting. So although Yuugi can see things and feel you as well...neither of you are becoming the more prominent personality? Even though I suppose it is growth for Yuugi, is it not?" Miheal said.

"...Yet Yuugi feels headaches when he feels your emotions? Why do you think that is?"

“Yeah, he’s definitely growing. I mean… Before I saw almost none of him, but we switch almost once a day at minimum,” Yami shrugged.

“… I fight him. Honestly. I try to keep him out of my head. I don’t want him knowing everything. Some bits obviously slip though."

Miheal nodded, noting down what Yami was telling him.

"And he doesn't fight you then...I see. Well, I'd advise you to lessen that fighting, if you could. I understand that there may be things in your memories you do not wish to show Yuugi for fear of scarring him...but you should let your feelings go through. The headaches could be a sign of brain swelling...that's not healthy for either of you." Miheal said.

"I might just schedule you two for an MRI soon...just to make sure your brain isn't exhibiting any detrimental affects with this new development."

“I guess so… but honestly I want to keep things private, even from him. He doesn’t need to know anything. I can’t just… let it happen.” He sighed quietly and shook his head.

“Soon huh? Right… Sure."

Miheal sighed.

"Yami...you two are sharing a brain, a body...a life. If there's anyone you should be able to share things with, it's Yuugi. He shares everything with you...it's only fair to return that favor, one little bit at a time. At a rate in which you're comfortable." Miheal said.

"Yes, it's been awhile since your last one anyway. You're overdue for a checkup."

“This whole experience is too fast for me. I’m far from comfortable.” It was true. He was so used to being alone and suddenly Yuugi was there, constantly talking to him or a feeling in his head. It was strange. Not entirely bad, but just strange, and Yami wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

Miheal sighed.

"It is happening though...it would probably be healthier to try to let some feelings through at your own pace than to just keep holding them back and stressing Yuugi out. It seems to me as though some of them are leaking through without your intention anyway...wouldn't you rather be in control of things?"

“Yeah… but that only applies if I can choose what to feed to Yuugi. I don’t even choose what he sees or anything. I just feel him and decide… well… no or not,” Yami huffed.

"Did you ever consider trying to influence it? Trying to see if you can let things through, instead of trying to hold things back?" Miheal asked.

“… Not really. I just don’t want the meld,” He sighed. “I don’t know what I even would share."

Miheal considered this.

"What about memories of things you both know? Like Raphael, for instance. I know he spent a lot of time with you two in the hospital...let Yuugi see some of your times with him, perhaps? Or what about things you both like? Share game ideas...show Yuugi some of your less dangerous games, like ones you supposedly played with kids." Miheal suggested.

“… I guess that’s safe. I don’t see the point,” Yami muttered.

"It's to practice controlling what you want Yuugi to see, for one. Doesn't practice make perfect?" Miheal said with a smirk.

"It might also make you both feel better...calm headaches and such."

Yami rolled his eyes, but now he was a little calmer. He smirked at Miheal but took his words seriously. “Well, it’s not like I’m short on time here. I may consider it."

"It might entertain you, yes." Miheal mused.

"...Speaking of that...maybe you should consider breaking the news of your sentence to Yuugi as part of your memory-sharing exercise...it's not good for him to be in the dark forever. Think of a way to let him down gently, maybe?"

Yami’s face fell at the mention of his sentence and he sighed. “… How can I? Even if it’s weird having him around, I still care about Yuugi. If he realises he’s trapped… I don’t know if I’ll see him again. It was by chance he came out again after so long. I may not be so lucky next time.”

"...Alright, well...we should certainly proceed with caution. We don't want Yuugi to disappear." Miheal said gently.

"...Will you explain to me how he disappeared in the first place? I understand it was grief...but it also seems odd to think that someone who is so prominant now wasn't for a long time..." He mused.

“Well… I don’t know. Yuugi relied a lot on his grandfather. I’m not surprised how much grief he felt. Even when he was gone, I could still feel it in my heart.” He sighed quietly. “I don’t know how he disappeared. All I remember is the funeral. Yuugi was sobbing hard and then we collapsed. Next thing I knew, we were at the hospital and I was alone."

"Sounds very sudden..." Miheal mused.

"We will certainly take care to avoid it happening in the future....but he certainly seems stronger now than before, would you agree?"

“… definitely.” Yami thought about Yuugi, and how he seems to have blossomed since he had last saw him. Yuugi was a fighter alright. He was incredibly strong to want to press forward to a bright future. “… I just hope he’s strong enough."

Miheal nodded.

"We have plenty of time to strengthen him more...if you share things with him he may also feel more confident." Miheal said.

“Alright, alright. I get the message, doc,” Yami said, stretching. “I’ll give it a shot… Happy?”

“Good.” Miheal said with a smile. “Yes, I am for now...I was also wondering another thing...have you or Yuugi noticed that you are gaining control over the personality switches?” Miheal asked. He was a little disappointed that while they were running out of time, he wasn't getting to speak much to Yuugi and gain his perspective on things. This happened a lot in their sessions...one or the other personality wouldn't be paid as much attention to.

“Hm?” Yami glanced up and shrugged. “I can sometimes force a switch… It’s usually forward and not back, however. It really depends on the environment or if my brain feels like it.”

Miheal nodded with a frown.

"And is Yuugi able to do the same forcing switches like you can?"

“Not that I’m aware of. I’m still in more control than he is. For most part, I’m the dominant personality…” Yami said. He still found it wrong that that was the case, but with how often he was out, it was true.

Miheal nodded, making a note of it. He had assumed this was still the case...but he planned to work on it. He wanted Yuugi to live more.

"Alright. Well, you both are making interesting progress...Koutei explained to me some of his observations, and I wanted to ask you...Yuugi seems to be reaching out to you. Have you two ever tried to talk to each other? Or do you just ignore him when he tries?"

So did Yami. Even though he didn’t want to disappear, even if he wanted his own life, he wanted to help Yuugi grow. Yuugi was the main part of him, not him. It felt wrong to be encroaching on his life, especially since he had been doing it for the last seven years.

“To talk to each other? Sometimes I can’t hear him. Other times, I’m not sure how to talk back. I tried once, but I think I gave us a headache.”

“Hmmm...interesting. Maybe we'll try that during your next MRI session. I want to make sure this isn't harming your brain...maybe we can find a cause of the headaches and fix it so you two can commune more easily.” Miheal mused. “That is, assuming you want to talk to him? Sharing feelings is one thing, talking is another.”

“… I’d… Like to try talking to him. It would be… interesting.” Yami sighed quietly. “… I’d like to apologise to him… for ruining his life."

Miheal listened calmly. It was rare to see this sort of vulnerability from Yami...proof that he was a person hiding beneath a confident exterior. “I'm sure he forgives you...Yuugi seems to be someone who is quite optimistic. Through your decisions, he got to meet Raphael and Koutei, making friends for the first time. And...he knows he's not alone anymore, because he has you as well. The fact that he wants to share his feelings with you and talk to you is proof that he's forgiven you already and only wants to know you better.” Miheal said gently.

“Or he’s playing an elaborate game and wants to yell at me,” Yami shook his head, kicking himself mentally for letting his usually strong mental walls down again around Miheal. That man’s aura was exhausting to deal with… maybe that’s why he wanted to open up to him?

It was interesting to think about, and honestly Yami did believe that Yuugi did forgive him, but it was still hard to comprehend. In the end, he just shrugged, looking away again.

Miheal scoffed.

“That's not true and you know it. Yuugi enjoys games, yes, but he would never be so cruel. He might want you as a gaming partner though...since one of the few things he knows for sure about you is that you share his love of games.” Miheal said. And again, Yami was hiding. He sighed.

“I am trying to help you as well, Yami. You are also my patient, just as much as Yuugi is....but I can't help you if you keep hiding from me."

“I can’t help it if you come at me like I’m some hostile beast and I’m trying to eat Koutei,” Yami muttered under his breath. “I’m fine. It’s just Yuugi. I’ll try let you talk to him more, if that’s what you want."

Miheal sighed again and shook his head.

“I'm not doing that now, am I? Be reasonable, Yami...you know why I was concerned.” He said.

“I would like to talk to Yuugi more yes, but I'm not going to just ignore you. Your problems are different from Yuugi's, but they're just as pressing. You're both my patients and it's my job to try and help you work through them.”

“I know… To be honest, if our positions had been reversed, I would have punched you. Or at least challenged you to an aggressive game,” Yami smirked a bit but it faded quickly.

“I know, I know… It’s just… hard.” He wasn’t used to opening up to people. Koutei had been the only exception, even though Yami knew it would be good for him.

Miheal smirked back.

“I always pictured myself throwing swords instead of throwing punches...” He mused. He shook his head.

“I understand. From what I've seen, you're a relatively private person. But, we can start small. You can tell me things that you think are redundant, things you think I already know or won't care about. Things that don't need to be resolved...once you say that enough, maybe you'll get more comfortable with saying the bigger things. Just start small, take it slow.” Miheal said.

"We could even make it a game if you want. Something like two lies and a truth?" Miheal said with a shrug and smile. “Whatever you want."

“Ah yes, be careful if you hurl your cane around. May stab someone in the eye,” Yami teased, looking back at Miheal. He wanted to protest, say there was nothing really worthwhile in doing so, and then Miheal mentioned a game.

“You know I can’t resist an offer like that,” Yami said, pouting a bit. “I guess I could."

Miheal snickered. “I'll be careful.” He promised. He smiled when Yami agreed.

“Alright...so the rules are simple. Both of us must choose to share two lies and one true thing...and the other must guess which is true. The round goes on until the one truth is revealed...then we switch. Time limit could be the rest of our session, or until you switch with Yuugi. Whichever comes first.”

“Does that sound reasonable to you, Yami? Of course...the one truth you do share, must actually be the truth.”

“Alright… Fair enough.” Yami smirked. “What do we start with… Hmm…” He wondered what he was willing to share. On one hand, he could certainly tell him things he already knew, but then again, there were no risks with that. No thrill. He had to have something interesting out there, a risk for him, or the game would be no fun. “If you guess wrong, I won’t tell you the real answer. But here we go,” Yami hummed, having his suggestions. “One. I was named by Yuugi at first because of the darkness in his heart. Two. I have a tendency to gamble whenever I have a free moment. And three, I’ve never been in love.”

Miheal pondered the choices before him. Like the game master he claimed to be, Yami had chosen some interesting choices.

“Alright...but there's no rule that says I can't wonder out loud.” Miheal countered.

“I highly doubt you were actually named by Yuugi...I believe the name 'Yami' was one you chose for yourself...” He said, considering the second.

“The gambling does make sense. I knew you were involved in gambling rings...I suspect you're a recovering addict, to be honest.” Miheal said, looking at Yami's reaction carefully for this and for the next one.

“And the last one I know to be a lie...you're in love with Koutei, aren't you?”

“What?” Yami spluttered, his cheeks immediately turning red. He looked up at Miheal with wide eyes, coughing and shaking his head. “No… I… Why would you think that? That’s the lie. Honestly… The nerve… Just because I kissed him doesn’t mean I’m in love…”

Miheal was a little astonished by Yami's reaction. He'd never seen the man so flustered and awkward before. He recalled what Koutei had told him...and given that Yami was like this both in Koutei's presence and when Koutei was brought up in this way, it only seemed to prove Miheal's point.

“Of course a kiss doesn't mean you're in love...but that reaction suggests otherwise.” Miheal mused with a knowing look.

“But...in all honesty, I believe that the truth is the second one out of the three. You've been spending years gambling all your money away, and when you're not using money, you bet other things. You play games with heavy risk because you're addicted to the thrill. The fact that you accepted the game I suggested, then made the choices you did instead of playing it safe, adds evidence to the fact that you're not at all over your addiction.” Miheal said, making a note of it.

“Am I right? Are you addicted to gambling?”

Yami shook his head. “I’m not.” He huffed. He forced himself to calm down, not having expected Miheal to say that was the right answer. He wasn’t in love… Love took time, commitment and dedication, and he hadn’t done any of that to Koutei. He just happened to be lucky enough to be swept into Koutei’s heart.

“… Yeah, that’s the actual one.” Yami said, taking a deep breath to calm down and put his confident face back on. “I said I had a tendency to gamble. I didn’t say I was addicted.”

“A tendency...well...how often would you say you've gambled then, Yami? What differentiates a tendency from an addiction? Because from what I've read...there are quite a few instances where your 'tendency' to gamble has shown. You were arrested before, of course, for gambling. The last job you took murdering CEOs was a gamble. Kujaku Mai-san has an extensive report about you explaining your frequenting of night clubs to gamble. And of course, the earliest known case...when Yuugi's grandfather was in hospital and had no insurance, but huge sums of money were paid repeatedly by you. That money undoubtedly came from gambling...you had no savings that were even close to the substantial amounts that were ultimately paid to support Soloman Mutou's care until his death.” Miheal said.

“So...by my math, that is over 7 years of you displaying your 'tendency' to gamble, to acquire large sums across several different cities. And with those large sums, you never once invested in your own well-being, never once opening a savings account or investing in a permanent home. That suggests you never even thought about holding onto all that money long enough to save...you only held it to gamble. If that's not the stereotypical behaviour of an addict...I don't know what is.” Miheal said.

“Feel free to correct me, if I am wrong, Yami. This is what I've inferred from what little is known about you.” He said with a smile.

Yami scowled as Miheal opened his mouth and kept talking. However, there weren’t actually many places he could interject, and a small part of him hoped Yuugi wasn’t listening. Miheal said nothing but the truth the entire spell, going into his history. It sent an odd twitch of guilt through him, and he bit his lip, trying to think of a witty response. It was annoying how accurate he was, and Yami even felt like he owed Miheal money for such a harsh analysis.

“… You’re really a smug bastard, you know that doc?”

“When I know I'm right, absolutely.” Miheal agreed. He had been told he was harsh with the truth...but only when patients needed it. Yami struck him as someone who needed it.

“...Now, we're on the same page with the gambling at the very least, I presume. Judging by your reaction and the fact that you didn't tell me about this sooner, you're not proud about what happened. But, that's alright...it means you might be open to the idea of improving.” Miheal said gently.

“I have dealt with addicts before Yami...some are drug addicts, some are gambling addicts, like you. If you'll let me help you, we can work together and you can get over your addiction.”

“… I guess so… I don’t want Yuugi to be left with any debts I make in this place or actual prison. And I guess working on that is better than… Well, anything else, really.” Yami sighed. “… What the hell do I do to cure this “addiction”.”

Miheal nodded with a smile, glad Yami seemed to be taking responsibility for his actions now that it was clear they didn't just affect one person anymore.

“You're right...sitting on the problem will not help it.” Miheal said gently.

“Admitting you have a problem that affects others is the first step, obviously...but the second is to observe what sort of things trigger your urges to gamble. This could be anything...feelings, thought processes, environmental cues. For you, I imagine that the high you get from winning is what influences you the most...but there could certainly be other things.” Miheal took a small notebook from his desk and held it out to Yami.

“You should write down what happens to you when you feel the urge to gamble. Where you are, what you're thinking, what you're feeling, who you're with...things that make you want to gamble. Then, consider how to deal with it. I know that Raphael gave you a music player...I hear listening to music helps calm those impulses.”

“I guess…” Yami hadn’t really given it much thought, since he had been desperately trying to avoid it. He took the pen and paper and nodded, titling the page so Yuugi knew what to do with it if he saw it.

“Oh yeah… I saw. It has some weird songs on it… But I can try that."

Miheal smiled when Yami took it.

“Good to hear. Maybe we can look into getting you some more...or you can ask Raphael. If it's for your therapy, I'm sure the facility will allow you to get some more music.” Miheal said gently.

"You are also an interesting case...Yuugi might be able to help your addiction too, since he has no such addiction. You can get encouragement from within." Miheal paused, then smiled.

"...And you can talk to Koutei too. Being open and honest about your issues is a step to recovery as well. I'm sure he'd be happy to help."

“Hopefully. There’s a radio in the break room so maybe I can listen to new songs. That would be interesting. I don’t know either of our tastes in music, if I’m honest.”

“Gee, glad I’m a nice test tube subject, doc,” Yami muttered, though in good nature. “I guess so… That … I guess that would help"

Miheal shrugged.

“Now's your chance to find out!” He said. He nodded.

“Good to hear you think so too. We can talk about your progress in our next session after you've tried this out for awhile.”

“Yeah… I’ll do it when I get some quiet time.” Yami was admittedly exhausted after all of that. “Thanks… Is our time up boss?"

Miheal nodded. "Yes it looks like it. I'll call the guards to wheel you back to your room." He said. He smiled. "Glad we had this chat. I feel we've made progress."

“Thanks…” Yami smiled. “I think so too."

Miheal nodded.

"Good to hear. Let's hope this is the first of many improving sessions."

-x-

Today was the day. Kaito was prepared to take down Dennis once and for all...all he needed was the location really. He had loaded Orbital 7 up with weapons and sneaky surveillance equipment, hoping to catch Dennis during a drug deal, then he could send the footage to the cops and they could make the arrest, since he wasn't really allowed to do so...

He needed to know where to deal in Devil's Breath though...that meant talking to Yubel. Hence why he was in disguise in a bar. He had brought quite a bit of cash with him to convince Yubel to share what they knew.

"I need information on Dennis Macfield." Kaito said softly, sliding the bill on the countertop like usual.

It was early the evening, so it wasn’t too unusual for Yubel to see customers. Their bar was quiet today, but Yubel didn’t mind. They had taken the chance to polish the glasses, eyes idly on the tv that dully spouted the news in the corner. Yubel didn’t acknowledge the stranger at first, they didn’t need to even look at the money.

“Information, huh? You don’t usually have people so boldly tossing that name around these days, you know.”

"Well I'm tossing it." Kaito said with a frown.

"Tell me where I can find him."

Yubel glanced at him, looking the disguised man over. They stared at him for a long momentt, trying to recognise them, before they picked the money up. “That’s all? Macfield isn’t cheap or easy, you know. Neither am I...

Kaito couldn't look Yubel directly in the eye but tried his best. He needed them to tell him where to find Dennis...to his popular places so he could tell the cops.

"I need to know as many places as you can share. I want to find him as soon as possible..."

“… Hmph… Give me another hundred dollars and I’ll see what I can remember."

Kaito sighed. He didn't have a lot of money...he made a mental note to ask Astral for more after this. He was grateful his boyfriend had helped him accumulate some funds for this. He slid the money on the counter.

Yubel took it and smiled. “He’s moved on from the docks to the Eastern side of Heartland. It’s a popular marketing site for firearms. Since he doesn’t like getting involved with that activity, he works mostly in the day and early evening. He’ll be hanging around by the Candy Shop down the Spade district, since he has a contact who works there."

Kaito nodded.

"So he'll essentially be there now then?" It was early evening after all.

"Who's this Candy-store contact of his?"

“Yeah. If you’re quick, you’ll catch him.” They said. “He goes by Sora, but he keeps changing the last name. Blue hair. Short. Looks like a child. You’ll know when you see him.”

Kaito nodded, not sure whether that quip about "knowing him when he saw him" was a joke or if Yubel truly hadn't noticed he was blind as a bat.

"Got it. I'll take my leave then." He said, getting up and calling Orbital. He had to move fast...he had to catch footage of them and identify this contact "Sora".

“Right… see you. Pleasure doing business,” Yubel said. They smirked as Kaito left and returned to their duties.

Orbital 7 had been waiting in the alleyway for Kaito, hidden from view. He perked up when he saw Kaito and beeped. “Did you get the information, Kaito-sama?"

"I did. We're heading to the Spade District. That's where Dennis is supposed to be, hanging out with a contact." Kaito said.

“Yes, Kaito-sama! Let’s go!” Orbital strapped himself on Kaito’s back and spread his wings. After making sure he was secure, the robot began to fly off, carrying Kaito out of the slums and out into the open skies, heading towards the East, away from the setting sun. “I will drop us in the middle of the Spade District. Will this be satisfactory?"

"That's fine. Just stay out of sight and record everything...we're there to do surveillance so the cops can find Dennis' popular spots and contacts." Kaito reminded the robot.

“Yes, Kaito-sama!” Orbital flew a little further before he came to a nice, quiet alleyway. He circled around to make sure no one stopped him before he flew down, landing in the alleyway. “Watch your step, Kaito-sama."

Kaito let Orbital detach and nodded.

"I will." He said, navigating his way out of the alley slowly and taking in his surroundings as best he could. Even he could see the giant neon candy sign and figured that was where he should go. He made his way towards it, expecting Orbital to be recording whoever he saw next.

Orbital had his equipment ready and prepared, analysing the scene in front of him. It rolled next to Kaito, so Kaito could use him to guide him across the road.

The candy store was cute and rather out of place, all things considered. It was very cutesy, bright and with lots of colours, typical Heartland fare, despite it being in a shadier area of the Spade district. However, it did seem… safe. A child with her mother and group of teenagers were around, purchasing the cheap but tasty candy. It really did seem like an innocuous candy shop.

Inside the window, a short, blue-haired youth was there, handing an extra lollipop to a girl with her mother.

“Ja! Have a nice day!” The attendant grinned, waving.

Kaito could essentially see a blob of blue in front of him. He approached once the mother and child left.

"Are you Sora?" He asked.

“That’s what the name tag says,” Sora chuckled, bright and smiley as ever. “Can I help you, sir?”

Kaito decided not to comment on the fact that he couldn't read a single thing on that damn tag.

"I'm interested in purchasing some candy, and I hear you're the man to go to around these parts." Kaito said, wondering if Sora would catch his drift: he wasn't talking about sugar here, but white powder might be involved.

“Candy? Well… depends what your preference is, Mister?” Sora glanced to the teens, who waved at Sora and walked off, evidently deciding not to buy anything. He glanced at Kaito, eyes scanning his clothes. “We have the best candy around. How sweet do you want it?"

"Well I didn't come all this way to settle for anything less than the best. I'll take as sweet as you've got." Kaito said. He wanted to see the highest quality stuff that Sora had been given by Dennis.

“… You like carrots?” Sora asked out of the blue, frowning as he looked outside, seeing a red flashing light from the window.

Kaito tried not to look fazed. He was probably using a code world.

"Definitely." Kaito said, not really noticing anything off yet...but he had a strange feeling.

Sora frowned deeper, knowing Kaito got the codeword wrong. He frowned for a minute. “Nehhh… Well I’m closing up soon to take a break. You wanna come with me? Or come back later?"

Kaito still had that strange feeling that something was a little off. He assumed the man had been using a codeword...had he gotten it right? But from what Sora said next, he wondered if this was normal...maybe he was just overreacting.

"I'll come with you." He said.

Sora smiled. “It’s a bit early to close, but a customer is a customer, you know.” He smiled. “This way. Carrot-top is over here.” He gestured for Kaito to follow him and he headed to the front door, flicking the sign to closed and gesturing for Kaito to follow. Orbital hid as Sora stepped out, gesturing for Kaito to follow.

Kaito followed Sora, senses on alert. He wondered if "Carrot-top" was Dennis...the cops did know that he was a red-head after all. He noted Orbital hiding and was prepared for anything. Good...now all he had to do was see the drugs and he'd be good.

Sora smiled as he lead Kaito own the back alleys of the shop, leading him to a small house, looking rather run down but inhabited never the less. Sora smiled as he opened the door with a key and gestured for Kaito to come him.

“I’m home, honey~” Sora sung. “I have new company! Really new!” He said, then stopping to close the door behind Kaito and stop Orbital from following him.

Kaito heard the door close, and immeidately was a little on edge. Orbital wasn't in with him...the robot would have to find itself a better angle. Maybe flying over might work?

"Welcome home? Did you, sweet-cake? You found someone really new? Well I love meeting new people!" Dennis exclaimed, bounding out with a smile. Kaito simply saw a blob of orange that almost made him cringe. So this was Dennis Macfield.

"Well, don't just stand there, stranger, come in, come in! If you've come to Sora, it means you have a sweet-tooth yes?" Dennis said, gesturing Kaito further into the house with a smile.

“Yep! He has a very special sweet tooth, something that my candy can’t satisfy.” Sora chuckled. “He needs a harder hit.”

“… Friend recommended you to me, Macfield.” Kaito went over the list of people in rehab he knew of that had seen Dennis. “Kotsuzuka was his name. Said you could get me what I want. I have the money if you have what you gave him.”

“Mouu… sounds like he means business,” Sora tilted his head before he glanced at the window, seeing Orbital 7. “Well, I’ll be getting to my store again. Have fun, friend. Hope you get what you’re looking for."

Dennis smiled.

"Oh yes I remember him...good friend of mine." A good friend whom Dennis suspected had betrayed him eariler...this was almost proof.

"Go ahead and get back to work sweet-cake! I'll see you later!" Dennis said, hooking an arm around Kaito and leading him on, deeper into the house. Kaito could only hope that Orbital snuck through the door, and had no way of knowing he didn't. The robot gave a small eep and tried to duck and hide in the store when he saw Sore returning, not knowing he'd been spotted.

"I'll show you where I keep the good stuff, stranger. What's your name?" Dennis asked gently.

Sora gave a cruel, predatory grin when he saw Orbital 7 and he followed him all the way back to his store. He chuckled as he saw the robot try to pick the lock to get inside the door he had locked behind him and he grinned as he whacked it hard with a strong kick.

“Mouuu…. I really, REALLY hate thieves trying to break into my store, you know.”

Kaito followed, glancing around, pretending he had vision. He was really listening to Dennis’ footsteps to know where to walk and not bump into anything.

“Just Takaido. Like the train station.”

Orbital tried to move but yelped as it was suddenly smacked hard by Sora's kick. He crashed into the wall with a cry.

"I-I'm not a theif!" Orbital managed to squeak, trying to pull out its shockers to defend itself in case Sora swung again. There was a large dent on its body, which made it hard to open its arm panels.

"Well then, pleased to meet you, Takaido-chan! Always happy to meet new customers." Dennis felt like this man was probably lying, but had no way to prove it...yet. He led Kaito through the normal looking house to the basement.

"Right down here...this is where I do my in-house deals! After you!" Dennis said, sweeping his arm out for Kaito to walk down the stairs first.

Sora frowned as he saw a spark and the robot trying to do something. He kicked Orbital with his hard boots again straight into the bins, trying to back him into an alleyway. “Now… who sent you? You better answer. Robots that don’t listen get turned into scrap,” he grinned cruelly.

Kaito was weary, not sure if he had infiltrated this successfully so easily. He tried to think about what he had done, what he could have done to arouse suspicion, but it was hard to think. He coughed grimly, feeling weak from just walking so much.

“Alright… Thanks…” He felt for the railing and tried to walk down slowly, ready to go for the knife in his belt if things went awry.

Orbital yelped again, his "arms" essentially sealed off as he was kicked again. Now he couldn't even transform properly!

"No one!" He exclaimed.

Dennis let Kaito take a step down slowly before closing the door and kicking him hard in the middle of his back.

"Have a nice trip!" He laughed as Kaito tumbled down the stairs and onto the hard concrete floor at the bottom.

“That’s a lie, unless AIs are a thing, huh? AIs that serve themselves. How scary.” Sora grinned as he kicked Orbital again, glad he wore steel-toed boots like he usually did because he thought they were cool. Orbital was light in order to maintain flight, so it was easy for Sora to hit him harder, once more in the head.

“HrghK!” Kaito yelled as he fell downstairs, bumping and cracking bones as he collapsed. His skin had torn a little from the fall as he crumpled in a heap, hissing as the pain shot through him. “What the fuck was that for?”

"I don't-" Orbital said, before sputtering and beeping as it's head was kicked. It could partially register pain, and did have feelings, and it whined and whirled as it's light body was kicked around. It could barely see...it's Orbital sockets were becoming cracked.

"Cause I know you're not a customer, you're a spy." Dennis said cheekily, coming down the stairs and kicking Kaito hard in the stomach.

"Now be a good boy and tell me who sent you here?"

“Hoooh? What’s this now?” Sora asks, looking at the robot. “Breaking now? Can’t have that.” He kicked the body again. When he was sure Orbital wouldn’t retaliate, he picked him up. “Let’s see if I can find your master.”

Kaito hissed and gagged as he felt the foot. He looked up, one hand over his stomach. “I told you. Kotsuzuka did!”

Orbital could only sputter and whirl weakly as it was beat within an inch of its robotic artificial life. It couldn't protest as Sora picked it up. It could only hope that Kaito-sama was doing better....

Which he wasn't. Dennis shook his head and kicked Kaito again.

"He doesn't know about this place in particular, sorry! Try again?" He said with a smile.

Sora walked all the way back to the house and let himself in again. His bubbly smile faded and he seriously walked to the living room, going to pull Orbital apart to see if he could analyse him, giving Dennis some time to deal with their friends.

Kaito hissed. “… I asked him. He told me go to Yubel.” Yubel was a lot stronger than Dennis was. He knew that Dennis couldn’t touch them. “It’s basically the same thing."

Orbital couldn't fight, but was trying to lock himself down. It didn't want to be pulled apart...it didn't want to be destroyed.

"Ah, the bartender..." Dennis knew there wasn't much he could do about them...they were incorrigible. Dennis considered Yubel valuable as a source of information himself occasionally. He noted something interesting though. This guy...he looked a little familiar. He reached down and pulled the wig and hat off Kaito's head, pulling him up by his hair to get a better look at him.

"Hmm...you look awfully familiar Tokaido-chan...if that is even your name...." He pondered this. He looked up the stairs, having heard the door open and Sora re-enter the house.

"Sweet-cakes! Come down for a second!"

Kaito groaned as the wig glue peeled off his head and he was left exposed. He gave only a groan as he tried to get to his feet again, hoping Dennis wouldn’t notice him.

“Hah? I haven’t even started!” Sora frowned as he picked Orbital up again and hurried over. “What is it? Can’t handle him on your own?"

Dennis smiled up at him.

"No, I’m managing fine...oh, but what's that weird robot thing you got there? Hmm?" Dennis mused. He glanced back at Kaito, trying to get up. He kicked him again so he'd stay down.

"I’m just thinking this guy looks familiar...he was wearing a wig, see? He look familiar to you?"

“A little spy I caught peeping in the window,” Sora said, carrying Orbital down the stares. Kaito’s heart sank as he heard the words and he didn’t have time to react to the foot. He groaned as he was kicked hard, and he crumpled down to the ground.

“Hmmm? Oh. Isn’t this a certain former superintendent?”

Dennis snapped his fingers and grinned.

"That's it! I knew he looked familiar...and that guy was known to have a robot companion...so this bucket of bolts must be his then!" Dennis said with a grin.

"...So, Mr. Superintendent...you thought you could spy on me, did you? That's not very nice...I prefer to keep my entertainment public, so if you wanted a private show you should've just asked!" Dennis said.

"...since you wanted to get a good camera shot with this thing, let's give them something fun to look at, huh Sweet-cake? Is that thing still recording this?" Dennis asked, looking at Orbital's pitiful state.

“I figured as much. I caught him recording everything, or I’m guessing he was recording, judging by the blinking red light.” Sora tossed Orbital carelessly into a corner and he looked at him. “Definitely still recording. I didn’t beat him that badly.”

Kaito hissed. He had taken down thugs before while injured and blind before, but why not now? Why not, when Dennis and Sora seemed so much smaller? Had his health deteriorated that much that what should have been a simple mission had failed? Why couldn’t he think as quickly as before?

“Get off me.” Kaito said. “The police will be here too. I told them where I was going before I arrived,’ he lied.

"Good! We'll see if we can save whatever he's taping...we got guys who can alter the footage." Dennis said with a smile. He glanced at Kaito before scowling and kicking him again.

"Liar. You came alone, obviously. The police are far too busy with their latest arrests...they got a whole bunch of fugitives to deal with after busting the Dark Duelist. They aren't coming here." He said.

"I don't take kindly to lying, Superintendent. I thought a man of your profession would also appreciate honesty too...guess not. Sweet-cakes, let's string him up in front of the camera here...he's lied plenty today. And I'm sure he'll lie more...that can't go unpunished." He said. There were handcuffs hanging from the ceiling and walls in the cellar that was stained red with old blood...even though Kaito couldn't see it, it was clear Dennis had punished people in here before.

Kaito hissed as he fell forward again, and he was almost sure Dennis had cracked one of his ribs. The man gave a groan as he tried to get back up again. He glared up at Dennis’ voice.

“Heee… I like that idea,” Sora smirked. He left Orbital 7 where he was and pulled Kaito by his arms to the centre of the room, wrenching his arms back despite Kaito’s protests.

Dennis smiled.

"Great, glad you hear it!" He let Sora do that, having noticed that Kaito was clearly in no shape to fight either of them. He adjusted Orbital 7's remains so that its 'eye' was directly on Kaito as he was handcuffed to the wall.

"Alright...Sweet-cakes, hold his head up so the camera can see quite clearly who we've got here...say hi, Superintendent!" Dennis said with a grin in Kaito's direction.

Sora wasn’t in the same position as Dennis and was able to show his face so clearly, so he took the discarded wig and put it on. Then he pulled his jacket’s hood over his head, just in case. Careful to keep his head facing away, Sora held Kaito’s head up. Kaito threw his hands and thrashed as best as he could.

“Bastard..."

"Perfect! Looks great guys!" Dennis said with a grin, holding up a thumbs up.

"Now let's get this party started! I'll get my toolkit, Sweet-cakes, and we can play around a little." He said, grabbing a few of the tools he'd used to torture others.

"Don't kill him though...he may be a hostage of value yet..." Dennis mused with a smirk.

Sora grinned mischeviously.

“I’ll play camera man if you want. Looks like that trashbot needs his head held up. I’d rather not be seen,” Sora said, standing up. He grinned. “Besides. If you do it by yourself, I get to blame you if he dies."

Dennis smiled.

"Ah, so I get the spotlight all to myself then? Sounds good to me!" Dennis said, happy to switch. He didn't hide his face or anything, because he knew the cops knew what he looked like.

"Alright, Mr. Superintendent...are you ready for some fun?" Dennis asked, holding up what was essentially a huge nail and a blowtorch.

"Why don't you tell me who else told you about me?"

Sora grinned as he made his way behind Orbital 7. He adjusted the eye as best as he could and grinned as he watched the spectacle before him. Kaito looked surprisingly calm despite his fear, and he stared at Dennis with hatred but not fear.

Kaito in reality was terrified. He was just trying not to show it. He glared at Dennis, kicking himself for his lack of planning and his foolishness.

“Fuck off..."

Dennis sighed.

"You're not making it easy on yourself...well that's alright..." Dennis said, turning on the blow-torch and slowly heating up his large spike with a smile.

"I can respect that..." He looked at Kaito closely and noticed the man wasn't quite looking at him. This was interesting...it was like he couldn't see him very clearly. He leaned closer so that Kaito could feel the whisps of heat coming off the blowtorch and smirked.

"...Feel that? You're in for a world of hurt if you don't tell me more. Go ahead...tell me who else I have to drag down here to die."

Kaito could feel his breath curl on his face as well as the heat of the instrument. He instinctively leaned back, all but growling at Dennis.

“I said there was no one else. I wanted to find you and take you down myself. And I asked Yubel. That’s it. Just me and my robot.”

Dennis frowned.

"Who told you to look into me? The cops?" He asked, rubbing the hot nail against Kaito's skin to burn him.

"Better answer or it'll get worse~"

Kaito yelled as he felt the hot nail and he squirmed in his place. He threw his head forward, hoping to hit Dennis or force him away. “No one!"

Dennis easily stepped aside from Kaito's meager range of motion.

"But who gave you the idea to come after me? Surely someone gave you the idea?" He turned the nail and dug it into Kaito's arm.

Kaito gave a loud cry as the point of the nail penetrated his skin, and the heat surged through his arm. He struggled viciously, gasping for breath.

“It was my fucking idea! Get away! Arghh!"

Dennis sighed.

"Gosh you're stubborn...do you really expect me to believe that you brought a tape in when you can't even see it? Who's watching? Who are you working with?" He asked, twisting the nail into Kaito's arm even more.

“GrrghhKkk!” Kaito yelled out in pain, tossing his head back. His dark vision would have gone blurry from the agony if he could see and tears welled in his eyes. The man pulled at his arm, desperately trying to get away to no avail. His nerves screamed for him to move, but all he could do was curse and yell.

“If I’m trying to fucking bust you, I need evidence,” he hissed. “No one is watching!” He hoped Astral would try hack Orbital to see where he was soon. “No one!”

Dennis frowned.

"So you were getting evidence for the police...you're working with them! Ah I knew it..." Dennis said, pulling out the nail and then stabbing the other one.

"You're lying to me too much here..."

“I’m not working for the police. Listen to me,” Kaito hissed. His eyes widened and he yelled as the nail was pulled out, leaving blood to trickle out of his open arm. He thrashed harder, especially when the nail was driven in, lodging itself deep into weakened muscles, the hole made smaller and tighter from the heat.

“Hrkkk! Let go!"

Dennis tsked.

"I am listening to you...I'm watching you go back and forth. First you say you're working alone...then you say you're collecting evidence...so that must be for someone...and the only ones who can arrest me with evidence are the police! So you're working for them, silly Mr. Superintendent...has the pain messed with your head already?" Dennis said with a laugh.

"Alright, now pay attention to this next question..." He said, grabbing Kaito's chin to stop him from thrashing.

"...Who told the cops about me? I know they've arrested quite a few people I've dealt with recently...so which one is the traitor? Who sold me out?"

As Dennis drove the cooling nail deeper into Kaito’s flesh, a sick thought appeared in Kaito’s head. He could rat someone out and try to make the pain stop. His body was weak, he probably couldn’t last as long as he used to, or as long as a normal person, but he could try drag someone else down. He couldn’t think of many names, but he did have a few… Yuuto seemed close to Dennis and he was in jail. Maybe…

And then as soon as it manifested properly in his head, Kaito swatted it down. Yuuto had warned him this would happen. He had done nothing wrong. He had only warned him this would happen and all of this was Kaito’s fault. He didn’t need any threat of further harm brought on him. Kaito had to deal with this himself. It was his responsibility, his repentance.

Kaito hissed in Dennis’ tight grip. “I’m telling the truth, you sick fuck.” He was, in the end. “I’m doing this of my own accord. I want you arrested. The police don’t know I’m here, but I was going to hand all the dirt over. No one is a traitor. I’m not on the fucking police force anymore. I can’t get that info if I wanted to.” Kaito gritted his teeth, and even though he knew it would only cause him more pain, he tried to jerk his head so he could bite Dennis. “It’s all on me.”

Dennis sighed. He had noticed the slightest bit of hesitation in Kaito's body language. This meant that he was probably thinking of whoever had sold out Dennis...but wasn't hurt enough to share yet. Well, Dennis could change that.

"Alright, Mr. Superintendent...we'll just see if you change your tune." He said, pulling out the nail and then going for another tool. This time, it was brass knuckles. Dennis didn't like to be too aggressive, but Kaito wasn't squealing. He'd heard that the Superintendent had been through some rough shit, so he figured he hadn't been hard enough on him yet.

"Last chance, Mr. Superintendent...who's the rat who told the cops about me?" He said, gently rubbing the brass knuckles against the man's cheek so he could feel what was about to come.

It was terrifying being here, alone with this man. Kaito realised how stupid he was when he realised that he didn’t know anything about Macfield outside him being a drug dealer. The way he firmly but gently rubbed his new weapon against his face suggested a history that went beyond smuggling. The warmth of his breath, the handcuffs chaffing against his wrists, the coolness of the room… all of it added to the horror of the situation, and it occurred to Kaito that he really could die here.

“It was no one.” Kaito’s voice was soft but firm. He thought of putting the blame on the PI he knew about from Gauche, but he dismissed that quickly too. “I know you from Yubel. That’s it. No one told the cops about you. If you don’t believe me, too bad.”

Dennis listened and frowned as Kaito talked.

"Have it your way then." He said, before laying into the man in front of him. Dennis had been feeling quite stressed lately, despite his happy attitude. The bust with Yami at the docks had wiped out lots of his stock, and he was struggling to recover it while also monitoring the police for updates on their knowledge of his activities. He knew that a few people he'd dealt with had been arrested. That was not mentioning his side projects with Yuri, trying to win him custody of Yuuya and throwing Yuuto behind bars. In short, Dennis was busy and beating Kaito was the perfect stress relief.

He wailed into Kaito, punching his face until it was so swollen and cut that it was practically unrecognizeable, then moving onto his body, pounding the man's pale skin until it was painted black and blue and red with blood. Throughout, he peppered in repeats of his question: who had ratted him out? He needed to know so he could punish them too, after all. More stress relief in the future, he mused to himself.

Kaito couldn’t even scream. Even if he wanted to, even if he wanted to screech and cry in pain, all he could do was grunt and groan as Dennis began to physically assert his dominance. His nose cracked and blood dribbled down it, filling his mouth with blood, some of his teeth cracked, his lips were cut and bloody and he sported black eyes on both sides of his face. On his head alone, there were so many injuries that Kaito found himself struggling to keep consciousness, and it was only because he had to spit out blood and bile that he remained awake.

His body was already small and frail, and Dennis wasn’t making things any easier on him. He grunted as the man socked him into the stomach several times, and then his ribs. Dennis obviously didn’t care whether he tattled, lived or died. He was obviously pissed, and he was sick enough to have his friend record this entire sadistic torture with his own robot. His joints and arms ached and he found it hard to breathe. He needed to rest…

He apologised to Astral in his head, and Yuuto too… For not listening to them.

Astral meanwhile, was at Takashi's house, getting settled. Finally, he'd unpacked and felt satisfied with the police file the cops had being destroyed. He'd been spying on the police before after the Vector AI claimed to have forgotten to delete the footage of him destroying the file. Astral could only sigh as he saw the cops reach the correct conclusion: that he had sent the model. Well, now he'd be public enemy number 1 again...

He decided then to call Kaito and see if he'd have any ideas of how to go about things, but was surprised to find an offline signal coming from Orbital. It's phone systems were no longer working. That was unusual, since it was only when Oribtal was offline that its communications were off...and it wasn't usually offline during the day. After a few minutes of hacking, Astral found that the robot was not offline...it was just that the coms were not functional. Frowning, he kept going until he finally hacked into Orbital, seeing a visual of what the robot could see.

And what he saw made him scream in alarm. A man in an orange suit beating someone against the wall...someone with blonde hair...

"...K-Kaito..." He breathed, stunned and shaken by this.

Dennis beat Kaito within an inch of his life...but he wasn't about to kill him just yet. Kaito had refused to tell him his source...but he had a feeling that the cops might not be so stubborn.

"Sweet-cakes, bring the camera closer here will you? I need to make sure the cops are clear on what they're seeing." He said, gesturing for Sora to bring the robot closer so Astral could have no doubt what he was seeing.

"This is your superintendent, Tenjo Kaito...if you want him to live, you're going to have to play by my rules, cops!" Astral began frantically trying to activate Orbital's systems again, but found they were damaged too badly. He yelled in frustration.

"No...Kaito!"

Sora obliged, picking the robot up by the body and steadying the head so it would look at the man. He physically brought it close, so Astral could see how badly beaten and ruined Kaito looked. Kaito gasped for breath, unable to focus on anything, too disorientated to function. “We have to edit the footage before we send it off. I don’t know how long this thing has been recording. I don’t want anyone seeing me and ruining my reputation.” Sora said. “We should send it off soon. I don’t want the cops to realise their little spy is missing too late,” Dennis muttered.

"Of course! I'll get right on tearing this thing apart to find where it keeps its footage." Sora said with a grin. Astral gasped.

"No...I have to try and track Orbital before they destroy him permanently..." He said, frantically working the keys and trying to fight back tears when it seemed that nothing was working.

Orbital couldn’t respond. Sora had beaten him and ripped out the links to his arms while he was upstairs, and the attempt to trace his coms was out. Fortunately, Astral could track him. After all, he could see a video feed and could just follow in it reverse. However, when Sora figured they were done recording, he smashed Orbital 7 in the head, completely destroying the robot before Astral could get a lead. Despite being bloodied and a mess, Kaito could still hear Orbital’s lenses shattering, and he realised in horror that Sora was now tearing out his loyal friend and hooking him up to his laptop to retrieve all the information that was in there. Kaito tried to call out to his companion, but he couldn’t find his voice. Even worse, he couldn’t hear Orbital’s. “……. N-no…”

Astral had been just about to get the coordinates when suddenly the screen went dead.

"No!" He screamed, bursting into tears and bowing his head as he cried. Now his lead to Kaito was gone...Orbital 7 had been destroyed. Kaito...Kaito could die!

"No...Kaito...please...please don't die..." He sobbed softly.

“Wow… there’s a lot of junk in here. Some of it is damaged, but fortunately I got all his video logs. There aren’t many of them for some reason.” Sora noted with interest there were only a 3D image projector video in Orbital 7 and a video of a trashbot for some reason besides the footage that had been recorded tonight. Kaito was quite meticulous in cleaning out any junk from Orbital. “I’ll sort through the rest of the data later. I’ll just edit this all neatly. Yeah… he started recording me when he came into my shop. Can’t have that! The kiddies need my candy!” Sora chuckled as he got to work, not at all minding the pathetic groans from Kaito.

"Of course not, Sweet-cakes! Take your time...we need to have a true masterpiece to send to the cops!" Dennis said with a grin.

"Just hang tight, Mr. Superintendent, and hope your coworkers are more reasonable than you are." He said to Kaito with a wink.

Kaito merely gave a groan in response. He was teetering in and out of consciousness, and eventually, he succumbed to the darkness, the pain becoming too much.

No one knew where he was… He was going to die here...

Sora eventually found the footage he was looking for and plugged it into a computer so he could play around with it. He wanted this to be a masterpiece...and it had been so long since he'd indulged in his horror fantasies.

So once he'd done the cropping out of himself and cut out any additional footage that said anything too revealing about Kaito and all the footage Orbital took before the beating in the candy store, Sora began to play around with music, zooms, slow motion and repeat shots. He smirked and sucked on his lollipop as he cut the audio out for most of the beating, throwing in Kaito's loudest screams for the most painful shots.

"Alright Den, it's done! With your okay I'll send it to the cops!" Sora called with a grin.

Dennis had gone upstairs to clean up, but hearing Sora call to him, he came downstairs again to look. He raised an eyebrow as he saw the file and he leaned over Sora’s shoulder.

And then he laughed. He laughed ridiculously hard.

“I love it! Oh sweet cakes! You’re perfect! Amazing! Bravo!"

Sora grinned.

"I thought you'd like it! I'll render it and get it sent off anonymously to the police station right away then." He said with a thumbs up.

“Awesome. Don’t forget to clean your prints,” Dennis cooed. He looked up at Kaito and he smirked, seeing as Kaito was still out cold. “Don’t worry. They’ll be here for you eventually.”

Sora nodded.

"You got it!" He said, putting on some gloves. He then removed the tape and cleaned it gently, before sealing it in an envelope for the cops to find it.

"Im off to drop it off in the mail~" Sora called, writing the station's address without a return address and putting a rush delivery on it. They'd probably get it tomorrow at the latest.

“Alright! See you later!” Dennis waved at him before he headed back upstairs. Now he had actual drug dealings to do, but Kaito would be here in the basement, waiting for him to be a perfect stress relief again.

The police were oblivious to the situation with Kaito and Dennis. Yuuto was in his cell just waiting for news on Yuuya. He hadn't seen his brother in a day now and was worried. "Hey, Yuuto? Dr. Sasayama is here to talk to you...come with me." Gauche said, going to lead Yuuto to an interrogation room where they could record their conversation. Yuuto got up immediately and followed Gauche to the room.

Sayaka was there, dressed still in her work clothes, but looking a lot more calm today. She was a little nervous, seeing as she hadn’t talked to Yuto as long as she hadn’t talked to Anna, but she wanted to see how he was going. She waited until Gauche opened the door and she smiled, seeing Yuuto.

“Thank you so much."

Yuuto followed Gauche, surprised for a moment when he realized they were in the interrogation room with Sayaka sitting there instead of a cop. He smiled at her when he did.

"Hey, Sayaka." He said, having a seat across from her.

"Any news on Yuuya?"

Sayaka hoped that Yuuto wouldn’t start on that, but she figured as much. She gave a quiet sigh and nodded, waiting for Gauche to leave. “Yuuya is fine. He’s in a bad state, but he’ll live. The hospital is sedating him, but they’re fixing his organs. It may be a while before he can return."

Yuuto frowned in concern.

"...fixing his organs? What was wrong with them?" Yuuto asked, not liking the sound of that.

“His liver is the main damaged organ, but his lungs have taken a heavy hit too. Some of his organs like his stomach and his liver have been calcified… So his organs there are hard. Really, there’s a heavy wear on his organs due to Yuuya’s heavy use of drugs.” Sayaka said quietly.

Yuuto listened with a grave face. This was serious...why hadn't he fucking noticed this?! His brother couldn't live with calcified organs...he sighed, burying his face in his hands.

"...So it is my fault then..." He said softly, clearly upset about it.

"...dammit. I should've noticed something...should've gotten him help sooner...."

“It’s not… Yuuto… You didn’t know. You were trying to help Yuuya, right?” Sayaka hadn’t been told anything but she figured that was the only reason why Yuuto would do such a thing. “Thankfully he’s getting treatment. You’d be surprised how much they can help him recover."

Yuuto sighed again, feeling awful about this. His brother...he had really almost killed him.

"...ugh...of course...I was just trying to help...I didn't want him trapped in hospital...I wanted to give him a way to live properly with his illness..." Yuuto said. He took a deep breath.

"...yeah...he's getting care now...I just...I hope he's okay...he hates hospitals and hates being sedated even more..."

Sayaka bit her lip. “… Yeah… about the sedation…” She wondered if it was appropriate to tell Yuuto, but as Yuuya’s guardian, he had a right to know. “… He tried to attack people at the hospital, you know. When he was being taken in..."

Yuuto glanced at Sayaka when she started on the sedation and frowned.

"Oh no..." Yuuto said softly.

"...he’s scared. Hes had some really bad experiences in hospital before...I wish I could be there for him this time..."

“The medication you were giving him before was harming him, so we can’t use that. Right now the doctors and a few pharmacists are trying to come up with a safer solution, but in the mean time they’re just sedating him so he doesn’t harm others and himself. He’s almost sedated around the clock to keep his brain from swelling.” Sayaka said, looking at Yuuto.

Yuuto sighed and his expression twisted into sadness.

"....he hates that...he's so...empty when he's sedated like that..." Yuuto said softly, remembering Yuuya telling him what it was like while he was like that.

"...I hope it's soon...I hope they find something soon..." Yuuto prayed they would let Yuuya live again soon.

“I am too. I’m putting a formal request to Ms. Catherine to see if she can offer any insight. So hopefully it’ll only a few months or a year than anything else.”

"A few months to a year...alright." He knew that was a long time, but it was better than the four year failure when Yuuya was a teen.

"...thanks, Sayaka. I knew I could count on you..." he said with a smile.

Sayaka smiled. “I haven’t done much of anything. Just reported back to an old friend, you know? I’m glad they’re giving us a chance to talk, Yuto."

Yuuto smiled back.

"Just that alone helps...I worry for him. Telling me how he's doing is a big help....as is having an old friend to look out for him." Yuuto said.

"Yes, it was nice of them...these officers are kind and considerate people."

Sayaka smiled. “I guess it helps that I’m your doctor, after all.” She wondered if the police were watching them. “I haven’t seen you in… gosh… like it must be fourteen years or something now. Have you kept in touch with anyone? Ruri? I dunno if you recognise Anna.”

Yuuto chuckled.

"It has been awhile...that sounds about right..." He suspected the cops were watching, and he was planning to be careful with his words as a precaution anyway.

"Ah, I haven't been in touch with Ruri in awhile...I lost her number, and she moved to America to pursue medicine...so it was hard to keep track of her." Yuuto said with a small smile. He did miss Ruri. He quirked a brow at the other name though.

"Anna? Who's Anna?" He had honestly not even seen the pink-haired cop and had a chance to recognize his old friend Allen in her features.

“Oh, I’m really glad to hear that,” Sayaka said, “Not that you also lost contact, but that she did end up doing medicine. America is so far too… She’s always been really smart. I could never pick up English as easily as she could,” she laughed. “Oh? Really? I’m surprised. She seems to be always hanging around that large guy whenever I see them. I’m pretty sure they’re on the same team. It’s Kozuki, from high school. We knew him as Allen before? Her name is Anna now."

Yuuto smiled, remembering Ruri fondly.

"I never could either...she was really good at it. Studied hard too...I used to quiz her, so I learned a little." Yuuto mused with a shrug and a chuckle. He frowned.

"...Oh wow..." He said, a little surprised by the news of Allen's transition into a woman, but not upset or disgusted.

"I didn't notice. Usually the large guy and the woman with the purple hair and serious face would be the ones who spoke to me...and I'm pretty sure that woman is named "Droite", not named "Anna", so it's not Kozuki..." Yuuto said.

“Yeah… I hope she’s doing okay. I had hoped you had contact with her but I guess no one does. Finding her would be a pain,” Sayaka said.

“Small. Pink hair now. Trust me. As soon as she opens her mouth, you’ll recognise her. She’s the same person and it’s a little scary how she’s barely changed from high school,” she mused. “I’m going out to dinner with her on Friday. Enthusiastic as ever.”

"I'm sure she is. Ruri's always been strong enough to handle herself." Yuuto said. Plus, he knew Shun would have been flipping out if she wasn't okay. Yuuto nodded, trying to picture the description in his head and smiled at Sayaka's comment on Anna's unchanging personality.

"Maybe I'll see her eventually." He said, before raising a brow.

"So you guys didn't keep in touch either? That's surprising...you two were close."

“Yeah… Ruri all but disappeared off the grid. I guess it was because of the timezones. We did email a lot in the early days when she just moved, but now it’s not really a thing we do. I don’t get replies anymore, so I reckon she’s changed email addresses by now.”

“I’m surprised you two didn’t stay in touch either. You were still dating before I moved. Did you two break up?”

Yuuto nodded.

"Probably...she's busy with classes I'm sure." He said. He sighed.

"Obviously we did...it was...well, complicated. Ruri wanted to go to study medicine, and...I had Yuuya. My mother died shortly after I finished high school, and that meant my other brothers and I had to look after Yuuya. I'm the responsible one, so most of that fell to me...and I didn't want Ruri to give up her dreams to stay with me. So we broke up on mutual terms." Yuuto explained. It was mostly the truth. There was also the developing crush he had on Shun at the time that had sort of driven a wedge between them. After Ruri left, a relationship formed between Yuuto and Shun after he'd started working with Shun as a mercenary for cash to support Yuuya. But Yuuto didn't want to mention that...not while the cops might be listening.

“I’m fairly sure she’d be a graduate by now if she was doing general practice,” Sayaka said. “If she was doing a PhD or something, maybe.”

She listened to what Yuuto said and her smile faltered a little. “Well, I’m glad it wasn’t anything messy. That’s just like you though, Yuuto, sacrificing for other’s sake. Looks like you haven’t changed much either.”

"I think she's going for a PhD...cause she's been in school a long time." Yuuto mused. He sighed.

"...I suppose so, yeah. I lost touch with people from high school, so nobody's really been able to compare the two..." He wasn't sure if Sayaka was entirely accurate...but at the same time, obviously, she wasn't seeing the whole picture. He wasn't going to show all of it to her anyway.

“Maybe the reason why is she’s lecturing. That’d be interesting,” Sayaka laughed. She missed Ruri. She hadn’t heard from her in so long. She hoped to check a social media site when she got home, in the hopes of maybe finding her.

“I’m sure Yuuya will vouch for me when he gets back. You’ve always been kind, Yuuto. No need to be modest.” Sayaka knew that Yuuto was a criminal though, but she wanted to say nice things to him.

Yuuto nodded and smiled.

"She'd be a good lecturer...kind to the students, for sure." He agreed.

"Ah...well, modesty is kinda part of me too y'know..." Yuuto mused, looking away a little. He wasn't used to all the compliments like that. Sayaka had no idea...no idea what he'd done.

Sayaka giggled, though she could see how uncomfortable that Yuuto looked. She knew about his involvement with Yuuya now… but anything else…

“Well, all the same… It’s been nice."

Yuuto blushed a little when Sayaka giggled and bowed his head even more.

"Yeah...this is nice..." He admitted. It was nice to talk to an old friend. He was glad Sayaka was doing well...it was always good to see that his high school friends didn't screw things up like he did.

Meanwhile, Droite was grabbing the mail, pulling out a parcel that had no return address and seemed to contain a disk. She frowned, bringing it back into the room with the team.

"Someone gave us a disk to watch, it looks like...could it be a virus, you think?" She asked, passing it to Ukyou, who was the best with computers and could probably check that it was safe.

Ukyou raised an eyebrow and he looked at the envelope. “No return address and no mail, huh? We’ll see if it is or not.” Ukyou went to one of the older computer rooms, where they kept a computer that wasn’t connected to the network at all. After looking at the disk, he put it into the scanner and he opened it. He frowned as he looked at the file, only seeing a tiny mp4 file. After scanning it over, it seemed there was just the video.

“Huh…” He pressed play and gestured Droite over.

And he froze.

“O-Officer Tenjo?” It was a sick joke or a sick video, because there was Kaito, bound up, being beaten up by the man Dennis Macfield to music, complete with special effects. At first Ukyou thought it was a joke, but as his former superior was bashed, he realised just what was going on.

“Oh my god… That’s sick…”

Droite followed Ukyou into the room and observed over his shoulder. Her eyes also went wide.

"Oh god...." She said. Although the effects suggested that it was fake...the real sounds and the message at the end made it clear it was not.

"...We...we should call Dr. Arclight...he'll know...he'll know if Kaito is okay..." She managed to say after a moment. She didn't want to believe this was real...

Ukyou nodded. Immediately he pulled his phone out and began to dial Chris’ number, and he held it to his ear. “Come on… pick up.”

Chris was at work and he picked up the phone.

"Hey Ukyou...how're you?"

“Not good, Chris.” He felt bad calling Chris at this time, but he knew this was urgent. “Listen. Do you know where Kaito is?"

"Kaito? He should be at home...why, did something happen?" Chris asked. Droite meanwhile frowned.

"Ukyou, I'm not getting any response from Orbital 7. It's like it's offline..."

“You haven’t seen him?” Ukyou frowned. “… I’ll try his home number. I was just hoping he was out with you. Do you know where he would be if not at home? I need to get in contact with him quickly.”

Chris sighed and shook his head.

"As far as I know, Kaito doesn't go out much...he seems to spend most of his time at home. If he didn't pick up, I'd be surprised...he always answers." Chris mused.

“Right… You saw him before you left for work, right?” Ukyou asked.

"...Well, no...actually I didn't. I assumed he was asleep...his door was closed and the lights were out." Chris said with a frown.

"Last time I saw him was yesterday morning before work..." Now that he thought about it, Kaito hadn't greeted him after work...that was odd.

“Yesterday morning? I see… I suppose that’s normal for the two of you…” Ukyou frowned. “I’ll call the house phone and then talk to Obomi. Maybe she will know. Thanks Chris. Call me back if you hear from him, okay? I’m worried…”

"...He's usually around when I come home too...but occasionally he does things on his own with Orbital...reading and working despite the fact that I tell him not to. These past few days he's been busy with a project...but it's in braille so I can't read any of it." Chris said. He nodded.

"Please do...now you're getting me worried too." He said.

“… I’d like to tell you not to worry, but now I have my doubts. Just take care, alright?” Ukyou wanted to say more, but he was at work. “Hope to see you soon.”

He hung up and shook his head. “… We’ll send someone over to talk to Obomi. See if she knows where Kaito and Orbital 7 are. Otherwise… this is all we have to go on. Was there anything else with this file or that’s it? No coordinates? No demands? Dennis says we have to play by his rules if we want him to live. Is there anything?”

"...Alright. You too, Ukyou." Chris said, before hanging up too and trying not to worry. What had Kaito gotten himself into now?

"I'm calling her now...hopefully she'll pick up." Droite said.

“Hello. This is Obomi. This is the home of Arclight Chris and Tenjo Kaito. Neither of them are home right now. Can I take a message?” The robot beeped.

"Obomi, this is Droite...we were wondering if you knew where Orbital 7 and Kaito had gone? I tried calling Orbital but didn't get a signal..." Droite said, frowning a little as the message confirmed that Kaito wasn't home. This was bad...

Obomi gave another whir. “My honey and Tenjo Kaito have gone to pursue the criminal known as Dennis Macfield. I overheard them when I was cleaning. They have not been home for several hours.”

Droite's face fell.

"...Do you have any idea where they went to look for him? Any idea where to find them?"

“They did not say. I was cleaning. They exited the building and flew off. I did not hear any location given by Tenjo Kaito,” The cleaning bot reported.

Droite sighed.

"Alright, Obomi. Please let us know if you hear anything..." She said, looking at Ukyou.

"...Obomi confirmed that Kaito went after Dennis, but doesn't know where he looked for him."

“… So it is real then. If Kaito is missing, and he went after Dennis… Then we assume the worst.” Ukyou cursed. “Get some of the forensics over here. Droite, isn’t there anything else? Dennis said he wanted something from us. He would have given some information of his demands.”

Droite nodded gravely.

"...Looks like it..." She said. She checked the envelope and found a note that was typed up so there was no handwriting scanning possible.

"....It says that Dennis wants to know who sold him out...and for the police to stop investigating him. He wants to exchange the traitor for Kaito." Droite said.

Ukyou frowned. “Scan it for fingerprints anyway…” He frowned. “Traitor for Kaito? What traitor? We had put only a small team to look for Dennis. Most of us were dealing with the arrests at Sakaki’s residence. What is that supposed to mean?”

“What’s what?” Gauche asked, walking in. “What’s going on?”

"...Maybe he meant whoever told Kaito about him? But nobody did...nothing substantial anyway. We've arrested tons of people with connections to Dennis and none have told us anything major about how to find him..." Droite said. She looked up when Gauche came in.

"...Kaito's in trouble with Dennis MacField...we were sent a video of him being beat up...now we need to try and find him." Droite said solemnly to Gauche.

Gauche’s eyes widened. “What do you mean? Kaito’s being beaten up?” Ukyou nodded and gestured to the computer. Gauche played the tape, but he only got about thirty seconds in before he looked at Droite, eyes wide and filled with horror. “Are you serious? For real? Kaito’s been kidnapped? Where is he?!” “We don’t know, Gauche.” Ukyou sounded tense and he bit his lip. “No one does.” “… Nope. No. Not accepting that! Someone knows. I know exactly who can find him,” Gauche said quickly, storming out of the room.

Droite's eyes widened.

"Gauche, wait! What the hell are you talking about?" She exclaimed, rushing after him because he had the air of someone who was about to do something incredibly reckless. As she followed him, calling after him, she realized where he was going, and what his thought process was.

"Gauche, slow down! Stop!" She cried, worried for Yuuto. She had to admit Gauche had a good idea in talking to Yuuto...but going in hot-headed was a bad idea. Yuuto might help if they calmly explained the situation, not if they jumped him and scared him. He'd already been attacked by Sergey...Droite didn't want Gauche to scare him in a similar way.

Meanwhile, Yuuto and Sayaka both heard the sounds of Gauche storming down the hall and Droite shouting after him. Yuuto frowned.

"What's going on?" He mused.

Gauche took a lot larger strides than Droite, and he was incredibly fit, so he was able to outrun her. There were no thoughts in his mind besides saving Kaito, and making sure that his friend was okay and not disgustingly tortured right that. Even if it was against conduct, he threw open the doors and headed to the interrogation room.

“I have no idea…” Sayaka frowned before she yelled, the interrogation room slamming open. Gauche stomped in and slammed his hands on the table.

“You know where Dennis Macfield is, don’t you?”

Yuuto jumped a little in his seat when the door was banged open and suddenly Gauche was looming over him, slamming his hands on the table. It took him a moment to compose himself.

"...I've already told your coworker what I can about him..." Yuuto said, noticing Droite barge in and frown at Gauche.

"Gauche, this is not protocol. We have to explain the situation calmly and ask for his help. Stop looming over him like that." She said, putting a hand on Gauche's shoulder to pull him off.

Gauche turned back to Droite, not able to yell at Yuuto since his coworker was so quick to pull him back. “I know! But Kaito is in danger! We don’t have time to follow protocol! If it’s so bad, I’ll fire myself after we save his life!”

“Wait? Someone is in danger?” Sayaka asked, looking bewildered at the scene.

Yuuto listened in silent shock. Kaito...oh no. It sounded like Kaito hadn't heeded his warning. Droite frowned.

"Stop it, Gauche...we're short staffed enough as it is. We need you to follow protocol." She said. She sighed.

"...Yes. We were sent a tape of a former coworker of ours being tortured by the drug dealer, Dennis MacField. We fear he's still in trouble, but have no idea where to start looking..." Droite looked at Yuuto.

"...Gauche and I were hoping Yuuto here could give us an idea..."

“Oh no… that’s awful…” Sayaka frowned and looked at Yuuto. She didn’t know about Dennis Macfield and his drugs but it seemed Yuuto did. She wondered just what did he know.

“Not when Kaito is in danger,” Gauche said. He grimaced and ran his fingers through his hair. “Hey doc, I need you to leave… Sorry to cut you short, but we need to talk to Yuuto about this. We need to know where Macfield is so we can save Kaito.”

“Ah… alright. Um… see you soon, Yuuto.”

Yuuto simply stayed silent for the first little while. He was thinking...this was really bad. If Dennis had Kaito where he thought he was...then Kaito would likely die. He did feel bad about that...Kaito was a good person and he'd tried to warn him...but Kaito hadn't listened, clearly. He did want to help...but Dennis could do the same to him...or worse, to Yuuya, who was vulnerable in hospital while sedated.

"...See you soon, Sayaka." Yuuto acknowledged her exit, but then bit his lip. Droite watched him closely as Sayaka left the room. He did look like he knew something...she knew he did. Whether or not it was helpful to Kaito remained to be seen...but anything was better than nothing.

"...Yuuto, Kaito is our friend...we really want to help him. We understand that it's dangerous to share, but if you help us, we'll help you. We'll get you protection...we'll make sure Dennis won't get you too." Droite said. Yuuto bit his lip.

"...if he sent you a tape, it means that your friend is considered valuable enough to be kept alive...if you do what he says, he'll let him go..." Hopefully, Yuuto added silently.

“He’s looking for a traitor that apparently tattled on him. From what the video suggests, he seems convinced that Kaito was sent by us and he was told where to find him by an informant.” Ukyou frowned. “We don’t have a traitor or anything like that? Most of us haven’t even seen Kaito in a while."

Yuuto frowned.

"...Dennis probably is wondering who told Kaito where to find him...like I told you, Dennis deals with clients personally. He knows when they get arrested...he might suspect someone you recently arrested has told on him. Even if you haven't spoken to Kaito in awhile...he's an ex cop...so he'll associate Kaito's presence with yours." Yuuto said. He shook his head.

"...and that all means he's out for blood. If anyone says something now, he won't stop hunting them til they're dead...so...I'm sorry, but I can't help...it's too risky, for both me and for Yuuya..." Yuuto said apologetically.

“He doesn’t have to know you said anything. We’ll just say we tracked him through the video he left behind. Easy peasy. He won’t be able to do much when he’s behind bars,” Gauche growled. He looked at Yuuto.

“You HAVE to do something! You just admitted you knew something! Spit it out!”

Yuuto frowned. "Hes left tapes before and nobody found him...if someone finds him this time he'll know it's me." Yuuto said. He flinched when Gauche yelled. "...I already told you, I can't help you. I'm worried for my brother. Dennis will kill him to hurt me, believe me...." Yuuto said. Meanwhile, Astral was frantic at Takashi's. "Vector, I need you to go back to the station! You need to talk to one of the prisoners there, Sakaki Yuuto...he'll know where I can find Kaito!"

“Yeah? Well we know how Heartland works far more than he does. We’ll figure it out anyway. Damn it. You really can’t tell us anything, can’t you, Dark Duelist?” Gauche said, getting more frustrated.

Vector looked at Astral, about to say something witty when he noticed how horrified Astral look. He moved away from the sleeping Takashi and frowned.

“Tenjo is missing? Ah shit… of course he is.” Vector frowned as he disappeared suddenly, hacking into the police database. He looked around for Yuuto through the cameras and he frowned. With the cops, huh? He wasn’t sure if he should just hop in and not care…

Yuuto shook his head.

"The quickest way would be to give Dennis what he wants...but if that's not possible, then just do what you did when you almost busted him at the docks awhile ago..." Yuuto said. He curled up in his chair, feeling sad that he couldn't help more.

"Can you at least point us in the right direction?" Droite asked. Yuuto shrugged.

"...I don't know where he's held..."

"We'll show you the tape and we'll see..." Ukyou said, before he noted that there was an unknown presence that the computer was picking up.

"...were being watched..." he said in surprise.

“We will. Just tell us where he is now. We don’t have the resources to find out where he is so quickly.” Gauche said. He was about to say more when he heard Ukyou. “What do you mean watched?”

“Oh man, you amped up security? Shit, that means you probably could switch the cameras off if you want to. Don’t do that. I need to talk with Sakaki here.”

“VECTOR!” Gauche yelled, jumping back as Vector appeared, sitting cross legged on the table.

“Relax, big guy. It’s just your friendly ghost here. I’m here to help.” Vector grinned, remembering his master’s old companions.

Yuuto's eyes widened when he saw Vector appear again.

"...it's you..." he said, surprised to see Vector again.

"What the hell are you doing here? How do you keep coming here?"

“The one and only. I do magic but I don’t do autographs.” Vector looked at Yuuto and winked. However, he frowned immediately after. “Look… the eyes behind me saw what happened to Kaito Tenjo… And I need you to save him…” Vector looked serious. “I’m here to convince you to help the cops… Kaito had his reasons for going after Dennis… But he’s going to die. You know that and I know that. Please…”

Yuuto watched Vector. So it was Astral...he frowned.

"...You..." he sighed.

"...So even you can't find him..." Yuuto murmured.

“I didn’t try, but since Kaito disappeared, the guy behind the curtain has been desperately searching. He can’t get a lead on him.” Vector sighed. “But he… Between you, me and the rest of the cops in the room, he looked messed up. I bet he saw Kaito too. He knows how fucked up he is...”

Yuuto bit his lip.

"I can imagine..." he said softly. He took a deep breath then looked at the cops.

"...I...I want to help...but please...Dennis can't get even a chance to hurt Yuuya..." Yuuto pleaded with the cops.

Droite wondered why Yuuto had relented to Vector begging, and wondered if it had to do with the mystery man they had been talking about. So Yuuto knew something about this then… And someone who cared about Kaito a lot. She wondered if it was Astral. Even if Kaito had been heartbroken, maybe Astral was stalking him and still did have feelings…

“We promise. We promise Yuuya will be safe.” Droite said. “You just have to help us.”

Yuuto sighed, rubbing his hands through his hair.

"...I...I think...he's with...Sora. Sora Shiunin...he owns a candy shop where he sells regular candy and drugs in the back...hes a close contact of Dennis'..."

“Sora Shiunin? Do you know where this candy shop is?” Droite asked.

Yuuto nodded, swallowing.

"It's..in the Spade District...hard to miss, cause it has neon signs..." Yuuto said.

"...If you go...you have to get Dennis too...that's the only way it'll be safe...for me and Yuuya..." He murmured.

“Alright… We’ll do it then.” Droite said. She looked at Gauche. “Get Ukyou. We need to get one team to make sure he’s in and the rest of whoever we can round up to swarm the place. And we need protective equipment. We’re not having an incident like last time we faced Macfield…”

"And that's my cue to leave~ the one behind my eyes thanks you, Yuuto~" Vector said, disappearing as suddenly as he'd appeared. And in truth, Astral was relieved. He kept watching through the cameras for what the cops were doing.

Yuuto sighed.

"...at least I can keep one relationship together..." he mused softly to himself. Astral would be grateful, he knew...he hoped Kaito would be okay.

“… You were convinced easily,” Droite said. She looked at Yuuto for a moment, the look on her face saying they would talk.

“Right… We need details. So this candy shop, right? Will he be in it? Or around the area?” Gauche asked.

Yuuto sighed. He'd opened a can of worms and he knew it.

"...I guess..." He said softly.

"Behind it, most likely...the candy shop's back door goes into a house, and Dennis keeps guys in the basement...that's probably where your friend is..."

“Alright… seems standard enough. We’ll go prep.” Gauche walked over to Yuuto and helped him up to escort him back to his cell. Droite kept staring at Yuuto, but without another word, she turned heel, heading for Ukyou to report to him what they had heard.

Yuuto sighed.

"...Alright." He said softly. He saw Droite marching towards him and paused, preparing to get grilled.

Yuuto was brought by Gauche back to his cell where he could only pray that he made the right decision.

Ukyou looked up at Droite.

"Surprising that he gave in so quick once Vector showed up isn't it? He must know who's behind Vector's model's eyes..." he mused.

Droite looked at their superior, glad he had been watching outside the interrogation room the whole time so she didn’t have to relay everything. She nodded to him.

“Yeah… Could be that copycat hacker, or actually Astral. It’s interesting, isn’t it?” Droite frowned. “I’ll ask the other teams to try and work on that lead while we go after Macfield. … We are going after him, right sir?”

"Absolutely...but in consideration for Yuuto and Yuuya's safety, we should proceed cautiously. He seemed legitimately scared of Dennis' retribution." Ukyou said.

"And of course, we don't want to lose anyone else."

“Of course, sir.” Droite nodded. She looked at Ukyou, worried mostly for his sake in case this mission went wrong. She asked because this was an incredible risk to her superior’s job. If there were any casualties…

“Then I’ll start mobilising units. Let me know if you need anything else.”

Ukyou nodded.

"Please do. Thank you, Droite." He said, knowing full well what the risks were.

As the cops sprung into action, preparing to make an attack on the candy shop, Astral and Vector continued to watch from the safety of the cameras. Even though Vector had dropped his physical form, he had been still collecting data in the main room. The AI gave a frown as he reappeared next to Astral back in Takashi’s house, arms crossed. As expected, Astral was still in front of the computer, looking shaken and scared. “I knew it was bad, but yeesh… You’d think blondie would pick an easier target in his old age. So what now?"

Astral has been listening as well and sighed.

"I need to see him...to make sure he's okay. His friends are about to risk their lives to go after Dennis for him...I need to make sure they're safe. We should scope out that candy shop first...or really, you will. You're a hologram. They can't hurt you."

“Nothing about my rights, huh? Not asking me nicely?” Vector smirked at Astral but it faded and he gave a sigh. He ran his fingers through his hair. “I suppose I could do recon for you. Make sure if Macfield is there. Because if I was Macfield, I’d make myself scarce in case their tattletale robbed on him, which he did.” Vector shook his head. “You’ll need a projector though. I can’t go in areas that don’t have projectors, and in the Spade District, there’s no way they’ll have cameras that’ll allow me to snoop.”

Astral nodded.

"I'm glad you will help...I'm grateful." He said with a small smile.

"That is why I hacked Obomi....she is coming here right now. I also heard that you were working on portable hologram projectors...this is a good opportunity to test them. Give them to Obomi and then she will place them in the candy shop and you will be able to see."

“Ohhh? So that’s what you’ve been doing while I was gone. I’m surprised you weren’t just worrying your pretty head off.” Vector smirked at Astral. “Ah, you found that in my programming, huh? Vector always told me to keep those a secret. I’ll go get them. Then we can setoff. Hopefully Obomi can get to the Spade District faster than the cops can get their act together. I really hope she can. Watching Trashbots on the bus is always hilarious.” Vector grinned as he disappeared, heading quickly to Takashi’s room. He paused, seeing the man on the bed.

“Hey… you okay?”

"I am sure she can...the police are trying to be cautious here. It may take some time before they decide to act." Astral said, seeing Obomi on the bus.

"She will be here soon!" He called to Vector as he left.

Meanwhile, Takashi was lying in bed with a sad expression.

"...Oh I um...I kind of overheard..." He said, looking at Vector.

"...Is Kaito okay? He's not...going to die, is he...?" Takashi was truly worried about losing anyone else he was close to. He never wanted to feel so hopeless like when Vector had died ever again...

Vector blinked, hearing Takashi had heard the entire conversation. Then again, Astral had been loud back when he was crying out for Kaito… Takashi had always been bright. He must have figured it out. Vector walked over and he kissed Takashi on the forehead.

“Kaito’s dealt with big fish before. He’ll be fine. Really bruised and battered, but nothing he won’t limp away from,” Vector smiled gently at Takashi. “Besides. There’s no way he’s gonna die. Not when Astral and I are working on it.” He opened one of the dresser drawers and pulled out a few spheres. “Relax, okay?"

Takashi smiled a little when Vector kissed his head.

"...Yeah, that's true..." Takashi had to admit Kaito was tough.

"...alright. Good luck."

“Hey, it’ll be no problem.” Vector smiled. It faltered though. “… You sure you’re okay? I mean… I understand you’re down but you seem… more so than usual."

"...I don't know..." Takashi said.

"...I guess I'm just thinking...my friends are worried about me, and what if they're right? What if...I'm still crazy...Tokunosuke and Thomas are both always so surprised to see how I'm coping....is it wrong?" Takashi sighed.

“You’re not crazy, Takashi,” Vector frowned. He calculated the expected time of arrival for Obomi and figured he had a few moments to sit down next to Takashi. “For one thing, crazy people don’t know they’re crazy, and if you’re somewhat aware,it means you’re not. You’ve made amazing progress. You’re not hallucinating or anything. You’re looking a ton better. It’s just progress is slow, that’s all..."

Takashi listened and sighed.

"...But when Tokunosuke and Thomas look at me, I feel like they don't...they don't see it...or they don't understand..." Takashi said, holding the hologram of Vector close when he sat next to him.

"I suppose...I just wish it were faster...or at least that they would see it that way..."

“Of course they don’t. They’re not the sick ones, are they? They don’t know what it’s like. Trust me… You’re fine as far as I can see.” Vector hugged Takashi back.

“Well… what would change if it was faster?"

Takashi nuzzled into Vector when the other held him. He appreciated the comfort.

"...Maybe they'd see it too, like you do..." Takashi murmured.

“If everyone saw things like I did… Well it’d be terrible but they’d seem less stupid.” Vector kissed Takashi’s forehead. “If it bothers you, we can work on things. Later though. We still got a Tenjo to save."

Takashi chuckled a little as Vector spoke.

"Yeah, that would be a bit scary..." He mused. He smiled as Vector kissed his forehead.

"...Okay. We'll talk later...after you help Kaito." He said.

Vector smiled. “We’ll talk later, okay. I’ll be back.” With the projectors at hand, Vector got up and walked to Astral’s room. He was worried about Takashi, but he figured he’d be fine.

“Yo. Obomi here yet?"

"She just got here." Astral said, letting the trashbot into the door.

"Baka, Vector. Baka." Obomi beeped.

“Say that again and I’ll fucking wipe your memories, trashbot,” Vector said with a smile. He walked up to Astral and handed him the projectors. “You reckon they’ll work? I was brilliant, but I was pretty sick. I dunno if I would have finished them if I had only just finished the program to make me."

Obomi simply beeped. Astral nodded.

"We can test it quickly if you want..." He said, taking one.

"Try and project yourself through it."

Vector nodded. He closed his eyes for the dramatic effect and switched the output, moving to the signal from the spheres. In a moment, he was projecting outwards. Immediately, he kicked Obomi, watching his foot go through her.

“We’re all good."

Astral watched the transition and smiled.

"Good. Then we can start." He handed the spheres to Obomi so it could store them.

"I'll send Obomi off now."

Vector nodded and saluted to him. “Alright. I’ll see you there, Astral. See if you can get to Orbital anyway…"

Astral nodded.

"I will try...but I suspect Orbital 7 has been destroyed..." He was sad by that. He'd seen someone crush Orbital's camera and the fact that it was offline wasn't a good sign either.

Astral navigated Obomi to the Spade District slowly. No one was really suspicious of a trash-bot, thankfully. He eventually got Obomi to release Vector's portable holographic projectors.

"Alright...you're by the shop"

Vector nodded. The man looked around and made sure no one was around and he reappeared in the alleyway. He looked around and headed towards the shop, wanting to have a look around.

Astral was watching through Vector, practically holding his breath as the hologram approached. He needed to make sure Kaito was okay...hopefully Vector could find him.

Luckily for Vector, Sora's shop was closed for the time being and the shop-keeper was in the back doing inventory for the night. He was a decent businessman, so he had to keep track of what he sold and what he needed more of...especially those things he was guilty of snacking on.

"...I didn't sell that many swirly lollipops...I should really cut back..." He mused, unwrapping one and sticking it in his mouth happily.

"But they're so gooooood~"

Vector was quiet as he let Obomi project him into the store. He looked around for a camera to hack into but didn’t find one connected to the network. He sent a message to Astral to move Obomi around and he looked for entrances, feeling lucky there wouldn’t be too man on a candy shop. One at the front and back, he presumed.

Astral got the message and moved Obomi so Vector could have greater range. He saw the front entrance, which had a closed sign on it, and decided he could move around the back to see if there was an entrance back there. He assumed both would be locked...but Vector's little portable holograms could get in there, he assumed, if they were slipped under one of the doors.

"Should I put one of the holographic projectors under the door so you can see inside?"

“Yup. Just stuff it under there or through the keyhole. Careful. It’s very delicate.” Vector said. He walked along the perimeter and frowned. “Hmm..."

"Sure...I will be careful." Astal said, getting Obomi to gently place the projector through the keyhole on the backdoor.

"There...it's ready."

Vector nodded. He switched frequencies again and hopped into the next projector. There, he quietly manifested in the room to give Astral a visual, and he looked around, hoping to find more doors or at least a security camera.

Astral looked through Vector's eyes and frowned.

"...I see a security camera, but it may not be connected to a network..." Astral mused, noting it in the corner.

"...There is also another door aside from the front one...that may be where Kaito is..." And of course there was no sign of the owner.

“… Mmm… I can’t get in there. I’d check but there’s no way to project me in. I’ll look around but seems like the exits are all relatively straightforward. The backdoor, front door and… that door. It might lead to a basement or a passageway. You reckon you can hack and find the original blueprints?"

"I'll look for them." Astral said.

"Look for places that might be escape routes or ways in which the cops can get in. We want them to catch these people."

“Alright… I’ll go deeper in. I’m gonna spy on the loud idiot with the candy. So I’m gonna be quiet.” Vector grinned and headed off.

"Sounds good. I can see what you do...I'll see if I can find a way to let you project into the door you can't get through...that's probably where Kaito is." Astral said, driving Obomi around the house to see if there was a clearer way inside.

Sora was still eating candy and counting his inventory happily.

"Mm...maybe I should check on the prisoner when I'm done...Dennis won't notice if I throw a couple of punches at him." Sora mused. He always felt like he needed to burn off excess energy when he ate too much candy.

Vector grinned. Well that was just convenient. He switched off his hologram form but stayed online so he could look through the small sphere. Thankfully, he could diver the sphere to some extent, and he began to move it towards Sora.

“Thank god the real me was a genius and he did this right,” Vector smirked.

Sora didn't notice anything odd in the shop, since the sphere was so tiny and virtually silent. His candy wrappers were making more noise than it. Astral smiled.

"And Sora basically confirmed he knows where Kaito is...if we follow him, he'll lead us to Kaito." Astral mused.

Sora put away his inventory list and smiled, eating his candy as he headed out of the back and towards the door Vector couldn't get to on his own. He still didn't notice the tiny ball following him.

Vector sent a message to Astral. “Secret Tunnel : D” And with that the sphere followed Sora down to the back, recording the surroundings. “I bet I’m breaking so many privacy laws rn. You reckon Kaito was aware of that before?”

Astral smiled and got Obomi away in case Sora might spot her. He shrugged.

"I am not sure...but knowing Kaito, he may not care." Astral mused.

Sora led them down the passage and into the basement where Kaito was strung up.

"Hey, You awake? Wakey-wakey!" Sora called. Astral gasped.

"...Kaito...he looks even worse in person...."

“So the candy shop goes to a basement. I bet this isn’t even on the same grounds as the candy shop. We may be under a house.” Vector looked around and spotted the stairs. “Yeah… there we go.”

He focused his attention on Kaito to get Astral a clear shot. Orbital was scrap metal in the corner while Kaito was there, groaning still in pain.

“Get away…” He groaned.

Astral frowned as he spotted Orbital. The poor robot had been destroyed completely....it looked brutal. Astral drew his attention to Kaito, relieved that he was alive still.

"...Kaito...hang in there..." he said softly. Sora smirked.

"I don't think so! Dennis got to get stress relief but I got nothing yet! So it's my turn!" He said, kicking Kaito with a laugh.

Kaito hissed loudly as he was kicked in the stomach and he looked up to Sora. He crumpled in on himself, wishing he had use of his arms. “The cops will get me… They won’t give into your demands either…”

Vector frowned. “Astral. Use Obomi to pinpoint my location. See if you can narrow which house we’re under."

Sora chuckled.

"That's what they all say~ Believe it all you want if it makes you feel better, but it's a lie...nobody's gonna help you." He mused, punching Kaito in the gut.

"On it." Astral said, finding the gps location easily enough.

"I found it...the passage goes under the house directly behind the shop. I'll see if Obomi will scout out the other entrances."

Kaito coughed again, feeling his heart and throat hurt from the punch. He hissed as he stared up at Sora with blank eyes. “It’s not even been a day. Give it time…” He knew he shouldn’t talk to aggravate his attacker, but Kaito did not want to stand down at all. He wanted to prove he could handle this… “Alright. Tell me when you push another of those balls in. I’ll sync up to that camera when it’s online. Get ready to send this to Ukyou. We dunno how much time we have before the cops are organised."

Astral nodded, wincing when Kaito was hit once again. Sora just laughed.

"You're a funny one aren't you? You don't have time, don't you see? Even if you do run, we'll just hunt you down again!" Sora said, slugging Kaito again with a sadistic grin.

"I put another in...I'm ready to send the footage to Ukyou too." Astral said, opening another window to the police station again.

Kaito coughed again as he was punched in the face, and there was a crack. Kaito hissed, breathing hard, his eyes drooping again from the force. “Fuck… You…”

“Alright.” The AI rerouted the processors to the new sphere. “This is working nicely. We got a few places here in this house that are open-ended… I don’t see Dennis though."

"I hope that means he hasn't already bailed..." Astral murmured, eyes glued to Kaito and wishing he could help...Vector wasn't Solid Vision here. If he made himself visible, he'd only be a hologram...and it would likely tip Sora off that the cops were coming. He couldn't let that happen.

"I'll look for him from the outside...you try and see if he's inside." Astral said, forcing himself to turn his attention back to Obomi to drive her around, searching for signs of Dennis either leaving or arriving.

“Alright.” Vector realised Obomi had literally dropped this sphere outside at the front door. He drove the spying tool around, looking at the rather modest, two-storey house. It seemed like the sort of place Takashi and he would have lived in if drug dealers didn’t infest it. “I can’t get upstairs, but that should be fine. I’m seeing like four exits on the ground floor not including windows. Dennis may not be home.”

"I see no signs from outside of him being here...there are no cars. It may just be Sora..." Astral said.

“Well… Ordinarily I’d say wait it out… but then Kaito might die. Maybe they can extract Sora and get Kaito out quick and wait for Dennis… keep everything on the hush...”

"...I don't want Kaito to die...but I also do not want Yuuto in trouble. If word goes back that he is the one who told...Dennis might kill him." Astral mused, pondering his options. He knew that Yuuto was currently with the police and safe presumably...he sighed.

"I'll see if that's possible. I'm going to send this to Ukyou...see if your idea is possible..."

“Right… You want to get him out asap since he’s literally being bashed… but maybe we can lay a trap. Good luck Astral."

Astral nodded.

"Yeah...I'll send the information to the police and see what they can do..." he sent a live feed of the Vector model's images to the cops. He hoped they'd be able to do something about this.

Ukyou had been ready to go, having spent a few hours mobilising the few units they had. He already had a scout searching the area, in order to avoid the same incident as last time. Every last man had been armed and secured with protective equipment. They just had to be careful it wasn’t a trap and then go save Kaito.

He was reading emails on his computer when he suddenly got an email from an anonymous source. He almost deleted it, until he realised that it was an email on his work email, and the subject matter was Kaito Tenjo. Figuring it was from Dennis somehow, Ukyou downloaded the attached file and and went to the secure computer.

“What…” Ukyou frowned as he looked at the plans and the video footage. “… This doesn’t seem the same..."

Astral could see that his email had been opened and immediately began changing the footage around to show that it was life. He showed the Vector model briefly entering the building so that Ukyou would guess who has sent it and know it wasn't Dennis. He showed Sora beating Kaito in real time and also made sure to highlight the secret entrances and exits to get to where he was.

Ukyou was surprised to find the video file was actually a port, attaching the secure computer to the live streaming feed. He frowned as he watched it in real time, seeing Vector there. He paused for a long moment before he grabbed his phone and called Droite.

“We have new information regarding Kaito. We’ll organise them now. There are a few more exits and a narrower area to cover. Get ready."

Droite nodded.

"Yes sir. We're ready when you are." She wanted to save their old boss as much as he did.

"Where did you get the new information?"

“The man behind Vector, it seems. He seems as intent on saving Kaito as we are.” Ukyou said. “I’m watching the livestream provided now. He’s being beaten up by whom I can only assume is Shiunin."

"A livestream? So he's filming Shiunin without him knowing?" Droite said in surprise.

"Are we sure it's not a trap?"

“It looks like it. It’s not Orbital 7 and the thing is turning in 360 degrees. They don’t seem to have noticed us.” Ukyou frowned.

“Honestly, I’m not sure, but it certainly doesn’t seem so. Though if Macfield has control of Vector, then we’re already doomed. He can get into the police station and he can alter our files. We just have to go in this and try have no one die.” Ukyou didn’t want to take the risk, especially when he still felt responsible for all of his colleague’s deaths, but he knew he couldn’t do nothing.

"...that's true...I certainly hope it's not a trap, but if we don't go, Kaito dies..." Droite said.

"We're ready to go either way...we have to take the chance to save Kaito."

“Alright. I’ll brief you and then I’ll put a proper announcement,” Ukyou knew that the Heartland Police owed Kaito so much. It would be wrong if they didn’t even try. “Alright… so we know the address of the candy shop. The house behind the store is this one…” Ukyou said, getting up and heading off to meet with the other cops. Hopefully they would plan this properly and save Kaito… he looked even worse now. The longer they waited, the closer Kaito inched towards death.

Droite nodded.

"Roger that. I'll make sure everyone gets it." Droite said. She looked over the plans.

"...whoever is driving Vector here is really being thorough. These plans are quite detailed..."

“Yeah…” Ukyou said. “… We’ll hopefully find out who that one is too, but that’s for later."

"That's right. We've got to make sure we get Kaito out and get Dennis for now." Droite said.

"The squads are briefed...let's get going."

“Alright.” Ukyou headed to his car where he saw the main part of the squad. He nodded to the group. “Let’s go then!” He announced, before he headed in.

“Hang on, Kaito… we’re coming…”

Astral saw the cops leave through the camera and was relieved.

"Vector, they're on their way...be sure to get out of sight of them when they arrive, but follow Sora's movement so they will catch him."

“Yeah yeah. He can’t see me because I’m driving this little ball. I’ll hide them all on Orbital 7 so the police can get them out of that dump. I’ll do my best to tail Sora but if he goes upstairs I can’t follow him. Note to us for later: implement a feature so that I’m not defeated by stairs. I should totally make this drone tech, shouldn't I?”

Astral nodded.

"Sounds good. They will definitely salvage Orbital...they may even assume that the balls are parts of Orbital." Astral said. He sighed.

"That is up to you....we will see what we can do after Kaito is safe."

“Yeah. Who knows what actually goes in that bucket of bolts. Honestly, after me, Orbital is probably the most sophisticated robot I’ve ever met.” Vector said.

“Hey, let me cheer you up, Astral. The police are here. By the way, you should try make Obomi scarce. Don’t have this linked to anyone, you know? I don’t think Kaito can cope without any robotic assistance.”

"Yes, Orbital was very sophisticated..." Astral said with a sad smile. Kaito wouldn't like to see that it was broken....

"Of course. I'm moving her away now." Astral said, steering Obomi away from the house and into a hiding spot. He didn't want to be connected to Kaito anymore than he already was.

At least Kaito couldn’t see it, even if he wanted to.

“Alright… so Sora is still beating Kaito up… And he’s brought out a crowbar…” Vector grimaced. “I’ll get comfortable. I don’t think he’s going anywhere.”

Astral frowned.

"...Is there any way to deter him? I really don't want Kaito to be hurt much more..."

“I can appear and ask him to stand down? But I don’t know if that will give the game away…” Vector frowned. “Realistically, we should wait…”

Astral bit his lip.

"....You're right...I am just worried..." He said, watching Kaito in slight anxiety. He hoped the cops would arrive soon.

“I know… I’ll step in if it looks like he’ll die but… Yeah… We have to wait…” Vector looked up. “I think I hear them though."

Sora had been about to hit Kaito with a crowbar when he heard the same sound Vector heard. He frowned.

"Wasn't expecting guests..." He mused. He headed upstairs slowly, peaking out the window. His eyes widened when he saw the cops approaching his door.

"Shit!" Sora exclaimed, rushing down to the basement. He immediately grabbed the crowbar, heading towards Kaito.

"Looks like it's your lucky day! I get to kill you before your friends find out what you know!" Sora said, holding the crowbar up in preparation to cut kill Kaito.

“Or you die first, Shiunin!” Vector said, suddenly forcing himself to manifest. He wasn’t sure what to do in this situation and he wasn’t sure what Sora would react with, so he did what Vector would do. “Drop the crowbar, bastard!"

Sora smirked as he approached Kaito but then jumped a little when he heard Vector suddenly scream out to him out of nowhere.

"What the?!" He exclaimed, whirling on Vector with wide eyes.

"...Wha...Vector?!" He was shocked. He thought Vector was dead! And he had no way of knowing that it was a hologram...Vector's replica looked entirely realistic. As far as he knew, the ghost of Vector was haunting him.

Before he could react much more, he heard the sound of the door breaking in upstairs. The police were beginning their raid on his house...

"Shit!" Sora swung the crowbar at Vector to get him to back off before taking off into a secret passage that Vector had already catalogued for the cops. He needed to get away and fast!

Vector grinned mischievously and he stepped back to “dodge” the crowbar. He grinned as he saw Sora head down the path, and he followed after him, just enough to make sure that Sora kept going to right way.

“Almost out, Kaito. Relax."

Kaito groaned. He'd heard the exchange and had wondered what was going on.

"...Vector...what...what're you doing here..." he said softly in a hoarse voice. He knew of the AI So he wasn't too surprised by its existence, just that it was there.

Meanwhile, Sora ducked through the secret passage, winding his way through it and towards where he thought was safety. He stepped out at the end and right into a police barricade.

"Shiunin Sora, put your hands up! Stay where you are!" The cops trained their weapons on him and Sora had nowhere to go...cursing he surrendered to them almost immediately.

Vector winked and he grinned at Kaito. “Shhh… Save your breath, blondie. I’m here to save the day. Get comfortable, alright? The police are gonna get you.” Vector almost disappeared but he paused and looked at Kaito.

“… Got something to say to Astral? He’s watching. He’s the one who fetched me and basically saved your ass.”

Kaito couldn't see the wink or grin, but he could practically hear both with his obvious Vector was being. He mustered up the best deadpan glare he could manage and hoped it was aimed correctly.

"...how did they find me? How did...you find me?" Kaito asked. He knew the cops were fast but not that fast. Had Astral tracked him? He wanted to know what was going on...

“It’s a mix of things. Orbital 7 for one. Astral was lucky and he hooked onto Orbital 7’s signal and figured you were missing long before you were legally missing. Between you and me, I think Orbital 7 was sending a distress signal but it was corrupted… But that’s just my theory, really. Anyway, Astral got the message, had Obomi ready to go and I paid a visit to our good friend Sakaki. The cops did too, especially since Dennis was kind enough to end them a ransom video.”

"...Orbital..." Kaito said softly. He remembered the sound of Sora breaking his robot companion. The thought did make him sad.

"...you...showed yourself to the cops, Vector...really?" He murmured. This was bad...they would tie Yuuto and him together potentially, or worse, Astral and him...he didn't want his boyfriend in danger...

"...keep...yourself safe...Astral..." Kaito said softly. Astral listened.

"...I will if you will...please...please don't do something like this again, Kaito..." Astral spoke with teary eyes. The cops were coming downstairs.

"...Vector...you need to hide. They are here."

“Look. We didn’t have much of a choice. There was no time for me to 3D render a new disguise, but that’s on the ‘to-do list’.” Vector sighed and shook his head. “Yuuto needed to talk otherwise you were going to die. Astral also tells me to tell you to never pull this shit again”

Vector frowned and glanced behind him. “I’m out.” And with that, he switched off the projector, leaving the cops to retrieve the beaten police officer. Vector sighed as he reappeared next to Astral. “We can send Takashi to check on him when he’s in hospital. Him or Yuma. It’ll be okay.”

Kaito listened and sighed softly. He supposed he owed both Yuuto and Astral that...they both had told him this was a bad idea.

"...wait..." Kaito tried to say, but Vector was gone. Seconds later Gauche was barrelling down the stairs.

"Kaito! We found him!" Gauche called, checking the room was clear before heading over to get his friend.

"Hang in there, Kaito...you're safe now. We'll get you out of here..." He said, setting to work on removing the shackles as gently as possible.

Astral nodded.

"...I will get Yuuma to see him...It would be less suspicious...fewer links to finding me..." Astral said, relieved that the cops had found Kaito. Satisfied that the job was done, he began driving Obomi home.

Kaito gave tired groan as he slumped forward. With the lock pick Gauche had been provided, he came out easily and fell forward in a heap. He winced tiredly, doing his best to try and stay awake.

“Mghh…” Kaito gave a tired groan. “I… Ngh…”

“Easy…” Anna frowned. “We gotcha.”

"It's okay, Kaito...don't talk, just relax. We got an ambulance upstairs." Gauche said, helping Anna hold Kaito.

"The house is clear, we can send in the medical team now." Gauche said through his walkie-talkie.

“House is clear? So Macfield isn’t there,” Droite responded, pursing her lips. “Paramedics have been deployed. Are you sure there’s no sign of Macfield at all?”

"We didn't see him, Droite...we checked all the passageways. No sign he was even here..." Gauche said, knowing that was bad news. He let the paramedics in so they could tend to Kaito, loading him on a stretcher so they could take him to hospital.

“I have teams checking the main house. They’re looking for traces of him now. See if we can get Shiunin to tattle on Macfield. If he’s coming back, we want to make ourselves scarce." Droite said. She walked towards the house and frowned.

"We gonna wait him out? See if he'll come back so we can get him?" Gauche asked.

"Were sending Kaito up now...you ready for him?"

“If Shiunin confirms it or Ukyou does. Ukyou is inside leading the house team through. They’re looking for traces of Macfield to make sure he’s coming back.” Droite motioned for her few officers to go and hold the passage doors open.

“Yeah. We’re ready. We’ve cleared the way for the paramedics. They can get out now."

"I hope they find him..." Gauche said with a frown. It would be bad if Dennis got away again.

"Gotcha. We're sending him up." He said, nodding to the paramedics who began bringing Kaito up to the door Droite had specified.

Droite watched Kaito get carried up and towards the hospital, catching a glimpse. She grimaced, seeing how much worse Kaito was from the short time that they hadn’t seen him. Kaito had passed out, but he was breathing as the ambulance took him in and then sped off. The woman sighed. “Droite? It’s Ukyou. I found some of Dennis’ stash upstairs. But bad news… The Devil’s Breath isn’t here. Either he’s sold it or he’s taken his valuables and left.” Ukyou frowned. “Damn it… really? I’ll tell the squad not to break perimeter. He could still be here."

Droite was right. Dennis was indeed still out there. The cops continued searching around his drug storage home, getting in deep to see if he was hiding somewhere.

They didn't know he was deep inside something else. Another person, in fact.

"Yuri..." he groaned, fucking the politician hard into the bed in Yuri's apartment, miles away from the drug bust. He'd known it was coming thanks to a tip off from Yuri'a cop contact and had come right to his place with his most valuable drugs to get his mind off of things. Thankfully, Yuri was in a good mood and more than willing to provide Dennis with some stress relief. It was much appreciated.

Yuri was in a fantastic mood. He had been given rights to visit Yuya in hospital, and had been doing so all week. It did pain him to see is brother there, so distant, but it had been wonderful to spend some special bonding time with him. Yuri had been feeling great, with how wonderful his career had been going on top of his brotherly visits, and he was more than happy to let Dennis ruin his body, to relieve some of the burning desire in his body.

“MghhH! Dennis.” Yuri gripped the back of the couch and dug his heels into the American’s back. “Hahhh~ Dennis~"

Dennis continued pounding hard and fast into Yuri, enjoying the intimacy he so rarely got with Yuri: he knew his lover was just as twisted as he was and would much rather be with one of his brothers. But, they both had needs and were more than happy to provide them for each other at the right times.

"Yuri~!" Dennis moaned louder as Yuri called out to him, always spurred on as an entertainer when he heard his name. It was like the audience begging for more of him...he couldn't ever resist trying to fulfill their greatest wishes. He'd do anything for Yuri just to get that rush again and again...so he gripped Yuri close and shifted his angle, plowing hard into Yuri's sweet spot as best he could while slowly unraveling.

It wasn’t his brothers, but if it couldn’t be Yugo going fast and wild into him, or Yuya or Yuto loving him tenderly, then Dennis would have been Yuri’s next choice, and it was amazing feeling the criminal’s brute strength. Yuri knew just how to press Dennis’ buttons, he knew the exact way to call his name to get that rush of pleasure himself.

“Dennis~ Dennis~ MGhhh! Dennis! More! Damn it more!” Yuri’s free hand practically clawed Dennis and he gave a loud cry. He all but slammed his legs into Dennis’ back as he tossed his head back into the pillows, feeling himself teetering dangerously close to his climax.

Dennis groaned, feeling more aroused every time Yuri screamed his name and clawed his back. He grunted and pounded harder into Yuri. He pushed himself as far as possible, but he couldn't go forever.

"Yuri~ Ngh...Yuri!!!" Dennis cried out, slamming one last time deep into his partner and coming so hard he saw stars. He'd truly spent himself in pleasuring Yuri, and only the politician could push him this far.

“Hahh! Hahh! HahhhH! Dennis!” Yuri cried out as he felt Dennis push into his body, grinding his front against his cock. Yuri felt like he could go more, but his body felt weak suddenly, and the man released messily, and he clung to Dennis like a parasitic leech.

“Oh God… that was good. Better than ever. You should be mad more often…” Yuri panted, closing his eyes, trying to catch his breath.

Dennis practically collapsed onto Yuri, holding him equally close and breathing heavily.

"...and you...should be in a good mood...more often..." he said softly between pants, closing his eyes and nuzzling Yuri close with a gentle smile.

“Ooof…” Yuri groaned as Dennis carelessly flopped on top of him, but instead of pushing him off, the man laughed. “I think I will be from now on. Thinks have been looking up for me after all. I have plans to make it better too.” He hummed happily, reaching up to pet Dennis’ hair, as if the man was no more than an affectionate cat.

Dennis smiled when Yuri pet his hair, glad the man was feeling affectionate today. He really was in a fantastic mood...

"Im glad if it means you'll be this happy..." Dennis mused.

"What are you thinking? Gonna fight Yuuto for custody of Yuuya?" He asked gently.

“Fight means that he has a chance of getting him back,” Yuri hummed, scratching Dennis’ scalp lightly, feeling the red curls bounce between his fingers. “I’m going to take custody away from Yuuto. He’s going to jail, and there’s no way they can justify giving Yuuya to him. Yuugo is my main concern though. I’m far more competent, but he may use my job and the hours I spend away from him as an excuse for me to not get the ownership I deserve.”

Dennis hummed in agreement.

"...you're smarter than Yuugo. All you have to do is say his name wrong in court and they'll deem him too hot-headed." Dennis said, kissing Yuri's neck gently.

"...but Yuuto...are you worried he'll bring up the past? Yuugo would back him up if he did...and Yuuto would help Yuugo get Yuuya...maybe he's not someone to count out just yet..."

"But I can deal with him, if you want...he's ratted me out I hear. You know I don't leave that unpunished..."

“I suppose so. I am fully capable to care for him. Maybe I’ll even take a course and get qualified to do so. I’ll ask my lawyer next time I see them.”

Yuri frowned quietly at the mention of the past. “… Yuuto… He’s always getting in the way. The clever, handsome bastard…” He looked at Dennis, burying his face into his long locks.

“Oh? Well if you could, I’d reward you handsomely. Would you like that? Some revenge and payment? Having Yuuto’s words discredited would be… incredibly useful.”

"Yes, thatd be clever...if anything it shows initiative and dedication..." Dennis said. He smiled.

"I can deal with him however you want...my guys can't stand traitors. They'll break him until there's no way he'd ever be deemed healthy enough to take care of someone else...and of course, make sure he never gets parole. Too many fights won't help him any..." Dennis mused.

"I could even kill him, if you wanted me to...anything you want."

“No.” Yuri’s response was almost immediate. “I don’t want him to die. If he’s imprisoned, beaten, ripped to shreds, I don’t care, but he doesn’t die, understand? I’d like my brother to be alive, no matter what. Understand?” Yuri pulled back from Dennis, making sure the man could see the seriousness in his eyes.

“I’ll let you decide. He betrayed you, after all. However, you need to make sure he doesn’t die. If he kills himself, well too bad, but you and your boys can’t end his life."

Dennis opened his eyes at the seriousness of Yuri's tone. He stared into the other's purple eyes and could see the reminder: he would always be second to the brothers. It was at times like these that he sometimes forgot. He pushed aside the slight jealousy and gently kissed Yuri's nose.

"Im teasing. I know you wouldn't ever let me kill any of your precious brothers. But, if I do beat Yuuto enough...he could be reliant on drugs like Yuuya...and be easier to play with." Dennis mused.

Yuri’s eyes widened at the suggestion and his cheeks went pink at the thought of having both of his brothers under his care. He felt warm at his cock. He grabbed Dennis’ hair and he pulled the man into a kiss, eager and playful. “Then beat him senseless, Dennis. Make him rue the day he crossed you and me,” Yuri breathed, parting their lips for a brief moment before kissing him again.

Dennis smiled at the look on Yuri's face. God he was cute...he loved making Yuri smile like that.

"As you wish..." he said between kisses, holding Yuri close and kissing him passionately, pleased he could make Yuri so excited.

Yuri smirked at those words and kissed him back, rubbing against him, suddenly eager for another round of fucking at the very thought. If Dennis somehow managed to pull it off, Yuri would have two of his brothers. Maybe, dare he think, three if he managed to convince his lover to help him complete his set. Turned on and horny as ever, Yuri flipped them, and began nipping Dennis’ skin.

Dennis could feel himself being turned on again as well as Yuri ground their cocks together deliciously. He moaned softly and kissed Yuri back, letting out a grunt as he was suddenly flipped to his back. He grinned as he kissed and nipped, holding Yuri close and grinding and moaning.

“You never said what you wanted as payment,” Yuri purred as he rolled his hips, trying to prompt Dennis’ erection to fully come out. “Money? Some more help? Or more of this?” He said, a devilish look in his eyes as he worked his body like how his brothers would, moving sensually down Dennis.

Dennis moaned, bucking his hips up to meet Yuri's to continue to grind their bodies together.

"Ah...I...I want you..." Dennis said, kissing and nipping Yuri and writhing as the other pleasures him as well. He wasn't even sure what he was saying exactly...the looks Yuri was giving him and the treating he'd been given was driving him wild

Yuri moaned again, pushing his hips down hard. He could practically see stars in Dennis’ eyes, and it was that sort of attention he loved. Not nearly as much as Dennis, but it was enough to make him straighten up so he could bounce and bob hard on the redhead’s dick. “Good. Ahhh~ Dennis you’re such a good boy~”

Dennis grabbed his lovers hips to help guide him to his straining cock, bucking up in time with Yuri's movements with a loud moan.

"Ah...Yuri~" He felt that same rush when Yuri was saying he enjoyed him. That he was good. That was what he loved to hear and his excitement went straight to his groin and spurred him on.

Yuri ran his hands through his hair as he moved his hips over Dennis’ cock. Then, with little hesitation, he slid back down, moving his body so Dennis could get deep into him. Feeling warm and that rush of heat between his legs, Yuri began to ride Dennis, putting his hands on his shoulders as he moved.

“MmmM~ We’re going to be… ahhh… This plan… Gods… I need it in action soon. The thought of it makes me so… Ahhh~"

Dennis moaned as Yuri shifted so he could push deeper into the man. Craving that warmth, he bucked his hips harder so he could push deeper, wanting to make Yuri go wild.

"...ngh...yea...I'll-start...ah...right away..." Dennis panted out, making a mental note to update Yuri frequently (or whenever he was horny) if it prompted this sort of reaction from the other. The thought of it made him even more excited and he gripped Yuri's hip harder with one hand, the other moving to his lover's dick, stroking and squeezing it, rubbing his fingers over the tip and into the slit as he continued to buck in time with Yuri's rhythm.

“After you’re done with me.” Yuri smirked and a predatory look flashed in his eye. He dug his nails and clawed Dennis’ shoulders, especially as the man grabbed and began to pump his movements, choreographing it perfectly to Yuri’s movements. He gasped out as he felt it and he moved harder, his own erection stiff against Dennis’ hand. “I want to make you scream first, Dennis,” he purred before he angled himself and pushed Dennis’ cock as far up his body as physically possible.

Dennis caught the look, and it made a shiver go down his spine in pure pleasure and expectancy.

"Hng...of course..." He grunted with a smirk. In reality he'd probably have to wait for official action until Yuuto was out of police custody where he could be mostly protected and into prison...but he could certainly spread the word beforehand so Yuuto would be greeted by fists and kicks.

As Yuri moved, pushing Dennis even further into him, Dennis moaned louder.

"God Yuri~!" He cried, pumping and squeezing Yuri's dick harder and faster in response. It felt so, so good...he didn't want to stop. He arched his hips up, trying to get deeper into Yuri and drive the man wild as he was.

Yuri was practically drooling, and he licked his lips seeing the lustful look at the man beneath him. He gave a low moan and he continued to move. As Dennis kept hitting his sweet spot, Yuri felt himself teeter towards the edge, extremely sensitive since they had just finished.

“Dennis! Ahhh~ Ahhhh Dennis!” He cried out, orgasming, though he could feel Dennis was still hard.

Dennis loved how he drove Yuri wild and took pride in that look as an entertainer. He bucked hard into Yuri's sweet spot, relishing Yuri'a scream and orgasm. He didn't last long when the man tightened around him, and Dennis cried out as he orgasmed deep into his partner once again.

"Yuri!"

Yuri had half expected to have Dennis flip him again and fuck him until he came, and admittedly he was a bit disappointed when the other came with him. He supposed it was romantic in a way, but it didn’t have that much of a thrill in it. Still, it was the best thing he had felt in ages, so summoning his strength, he pulled himself off of Dennis’ dick and he laid down on the man’s chest.

“Not bad, Macfield."

Dennis had been hoping to pleasure Yuri more too but had been a little too worn out. He has been super busy after all. He groaned as Yuri pulled out of him and laid down on his chest. He smiled and pet Yuri's hair, holding him close. He sighed. "Not bad yourself..." he said softly. "...I'll execute the plan...as soon as possible...keep you updated..." Dennis said, kissing Yuri gently with a smile.

“I’m top in everything I do,” Yuri said, staring at Dennis’ chest, idly drawing circles wry his index finger. A coy smirk came over his face and he gave a content sigh.

“Good… please. Make sure he barely remembers his own name. I’d like that so very much..."

"You are..." Dennis said, staring at Yuri and petting him gently. He smiled.

"Im all to happy to oblige...when he gets to prison, he'll be entering his worst nightmares."

Yuri smiled and closed his eyes, relishing the thought of having two of his brothers under his care. With the happy thoughts in his head, he curled up for a nice nap, thinking a little about Yuuya and his visit to him in a few hours.

Dennis also drifted into a snooze, stroking Yuri and holding him close, not caring how sticky they both were.

Meanwhile at the Correctional Facility, Yuugi was getting some good news.

"Mutou-san, I think you've progressed enough to allow you some movement without your wheelchair." The physiotherapist said. Yuugi's eyes lit up.

"Really? I won't need it anymore?"

"We'll start with short distances and see how you do, but yes, were weening you off of it." He replied with a smile. Yuugi cheered. He couldn't wait to show Koutei! He let the guards wheel him to lunch, but then asked if he could walk to the table. They allowed it.

Yuugi arrived at lunch, walking over with his tray to Koutei at the table with a huge grin.

"Look, Koutei! I’m walking again!" He said happily. Yes he was still slow, but it was progress!

Koutei had been wondering why he hadn’t seen Mutou at the table first, but whn he saw the man walking towards him, he stared, mouth agape. Then a huge smile split on his face. “Oh wow! Yuugi! That’s great to see!” He exclaimed, looking up. “Wow! I didn’t know you were already ready for that!"

Yuugi grinned equally widely.

"They told me today they're gonna start slow with me walking!" He said happily, approaching the table slowly with a slight limp in his gait, but he sat down at the proper chair without problems.

"Im really glad I've recovered enough for this...the chair gets old after awhile!"

“Hah! I’m glad then. You’ll be running before you know it, you know,” Koutei said. He grinned warmly, practically feeding off the excitement the other man had. “How does it feel, man?"

Yuugi grinned and chuckled.

"I hope so!" He said, definitely excited and happy.

"It feels great...but it is a little tiring still to walk. I'm hoping I get stronger soon." Yuugi said with a smile.

“You will. Like I said, I’m going to help train you so let me know when you’re up for it,” Koutei grinned. “I’m proud of you, Yuugi. You’re so great."

Yuugi nodded. "Thanks! I definitely need to strengthen it." Yuugi said. He blushed a little as Koutei said he was great. "M-me? Well um...I don't think I'm all that great but...thanks..." Yuugi said, smiling shyly. "...you're the great one...you're so kind and helpful and supportive..."

Koutei felt his heart skip a beat as Yuugi smiled like that. It wasn’t his usual smile, but it was gentle and sweet as well. He wanted to cover his mouth in embarrassment but he just grinned back, his cheeks pink. “Well, you are to me too. It’s the least I can do.”

Yuugi smiled, feeling a little warm with how happy he was and how...wow, why did Koutei look so...cute? Yuugi didn't know boys could be so adorable...

"...Im glad you think so...i do try to be..." Yuugi said, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“Everyone sees it, so your efforts have paid off.” On one hand, Koutei was overjoyed that it really did look like that he had a chance with Yuugi, but on the other hand, it was horrible, realising that such a sweet, pure man wasn’t going to have a future except behind bars. Koutei’s smile turned bittersweet and he looked down at his food, taking another bite.

Yuugi smiled brighter.

"Im glad..." he said, but his smile faltered a little when Koutei's did.

"...is something wrong?" He asked, wondering if Koutei had remembered something else or if he was bothered by something.

Koutei looked up again and he paused. “Uhh…” He didn’t want to kill the moment. “Nah. Don’t worry, it’s just a dream I had. Don’t worry about it. You’re fine. It’s just my head.”

Yuugi blinked.

"Oh...well...did you want to talk about it? Was it about my other me?" Yuugi asked, concerned for his friend now. He wanted to help.

Koutei shook his head. “Not really. I’d rather move on. Distract me, Yuugi. Tell me about… um… How’s Raphael?” Koutei grimaced at his awful transition but rolled with it.

Yuugi listened, wondering what Koutei had remembered that was so horrible. He was concerned, but decided he'd respect his friend's wishes for now.

"Alright, I'll try..." Yuugi said. He shrugged.

"I haven't seen or heard from him since I left the hospital...but I'm not surprised. It sounds like he has a lot going on with work, so he probably doesn't have much free time. I do like it when he visits, but I'd never ask him to use up his valuable time off to see me." Yuugi said with a smile. He did mean it, but he could feel a twinge of worry from Yami, and wasn't sure why.

"...I do hope he visits soon though...I want to show him how much better I'm doing now, since the last time I saw him, I couldn't even stand on my own."

“I bet he’ll be around soon. It’s the weekend, right? Even he has to have days off.” Koutei said. “He’ll be psyched to see you up and about to, won’t he?"

Yuugi nodded eagerly.

"That's true! He does, but I'm pretty sure he still works on something on the weekends. He runs charities and orphanages and stuff like that...keeps him busy outside his actual job." Yuugi said. He grinned.

"I know he will be...hes always happy to see me. And I'm sure he'll be happy to hear Yami's getting help for his gambling addiction...Raphael understands that stuff really well so he can offer support and advice too I'm sure."

“Wow, he’s very full on, isn’t he?” Koutei said. “I always said if I had money I’d do something like that, but I don’t think i could do as Raphael. He sounds awesome.”

“Right, Yami is, isn’t he? How’s that going? Is he still forcing his way out at the mention of a game?"

Yuugi nodded.

"Yeah...he really works hard. He's amazing and inspiring." Yuugi agreed.

"I think he's doing a little better...he still gets excited by them. And I think he spends time thinking about what triggers him. He writes in his journal sometimes...but it's in hieroglyphics mostly...I can't rest them as well as he can." Yuugi said with a laugh.

“Hieroglyphs?” Koutei raised an eyebrow. “Like Egyptian Hieroglyphs? I didn’t know that was a legit language you can learn and read. Like I know dead Latin is one thing but… wow."

Yuugi nodded.

"Yeah that's right. And yeah, you can learn it...people have deciphered most of it! The only time Yami uses Japanese or English in the journal is for modern words that don't exist in hieroglyphs..." Yuugi said.

"...Jii-chan taught me some of it...Yami must have picked it up and studied it more, cause he's really good at it."

“Oh that’s pretty cool. I didn’t know that,” Koutei said. “Wow… He sounds fluent. You guys really big on Egypt? Do you have a history there?'

Yuugi nodded, excited to be talking about Egypt.

"He seems to be...at least from what I can tell." Yuugi said with a grin.

"Jii-chan was an amateur archeologist...he told us about his adventures in Egypt all the time and got us hooked on it. And I helped him complete one of his treasures from Egypt...The Millenium Puzzle. It was unsolved for thousands of years...until I put it together. It's a golden pyramid that's upside down and has the eye of Horus on it...." Yuugi said, before pondering something.

"...I'm not sure where it is now. I wish I still had it to show you...it was a memento to Jii-chan..."

“Oh wow, that sounds amazing,” Koutei said, listening to Yuugi, hooked onto his words. A small frown graced his face.

“Maybe Yami knows. If he kept it, then maybe the police or the Correctional Facility have it?”

"It was..." Yuugi said with a sad smile. He shrugged.

"He might...but we weren't arrested with it so I don't think the police have it...I'll have to ask him." Yuugi had also been using the notebook to talk to Yami, writing messages in the margins and letting him reply whenever they switched.

“Then it may be with the guy you were staying with before or something. Ah… who knows. Maybe you can get it back if someone finds it,” Koutei said. Maybe he could go looking for it if he got out of here… Yuugi may find comfort with his situation if he did that.

Yuugi pondered this.

"...Maybe. I hope it's somewhere safe...somewhere I could find when I leave."

“Well… one thing at a time. Ask Yami. See if he knows. Hopefully he did keep it with you for all these years.” Koutei said.

Yuugi nodded.

"Yeah, you're right. Hes bound to know...I'll ask when I get back to my room." Yuugi said, digging into his food happily.

After lunch was over, Mutou was called up to greet a visitor. Yuugi beamed.

"I hope that's Raphael...I'll see you later, Koutei!" Yuugi said, waving to his friend as they split up.

“I bet it is.” Koutei got up as he headed up to do his chores. “I’ll see you later. Tell me how it goes.” The guards helped Yugi back to the wheelchair, and they wheeled him over to the visitor’s room. There, indeed, was Raphael, looking a little tired, but smiling when when he saw Yuugi.

“Hey there, Yuugi. How are you? Sorry I haven’t had a chance to see you."

"I will!" Yuugi called, letting the guards wheel him away. He wanted to surprise Raphael after all. He beamed when he saw him.

"It's alright! I know you're really busy!" Yuugi said, letting the guard stop his chair before standing up and walking over to Raphael.

"Im doing a lot better...I can walk again a little, see?"

Raphael’s eyes widened as he saw the younger man get up, but then he gave a warm smile. He clapped for Yuugi, watching him head over to the seat.

“You’ve improved incredibly. Wow… Last time I saw you, you could barely move. That’s incredible.”

Yuugi chuckled as Raphael clapped, smiling happily as he sat down.

"I know! I've still got a long way to go, but I'm making progress at least. I'm happy!" Yuugi said with a smile.

"It's really good to see you again too! How are things with you?"

“I am as well. It looks like you’re making great use of your time.” Raphael crossed his arms and leaned forward casually, looking a lot more like a friend than he did a huge CEO.

“Things are going well, all things considered. Busy, but well. I’ve talked to my lawyer, got more work done. I just hosted a fundraising event a few days ago, so I’m a little tired, all things considered. Sorry I haven’t visited up until now."

Yuugi nodded happily.

"Yeah, we've been working hard!" He confirmed. He listened.

"Wow...that does sound busy...no wonder you're tired and didn't come visit. But that's okay. I knew you'd be busy so I wasn't expecting one right away." Yuugi said with a smile.

"I have Koutei to entertain me too-" he suddenly cut off when a sudden image of Koutei kissing him (Yami really) entering his head. Yami has certainly found that entertaining. He blushed a little and shook his head.

"...ah...I mean...he's here too, so don't worry about me!" Yuugi said, trying to hide his blush by looking away a little.

“I know, but I want to visit you regularly, you know. It’s nice having someone to talk to casually.” Raphael smiled. It was a bit forward to think that, and he didn’t want to vocalise it, but he really did see Mutou as a friend and he wanted to see him. Being near the other man was always enjoyable. Both Yami and Yuugi were nice to talk to.

He smirked as he saw the blush light up Yuugi’s cheeks and he chuckled. “Oh? Koutei is that friend you mentioned, isn’t he? Seems like you two are a good fit for each other, huh?”

Yuugi nodded. He could sympathize....Raphael probably only talked to people for work, not for fun. That was how Yuugi has been in high school...no friends, but if they were working on a project for school, he might talk to people. He flushed deeper and looked away at Raphael's word choice.

"...yeah...he likes us a lot...he uh...he confessed his love for both of us to Yami...and kissed him."

Raphael quirked an eyebrow and let out a low whistle. “Professed his love, huh? And kissed Yami? Well the reports did say he was smooth, but I didn’t know it was a subconscious charm too.” He chuckled. “Not surprised he fell for you though, Yuugi.”

Yuugi chuckled.

"It took Yami and me by surprise...it wasn't a particularly romantic moment that it happened in..." Yuugi mused. He blushed.

"...I just...im still in disbelief. Hes a really nice guy...he could have anyone, but he wants me. Us, really."

“Is that even allowed in a Correctional Facility?” Raphael said, a little concerned, but glad there was someone out there that could make Yuugi smile that much. It was good someone else was caring for him.

“And how do you feel about that? Do you reciprocate?”

"Apparently, yes...to some degree anyway. Dr. Arclight said it's allowed as long as it's not detrimental to the patient." Yuugi said.

"Ah...Yami does...but...I'm not sure about me...I never liked boys before..." Yuugi said.

“Oh… I see.” Raphael tilted his head. “Well… how do you feel about Koutei? As a person?”

"I really like him! He's nice and sweet and caring..." Yuugi said with a smile.

"Hes my closest friend...hes so nice to me all the time and supportive."

“Well, that’s good to hear. I’m glad you like him. You sound very fond of him.” Raphael smiled back.

"I...yeah. I am...but I'm confused. I don't know which feelings are mine and which are Yami's with regards to Koutei..." Yuugi said with a sigh.

“Ah… I see. Are your emotions bleeding into each other as well?” Raphael asked.

"Ah well...a little. I think they're still separate, but I'm more intuned with Yami than before...so I get a little mixed up on which are mine and which are his...or at least when it comes to Koutei I do." Yuugi said.

“Do you now? And just about Koutei? Well I guess you both have pretty strong feelings for him,” Raphael said. “Just take it easy and focus on sorting them out in your own time, not the implications of doing so. I find thinking about the task but not about the contents often don’t help, you know?"

"Yeah...We do." Yuugi agreed. He listened with a frown, taking in the words and thinking.

"I guess that makes sense...we do have time to sort things out. I told Koutei, and he says he's willing to help me figure it out." He said with a smile.

“These things take time. Believe it or not, being in your thirties isn’t middle-aged anymore. So don’t worry too much about it, Yuugi. And I’ll be here to lend a hand if you want to talk it out. My dating experience isn’t the most extensive, but I might be able to help.” He smiled.

Yuugi nodded. "Yeah, you're right...I have time...and I'd appreciate your help." Yuugi said happily. "..And maybe Yami too. Hes got experience..."

“Of course. See? You have a good support network.” Raphael was honestly relieved by that. Especially since he could foresee his own death. He had been warned that some dangerous assassin had broken out of jail, and a bunch of murmurs in the underground wanted his head. Yuugi needed someone who would be able to be there constantly.

“Besides that and walking, has everything else been okay?"

Yuugi nodded.

"Yeah I do...I really do. I’m glad..." he said with a smile.

"Well...Yami is getting help with his gambling addiction now. He's got a journal that he writes in for it...we also use it to talk."

“Mmmm… That’s good to hear Yami is getting help too. I was worried he might be getting a bit neglected.” Raphael admitted. “It’s good you’re talking though, like in writing. What’s Yami like?"

Yuugi nodded.

"Dr. Arclight wants us both getting help....cause we both have separate problems sometimes." Yuugi said with a smile.

"...he's like a smarter me...he can write in hieroglyphs pretty fluently. He loves games...we played little games like tic-tac-toe in the book. I ask him little things like what his favorite colour is, what his favorite food is...that sort of thing. Sometimes the answers are different than mine, and sometimes they're exactly the same. It's interesting." Yuugi said.

“Yeah… I remember that from the brain scans. They mentioned you were very different."

“Sounds interesting indeed. Do you like him? I hope you do. Especially since you share everything,” Raphael mused.

Yuugi smiled.

"Yeah...but we're also similar. I’m glad we have some things in common at least." Yuugi said. He could feel Yami stirring, perhaps because he was being brought up.

"My other me is my other me...it's like sharing things with yourself. I don't mind that...I wanted him to know that, and to feel open to sharing things with me too." Yuugi said, feeling Yami fidget in his mind. It made him smile.

"...my other me is cautious but friendly...I hope one day he'll open up more...so people can see how nice he is." Yuugi said, clutching his head as Yami stirred.

"...I think he's embarrassed..." Yuugi mused with a chuckle.

Raphael gave a quiet laugh as Yuugi admitted Yami’s feelings. “Well, when you say nice things to him, how can he not be embarrassed?” The man mused, smiling at his young charge. “Hopefully he’ll open up soon enough. I think it would be good for the both of you.”

Yuugi chuckled. "Yeah...that's something we have in common...we're both flustered by compliments." Yuugi said. He beamed at Raphael. "...I hope he opens up to me...but also to people like you and Dr. Arclight. He needs friends as much as I do...and I think you could help him. You know the streets...like he does. And...I really like talking to you. It helps me to get other perspectives on things." Yuugi said gently.

“Well, I hope so too. I’d be happy to be there for Yami… for both of you, you know.” Raphael smiled, straightening himself up. He smiled gently at the other man, feeling warm in the heart knowing that Mutou trusted him so much. “I promise to be there for the two of you, alright?"

Yuugi smiled and nodded. When he looked at Raphael, taking in his gentle smile and caring, sincere words, Yuugi felt warm and loved inside. It was a feeling he realized just know that he hadn't felt since the day Jii-chan died. He knew Raphael didn't fully replace his grandfather, but he filled a hole in Yuugi's heart that had long bothered him: the lack of a proper father figure. Raphael felt like family, like security...like home.

Faced with this newfound realization, Yuugi got up and rushed over as quickly as his still recovering leg would allow and hugged Raphael happily. He was so, so happy he got to know him, and to have his support.

"Thank you so much Raphael...I'll always want you around in my life..." He said softly. The guards were watching and ordinarily were supposed to prevent physical contact...but they had heard of this man's relation to Yuugi from Dr. Arclight and decided to let it slide, just this once.

Raphael had plenty of time to realise Yuugi was getting up, but he wasn’t sure what was happening until the smaller man’s arms were around him, hugging him tight. The blonde was barely startled though, and he quickly hugged Yuugi back with his strong arms, sweeping him in a tight embrace. They had gotten a room like this instead of the standard visit room with a separator for some reason, and this was probably why. Raphael made a mental note to thank Miheal.

It had been a long time since he had felt the same feeling of home. While Raphael held a lot of love in his heart and bonded with orphanage children as his own, Mutou felt a lot like his younger siblings, the street-wise, much younger relations he had lost. It was a nice feeling to realise, and the man couldn’t help but smile.

“Then I’ll be here, Yuugi.”

Yuugi smiled wider and nuzzled closer to Raphael when the other hugged him. He was so, so happy that he had Raphael with him and that he was going to stick around...Raphael was his first friend and he was precious to Yuugi.

But as Yuugi came to this realization, Yami did as well. Although he was happy that Yuugi was feeling happy...he was also worried. Raphael could still die...he had to be careful...

Yami forced a switch, finding Yuugi calmed and happy and all too willing to give him a turn with Raphael. He sighed a little.

"...Raphael...tell me honestly, do you feel your life is in danger? Like...someone is watching you from afar...or has anyone made a move?" Yami asked, pulling away to look the man in the eyes to see if he was lying. He was worried. He had to keep Raphael safe for Yuugi.

Raphael felt Yuugi’s grip tighten on his shirt momentarily, and while it lacked the usual cue of a headache, it told Raphael they were switching. The smile remained on his face though, at least until Yami pulled away to look at him properly.

“That’s sudden…” Raphael frowned, looking down at Yami. He paused, wondering if he really should lie or not, but in the end, he nodded. “I’ve hired extra security. I haven’t noticed anyone watching me, and no one has made a move, but the reports on TV aren’t looking good. Honestly, I’m thinking the guy who hired you may have hired someone else by now, but I’m not sure. I just know someone wants me for dead and are still out there.”

Yami listened intently, keeping his attention locked on Raphael, fixing him with the same look he used to read through opponents poker faces. He needed to know... "...I knew it. I knew he'd hire someone else..." Yami muttered. "What reports have you seen on tv? What are you basing this assumption on?"

“Sergey broke out of prison.” Raphael said plainly, looking back at Yami with business professionalism. “I have a contact in the underground and he says some guys have been restless. There’s a hit out for me, even though I’m considered a difficult target.”

Yami's eyes widened in alarm. "...No..." He said, shuddering at the memory of Sergey's wrath. He wouldn't wish it on anyone, least of all Raphael. "...That's not good...none of this is good news..." Yami said. He wished he could help somehow...it was a little terrifying for him to think of losing Raphael, not only for Yuugi's sake but also his own. "...Raphael...even with extra security...please, please be careful...Sergey alone is a monster, and the underground is not to be underestimated..." Yami murmured.

“Yami? Hey… easy…” He put his hands on the man’s shoulders, trying not to have him freak out. Sergey was the one responsible for Yami and Yuugi’s legs being so damaged. It was no wonder he was terrified.

“I know… I’m doing everything I can to keep myself safe. Don’t worry. I can take care of myself. No one is going to get me.”

Yami hadn't really noticed how worked up he was getting until Raphael grabbed his shoulders to ground him. He listened to the man's words in fear, wanting so, so badly to believe him. He needed it to be true, what he was hearing. He looked at Raphael sadly.

"...I...I want to believe you...cause I don't wanna lose you either...I wasn't able to save Jii-chan...I don't want to be unable to save you either..." Yami said sadly.

Raphael gave Yami a small smile, trying to be confident. He gently pulled Yami into another hug and rubbed his back.

“Trust me, okay? I promise to look after the two of you. I won’t die, okay?"

Yami bit his lip, letting Raphael hug him and comfort him. He felt like he needed it right now. He returned the hug, holding Raphael close.

"...Okay...I'll hold you to your word...don't die..." Yami said softly.

Raphael was glad Yami wasn’t trying to push him away and he hugged him tight. He was glad to have Yami’s trust. He didn’t want to let him down.

“Alright…”

"....Good...." Yami said softly. He stayed hugging Raphael for another moment before finally pulling away with a sigh.

"...And you should visit as often as possible...so we know you're okay." He said, before heading back to his seat.

“I’ll do my best,” Raphael said, smiling and shaking his head. “I do try. It’s just difficult with all my work. I’ve taken to trying to train some of my employees myself too, so I’ve been busy.” He had been preparing his company in case he did die, so DOMA didn’t fall as hard as the other companies and allow the other corporations to move onto their turf.

"I know and I understand...I'm glad that you're making time for me..." Yami said with a sigh. He smiled. "Sounds like you're super busy...but that's great. This place needs you and people like you."

Raphael smirked. “I’m not that special. I just think people deserve more of a chance than people give them. There are a lot of people like me, and some better. I’m just lucky I’m in a position to help people"

"...You're a Saint, that's special." Yami said. He smiled.

"Im so grateful you're in our lives...and also that I've found others like you who can help me and Yuugi." He thought of Koutei and of Miheal.

Raphael snorted. “I’m not a saint… I’ve done my own share of bad things… But I’m glad I’m here and I’m helping along with everyone else, Yami.”

"Yeah...I get that." Yami said with a smile.

"...I'm trying to learn about help...Dr. Arclight found out about my gambling habit and is trying to work on it with me...not sure if it's helping, but I'm writing in my journal...sort of." Yami said.

“Yuugi mentioned that,” Raphael tilted his head curiously, quirking an eyebrow up. “What do you mean by ‘sort of’?"

Yami shrugged. "...well...Doc said I should write things in it that trigger me to gamble...and I have. But I don't want him to read it, so I wrote it in hieroglyphs, mostly. He can't know what it says unless I choose to share."

“I mean… you’re still technically writing in it. You’re monitoring yourself. Did Arclight ever say he wanted to read and check the diary over?” Raphael pointed out.

Yami sighed. "Yeah...I am trying to. And no, he didn't explicitly say that...but I don't want him to know everything anyway. He's pretty sharp...I don't want it to...incriminate me more. That affects Yuugi too after all." Yami said.

“He’s supposed to be helping you recover, not monitoring you constantly. You said yourself he’s trying to help. I think you’ll be fine opening up a little more Yami. You should give it a try at least.”

Yami sighed.

"...with him, there's not much of a choice...he reads me and the situation well. And he's got Koutei spilling the beans out of concern, I’m sure. Though I can't fault him for that...he wants to help and it's genuine. The Doc is harder to read...his aura is wilder, less straight forward."

“Wilder? Well… unless he’s actually done something, you can’t really say things like that. Has he tried to incriminate you? Make your situation worse?"

Yami snorted.

"I just enjoy reading people...he's an interesting person. No, he hasn't really been incriminating...but he is tougher with me. He doesn't let himself fall for any bull...he can tell when I'm bluffing. Its both entertaining and terrifying to have an opponent who reads you so well." Yami mused.

“Well, if you’re actively hiding things, I’m not surprised he has to be harder on you. Prison psychiatrists have to be a little tougher on patients. He was working in the prison before he transferred to here.” Raphael said, looking at the man in concern. “Has he actually been helping overall though? That’s the most important thing."

Yami nodded.

"...Well...he does seem genuinely concerned about Yuugi and I. He's tough but fair." Yami said.

“Yeah…” Raphael paused. “I don’t have much experience with therapists, but if something doesn’t work, feel free to tell them it’s not working. You have to genuinely try, but still, give it a shot and give him feedback so he can help you more.”

Yami nodded.

"Neither do I. But, I can't deny it's working a little...Yuugi and I both feel our dynamic changing in this place."

Raphael smiled. “That’s good to hear.” He paused though. “Was Doctor Arclight still trying to merge your consciousness? I remember that’s a thing you were both worried about. How’s that going?”

Yami shrugged. "It's not working yet...he's encouraged Yuugi and I to reach out to each other. We've tried mentally, but it's kinda hit and miss....Yuugi's presence is more prominent now....and some of my emotions bleed through so he can guess how I'm feeling. But, were still separate. We can't talk to each other in our mind or anything at this point. So we write in the journal instead." "...it is nice to talk to him. Better that then sharing memories or something...Doc wants to work up to that too..." Yami said.

“Yeah, Yuugi told me about the emotion bleed.” Raphael said. He wasn’t sure at this stage if the two really could be one person, and he wash’t sure he wanted them to. However, Raphael kept that to himself, not sure what the two would make of that.

“He really likes you,” Raphael smiled. “He thinks you’re pretty cool, you know."

Yami sighed.

"...yeah...I don't mean to confuse him...I try to stop it sometimes, but it just happens. I did tell Koutei that Yuugi isn't gay and that I have a life sentence, so hopefully he'll just...move on. Find someone else when he leaves here....that would be for the best." Yami said, feeling a bit sad as he said it, but he knew it was for the best. He smiled a little.

"Im not that great...but I'm glad he's not afraid of me anymore. Once Koutei leaves, we'll be the only ones we've got in here that we can trust after all..."

“Well… It is what it is. You probably did the best you could, Yami. I think that’s pretty noble of you, considering you like Koutei so much,” Raphael said, looking at Yami. At least it seemed like Koutei and Mutou would still be friends, and that was the most important thing. “Not really keen on making any other friends, huh?”

Yami nodded.

"Yeah....I do like him, a lot. I don't want him to be tied to me." Yami said. He shrugged.

"Most other people in here are legitimately crazy...so no, I don't think we'll make any meanwhile friendships."

“That’s fair… though if Koutei is anything like you’ve told me, I bet he’ll visit you often. More than me, probably, just because you’re friends.”

Raphael smiled softly but sadly. “Not going to even try? You have a long sentence ahead of you.”

Yami smiled.

"...I hope he does. Yuugi and I would like that." Yami said. He sighed.

"...I could try...but I might end up with another Shinji...never leaves me alone and is legitimately paranoid and crazy."

“Well… there’s still a while before Koutei leaves, right? So don’t worry about it too much. Focus on your recovery, okay? Hopefully you’ll guys will be able to deal with Koutei and I visiting then,” Raphael said.

Yami nodded.

"Yeah...I'll focus on that. Yuugi too, I hope." Yami mused. He sighed.

"Sounds like we'll be popular...and you might get to meet Koutei too."

“Maybe so. Koutei will probably introduce and maybe even bring Alit if you’re lucky. You may have more companions than you think,” Raphael chuckled.

Yami chuckled. That would be ironic...father of Masumi meeting the man who took his baby and had his friend stab him.

"Maybe. We'll see what he does...and what's allowed."

“Yeah…” Raphael smiled. He looked to the door as he heard light knocking and he sighed, seeing the guard indicate his time was up. He shook his head. “Well… I think I have to go, Yami. It was good to see you. Take care, okay?”

Yami grabbed Raphael's hand suddenly before the guards approached.

"....Don't forget your promise, okay? If you can't visit...call us. So we know you're okay..." Yami said.

Raphael turned to him and paused. “… Right. I won’t die, Yami. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. I’ll make sure you’re looked after."

Yami nodded.

"Okay...take care, Raphael..." Yami said with a smile. He let the guards take him back to his cell after that.

Raphael smiled. He smiled and thanked the guards before he headed out, meeting with his personal guards. The men led Raphael outside, where they escorted him to his car.

“Where to, sir?”

“Go to my lawyers. I have some things in my will I still need to discuss."

Raphael was brought to his lawyers and meanwhile, Sergey was in hiding, replaying his encounter with Vector in his head over and over. It was real....the master was still out there...

Suddenly Roger was calling him.

"I need you to take out Kawahara. We're picking up where Mutou left off now that the cops are too busy with their drug busts." He told his assassin.

"I want it done quick and discreetly, you understand? No fooling around...it cost you Mutou's life. Failure again will not be tolerated."

Sergey knew what that meant. If he failed again, that was it. That was the end of his life. Sergey switched off the recording so he could focus on Roger’s words and he nodded to him very stiffly. Kawahara Raphael… his next target. There was no doubt he was going to be a hard target, but he was up for the challenge.

“Understood.” Sergey mechanically got up onto his bike. The machine revved up nosily and Sergey surged towards Raphael’s place. As he drove, his mechanical implant went through Raphael’s files, trying to get a good understanding of him and his current security.

Meanwhile, Raphael had just met with his lawyer. This time, it was to send a portion of his wealth to Yami and Yuugi after he died. He hoped it wouldn't be for a very long time of course, but he was also concerned for the two personalities. He wanted them looked after once he was gone...and he knew their case might end up back in court after they were deemed well enough by the Correctional Facility to leave it, So with money, they might be able to pay a bail or if they were released, they would have enough to life comfortably.

He was in his car being driven home and was writing two separate letters to Yuugi and to Yami, their names on each envelope. He had requested his lawyer give each personality the separate envelope and the two sides could share the message to each other and to others at their own discretion. They would be a contingency plan...in case Raphael met his grave early.

He reached his home before Sergey did, entering and stationing guards outside as usual. He went to the kitchen to get some food and to finish up the letters in peace.

"What a day..." Raphael mused, tired out. He was going to go to bed early tonight, he was sure.

Dusk had now melded into night, and by the time Sergey approached Raphael’s property, the only lights about were the ones from Raphael’s guards and houses. Sergey opened his servers and downloaded all of the security protocols he had gotten from Sector Security, rather pleased to find that Raphael had hired some of Security and Roger could help him get in. Sergey spent a moment analysing his surroundings before he pulled his sniper rifle out and aimed.

One at the guard. Then another. With the two ones closest to him gone, Sergey quietly vaulted over the wall and collected their communicators. After pocketing them, he hid the bodies and clung to the shadows, progressing slowly up from the grand garden up to the main building. His mechanical eye scanned for life outside the building.

He hoped he could slit the man’s throat when he slept, so he could watch him drown in his own blood. That would be fun.

Raphael didn't notice anything outside his home when Sergey approached, not realizing how much danger he was in. He was just finishing his two letters to Yuugi and Yami. He sighed as he sealed the envelopes. He would take them to his lawyer tomorrow...he'd already left instructions with the other, and so he'd know what to do with them.

"Guess it's time for bed..." Raphael said, stretching and getting up, moving through the house towards his bedroom.

The guards were all trained, but every time one person had the sneaking suspicion that something was wrong, Sergey would shoot them. One by one, the men on the outside dropped like flies, their secure routes thwarted by Sergey having background knowledge of where they were. He managed to stay outside of the cameras.

However, while Sergey was good, the security was not slack. The guard who had been waiting for an update from one of his coworkers frowned as Sergey reported all was clear through the com link. While usually he wouldn’t be suspicious, the coms never had static around the voice like that.

“Kawahara-san,” The guard said, heading up the stairs. Sergey was already at the front door, slowly unlocking it now the coast was clear. “We need to get you to a safe place. Just a safety precaution, but you said to alert you in case the smallest thing was wrong."

Raphael looked up when a security guard entered. He frowned.

"Of course....what's going on?" He asked, following the man immediately.

“Some of our guards aren’t responding. It might be a communication error, but we should get you to the designated safe room just in case.” The man said. “Same room we discussed when you hired us. I probably need an hour to confirm everything is alright.”

Raphael frowned.

"I see...sounds good." He didn't want to risk anything. He followed the man to the safe room.

"I'll have a comm so you can call me with an all clear then." Raphael said.

“Yes sir,” The man lead Raphael to the safest place in the house. Apparently that was his study, which had no windows and only one door that could easily be bared. They also could move a bookcase over the door, and Raphael had means to contact people like the police from inside, so he wasn’t completely trapped. “It should be fine. I’ll be back soon, okay?”

Raphael entered the study.

"Alright." He said, letting the man leave and starting to barricade the entrance. He also had weapons in the study as well stored in the closet. He has a bullet proof vest which he put on and some firearms he was legally allowed to own. He would be prepared for the worst, because he could not afford to die here. Yuugi and Yami needed him.

The man who had been guarding Raphael pushed the bookcase in front of Raphael’s door. No one except the security personal in Sector Security, DefenceCorp and Guardian Angels Security would know about the security measure. Even if there was someone here, no one should be able to tell anything was out of place.

The man headed out of the living area and headed outside. He used the comm link to ask his partner on the cameras to have a look around. After getting the ‘all clear’ he headed out cautiously, sticking close to cover.

He still was shot.

Sergey knew the only ones left were in the building, and the guy with the camera. The assassin smirked as he detected them. As he headed up to deal with the camera man, the two guards on the inside saw him and began to shoot.

One got Sergey’s flesh arm, the other his metal leg. Sergey hissed as he dove over the railing and took his gun. The men fired rapidly at him, but Sergey finished them off, and the two guards slumped down. Sergey growled as he saw them and he headed up the stairs to clear out the area before he dealt with Raphael. No doubt Raphael would have heard the gunfire, but Sergey knew where he was. The police wouldn’t get here in time.

Indeed Raphael heard the gunfire and went straight to the phone.

"Hello, I need the police...someone is shooting in my house. I think he's come to kill me. Please hurry." He told the operator, giving his address and then waiting for whoever it was to come find him. That was if they found him...he had a big house and if the assassin wasn't knowledgeable, he probably wouldn't find this place.

The operator understood and said that the police would be there immediately. Despite the deaths that had happened, things seemed ideal. Sergey heading upstairs probably gave Raphael a false sense of security. However, after killing the man and using the cameras himself to look for any other guards, Sergey quietly came back down the stairs. He had intended on fooling Raphael to think everything was fine, but those two men who had shot at him had destroyed the plan. So instead, Sergey lifted the bookcase and placed it aside. He then prepped his gun, getting ready to plug Raphael in the head.

As soon as he opened the door, he fired.

Unfortunately for Sergey, Raphael was on red alert. He'd heard all the comms go dead and assumed his guards had been killed. So he'd spent a bit of time moving his study furniture around to create a fortress of sorts to hide behind. It wouldn't last long, but it might be enough.

He heard the bookcase shift outside and prepped his gun, making himself a small target and aiming right at the door. When it opened, he fired at the same time, ducking to avoid the bullets that flew over his head: Sergey had expected him standing up and had shot too high. Raphael fired at his chest, guessing he had a bullet proof vest but still trying to stun him.

Sergey hissed as suddenly he felt the bullet flew straight into his chest. It pinged off, but it was going to leave an awful bruise. The man gave a loud hiss at that and immediately sidestepped into the room. He moved forward, eyes looking for movement and mechanical eye running calculations.

“You’re going to die, mousey. Right here and now.” He growled, not at all playful and mocking, but with unspeakable malice behind his words.

Raphael ducked behind the desk and waited. He could hear Sergey speak and could tell he was moving. So this was the man who had torn Yuugi and Yami's leg up, leaving them terrified and broken...Raphael suddenly felt a jolt of fear go through him. What if Mutou was next? After Sergey killed him, would he go after them again? Raphael silently vowed that no matter what happened, he could not let Sergey leave here alive...Yami had been right. Jail hadn't been able to hold him...the only option was he had to die.

Raphael stuck his head up again and fired at Sergey a second time, trying to hit one of his flesh spots where it would hurt him more or incapacitate him worse.

Sergey dodged again and he fired at Raphael, moving closer. He didn’t care about being shot, but he still didn’t like it. He powered closer to Raphael’s barricade, intent on just firing close range before beating his face in.

Raphael cursed under his breath as Sergey kept dodging or taking the bullets and not stopping. He needed to stop him somehow...or he would die and break his promise.

Admittedly, this was a little fun. A tight containment area, a narrow hall, an enemy fighting back. Even though Sergey was mad, he couldn’t help but grin as he took a bullet to his metal shoulder. Raphael wasn’t some mindless rich boy. He was tough, and had something going for him. He knew how to fight…

“Boo.” Sergey grinned as he practically ripped the desk away from Raphael, destroying his barricade in one swift swipe. The man grinned as he kicked Raphael in the gun arm hard. “Game over, mouse.”

Raphael cried out as he was kicked in the arm, the gun falling from his hand. He tried to take a swipe at Sergey with the other hand, effectively disarming him as well. He wasn't going to be shot.

"Not yet." He grunted.

Sergey hissed as his weapon was knocked out but he grinned. “A fight, huh? Oh I like that. You’ve got some bite in ya.” He opened a compartment in his leg and he pulled out the impractical but menacing glove out. The knives glinted menacingly as he smoothly slipped it on.

“But I don’t have time for it. You’re gonna die. So accept it already!” He roared, lunging at Raphael and aiming for his stomach.

Raphael had tried reaching for his other weapons until he saw Sergey moving to strike him. He rolled partially to the side, but unfortunately it wasn't fast enough: the claw hands pierced his skin and his movement drew a deep line across his abdomen. Raphael screamed in pain and immediately swung at Sergey, trying to get him off and away

Sergey was hit in the face but he grinned as he pushed down harder. He pinned Raphael to the floor, practically straddling him. The grin on Sergey’s face was ear to ear, filled with twisted glee. He knew he had orders to make it quick and fast, but he couldn’t help it. After seeing Vector and all of the good things that had happened lately, Sergey couldn’t help but play despite knowing the consequences.

“This was fun… but I’ve had enough of this.” There was still malice in his delirious voice. The man shoved the body armour and shirt up into Raphael’s face and used two fingers to dig deep into Raphael’s body, piercing a kidney. “I’m going to make you suffer. You’re going to die right here, and there’s nothing you can do.”

Raphael was in absolute agony as his organs were pierced seemingly one after another. He know understood why Yami and Yuugi had referred to Sergey as a monster. He was toying with him...killing him slowly...already his strength was fading...

...but then he remembered Yuugi's tears of terror upon waking up in the hospital, how shaken he'd been while trying to recall the attack...how Yami had paled and how his voice had trembled when he brought up Sergey earlier today...he could not let them go through that again. So Raphael found a second wind, pulling his upper body upwards, inadvertently ripping his stomach to shreds and gripped Sergey's mechanical arm, tearing it off his body with all his strength. Then he swung blindly, pulling some of his own intestines out with the claws towards Sergey's face, stabbing him with a yell in the neck with the man's own weapon.

The bullet wounds from earlier had certainly damaged the joints, and Raphael was a smart man. It was only too easy for him to dismantle the cyborg. Sergey watched in shock as Raphael wrenched the metal up upwards, tearing the skin from the inside out, releasing what looked like a wave of blood out. Sergey had no time to react from what some would call a suicidal act, and before he knew it, he found the metal lodged into his own throat.

Sergey gasped. He choked and coughed. The metal had lodged itself firmly in his neck, and had pierced his jugular along with his trachea and cateroid artery. The man rolled off of Raphael, trying to breathe, but instead began to gurgle, choking on his own blood noisily. It trickled out of his mouth, spilling onto the floor alongside Raphael’s organs

His death wasn’t quick. Sergey began to blackout very quickly, but despite his neck wounds, his heart still beat strongly. Blood splurged from the carotid over and over as Sergey tried to cough. So this it how it ended for him, huh? He would have laughed, if he could breath. Killed by his new favourite toy… a lot more fun than how Roger would have killed him.

Forty seconds later, the lack of oxygen killed him. Sergey laid there, motionless on the floor, dead. His heart finally stopped beating when his blood had finished being pushed out of his neck, and no longer did air bubbles form from the bloodied holes. He was dead. Sergey was truly and finally dead.

Raphael collapsed shortly after stabbing Sergey, panting and fighting to breathe himself. He could feel his stomach acid seeping into his tissue, burning though his body, and the blood from his wounds spreading across the carpet. He lay on the ground, holding the mechanical arm in his hands, as if unable to let go of it. Looking over his own wounds he noted the similarities to Yuugi's injuries...so that weapon had killed Sergey then...good, he thought. A part of Mutou was here with him...he wasn't alone.

As he died slowly, Raphael found he was surprisingly warm, recalling all the times he'd spent with his family, how he'd see them soon, and how he'd dedicated his life to helping needy kids...that had led him to Mutou. He could still remember their hugs he'd gotten earlier...he smiled.

"...I'm sorry...I couldn't...see you again..." he whispered, thinking mental apologies to Yami and Yuugi for not being able to keep his promise. But, he died reassured that they would be looked after...a portion of his wealth was now theirs.

Meanwhile, as Raphael's heart stopped, Yuugi looked up when he felt a strange chill run through him. He paused in his writing of a message to Yami to frown.

"...I wonder what that was..." He mused, having a bad feeling for a minute, before shaking it off. It must be nothing...he was imagining things. So he turned his light off and lay down to sleep once he'd finished his note to Yami.

The police arrived soon after. When Droite saw the bodies, her heart sank. Twenty-five dead guards both inside and outside of the mansion were found over the course of the night, a number of them sniped in the head. There seemed to be no way that Raphael survived and it seemed extremely likely that the perpetrator had escaped.

Droite wasn’t sure what she expected to see when she saw the the tossed bookcase and the open door, but it wasn’t that. The woman’s eyes widened in shock as she saw the two dead men, each of them twisted in a brutal manner.

“… Sergey…” The woman frowned. So that’s where that criminal ended up. And there was Kawahara Raphael, looking extremely tired after what must have been a painful death. Droite’s dark expression softened, and she allowed herself some weakness. Raphael had been a frequent visitor to the police station since Yami and Yuugi had been arrested. To see him dead like this was horrifying. “I’m sorry, Raphael…”

Droite reached for her communicator. “Ukyou? I found Kawahara-san. He’s… with Sergey. We were too late for either of them."

Ukyou had been exploring the rest of the huge mansion. He had found two envelopes with Yami and Yuugi written on them. His face fell as he picked up.

"Both dead? Where are they?"

“It looks like to be Raphael’s study. First floor. Get down here, alright?” Droite frowned. “… And be ready. It’s a nasty sight…”

"Alright, I’m on my way." Ukyou said, taking the envelopes with him. He knew they'd have to see Mutou and tell him what happened soon enough. He quickly told the other members of the squad that they had found two bodies in the study as he made his way soon.

"....Oh god..." Ukyou said, truly horrified by the gruesome corpses of both men. He sighed.

"...neither of these deaths look too quick...it is a relief Sergey is dead...but Raphael did not deserve this...."

“No… He didn’t. If anyone didn’t deserve it, it was him.” Droite looked at the weapon, and she could see that the markings matched what she had seen and the reports on both Mutou’s and Sakaki’s limbs. “Forensics are already on the way here just in case, but I doubt they’ll find anything that we haven’t seen…” Droite muttered.

“… Guess our CEO killer’s employer got one more after all. Damn it.”

Ukyou nodded.

"Exactly...So they're still at large. We're going to have to warn the other CEOs to look out...." Ukyou said.

"...and we should tell Mutou what happened. Maybe he knows something...I know he's said many times he doesn't know who hired him, but if he's lying...Raphael's death could be what might convince him to help us catch the killer."

“… Yeah…” Droite gave a sigh. “I’ll have the others search Sergey’s body, see if we can track him back to his place of residence. We can only assume he was hired by our CEO killer, so hopefully there may be evidence there.”

Droite looked at her superior and pressed her lips together. “Things aren’t going to get easier though. Not for us from now on, are they?”

"Yeah...we might be able to do an autopsy and find communication pieces in his robotic parts. Something like that..." Ukyou said with a sigh. He knew it wasn't going to be easy...he was on thin ice with the higher ups as it was. He hadn't been able to hold Sergey, now Raphael and dozens of security guards were dead thanks to him.

"...No. it's not...but we've got to keep going, as best we can."

“Hopefully we can wrap this up soon, for Raphael’s sake.” Droite grabbed her communicator and urned away, still uneasy with the gruesome sight. She had seen many horrific things in her line of work, but his was certainly up there. “I’ll get started. After we get things sorted here, you should talk to Yami or Yuugi. They don’t trust me as their interrogator."

Ukyou nodded.

"I will...he doesn't really trust me either though. Mai would be best for this sort of thing."

“I don’t want this getting to Mai… honestly chief we should try keep it professional.” Droite said, looking aside. “…"

Ukyou smiled and nodded.

"Alright. It's okay...but maybe you should tell Mai to visit them anyway, later. They might need comfort or consolation from an old acquaintance." Ukyou said.

"I'm off...let me know if anything important gets found." Ukyou said, heading out of the house to the cars to head to the Correctional Facility.

“Alright…” The woman nodded. “I can do that. Probably be good for someone to visit them. I’ll text her when I’m done.” She looked at her boss, surprised he was already going, but nodded. “Good luck, chief."

Ukyou was leaving right away because he didn't really want to face the higher ups yet, and wanted to see what Mutou knew. He knew he'd probably be in trouble, but he didn't want to talk about it just yet.

When he arrived at the Facility, he went to the desk.

"I need to speak with Dr. Arclight." He said, deciding he would tell the psychologist first. It was late, and he doubted he'd be able to actually see Mutou yet...but Miheal would know if that was possible.

“He’s gone home, Officer, I’m sorry. Maybe check back in tomorrow?” The receptionist said.

“Well, technically I went home two hours ago, but here I still am. I was about to leave.” The receptionist jumped as the young doctor walked into the lobby, leaning heavily on his cane. He smiled gently and he nodded. “Hello Superintendent. How can I help you? I’m surprised to see you so late."

Ukyou turned when he heard Miheal, relieved he was still here.

"I'm afraid I've come here with some bad news...I just got back from Kawahara-san's house. He was killed a few hours ago. I thought you and Mutou should know..."

Miheal frowned deeply when he heard the news. “… Ah… Well… perhaps you should discuss this with me in my office then. This is… Disturbing news.”

Ukyou nodded.

"Yes...perhaps that would be best. It is disturbing, and I know that Mutou will not take this well."

Miheal nodded and gestured for the man to follow him. He limped back towards the elevator and he opened the door for the two of them to get in. He internally sighed and pulled his phone out, texting Gilag to tell him he’d be a little late back. As much as he wanted to go home, he knew this was incredibly important to Mutou’s mental state.

He headed back to his office and opened up. Switching on the light, he gestured for Ukyou to take a seat.

“… So it happened earlier in the night?"

Ukyou followed the man through the Facility and into his office. He took a seat when asked with a sigh.

"Yes. It was Sergey Volkov, the same assassin who attacked Mutou earlier. He broke out of prison about a week ago and came after Raphael. He got him in his own home...it was rather brutal. One of the worst attacks I've come across in all my years on the force..." Ukyou sighed.

"...I suppose the only consolation is that Sergey also died too. Raphael dispatched him as well, so we don't have to worry about him anymore. But...this attack does prove that the CEO killer is still working and is switching assassins. I need to speak to Mutou as soon as possible to see if he knows something...I'm hoping Raphael's death might inspire him to help us catch this guy."

“Sergey…” Miheal frowned. He head read about the man in the medical reports and had a glance his case following his escape from prison. He gave a small pause as he tried to imagine the severity of what Ukyou had glossed over, and he inwardly shuddered.

“… I see…” Miheal frowned. “… Mutou has been… cooperative as of late. Both sides of him, actually. However, I’m not sure what kind of effect this knowledge would have on them. Yami would help, and you’d want to talk to him… but Kawahara Raphael and Yuugi were close. I’m worried… You do know what triggered Yuugi into disappearing for seven years the first time, right Superintendent?”

Ukyou nodded, listening closely.

"...I know...the death of his grandfather. And I know that he and Raphael were very close..." Ukyou sighed.

"...But it would be cruel not to tell him either, now would it? He's in here...so it's not like before where he was alone without help. If he's being cooperative, then he must trust you too...he'll trust you to help him as best you can."

“I know that, but I’m worried on how you may tell him. You want information, and while I’m sure you’re trained, Mutou is… one of my more delicate patients,” Miheal said after some thought.

“I’m worried the shock of Raphael’s death will make Yuugi shut down, and then all his progress will be for nothing"

Ukyou nodded.

"I understand...the last thing I want is for Mutou's progress to be deteriorated...that's why I came to you first. In your professional opinion, how should we break this news to him? Should we wait for when Yami is clearly in control before telling him straight out, then framing it more delicately for Yuugi? Or maybe..." Ukyou reached into his bag, pulling out the two envelopes.

"...Raphael wrote these letters to each of them...I found them in his house. I'm not sure what they say, but we can give them to Mutou to help ease the burden of his passing? Raphael really did care about them clearly..."

Miheal nodded. “May I open these? I want to read this, just in case. I will give it to them either way, but I just want to see if it’s ideal now.”

"Sure..." Ukyou said, passing them over.

The one labelled "Yuugi" was opened first.

"Dear Yuugi,

I'm sorry to say that if you're reading this letter, I won't be able to see you anymore. Believe me when I say how sorry I am that I could not be there for you in person longer, for I have truly enjoyed your company and watching you improve all the time just makes my day. I know that this news will be hard for you to handle, but I want you to know that I will always be with you in spirit, and I hope you will continue to grow and flourish. Be strong, Yuugi. You're not alone...you have Yami, you have Dr. Arclight, and you have Koutei to help you. Don't give up. You're in good hands.

I have also left instructions with my lawyer to give you a portion of my wealth so that you will be well looked after once you are deemed well enough to leave the Correctional Facility. I know you can do this, Yuugi, even if I'm not there to see it. You're so strong and brave. I believe you and Yami can be whatever you want to be. I believe in you.

Sincerely,

Raphael."

Yami's letter was similar but in a slightly different tone.

"Dear Yami,

I'm sorry that I couldn't keep my promise to you as well. I did try my hardest to stay alive, but if you're reading this letter, it means I was unsuccessful. I am truly sorry that I couldn't see you or Yuugi again. I have written a note for him as well to console him, but he's going to need your help as well. I know you care for him greatly, and you're strong. Don't be afraid to reach out to him in his time of need...he does like you alot. You can also rely on Dr. Arclight, even though your relationship sounds rocky, and Koutei as well. Trust them. They're there to help you and care for you deeply.

Secondly, I wanted to ask that if you ever do get out of prison, I don't want you to get revenge for me. I don't want your Devil's Luck to turn on you as mine did. So take this as my dying wish: if you ever get out, you have to go straight, Yami. I don't want you back in the Underground, feeding the vicious cycle of your addiction, or applying your vigilante justice to finding my killer. I want you to live, and to prove that, I'm giving you and Yuugi a portion of my wealth, not to gamble, but to save and invest in your future. I know you can do this, Yami, even without me. I believe in you both.

Sincerely,

Raphael"

“… Kawahara Raphael was a good man,” Miheal said. “… Strong, brave, dependable, and incredibly loyal to Yami and Yuugi. Not many people would forgive their potential killers, nor would they help them so avidly to reform. He was truly one man in a million. It’s a shame he’s gone…” He closed the envelopes and carefully sealed them again.

“… It may do Yami good if you talk to him. Give him the news and the letter. I think Raphael knew Yami as well as himself… If what I’ve seen of him is correct, he’ll understand, though with some… yelling.”

“… If you promise me to drop it gently, and to give him the letter to read before he shuts down, I’ll let you talk to them. We’ll try leave it to Yami first, but we’ll see."

Ukyou nodded.

"He was a very kind and caring person indeed...he will be greatly missed by many." Ukyou said. He smiled.

"Well, the stories of Kawahara-san are that he was a former gang member and familiar with the streets and the Underground...similar to what Yami had before he was arrested. I'm not surprised." Ukyou said.

"I will be as gentle as possible...I don't want to hurt either of them with this news. They have the right to know and neither of them are responsbile for his death. I have no reason to be hard on them. Would you like me to come back in the morning? I assume they're probably asleep right now..."

“It probably would be best to come back in the morning.” Miheal smiled at him. “When they’re both awake and probably well rested. You’re free to come back when you’re ready, Superintendent. I imagine with his death, you have a busy night ahead of you.”

Ukyou sighed deeply.

"It has been a long day...and I wouldn't want to disturb their rest. I'll come back tomorrow as soon as I can." Ukyou said, getting up.

"Sorry for keeping you, Dr. Arclight. You can hold onto those letters and give them to Mutou whenever you think is best. I'll see you tomorrow."

“I’ll wait for you to come back in tomorrow morning. I won’t give them before,” Miheal smiled. “You take care, alright?” He got up to head to his safe so he could put the letters in. “I’ll see you then.”

After Miheal locked up the letters and escorted Ukyou out, Droite called Ukyou’s number. Even though their discussion had been short, the drive from Kawahara’s house to the Correctional Facility was over an hour, and after the discussion it was closing in on two hours since Ukyou had left the house.

“Hey Ukyou, it’s me,” Droite said. “… Looks like forensics is over the house but until testing comes back, there’s not much to do here. I’ve asked Barrett to send the night team over. You don’t have to come back, it seems.”

Ukyou nodded.

"See you tomorrow, Dr. Arclight. Thanks again." He said, picking up his phone and listening.

"Alright...I haven't talked to Mutou yet, but I've discussed how we're going to break the news with Dr. Arclight. Tomorrow morning, I'll be coming back here first thing. The sooner the better..." Ukyou mused. He nodded.

"Alright. I'll be heading home then...you should too, Droite. You worked hard today. Go home and rest." Ukyou said, truly grateful for his hard-working team.

“Alright. Then all the more reason you should go back and get some sleep. Don’t worry, I’m heading back as well. It’s just you were at the office long before I was. You need to rest or you’re going to crash,” Droite said. Sometimes she wondered how she kept ending up with bosses who overworked themselves.

“Take care, Ukyou. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Droite smiled. “Let me know if you need anything.”

"Good. What I need from you right now is to rest up as well, alright? Have a good night, Droite. I'll see you tomorrow." Ukyou said with a smile, before hanging up and heading home himself. He was surprised when he got home and noticed Chris' car parked outside. He couldn't help but smile. "Chris? You there?" He called as he stepped out of the car, knowing the other has no key.

Chris had been in his car for some time now, waiting for Ukyou. It had been a while since he had seen him, and Chris hoped he was able to surprise him outside of his home. Even though it was well past ten, Chris was more than happy to wait for the other man. When he saw Ukyou pull up, he got out of his car, pulling the cold homemade food that had been on the passenger seat.

“I was wondering if I was going to fall asleep waiting for you. You certainly work hard, don’t you, Ukyou?” The man smiled.

"Im sorry, Chris. It's been a really long day..." Ukyou said. He smiled when he saw his boyfriend and the food he'd brought. He was grateful for it, especially on a day like today...it would be perfect to just relax.

"Thanks for waiting...you're the best. Here, let me help you get this inside..." he said, heading to the door and unlocking it and holding it open for Chris.

“No, it’s fine. It’s what I get for coming over uninvited. I just figured you might want something that isn’t take out.” Chris slipped his shoes off and headed inside. He turned to look at Ukyou in the light, but he found himself frowning, seeing how utterly tired and drained the older man looked.

“Are you alright? You look more than the usual tired. Something up?”

Ukyou smiled.

"I would love it. Home cooked meals are a rarity in my line of work." He mused. He took off his jacket and shoes after closing the door and sighed.

"...I've just got a lot going on right now...we had a drug bust today to save Kaito...then I just got back from a crime scene where another undeserving CEO was murdered brutally by the escaped assassin from last week..." Ukyou sighed.

"...sorry. Let's just relax, alright?"

“…. Yeah… I know about Kaito.” Chris sighed. “I was at the hospital before I made the food. He was in surgery when I was there. I’m his next of kin and they’re not letting me see him. It’s pretty bad.”

“… It’s alright, if you want to talk about it. It must be tiring to keep it all in,” Chris said, going to the kitchen to heat the food up in the microwave.

Ukyou sighed.

"He was really bad when I saw him. I'll try to go visit him when he's stable enough." Ukyou said. He sat at the table with a sigh.

"...well...i do love my work, but lately we've been severely understaffed. We're not getting enough new recruits and the board isn't too happy with my performance as superintendent...I'm pretty sure they're going to demote me soon...if not completely fire me..." Ukyou said.

“I’ll keep you updated, if you want.” Chris sighed. He barely understood why Kaito went after Dennis by himself, and admittedly he wanted some answers, but he knew he had to wait. Chris took cups and plates out, setting the table up around Ukyou around the man as he talked.

“Because of the incidents, right? But that can’t be all your fault."

"Please. I would like it very much if you did that...my team and I worry about him." Ukyou said.

"...Yeah. Under my leadership, we lost a significant number of people in a drug bust that didn't even catch the dealer, an elite assassin escaped from under our noses, injuring several officers, and now we're dealing with some 30 dead people that were taken out by that assassin." Ukyou said with a sigh.

Chris nodded. He knew very well about the impact Kaito on the Heartland Central Police Force, so he was more than happy to do this for his boyfriend. The man frowned as he saw Ukyou’s face drop and he sat down next to him, placing the cutlery on the table.

“… Ah… That’s rough…” Chris felt awkward, not sure what he could say in that situation. He put a hand on Ukyou’s back. “… Is there anything you can really do about that? Or is it just working and waiting for the board?”

Ukyou sighed. "...I don't know...I've gotta try and frame it in the most positive way possible when I talk to them. They expect updates all the time. So I've just got to go see them...and hope they don't decide to let me go..." Ukyou said. He leaned into Chris' touch, glad he was with him.

“You dedicate everything you have to your job. You’re a hard-working man, and they appointed you to this role in the first place for a reason. Hopefully they’ll have seen your efforts and understand.” Chris hoped that Ukyou wouldn’t lose his job. A man like Ukyou certainly didn’t deserve it. Chris let Ukyou lean on him and he squeezed him gently.

“When do you have to see them next?"

"...by the end of the week, I've got to report back to them..." Ukyou said with a sigh.

"...I don't think they'll fire me...but they've been unhappy with my leadership for awhile now. I'll probably be demoted...which isn't bad, I guess...but still...I might also be transferred from my team..."

“Ah… and you’re worried about your teammates?” Chris asked, looking at him, not as familiar with the police structure despite being close to both Kaito and Ukyou.

"...Yeah. We've all worked together since day one...I'd hate to be split up from them..." Ukyou said, leaning into Chris.

"...Plus, we'd get a new boss...I suspect they might try and promote Droite, which would be fine...if she wants it. She's very organized and skilled...if it's anyone else it should be her in my view..."

“Mmmm… I have some lab assistants that I’ve grown close to myself. It would be awful if I lost them or any of my peers. Hopefully that won’t be the case.” Chris ran his fingers through Ukyou’s short, curly hair, ignoring the beeps from the microwave alerting the food was warm.

“Droite… She’s friends with Kaito. Her and Gauche. I remember them. I suppose she’d fit. She seems capable at least.”

Ukyou nodded, leaning into Chris' comforting and relaxing touch. He missed this...he loved spending time with Chris.

"Mmm...she's capable. But it does mean she has to take on more work..." Ukyou said.

"Yeah. I really don't want to split the team up. We've been through so much together...and we work well with each other. I'll have to try and convince the board to keep us all as a set, with Droite and I switching positions perhaps..."

Chris had missed it too. He smiled as Ukyou responded to his light scratching and he kissed his forehead gently.

“Yeah… Hopefully. I guess all that’s left is to wait and see. No use spending the night worrying about it, right?"

Ukyou sighed.

"You're right...I should try to relax..." He smiled, giving Chris a kiss.

"...thanks for listening."

Chris smiled back at Ukyou. He let the man press his lips against his and smiled.

“Well, that’s what your boyfriend is supposed to do, right? I’m happy to be here for you. Whether at work or just listening like this.” He smiled at Ukyou. Then, after a moment, he got up to go get the food.

“I hope you like stew. I’m not sure if you like spicy stuff or not, so I just decided to play it safe."

Ukyou smiled.

"That's true...I'm here for you too, if you need anything..." Ukyou said. He smiled wider.

"Stew sounds terrific. I'm not picky at all...like I said we don't get home cooked food once often." Ukyou said, digging into the meal with a smile.

“Thanks, Ukyou…” Really his only worry was Kaito now, but since he didn’t want Ukyou to worry, he didn’t want to bring that up. Chris smiled as he sat back down with a bowl of stew for himself, having not had dinner either since he wanted to eat with Ukyou.

“Well, even if you’re not picky, you should tell me your likes and dislikes. That way I’ll have a better idea on what to cook next time,” the man smiled.

Ukyou smiled.

"I don't mind spicy food..." Ukyou said, sighing.

"....it's been a long time since someone cooked for me, Chris. This is delicious and touching. Thank you." Ukyou said. The last time had been his wife, really. He didn't count the takeout that the cops usually did.

“Hey… It’s no problem.” Chris looked over and he raised an eyebrow, surprised how quick Ukyou had eaten most of his food. It only emphasised how tired the other man was, and how hungry he must have been. “Like I said, I’m here to support you regardless. Though my schedule may not allow me to do this too often. The project you’ve given me is tough.”

Ukyou was indeed both tired and hungry and extremely grateful for the food. He listened.

“Ah yes...with Sakaki Yuuya.” Ukyou said.

“How is he doing? We still have his brother at the station...he was worried about him going to hospital.”

“Well I’ve started the cure research so I actually saw him in hospital before he had surgery and they started giving him sedatives. I’ve also taken a sample of his former medication as a frame of reference.” Chris paused, knowing he was about to go on a tangent so he redirected him to the man.

“He’s asking for his brothers a lot… Yuuto in particular, since he’s the one who can’t visit. He’s scared of the hospital honestly. He’s like a child. Right now the hospital and I haven’t done much, really. I think his actual surgery starts tomorrow or the day after.”

Ukyou listened, nodding along. He was glad Chris was on this case...it meant Yuuya was in good hands. He sighed at the second part.

“...I figured that might happen...have any of his other two brothers come to see him? Maybe that would placate him...I'd have to work on getting clearance to let Yuuto see Yuuya...it would take awhile. Plus, I don't want Yuuto visiting when Yuuya can't see him due to surgery...” Ukyou said.

“...According to Yuuto, Yuuya was institutionalized for most of his teenage years and had a bad experience. His illness is serious and I guess the previous doctors who looked at him didn't know how to deal with it properly. But I'm glad you're on the case...hopefully in time, you and the other doctors can make Yuuya more comfortable.”

“From what he told me, Yuuri comes almost daily. I think Yuuri’s visits are shorter, but Yuuya says that’s because he’s so busy.” Chris said, thankful he hand’t mixed the two of them up.

“I see… Well The Maiami-Heartland-Domino hospitals weren’t so good twenty years ago, so I’m hardly surprised they didn’t know what to do. I’ll be doing my best with his cure. I’m actually hoping to meet with Ms. Catherine on the case. I emailed her prior to this and she expressed interest in collaborating for Sakaki-san’s cure. So hopefully we’ll have something soon."

Ukyou nodded.

“That does make sense...Sakaki Yuri is a politician. He's no doubt extremely busy...and financially speaking, probably the best suited to look after Yuuya. I believe his other brother Sakaki Yuugo works in a small auto-garage.” He sighed.

“That's another thing that needs to happen...once Yuuto goes to prison, he can't provide for Yuuya as a legal guardian. One of his other two brothers would be best to look after him...and from what I've gathered, the two remaining brothers don't get along well. I hope there won't be an ugly custody battle.” Ukyou mused. He smiled.

“Ms. Catherine would be an excellent addition to your task...I've heard she's making real progress in the pharmaceutical industry. With you and her working together, we'll have the best of the best here in Heartland working to help Sakaki Yuuya. I'll pass that along to Yuuto...it should reassure him a little.”

“Besides that, he’s fine. He wants the pain to stop, so he seems alright with surgery. He just misses Yuuto.” Chris said. He didn’t know much about the Sakaki family situation, so he nodded.

“Hopefully not. Maybe they’ll end up working together for their brother’s sake. Ideally, that would be the best since they both sound busy.” Chris said, finishing his food off.

“MMM… I hope it does help. It’s an interesting venture. She’s fascinated by this Zarc syndrome that Yuuya has as well. I imagine she’ll ask permission to study it after we’re done dealing with his chronic pains.”

“That's good...I'll see if I can arrange some sort of visit for the two of them.” Ukyou said. He had never liked the idea of separating family at a time like this...Yuuto's days of being able to see Yuuya were limited. Once he went to jail, Yuuya would have to go to him...and that was if he got a cure that allowed him to walk around freely.

“That is ideal...we'll just have to wait and see.” Ukyou said. He really hoped that did happen...they both seemed to be alike in their caring for Yuuya...but they simply could not stand each other for some reason. Maybe Yuuto could be the placating force in the middle if Yuuya could not be...he seemed to be a reasonable person, despite his criminal ties.

“It is quite interesting...Yuuto explained a little bit of it to us in interrogation. He said that apparently the quadruplets can feel a fraction of Yuuya's pain when he's not sedated or otherwise medicated...that's how they all knew that the attack happened without communicating to each other.” Ukyou said.

“Hopefully even one visit might be good for them. It would improve Yuuya’s help at very least. That I’m certain of,” Chris said, nodding sagely.

“It sounds incredibly improbable, honestly, but stranger things have happened. Hopefully Ms. Catherine won’t be too intense on them when she decides to look at that medical condition. I heard she can be quite relentless once she gets onto a case that she likes.”

“It would...I hope it does happen.” Ukyou said.

“That is true...but identical quadruplets is also unusual...this whole case is odd.” Ukyou mused. He sighed.

“I have heard that too...hopefully she doesn't scare Yuuya.”

“Yeah… on top of everything else, no wonder you seem so tired,” Chris laughed, looking at the other man. He smiled then, warm at Ukyou, looking at his face.

“Well we have to deal with Yuuya’s chronic pains first, so there’s plenty to do before she’s distracted.” Chris mused. “One thing at a time. Like sleep. Go shower, alright? I’ll clean up here."

Ukyou sighed, putting his head in his hands.

“Yeah...I have a lot of work to do...” Ukyou said. He smiled.

“...Are you sure? I can help a little...you made the dinner, so I should at least help you clean...”

Chris leaned over and he kissed Ukyou on the forehead. “Go shower. Go sleep. You need it. I can clean up. I’ll be alright. Don’t worry, Ukyou. I’ll see myself out too.”

Ukyou smiled when Chris kissed him. He quickly caught the man's hand before he could pull away to go clean and then maybe leave.

“...Stay? Please? We can cuddle in bed...it's big enough for the both of us...” Ukyou asked.

Chris nearly dropped the bowl as Ukyou grabbed his sleeve suddenly. He turned to him, a little startled, before he smiled. “You want me to stay over? Really?”

“Yes...I mean, if you want to...” Ukyou said, flushing a little.

Chris stared at Ukyou for a moment before he chuckled quietly. He leaned over and tilted the other man’s head up, placing a kiss on his lips.

“Of course… I didn’t bring something to sleep in, so I hope you don’t mind me just in this.”

Ukyou blushed when Chris tilted his head up, returning the kiss gently with a smile.

“You could borrow some of my pyjamas if you want...they might be a bit too short, but it might be more comfortable...whatever you want...” Ukyou said gently.

“Well… go shower. I’ll see what’s comfortable.” Chris smiled at him and slowly pulled his hand away. He petted the man’s cheek and headed back to the kitchen to clean up.

“Alright...see you in a bit then...” Ukyou said, heading up to the shower as he'd been instructed, happy to be spending the night with Chris. It would be a nice reprieve before tomorrow morning, when he'd have to tell Mutou that someone he cared for very much was dead, and deal with more cases.

Ukyou deserved a break. He was a hard-working man, who had a lot of misfortune happen to him, many outside of his control. He deserved nice things, and Chris wished that he could help a little bit more. The scientist washed the few dishes and the dishes, sighing quietly as he worked. At least he was glad that Ukyou wanted him to stay. Chris honestly didn’t want to go home that night. He didn’t want to admit it out loud that his reason for coming over wasn’t completely selfless.

Kaito was hurt and he hadn’t noticed that he was even gone until the police called him. He felt like an idiot. If he had noticed earlier, would the police have found Kaito sooner? Would they have gotten the jump on this Macfield? Would Kaito be as injured as he was now? The last bit was the hardest to think about, considering that Kaito was his best and maybe his only friend. He didn’t want to lose him… He didn’t want to think about it. He didn’t want to be alone right now…

He sighed as he finished washing his cup and he switched off the tap. After making sure the door was locked and everything was tidy, he switched the lights off and headed over to where Ukyou had walked, assuming the bedroom was somewhere. He found it rather easily, since Ukyou had left the door open and thrown his coat in there.

Chris sighed as he sat on the bed, figuring it might be better to wait for Ukyou rather than go through his cupboards for clothes.

Ukyou took a quick shower, not really wanting Chris to be left waiting. But as he took it, he realized just how tired he really was. He put on his pyjamas and exited the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel when he spotted Chris. He smiled.

“Here...you can borrow these.” Ukyou said, going to his drawer and pulling out a pair of pyjamas for Chris.

Chris gave him a small smile. “Ah… Thanks… I appreciate it. Let me go clean up and I’ll join you.” He got up and headed to the bathroom, half expecting to find Ukyou asleep already when he got back.

“Of course. There's a spare towel in there you can use.” Ukyou said, continuing to dry his hair and get ready for bed. He didn't want to lie down, since he knew he'd probably end up asleep on the spot...he wanted to wait for Chris.

“Yeah. I’ll steal a toothbrush too, alright?” Chris said behind him. He decided not to wash his hair, seeing that would take forever to dry, so Chris’ shower was relatively quick in comparison to Ukyou’s.

“That's fine!” Ukyou called. He sank down onto the bed, pulling the covers back and lay down, waiting for Chris to come out. He was exhausted and wanted to sleep as soon as possible. He smiled as he saw Chris come out of the bathroom at last...as suspected, his pyjamas were too short, but they still made Chris look cute.

The long-sleeve shirt came very short, as well as the sweatpants, but thankfully for Chris, he was thin enough to fit anyway. He smirked when he saw Ukyou and he turned off the lights, easily finding his way into the bed and slipping in under the covers next to the other man.

“I expected to find you asleep already. I told you to go rest."

Ukyou immediately hugged Chris close when the other came under the covers with him.

"I didn't want to sleep without you..." Ukyou murmured softly, smiling at Chris.

Chris hadn’t seen this cute side of Ukyou, and he was suddenly glad the lights were off because his cheeks turned bright red. He chuckled shyly and pulled his arms around the smaller man, leaning into his hold. “Goodnight, Ukyou. Sleep well, alright? Don’t forget your early start.”

Ukyou sighed, letting Chris hold him back. He felt safe and warm and happy right now...tomorrow seemed like so far away. “I won't...you shouldn't either. Night night...” He said softly, already dozing off in complete peace and tranquility with the man he loved.

Ukyou was really cute, and Chris couldn’t help but stare in the dark at the older man. He buried his face against the other’s chest and smiled, finding himself falling asleep quickly himself.

-x-

Yuugi woke up the morning after Raphael was murdered feeling perfectly fine. He got dressed in his daytime outfit and was content to write in his journal, noting that Yami had left him a response on his question about the Millenium Puzzle:

"It's hidden somewhere safe. We'll get it when we leave here...it means a lot to me too. I would never give it away." Yami had promised, which made Yuugi smile.

"I'm glad it's safe..." He mused, before looking up when the guards and Dr. Arclight came to his door. He was surprised...it felt too early for breakfast.

"...Yuugi, yes?" Miheal said, a little disappointed it wasn't Yami this morning. He'd rather be talking to Yami right now. Yuugi smiled and nodded.

"Yes...is something wrong, Doctor?" He asked. Miheal gave Yuugi a small smile.

"...The police superintendent would like to speak to you this morning. He's in the visiting room...come along." Miheal said, letting Yuugi walk to the wheelchair on his own. Yuugi frowned a little as he did so. He'd never been visited by the cops since his arrest...what had happened? Yami was internally panicking, wondering if they'd been told about his past relation to Koutei.

A few minutes later, they entered the room where Ukyou sat across the table from him. Yuugi let himself out of his wheelchair to sit properly in the provided seat across from Ukyou. He gave him a small smile.

"Hello, Superintendent...Ukyou-san, right?" He said, hoping he remembered the name correctly.

It was far too early in the morning, but after a comfortable sleep last night, Ukyou felt well-rested and ready to tackle the case again. It didn’t take him long to get ready and leave a sleeping Chris with the keys to his house, and before he knew it, he was at the Correctional Facility again. He sat down in the prisoner visitor chamber, and he smiled back when he saw Yuugi, though inwardly, like Miheal, he also wished he was talking to Yami.

“Yes, that’s right. Good Morning, Yuugi. I’m sorry that I had to wake you up so early. I hope you had a good sleep regardless."

Yuugi smiled a little. “It's okay...I was already awake.” He said, feeling Yami stirring in his head, anxious to know why the police were here so early.

“...What brings you here so early, Ukyou-san?” Yuugi asked tentatively. He wondered if the cops had come for Yami, who was watching, but seemed unwilling to take over at the moment. Yami really didn't want to talk to the cops, it seemed.

Ukyou’s face fell a little, and he tried to smile at Yuugi. He sighed, and he passed Raphael’s letter, figuring that Yuugi needed to read that first. Both he and Doctor Arclight had both agreed to have Raphael break the news of his own death, and then focus on reassuring Yuugi.

“Here..."

Yuugi waited, noting how somber Ukyou looked. In fact, a quick glance around told him that Dr. Arclight and even the guards looked a little sad....

He accepted the envelope.

"What is this..." He mused, reading his name on the top. He recognized that handwriting...it was Raphael's. He immediately opened it to read what was inside. He read the first line and suddenly it was like his world stopped.

"...Raphael...is...." He stammered, eyes watering and trembling. Raphael was dead. That was all he could focus on....

And suddenly, Yuugi was falling away and Yami emerged, dropping the letter and standing up, slamming his hands down on the table loudly.

"How dare you...implying that Raphael is dead?! I just saw him yesterday! He's alive!" Yami cried, having seen what Yuugi saw and felt Yuugi crying in his mind. He wanted to reassure him...this was clearly some sick game by the cops.

Ukyou had hoped that Yuugi would at least be able to get through the entire letter, even in his sadness. He watched the man read and was ready to comfort him, when all of a sudden Yami was yelling at him. Ukyou looked at the now angry man with tears in his eyes, and he made sure Yami could see how serious he was.

“It happened last night. There was a fight at his house. We found him.” Ukyou said, careful not to use too many words that implied his death, especially since Yuugi was more fragile than they thought. “We found these letters too. The other one is for you Yami, from him."

Yami listened, feeling Yuugi listening too in his head, seemingly crying out even more when he heard Ukyou confirm it. Yami's eyes narrowed and he groaned a little in pain, but he didn't let himself waver.

"...You're lying...he...he told me he had extra security! He promised us he wasn't going to die!" Yami exclaimed, feeling an overall sense of dread by how serious Ukyou looked. He suddenly felt like he was grasping uselessly at straws, clinging to a fake reality where Raphael was still here. He bit his lip and opened the letter, not bothering to check for his name.

Unlike Yuugi, he was able to read the whole thing, but he did falter at the first line, seeing that in Raphael's own words, he was dead. There were all the signs in the letter that this was truly Raphael: the mention of the Devil's Luck they both shared, the calm, understanding tone...the mention of his gambling past that he'd offered advice on. Yami could feel his eyes watering too, but he simply could not accept this...Yuugi was fading...fading...

Suddenly he was scared. He crushed the letter in his fist and tossed it aside, grabbing Ukyou's collar and hauling him up to his eye level.

"I won't accept this...He's not dead! He can't be!" He screamed, partially to Ukyou, but mostly to Yuugi.

“He did. He has twenty five guards on his property. However, they weren’t prepared for the assassin. Raphael had to kill him himself, at a cost.” Ukyou knew Miheal was watching, monitoring his patient, and even though they had taken precautions they knew this was one of the conclusions that could happen, but they all didn’t want to.

Ukyou flinched as Yami grabbed him and he grabbed Yami’s hands back, using his strength to yank himself free. Immediately, a couple of guards burst in the room, to pull Yami back and restrain him to the chair. Ukyou had wanted to avoid it, but Yami was getting violent.

“I’m sorry. I really am."

Yami was trembling in both rage and fear. He was even more upset to hear how devastating it was...so...it was Sergey... ""NO!" He screamed even louder as he was ripped away from Ukyou. "You filthy liar!! Hes not dead!!" He cried, struggling against the guards who were trying to pin him to the chair. Dr. Arclight watched. "Yami...please calm down..." "Stop lying!!!" Yami screeched back, ripping an arm free and punching one of the guards. Dr. Arclight sighed, motioning for one of the guards to sedate Yami. He didn't want to do it, but Yami seemed beyond reason. "No!!" Yami cried, being restrained just enough so the guards could sedate him. Very quickly, he could feel himself losing consciousness...and he slowly passed out in the chair, crying softly. "Im sorry, Ukyou-san...are you okay?" Miheal asked.

Ukyou gave a grimace as he pulled back and straightened himself out. He sighed, watching Yami get sedated and shook his head.

“I’m fine. I think I could have done that better. It was foolish of me to mention Sergey. I broke the plan to drop this carefully. I’m sorry, Doctor Arclight."

Miheal sighed.

"It's my fault too....I underestimated Yami's reaction as well..." He reached down and picked up the crumpled piece of paper.

"At least the news was broken...even if they don't believe it now...they will with time when they notice Raphael doesn't come back. I'll help them through this, Ukyou-san. It's my job after all."

“I know.” Ukyou sighed. “I didn’t expect Yami to help us just yet, but I still hoped he might give us a hint to who is behind all these murders. I suppose it’ll have to wait for next time.”

“I should take my leave, shouldn’t I?”

Miheal nodded.

"Yes...next time. I'll make sure he's calmer." Miheal said.

"I wouldn't want to keep you...the sedative will keep him out for a few hours yet. And when he wakes up I doubt he'll be in a state that he could talk to you in."

“Yes… keep me posted, Doctor Arclight. Hopefully next time, it won’t end so poorly.” He handed Yuugi’s letter to Miheal, knowing Chris’ brother would have better luck getting through to Mutou that he would. “I’m sorry to leave so quickly. Take care.”

Miheal nodded, accepting the letter with a smile.

"I hope so too. Take care, Ukyou-san." He said, having a guard show Ukyou out. The others loaded Mutou carefully into his wheelchair.

"Take him to his room...let me know when he wakes up, alright?" Miheal asked the guards. They nodded, brining Mutou to his room and tucking him into bed. They stood watch by the door as instructed.

Meanwhile, other guards were busy waking up the other patients for breakfast. Shinji Weber made his way down into the lunch room looking for Yami. It had been awhile since the last conspiracy theory after all...

But he waited until all the prisoners were let into the lunch room and didn't see Mutou at all, which was odd. His hair was easy to recognize. He did spot Koutei, who was alone without him...further proof that Yami wasn't here.

"Hey, Ouji. Where's Yami? Do you know?" Shinji asked.

Koutei frowned, seeing Shinji wander over, but he didn’t completely object to the older man’s company. Especially when he asked the same question Koutei himself had been asking all morning.

“I don’t know. Usually the guards wheel him down here before we get here, so I don’t know. I haven’t seem him.”

"Hmm..." Shinji mused.

"...Some of my guys did hear screaming this morning...early morning. I bet they're starting their prisoner tortures...Mutou could be their latest victim. They've finally caught on that he's our insider..." Shinji whispered, glancing around.

"...Plus I think he's the only one missing...nobody has therapy this early..."

Koutei paused. Although a part of him jumped at possible information, his more rational mind kicked in before he could say anything. His shocked expression morphed into a frown and he crossed his arms, as if irritated to have Shinji wasting his time.

“… You’re not wrong that he’s missing… and no one has therapy so early… But no one gets tortured here, Shinji. You know that. And I know that."

Shinji gave Koutei a look.

"How else do you explain why he's not here? No therapy...and they don't let us sleep in...hes not sick, cause he was fine yesterday...so that only means something bad happened. Coupled with the screams my guys heard this morning, hes definitely being tortured." Shinji said with a smile.

"But don't worry. Mutou's tough as nails...he won't tell them anything about the movement. I'm confident of that!"

Koutei for a moment honestly thought he was in the wrong, based on the look that Shinji gave him. Then he suddenly remembered what was going on and gave another scowl. Damn it. How did Shinji always manage to make him second guess himself with his dumb theories? Or was it just when it concerned Mutou…? “He… Could have had an accident. If he screamed then he could have fallen over and hurt himself.” Koutei tried not to think too hard on that idea, not wanting to see Yami in too much pain. “He could have had a nightmare and a breakdown… I hope not but they’re valid options.” “… What movement was this now? The bee force or the Arcadia or whatever?"

"Ah, that's how it's probably gonna be framed, but don't let them fool you Koutei. What happens is no accident!" Shinji said.

"It's the Revolution movement...we're gonna overthrow the doctors and guards who are belittling us and take back our freedoms! I'll keep you posted as it develops...for now, I gotta spread the word some more!" Shinji said, waving off Koutei before going to talk to other people about Mutou being tortured.

Meanwhile, Yami was starting to wake up from the sedatives hours after his meeting with Ukyou. He woke up staring at the ceiling and feeling...off somehow.

"...was this morning all a dream...?" He murmured. That might explain why he felt so odd, but somehow it felt wrong...Yami instinctively began his morning routine of checking his notebook for messages from Yuugi when it finally hit him.

"...Yuugi...?" He murmured, suddenly aware of how...silent his mind was. He couldn't even feel a single sign of Yuugi's presence...he dropped the journal in horror as he realized this was the same as the day Jii-chan died seven years ago. Oh god...then everything this morning...it was real...

"Y-Yuugi...Yuugi! YUUGI!!!" Yami screamed, starting to cry again as his scream turned incoherent. He closed his eyes as tears poured down his cheeks and screamed, slamming his hands down on the bed, the walls, clutching his head and silently begging Yuugi to come back...Raphael to be alive...but it was no use...he was alone again.

And so all he could do was scream louder.

“Right…” Koutei sighed and shook his head. “And Revolution Movement… Also right. I’ll see you later.” He waved at Shinji and watched him go off. He sighed as he stared at the door, really hoping that Mutou hadn’t been hurt and they were just late for some reason.

Hours after meeting also meant a few hours into breakfast. Although the main period was over, Koutei, Shinji and a few others were helping with the clean up, as prisoners often did to help them maintain some normalcy in their lives. However, as loud as the heavens were, and from the unsilenced rooms, the patients all heard Yami’s screams.

“What?” Koutei stopped, nearly dropping the dish.

“Huh? Oh! That must be Mutou! Man… they must be trying to get into his head really hard.” Shinji said, though he did look pleased that his theory had been right. Koutei ignored the urge to smack his friend and he stared, wondering if he could run off and avoid the guards.

“Doctor Arclight?” A guard ran into Miheal’s office. “You asked me to notify you on Mutou. He’s awake now. He’s screaming. He won’t stop."

Miheal could hear Yami's screams as well and was honestly surprised at how badly he was reacting.

"I hear him...this is not good. He needs to calm down before we can help him..." Miheal said. He didn't want to sedate him again because he was already on enough medication as is. He also doubted Yami would listen to him right now...that only left one option.

"Follow me to the cafeteria. I have an idea." Miheal said, heading out. He scanned the remaining prisoners and spotted Koutei.

"Koutei, please come with me. Weber, please take over his duties." Miheal said, gesturing Koutei out of the cafeteria so they could talk.

The guard nodded and followed quickly after Miheal. Thankfully, Koutei hadn’t left or done anything stupid just yet.

“Doctor Arclight?” The blonde blinked as he saw his therapist, but seeing a chance to leave, he followed after the guard and Miheal.

“Is this about Mutou? What happened? Who is screaming?"

Miheal nodded. "Yes it is, unfortunately. Follow me." Miheal said, gesturing Koutei along, the guards flanking their sides to ensure Koutei didn't try anything funny. "...It's Yami, I think. But let me explain...yesterday evening, Mutou's friend Kawahara Raphael was killed. We told Mutou this morning before breakfast...he didn't take it well and we had to sedate him. He woke up recently and is in clear distress...my guards have tried to console him, but he's only lashed out at them. I want to help him, but I can't when he's like this..." Miheal said, looking at Koutei. "...I was hoping you could help calm him down. He trusts you, and you've said that you want to help him in the past."

Koutei walked a little behind Miheal, easily keeping up with the man’s unsteady limp. He listened thoughtfully and his eyes widened as he heard the news. Raphael was killed? That was Yuugi’s and Yami’s only friend, as far as Koutei knew. The blonde bit his lip and nodded.

“Right… Of course. Let me see him. I’ll do whatever I can."

Miheal nodded. "Alright...if you need help, don't hesitate to ask. I don't want him harming you, even by accident." Miheal said, stopping Koutei outside Yami's door, where inside the man was still crying. "We'll be out here watching...good luck." Miheal said, opening the door for Koutei. Yami meanwhile had collapsed to the floor, hands gripping the sheets of his bed with such strength the sheets were almost tearing. He was still crying and occasionally yelling, though his voice was hoarse now. His hands were sore from punching practically everything in his room...in general he just looked a mess. He heard the door open and close, immediately whirling around with bloodshot, teary eyes to yell at whoever had come in. "Leave me alone!" He cried, throwing a pillow blindly at the person he thought initially to be the guard. He didn't want to be sedated again...they'd made him lose Yuugi too partially.

Koutei nodded silently. He didn’t say anything, he merely just listened to the screams that got progressively louder. He had never heard Yami sound like this before. To be so hurt, to be so raw and in pain. The man stared at the door before he slowly walked inside, looking at Yami claw the bed and scream, like a loud, caged animal. Koutei had seen many guys in the facility have breakdowns like this, but he had never felt his heart ache so much when he saw them.

Koutei was quick to sidestep the pillow. His green eyes shone with pity as he walked forward to him. “Yami… Hey… Yami, it’s me.”

“Shhh… Hey… I just want to talk. It’s me, Koutei."

Yami was about to throw another pillow when he finally realized who had walked in. It wasn't a guard. It was Koutei. His eyes widened slightly, unwillingly letting more tears fall out.

"...Koutei..." He croaked out. Now he felt even worse...how was he going to tell Koutei that Yuugi was gone...Koutei would be upset.

"...He's...hes gone, Koutei...gone..." Yami said, feeling fresh tears coming again as he said it. Yuugi was gone. Maybe he'd never come back this time...

Koutei gave him a weak smile, sad and sympathetic. He knelt down to his friend and he immediately pulled him into a hug, knowing if Yami needed anything right now, it was one of those. He wrapped the smaller man into his strong arms, sighing quietly.

“It’ll be alright, understand? Just breathe. He wouldn’t want you to be like this,” Koutei murmured, thinking of Raphael. He didn’t know the man himself, but he figured as much from what Yami and Yuugi told him.

Yami accepted the hug without protest, holding Koutei close. He bit his lip.

"...I failed...I failed him again, Koutei...I couldn't...I couldn't save Raphael for him...now...he's gone..." Yami cried.

Koutei stroked the man’s back calmly, however, he gave a small frown as he took in Yami’s words. ‘Him’ wasn’t Raphael? Then who was it?

“What do you mean, Yami? Raphael is gone, right?” He asked, having a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Yami leaned into Koutei, holding him tight. Tears slid down his cheeks as he heard Koutei piece it together.

"...They're...they're both gone...Raphael...and...Yuugi..." His voice broke when he said Yuugi's name.

"...I can't...feel him anymore...he's gone again...maybe...maybe for good this time..." Yami cried.

“What do you mean he’s gone?” Koutei asked, still holding him. He wanted to look at Yami, but for once, he kept holding him tight.

“Yami? I’m…” Koutei felt a lump in his throat. “Yami, I’m sure he’s just retreated back. I… It’s going to be okay, alright?”

"...I can't feel him...I'm alone..." Yami said, feeling worse just by saying it. He knew that he'd upset Koutei...he hated that.

"...last time...it took 7 years....for him to come back...." Yami murmured.

"...please don't leave me Koutei...I...I don't wanna be alone anymore...you're...you're all I have left..." Yami cried, clinging to Koutei as he cried.

“Seven years…” Koutei prayed that certainly wasn’t the case. However, he was surprised with how tight Yami clung to him, pressing their bodies closer together until it felt suffocating. He stared at Yami as best as he could from the embrace, eyes wide. Yami… Yami was taking this so hard. He’d never seen him like this before. He never seen anyone in complete agony like this…

“… I promise I won’t. I promise. I’ll stay with you, Yami. And Yuugi.” Koutei stayed strong, for Yami’s sake even though he was shaking at the thought of Yuugi gone. “You won’t be alone, okay?”

Yami felt suddenly like Koutei was a life-line. He was now remembering how horribly wrong it had felt before to he without the main personality in his head. He'd buried that feeling for years, mostly around drugs and the euphoria he'd felt from winning gambles and other such games. Eventually, he'd been so addicted he'd forgotten what Yuugi meant to him and now that he had none of those things to distract him....it was like there was a hole inside him that was gaping and painful and could never be filled. Maybe the hole also had been partially Raphael's as well...so Yami was really feeling awful. He'd lost them both...he'd been unable to save them...

He held Koutei close, resting his head on the man's shoulder and turning slightly so he could see Koutei's face and judge how he was doing...he could feel him shaking.

"...thank you...and...I'm sorry....I know you loved him too..." Yami said softly.

Koutei couldn’t imagine what Yami was thinking, but then again, he figured he didn’t have to. He understood the depth of Yami’s pain, and while he couldn’t relate, he could be there for the man. The blonde stroked and rubbed Yami’s back reassuringly, trying to make it very clear that he was here for Koutei, and he’d never leave him, even if that did seem impossible.

He looked back at Yami as he moved to get more comfortable. He smiled gently, still somehow calm, as if the reality hadn’t sunken in for him yet.

“And I love you too… But it’s not your fault, alright? You didn’t do this. It’s not your fault.”

Yami's cries had slowly calmed, cheeks still flushed and eyes a little bloodshot and looking more crimson than purple at the moment. He gave a small sigh.

"...I told Raphael...something I shouldn't have...I was...I was trying to help him...but...it may have killed him...it is my fault..."

“… Told him what? Yami…” Koutei stared at him. “… Yami, deep breaths. You’re not thinking straight."

"...I told him...who hired me...to kill him..." Yami said, taking deep breaths as instructed.

"...my old boss..wouldn't like it...he sent Sergey...here for me...then sent him...for Raphael....cause he didn't want...the word to spread..." Yami said, biting his lip.

"....so it's my fault...it's my fault he was targeted again..."

“… If he was being targeted before by you, maybe your boss was just trying to finish the job. No one actually knew… You don’t know you caused it. You could have said nothing and it still happened,” Koutei pointed out.

Yami sighed.

"...I guess you're right...but I still feel bad...that I couldn't help him....thanks to that...Yuugi's gone...." Yami cried slightly.

“… We’ll get him back. Doctor Arclight and I both want him around, and I’m going to do everything I can to help.” Koutei brushed the tears off Yami’s face. “We’ll fix this somehow…"

Yami closed his eyes, keeping still as Koutei gently wiped his tears.

"...I want him here too...it feels...wrong to not have him around..." Yami admitted.

"...Maybe...he'll come back for you...so...stay? Keep talking to me...maybe he'll hear...?" Yami said, looking at Koutei.

“… I’ll stay as long as I’m able to. I really want him back.” Koutei murmured. “You hear that, Yuugi? I want you back as well. We both want to see your smile."

Yami gave him a small smile.

"...okay...thank you..." He said, curling closer to Koutei. He was tired out from all the screaming and crying and just wanted to rest, feeling safe as he did.

"...no reaction...but...maybe he'll hear you one day..." Yami said softly. He hadn't felt Yuugi stir or any sign of him being there.

“It is the first day… Maybe he’ll be back soon. Before we know it. Don’t worry about it, alright?” Koutei smiled at him. It was still early in the day after all, but Yami looked tired.

Koutei shifted a little and put his arms under Yami’s legs. Then, supporting his back, he slowly picked him up, powerful muscles moving the light frame to the bed.

“… It’s a lot to take in. You should rest."

Yami sighed, shifting closer to Koutei as if he intended to sleep against his chest.

"...I hope so..." He said softly. He clung to Koutei when the other picked him up, not protesting as he normally might have. All the screaming and crying had tired him out.

"...Stay?" He asked again, not wanting to be left alone.

Koutei was going to just tuck Yami in and sit on his bedside, but he didn’t want to give Yami the impression that he was going to leave. So instead, he tucked Yami in and laid down next to him, not under the covers like his friend, but over them. He took Yami’s hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

“Of course I will..."

Yami let Koutei tuck him in, for a moment reminded of Raphael. The other had done this sort of thing for him all the time...but the difference came when Koutei lay down next to him. Raphael had never done that...Yami smiled.

"...Thank you..." He said, holding Koutei's hand back and curling close to him to rest. He let exhaustion overtake him and slowly drifted off to sleep, reassured that he wasn't alone as long as Koutei was there.

A few moments after Yami fell asleep, Miheal opened the door quietly to peek inside.

"...How is he, Koutei?" Miheal asked softly, concerned for his patient. He was okay with Yami going to sleep, but he was concerned on what had caused such an outbreak of emotion.

Koutei watched the boy close his eyes and settle for the night. He smiled, watching him lay down, stroking his shoulder well past when he was fast asleep. When Doctor Arclight poked through, he sat up a little.

“… He… he can’t sense Yuugi anymore. Yami says he lost him. He’s… not in a good state."

Miheal's eyes widened.

"...Oh no..." He murmured. That explained why Yami was so stressed. It seemed that Yuugi had not been as strong as he thought. Miheal sighed.

"...Well...Yuugi's disappeared before and come back. That means he's not gone forever. We can run some tests to see if we can find out what happened...maybe there's something we can do that will help Yuugi return...medication or therapy or something." Miheal said.

"...For now, we'll let him rest though. Come along, Koutei. He needs to sleep in peace."

“Hopefully. I don’t think Yami can deal with everything on his own. Not anymore.” Koutei looked back at the tired man and he frowned.

“… I said I wouldn’t leave him. Is it possible… if he wakes up can I come back?"

Miheal sighed.

“His coping methods in the past have been...destructive, yes. We'll be monitoring him, so don't worry too much about that.” Miheal said. He frowned. Usually that sort of thing wasn't allowed...but he also didn't want Yami to wake up and have another scream-fest that disturbed the other patients.

“If he's in distress again when he wakes up, then yes. Next time he wakes up though, I'll have to talk to him as well...see if I can work with him to find out exactly what happened and how we can maybe fix it to bring Yuugi back.” Miheal said.

Koutei frowned once more- he felt like he was doing a lot of it these days- but he nodded too. He understood. It was difficult to accept but there were rules. He could only hope Yami didn’t need him, and meals would be enough to satisfy him.

“Yeah… Hopefully..."

“It'll work out, Koutei. Last time Yuugi disappeared, Yami was completely alone...but he has help here. We have technology that can help find out what's wrong...and of course, he has you as a friend. You're Yuugi's friend too...he'll come back to see you, I'm sure.” Miheal said reassuringly.

“I know, I know…” Koutei looked at Yami. He stroked his hand before letting go and standing back up. He walked back to Doctor Arclight and the guards.

“Thank you."

Yami didn't even stir, exhausted from the emotional trauma he'd endured that morning.

“Thank you for helping to calm him down...now he'll be able to rest and recover.” Miheal said gently with a smile, leading Koutei out.

“We'll keep you updated on how he's doing...he should be rejoining meals and pursuing his schedule as per normal, mostly.” Miheal said, nodding to the guards.

“Take him back to his room, and keep watch over Mutou.”

Koutei nodded. “Alright… Thanks Doctor Arclight. Again, let me know if I can help again.” Koutei was escorted and the guards nodded, one staying to watch the inmate while the others escorted Koutei back and attended to their duties.

-x-

Yuuma had a day off of work today and was home alone with Iris. Shark had to go into the garage, unfortunately, but Yuuma still wanted to have some fun with his daughter.

"Hey Iris, did you wanna go meet some more of my friends?" Yuuma asked with a grin. Iris nodded.

"Yay!" She cheered. Yuuma grinned.

"Alright! I'm gonna call one of them okay? He's a former classmate of mine!" Yuuma said, picking up his phone and dialing Takashi's number with a grin.

Ironically, Shark was in the garage because, Yusei wanted to take some time off. Since Judai was off work, Yusei had decided to take the two of them over to Takashi’s house. Yusei was checking on the cameras in Takashi’s house and Judai was talking to Takashi until the man felt the buzzing in his pocket. “Hmm? Ah, hang on Judai. The old man waved him off and Takashi stood up to answer it, knowing he was supposed to pick his phone up so his friends wouldn’t think he was off his meds again. “Hey Yuuma. What’s up?"

"Hey Inchou! Guess what? Shark and I have adopted our little girl! We wanna come see you! Can we come over?" Yuuma asked with a grin.

Astral wasn't sure if he should be coming out at first, but Vector had assured him that Yusei and Judai were trustworthy, so he wasn't hiding. But, he was a little distracted...concerned for Kaito. He hoped he was doing okay.

"Ah, you're in luck Astral! Yuuma's on the phone...and he wants to come over!" Vector said, having hacked the phone so he could listen to the conversation. Astral's eyes widened.

"...I would love to see him...I need to ask him if he will go see Kaito for me."

Takashi didn’t know Vector was listening in, but he smiled, knowing that Yuuma knew about Astral anyway. “Ah… Well I have Yusei and Judai here, but it should be fine. It’s not like we’re doing much. We’re all just hanging out. If you don’t mind the others here, feel free to come over. Tokunosuke showed me the group chat and she looks adorable. I’d love to meet your daughter,” he said brightly.

“It’s fine! Just so you know!” Judai yelled, not needing to ask Yusei.

Yusei simply grunted. He didn't care if people came over. It wasn't his house after all. Astral smiled.

"I am glad Yuuma is coming...and I would love to meet his daughter as well." Astral mused. Vector snickered.

"Sure, bring the kid! She can play with Judai." He mused.

Yuuma beamed.

"Alright Inchou! I'd love to see those guys, and neither of them have met Iris either! I'll be over soon!" Yuuma said, hanging up and turning to Iris.

"C'mon, let's get some toys packed to take to Inchou's then head out!" Yuuma said. Iris cheered and darted into her room to grab some of her favorite toys to bring.

“Because I’m so young at heart, right?” Judai grinned up at Vector. Takashi hid his laughter and smirked, leaning into the phone.

“Alright. See you soon, Yuuma.” Takashi hung up and walked back to Judai. “I should get more snacks then, shouldn’t I? Between you and Yuuma, you’re gonna destroy all the food in my house.”

“I’m not that bad! Right blondie?” Judai said, looking bad at Vector.

"No. You're litterally a man-child." Vector cackled. Yusei gave a small smirk.

"...Well he did put a chainsaw on a bicycle once..." He mused to himself.

"Yes, Takashi-baby...you need to buy the whole store's worth of snacks for those two! They'll eat you out of house and home!" Vector laughed. Astral smiled.

"I will help." He said, following Takashi into the kitchen.

"I'm all packed, Daddy!" Iris said, hauling out a backpack full of toys. Yuuma gave her a thumbs up.

"Great! Then let's go!" He said, hoisiting Iris up onto his broad shoulders and heading out to the bus station.

“Oy! That’s not nice!” Judai frowned, “Have you looked in a mirror? Hypocrite.” He perked up immediately though. “I mean… it was a great idea. And last time I checked, you were the one who rode around on it, didn’t you, Yusei?”

Takashi smiled, nodding to Astral. “Thanks, I appreciate it.” He left the three to talk about their bike and opened the fridge.

“It’ll be nice to see Yuuma. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him."

"Only because you wouldn't shut up until I did..." Yusei mused, though he smiled at that memory. It was a funny one that had predictably ended in disaster.

"It will be...I have not seen him since my escape. He and Shark have been busy being fathers." Astral said, going to get plates from the cupboards for the snacks.

Meanwhile, Yuuma got on the bus with Iris.

"Sounds like you're going to meet lots of new people today...Daddy's boss will be there, and his boyfriend, and my brother too! And Inchou's husband as well. It's gonna be lots of fun Iris." Yuuma said. Iris' eyes widened.

"Wow...like a tea party?"

"Sure, like a tea party! Tons of friends and a great time guaranteed!"

“Not since the escape… yeah, that’s right. Wow, it’s already been quite a while since you moved in, huh?” Takashi smiled, ignoring Vector’s loud laughter at the thought of his uncle riding a bike with a chainsaw strapped to it. The man shook his head and began taking out drinks, pouring himself some juice while he was at it. “You going okay, Astral?”

"It has been...I am grateful you let me stay." Astral said with a small smile. He sighed.

"...I am concerned for Kaito...I cannot go and see him myself as a fugitive...but I wish I could." Astral said softly. He missed Kaito so much...and was worried about his recovery.

Meanwhile, Yuuma and Iris finally reached their destination, hopping off the bus and going to the house.

"Ring the bell, Iris!" Yuuma said, lifting up his giggling daughter so she could reach it. Irish pushed it happily and the two waited for someone to answer the door.

“Well… I could always visit Kaito. Or Yuuma can. I’d be happy to.” Takashi’s smile faded. “I’m worried about him too. We always used to joked that police work would be the death of him, but… well to summarise… I hope he gets better soon.”

The two of them worked with the food- which really was lunch at this point- when they heard the doorbell. Judai bounced up and headed for the door.

“I’ll get it!” He grinned as he swung it open. “Hey! Yuuma, right? I’ve seen you before in Yusei’s shop. Sup!”

"I would appreciate it if you did too...anyone who can see him should. It would ease my mind to hear he is okay from many people..." Astral said. He sighed.

"...I thought the same...but I also hoped it wouldn't be the case..."

Yuuma grinned.

"I remember seeing you around too, yeah! Hey, Judai good to meet you! And this is Iris, mine and Shark's daughter!" Yuuma said. Iris stared up at the older man and gave a shy smile and wave

"Hi!"

Well, he needed to go and get out more, so Takashi figured that this would be a good enough reason to do so. The blue-haired man smiled at Astral before he washed his hands and headed out to meet his friend.

“Hi there, Iris,” Judai leaned over and waved back. “How are you? It’s nice to meet you as well.”

“Hey Yuuma,” Takashi said, walking in. “Long time no see."

Astral smiled when he heard the sound of the door opening. He washed his hands and went out to greet Yuuma with a smile. He didn't say anything at first because before he could, Vector had bounded over.

"Yuuma-kun! It's been so long since you've seen your old pal Vector~ if I didn't know better I'd say you don't love me anymore!" He cackled, capturing Yuuma in a headlock with a blinding grin.

Yuuma laughed.

"Oy, Vector knock it off!" He said. Iris giggled, used to seeing her Yuuma Daddy being picked on quite a bit. She knew it was a game. Yusei peeked around Judai to spot Iris.

"So this is the kid Shark and Yuuma won't shut up about at work huh...hey Iris. My name's Yusei, and I'm your dad's boss." Yusei said, ignoring his nephew and Yuuma's antics.

Takashi laughed. “Vector, you’re being too rough. Let him breathe.” He said, walking over, patting Vector on the arm.

Iris smiled and nodded, walking in when Judai moved aside, waving at Yusei. “Hello there…” She said shyly but sweetly.

Vector pouted but loosened his grip on Yuuma, who made a show of exaggerated panting to catch his breath.

"Let that be a lesson to you...visit more often, Yuuma-kun~" Vector said. Yuuma rolled his eyes.

"Yeah yeah...of course I will! My brother lives here now!" Yuuma said, spotting Astral inside and darting in to hug him. Astral smiled.

"Please do visit me, Yuuma, when you have time." He said.

Yusei let one of his rare smiles show on his face when Iris said hello to him.

"You look remarkably like Shark's sister, Rio-san, but much more adorable." Yusei said.

“Please don’t make it sound like a death threat, Vector,” Takashi mused. He stepped aside, letting Yuuma go straight for Astral, knowing it had been long since he last saw him. Astral hugged Yuuma back, groaning a little as the large man hit him like a train.

“You’re getting real strong, aren’t you, Yuuma. Still working out.” Astral groaned, patting his friend on the back.

Iris giggled and smiled. “I know I look like Aunty Rio. And daddy Shark always says I am much cuter, so I know that too."

Vector grinned.

"You know me, baby. I deal in death threats or come-ons. Nothing in between~" Vector teased, kissing Takashi's cheek.

Yuuma practically picked Astral up, he was so happy to see him. He laughed.

"Yeah, I still do! And you're as thin as ever, Astral! You gotta eat more!" Yuuma said, releasing his brother with a grin.

"Come meet my daughter, Astral!" Yuuma said, steering Astral over to where Iris was with Yusei and Judai. Yusei nodded.

"You're a smart girl then." He mused. He glanced over when he saw Yuuma approach.

"Iris, this is your Uncle Hope! He and Shark and I grew up together like brothers!" Yuuma said.

Judai gave Takashi a concerned look as he saw Vector kissing him, but he didn’t say anything. Takashi honestly thought he was hallucinating for a moment, because Judai seemed to perk up when he looked away, acting like he didn’t see anything. It made him feel a little guilty, but he nuzzled against Vector as always.

“Yuuma!” Astral exclaimed, flustered. “I mean… it’s hard to eat right and work out when I’m… you know. But I’m trying,” he insisted. He let Yuuma guide him and he looked down at Iris, indeed seeing her resemblence to Rio.

“Uncle Hope? Hello there.” Iris said.

“Hello there,” Astral said. He then looked at Yuuma. “Yuuma, that’s the name Ukyou and the others know me by,” Astral said. “Was it really smart to introduce me to your daughter like that? What if it comes up?”

Vector didn't care about the look, most interested in making Takashi feel okay. He smiled when the other returned his nuzzle. Yuuma pouted.

"But if I introduce you as Astral it's even more obvious! But I'm sure it'll be okay! She's not gonna see the cops!" Yuuma said with a thumbs up. Yusei sighed.

"Just call him "Uncle", okay Iris?" Yusei said.

Astral shook his head. “Alright. If you insist.”

Iris looked confused, but she nodded, hearing Yusei’s suggestion. “Alright. Uncle it is then. Just Uncle.” Iris looked at Yuuma, wanting to know why there was confusion with her dad’s brother’s name.

Yuuma looked down at Iris with a smile.

"Uncle has a lot of different names, sweetie. Like Shark Daddy has a lot of names! It's better to just call him "Uncle" so nobody gets lost! He's your only Uncle, cause Shark Daddy and I have no other brother!" Yuuma said.

"Awww, so I don't get to be an honorary uncle either?" Vector teased with a pout.

Iris nodded. “I like your tattoos, Uncle,” she smiled up at Astral. “Everyone has cool ones, like Shark Daddy and him,” she pointed at Yusei, much to Judai’s amusement. “But you have the most!”

“I don’t know. Do you deserve to be one?” Takashi teased.

Astral smiled at Iris, glad somebody liked them.

"They may look 'cool', but they are also very expensive and sometimes painful to get." Astral warned her. Yusei sighed.

"Yeah, don't get them til you're older, kid." He said.

"I do! I'd be a great Uncle! I'm great at spoiling kids." Vector said, with a grin.

“I know. I don’t want any,” Iris said. “I just think they’re pretty! Like flowers!”

Judai snorted at that and glanced at Vector. “Yeah, because you’re a big one yourself. You know what they like.”

“Daddy, who’s the man with yellow hair?"

Yusei smiled a little. It wasn't often his former gang symbols were called 'pretty' by little girls like Iris. Most young people were a little intimidated by them.

"I'm glad you think so." He said.

Vector whined.

"I am not!" He exclaimed, before he noticed Iris' attention on him. She was probably too young to know who he had been...too young to remember his attacks on Heartland.

"Ah well...this is Vector. He's a care-taker for Takashi here...Takashi is my former classmate!" Yuuma said, introducing both of them.

Judai smirked and sat next to Yusei as Iris wandered over to the AI and Takashi. She waved at them and she smiled, a little nervous but no more than she had been for everyone else.

“Hey Iris. Welcome to our house.” Takashi smiled.

“Hello. I hope we get to play together. You guys must be fun if you’re daddy’s friends.”

Vector chuckled.

"Oh I am tons of fun, Iris...tons." Vector mused, smiling at her. Yuuma smiled.

"We'll definitely play alright? What would you like to do?" He asked her.

Iris pondered it. “I dunno… I wanna play though.” She went to cling to her dad’s leg, embarrassed now that she realised all the attention was on her. Takashi laughed.

“Well you brought some of your own games, right? We don’t have many games besides some cards, I’m afraid."

Yuuma chuckled.

"It's alright sweetie. We'll just pick one of the games you brought." Yuuma said.

"...we do have snacks, if you would like to eat first..." Astral said with a smile, showing Iris the plate of food.

Iris smiled and took some biscuits. “Thanks!” And to Takashi’s surprise and Judai’s amusement, the little girl hit Yuuma on the side of the leg. “Make sure there’s some for everyone too, daddy! Don’t eat it all!"

Vector laughed.

"Wow she's definitely the boss in that house isn't she!" He cackled. Astral looked on in amusement.

"I am glad...Yuuma certainly needs to be reminded of basic etiquette." Astral said. Yuuma whined.

"I won't Iris I promise! Guys, stop laughing!" He pouted, taking one cookie and chewing it slowly.

Judai couldn’t even speak, barking with laughter and while Yusei didn’t say anything he smirked. Iris patted her dad on the thigh.

“Daddy Shark told me to watch you! It’s my one job!” Iris said, looking very insistent on doing her part for the family.

Astral smiled and suppressed a laugh.

"Well, i am glad someone is responsible in the family..." He mused. Yuuma pouted more.

"I can look after myself! My job is to look after you, not you looking after me!" Yuuma exclaimed.

“Both of my daddies are very responsible,” Iris said quietly, smiling shyly up at Yuuma. “I love them very much. It’s why I want to look after Yuuma daddy too.”

Yuuma could feel his heart melting along with his pout when his daughter looked up at him like that.

"Awww...we both love you too, Iris." He swooped her up into a hug.

"Well all look after each other then." He promised. Astral smiled. Iris was certainly very cute and sweet.

"Ugh...how is it possible to be that adorable? It's almost making me sick..." Vector muttered to Takashi.

“Oh hush. Let them be cute,” Takashi said. He went to sit down on the couch and watched as Iris hugged her dad back, giggling.

“I think I just want to colour right now, daddy.”

Yuuma smiled. "Alright sweetie. You can colour all you want! Let's get your coloring book and crayons out then!" Yuuma said, letting Iris go and setting her up at the table with her art supplies. Vector rolled his eyes and went to sit next to Takashi, cuddling up next to him on the couch like the real Vector used to do.

Iris smiled, letting her dad carry her off. She got comfortable at the coffee table and she helped Yuuma set up.

“You’re always on his arm like a leech, huh blondie?” Judai grinned.

Vector smirked.

"Unless that leech is considered loving and caring, then no. I'm not a leech at all." Vector said, leaning closer as if he was demonstrating his claim over Takashi the way the real Vector had done. Yusei frowned.

"...and you're okay with this, Takashi? He's an AI...and of my nephew of all people. That's double trouble if you ask me..."

Takashi blinked as he looked up, a little surprised. While he did suspect someone in his house currently disapproved of his… living arrangement with Vector, he didn’t expect to be confronted with it so directly. The man let the AI lean on him, averting his gaze from Yusei.

“I’m fine. He helps me, really. It’s alright."

Vector stuck his tongue out at Yusei.

"See? It's all good. I help him a lot." Vector said. Yusei sighed.

"If you say so...I just worry sometimes." He said. He knew the pain of losing someone he loved and could sympathize with Takashi...he just hoped he was coping in a healthy way.

Astral approached Yuuma when he was finished setting Iris up in the kitchen with her arts stuff.

"Yuuma...may I have a quick word with you? I have a favour to ask..."

Takashi rolled his eyes. “Be nice to your uncle, Vector.” Takashi said, petting the man as if he was a dog. Judai chuckled, though he was just as worried about Takashi. In his eyes, this wasn’t even close to healthy, but he didn’t know what to do about it.

“Huh? Sure thing.” Yuuma said, getting up. “What’s up?"

Yusei glanced at Judai, sharing the look of unease over this. But what could they do? They could recommend all they wanted that Takashi try and let Vector go, but it was on him to do it.

Astral motioned for Yuuma to follow him so they were out of earshot of Iris, who was coloring happily and didn't notice.

"...Kaito recently got into trouble again. He tried to hunt down a drug dealer and got caught, then tortured..." Astral began with a frown.

"...I assisted the police in his rescue and he was taken to hospital to recover. However, now I do not know how he is doing...and I will not be able to see him because I am a fugitive and the police will likely be watching over Kaito closely. So...I was hoping you and Shark could see him and update me on how he is doing...I am worried about him..."

Judai looked at him back. Of course he wanted to say something, but they couldn’t do it when the two of them were snuggling up like the newlyweds they once were and while Vector was there. He tried to communicate wordlessly to the man to try get Vector out of the picture. Yusei needed to confront him about this.

“Tortured?!” Yuuma exclaimed loudly. He then clamped his own hand over his mouth. “Tortured? Oh no… Astral… Of course I’ll visit. Kaito… How has he been? Why would he try hunt people? He’s still sick!"

Yusei read the look and glanced back at Vector and Takashi.

"Hey brat, my bikes been acting up lately and my diagnostics checks haven't turned up anything wrong. Maybe your AI can get a closer look?" Yusei said. Vector raised a brow.

"You want me to hack your bike, Uncle? Sounds fun! Meet you there!" He said, disappearing in seconds. Yusei glanced at Judai, telling him silently to break the news to Takashi, before heading outside to the bike that in reality had nothing wrong with it. It was an opportunity to talk to both parties separately.

Astral sighed.

"Myself and Yuuto both tried to talk him out of it...but Kaito is stubborn. He did not listen to me...now this happened..." Astral said.

"Thank you, Yuuma..."

Judai gave Yusei an indiscreet thumbs up. He watched the man and the AI go and he got up, hopping over and moving next to Takashi. The older man plopped on the couch, giving a long and heavy sigh as he eased into the chair.

“Man… How do you put up with that AI? He’s full on with the energy, huh?” Judai said, wondering how to do this.

Yuuma gave a frown, leaning against the wall. “… Well we’ll have to tell him not to be so stubborn. Did he really want to catch this drug dealer guy that badly? What did he do?"

Takashi gave a small smile. "He is very energetic, yes...I had forgotten that Vector could be that way...it's nice to see." Takashi said. "Hes most energetic around others...with me, he slows down to accommodate my needs. We spend a lot of time on the couch watching tv, or he joins me in the garden, or whatever...nothing strenuous." "This drug dealer was single-handedly responsible for bringing Devil's Breath to Heartland. He also had affiliations with Mutou and Yuuto...the cops wanted him caught, but nobody was willing to say much about him. He seems to have a dense network of lackeys..." Astral mused. "He also ended up killing more than half the police force in a drug bust that he managed to escape from...he is dangerous." Vector zipped through the bike outside and was astonished once more by its depth. "Damn Uncle no wonder you couldn't find the problem...this thing is a supercomputer!" It would take him awhile to look through it.

“Yeah… I mean, I guess you got to be, but man,” Judai gave a small laugh and looked at Takashi, seeing how tired the other man looked. He definitely looked healthier, but even looking at him, it was evident to see that there was something just not quite right with him. He wondered how best to address it, without Takashi going to the defensive.

“Does he get a chance to see others often? Since he’s so energetic?” Judai asked, leaning back into the couch. “He’s really something else, considering he’s not alive.”

“Um… I dunno what breath that is, but it sounds bad… And he sounds like an awful person.” Yuuma frowned. “… He sounds dangerous. I wonder if Shark knows about him.”

“Just keep looking, Vector,” Yusei said. He didn’t want the AI in his bike, but he wanted to buy some time for Judai before the man got to scolding the program.

"Ah...no, not really...not all my friends knew about Vector...so it's hard to breech that subject with them, you know? And they're all so busy that I don't want to bother them anyway..." Takashi mused with a smile.

Astral sighed.

"He may, but please, do not go after him. It would not be wise...it would be best if you just left it to the police. I'm sure they will talk to Kaito and to the man they captured for more information. For now, we should focus on Kaito's recovery." Astral said.

"Daddy! Uncle! Look what I drew!" Iris said, holding up a picture of what was clearly supposed to be her with her family in a flower garden. Astral was surprised to see himself in it too.

"...that is very nice..." he said with a smile.

“I mean… They are your friends. I dunno them as well as you, but they’re not as busy as you think. My sibling Yubel, like… they always say they’re super busy and they don’t have time for things, but if I ever have a problem, I know that they would rather hear it then me trying to be out of the way, you know?” Judai said, trying to insist.

“I mean… I don’t want to. I just wanted to know if we could help. Shark still has old contacts. But I guess we should just stick to flowers, yeah.” Yuuma turned as he heard the footsteps and he smiled as he saw the drawing.

“Eyyy! You’re so fast, Iris! And such a great drawing too. Shark, you, me, and uncle! Great job!” Yuuma, said, ruffling her hair. “She’s like me, you know? Like in the orphanage, she always accepted new kids as family. So she knows you’re family off the bat too,” he grinned at Astral.

"I know they'd be there for me if I had a problem...but I also don't wanna bother them. I'm getting better...I don't wanna trouble them..." Takashi said.

"Besides, Vector is here for me all the time. He helps me all the time so they don't have to."

Astral nodded.

"I understand...I am glad she shares that quality with you. I too was raised in the orphanage and I understand the value of family." Astral said.

“I mean… That’s just it right. It’s Vector all the time. I know you go out with your friends but…” Judai sighed. “… Doesn’t it seem like… I don’t know… Pretend Vector is human, right? Aren’t you guys maybe like… a little too close? Like… you know what I’m saying, right?”

“You were?” Iris asked, her eyes sparkling.

“Yep! Thats how we all met each other. We hung out.”

“We should hang more!” Iris giggled. “Draw with me daddy! Uncle!"

Takashi looked confused.

"...it was me and Vector all the time like this before he...died..." Takashi stumbled over the last word.

"...I don't see a problem with it...Vector is still here...the AI was made to be like a human...it's just like how it was before..." Takashi said.

Astral nodded.

"I was. Both your fathers and I were close back then...like a family." He said.

"If you insist...I am finished talking to Yuuma anyway. Now I can spend time with you." Astral said, sitting down next to Iris to join her in drawing.

Judai frowned. Maybe this was worse than he thought, and rooted far deeper than he expected. He paused, giving Takashi a moment.

“… But it’s not the same as before… You know that.”

Iris smiled as she led the two men to the kitchen, oblivious to what else was going on. After taking a snack, she offered the two of them paper from her colouring book, and crayons, pleased to have so many people to play with now.

Takashi clenched his hands together.

"...but it could be...it could be...hes like the old Vector...hes him exactly..." Takashi said.

Astral smiled and accepted the paper, coloring in the pages he was offered alongside Yuuma and Iris.

Yusei meanwhile was staring at his bike, waiting for the AI to finish going through it.

"Find anything, brat?" He asked.

“Except he disappears. And he’s an AI. Haven’t you noticed like some things about him are… similar but not quite right?” Judai asked, pressing a little harder.

“Nope! God, I honestly think there’s nothing wrong. What’s the deal, uncle? How do you know something is wrong?” Vector asked, poking his head out.

Takashi's hands trembled a little as he could think of the occasional memory that Vector hadn't been able to program.... "...no it's fine...it's enough..." Takashi murmured. "There's nothing wrong with the bike brat, but there is something wrong with you and Takashi. You're an AI that is programmed to help him get better but you're acting like you're still fucking him behind the scenes. That's not a good thing. It's not healthy." Yusei said firmly.

“Is it fine?” Judai frowned. “Because honestly it doesn’t seem like it. You look like you know it, Takashi,” Judai said, looking at the man’s face. He put a hand on Takashi’s shoulder. “Why do you pretend it’s fine? I mean… you keep saying it but…”

“What do you mean what’s wrong with me? I’m fine. Flawless even.” Vector couldn’t turn on the projector while outside and with the neighbours, so it really looked like Yusei was arguing with his bike. “And I am helping him. What I do is not the point. And like you know what’s healthy uncle, sleeping in your garage where you’re probs gonna choke on fumes.”

"...because I...i barely know what's real and what isn't! I was in a world of hallucinations...black outs...then the AI was there and it convinced me this is reality..." Takashi shook his head and buried his face in his hands.

"...I loved him...I can't let him go...!" He cried softly.

Yusei frowned.

"What you're doing is isolating him from his friends and interfering with his coping process. It does matter what you do because you're not a real human...you can't be in a relationship with a human like Takashi." Yusei said with a sigh.

"And I do not do that every night."

Judai stared at him as Takashi hissed his words and looked up, seeing Yuuma at the door, looking just as astonished. Yuuma made a movement towards Takashi, but Judai shook his head, trying to tell Yuuma silently not to approach him when he was so vulnerable. Judai moved his hand away from Takashi, to give him a little space.

“… I know you do, Takashi… But you can’t live in the past… Pretending Vector is real in reality… is that much different to a hallucination?”

Vector rolled his eyes, which really resulted in the headlights flickering. “I’m perfectly fine. He’s not being isolated. We see people all the time! It’s just Takashi wants to not bother them so much.” Vector frowned before his voice became teasing. “Are you just jealous because you can’t love a machine, uncle? Because honestly it looks like you’re struggling for argument points."

Takashi was shaking and crying softly, feeling completely lost and overwhelmed.

"...It is different...cause the AI is real. It's a real...piece of him...I can't ever lose it. I can't ever let Vector go..." Takashi said, looking at Judai with a watery smile.

"...Vector knew I'd be like this...so he gave me the AI so he could stay with me...forever."

Yusei sighed.

"It's not you that's the biggest problem...it's Takashi. He's not healing, like I said! And your actions aren't helping him...you should be encouraging him to leave you and go out with his friends, not cling to him and isolate him." Yusei said. He shook his head.

"I'm not jealous of you. Loving a real human is normal...loving a machine is not."

“… I know you can’t, and in some way, that’s good. I mean… I don’t want you to forget Vector. But at the same time, I don’t want you to cling so hard on the past. I don’t think Vector did too. Vector made the AI probably to help you let go slowly, not cling so tightly. You know this, don’t you?” Judai said, looking back at the young man.

“He’s not hallucinating. He’s healthier. He’s working on his job more. He is, just slowly. I’ve analysed him and done the math too.” Vector frowned. “And I do.” Just probably as not much as he should have. “I’m hardly a machine. I’m a bit better than that, Uncle."

"...Probably...Vector is...was...so smart, so talented...and he loved me. He wanted me to be happy..." Takashi sighed, tears still falling silently.

"...I don't think I could be fully happy without the AI though, Judai...I just...I can't handle it...I can't..."

"You've done great getting him that far...but now is the time when you should start backing off and letting him expand and grow on his own. He's stable, as you say: healthier, not hallucinating, starting to work. So you should let him have more time to himself so he gets more confidence and isn't so reliant on you." Yusei said, before sighing.

"...You're still not human. What you're doing is not normal...and you cannot have a normal relationship with Takashi like the actual Vector did. You know that, don't you?"

Judai nodded. “… I know. I’m not saying get rid of him. I’m saying more… Have a normal life. Go out. Talk to your friends. Make new ones. Takashi, believe it or not you’re still young. You’re like… what? Barely thirty? You still have a lot of your life left. I didn’t met Yusei until I was a few years older than you. Go out and live a life and then come back to the AI. He’ll be there when you come home, you know? He’ll still be there, just don’t put him on a pedestal in your life.”

“Finally… Someone acknowledging I am doing a lot of right,’ Vector huffed. “I mean… I want to. No, I’m supposed to. We just… neither of us want to.” The AI grimaced. On one hand, the program wanted to say that he absolutely wanted a relationship with Takashi, but he also knew that it was a good way to have his programming rewritten by Yusei or Astral. So he merely honked Yusei’s motorbike in irritation.

“Yeah yeah..."

Takashi bit his lip.

"...I just...I have trouble leaving the house...I'm not used to that. When Vector was sick, I stayed with him...I never went out then...it's been so long." Takashi mused. It really had been ages since Vector had been diagnosed and even before then, he and Vector had rarely left, given the fact that Vector had to disguise himself to leave and it was often easier to maintain the facade from afar.

"I am young...but I don't...I don't think I could ever love another person, Judai. He did say I could move on...but..." Takashi just sighed, unable to finish. There were no words that could describe how much he'd loved Vector. He hadn't been able to picture himself with anyone else before, and now it was the same.

Yusei smirked.

"I give credit where it's due. I'm tough, but fair, so if you don't want another lecture, then do it. Back off a bit from Takashi and let him try things for himself. If you're bored, go play with some other friends of yours." Yusei mused.

"Now get out of my bike, brat. You're making a scene."

“Yeah… I’m not saying you have to find a new love. Just try find a bit more of a life… you know?” Judai said. He wasn’t sure what else to say, but then he figured he didn’t have to, because Yuuma finally walked out of the kitchen and reached out to hug Takashi from behind. The large man buried his face into Takashi’s shoulder, holding him tight.

Vector grinned. “Alright… alright.” He rolled his eyes again. “What other friends? You mean Astral? Or your bike here?"

Takashi sighed.

"...I'll try..." He said, a little tired out from the emotional stress this conversation had caused. He tensed a little when he was suddenly hugged, but then he relaxed when he realized it was just Yuuma. He leaned into his touch, glad to have some support.

"Not my bike, unless you wanna be deleted. Astral, sure. You're both hackers aren't you? And maybe you can visit your family in Neo Domino or something. Mikage and Ushio would be glad to have you I'm sure." Yusei suggested.

“I’m sorry, Takashi.” Yuuma said, sounding surprisingly quiet. “I didn’t know how hard it’s been for you… And I call myself your friend.” Yuuma felt like he really didn’t talk or hang out with Takashi, and he certainly didn’t help with his problems. He wanted to change that somehow. “It’s going to be okay, you know? We’re gonna help. We all have your back.”

Vector winked at him before he smirked. “Yeah… I should visit them. Might give Ushio a good scare. That’ll be fun."

Takashi sighed.

"...it's okay, Yuuma...you're not a bad friend. You're busy with Iris now..." Takashi said, patting Yuuma's huge arms.

Yusei snorted.

"Just don't scare them too badly Alright? You've still got to behave somewhat."

“I know. But still. I’m not too busy for you, Takashi.” Yuuma squeezed him tight. “… We’ll… we’ll help. We’ll get you set up and everything and we’ll get you back on your feet. I promise.”

“Behave… Pfft. When do I not behave, uncle?” he teased.

Takashi sighed, squeezing Yuuma back.

"...Alright...thanks, Yuuma. For the record...you and Iris and Shark can come over whenever you want..." He said with a small smile. He had to admit it was nice to see his friends.

"Do you want your list of misbehavior in alphabetical or chronological order?" Yusei deadpanned.

“Expect us over a lot then. And expect to be coming over to our place too. Just little things, Inchou. This time, I swear, we’ll actually make this a thing.”

Vector paused before he smirked. “Chronological please."

Takashi smiled a little.

"I'm glad...I'll look forward to it then." Takashi said. He did like Iris and seeing Yuuma.

"I'll email it to you later then. It's too long for me to waste my breath on." Yusei said, crossing his arms.

Yuuma smiled and let go. He hopped over the couch to sit on the other side of Takashi. “Good.”

“You both have to put in the effort. Hear that?” Judai looked at Takashi. “You need to try in little ways to get your old life back. Otherwise the AI is going to think nothing is wrong, okay?"

“I’ll make sure you keep your promise, uncle!” The AI said, chirping happily. “We should go back in, shouldn’t we? I don’t wanna keep Takashi waiting."

Takashi smiled and nodded.

"I'll try...I guess I'll have to talk to him..." Takashi mused.

Yusei snorted.

"Sure brat. Let's go inside....but remember what we talked about." Yusei said the last part sternly to the AI before it vanished.

“Preferably while we’re not here. Don’t let him blame us,” Yuuma pouted. “He’ll probably be testy if he finds us conspiring against him.”

“Testy? Yeah probably,” Judai laughed.

“Me? Testy? Since when?” The AI said, zipping in. He had heard Yusei’s words, but he chose to ignore him, kissing Takashi’s head before Yusei walked back in, in a deliberate attempt to spite the man. “What did I miss boys?"

Takashi chuckled a little as the AI appeared in basically perfect timing.

"I'll tell you later, alright?" He said, bopping the AI's nose when he kissed his forehead. Yusei sighed a little as he saw the kiss. Maybe that talk had been for nothing...he glanced at Judai, hoping the other had had better luck with Takashi than he did with Vector.

Judai looked back at Yusei. Well he had THOUGHT he had gotten to Takashi, but it may have only been with words. He was hopeful since Takashi didn’t kiss him, but Takashi was reserved in general anyway. Vector gave a pout but he backed off, leaning against the wall.

“How’s the bike?” Yuuma asked, looking up at his boss.

Takashi knew he'd have to talk to the AI later, but for now, he was content to just sit with him. No matter what Judai said...Takashi couldn't deny the strong feelings he had for Vector. And sitting next to the AI that could talk to him, touch him and kiss him like the real Vector could...it was so hard to convince him it wasn't real...that it couldn't be real...

"Bike's all good. This brat is good for something after all." Yusei said smoothly.

The AI grinned. “Of course. I’m designed and made by the best. The bike was easy.”

“Good to hear!” Yuuma grinned.

“Daddy… I want to play a game with everyone now…” Iris said, dragging Astral out of the kitchen, smiling. “I wanna play Uno. Is that okay?”

“If you want Yusei to get into a fist fight, sure,” Judai muttered under his breath.

Takashi chuckled, then smiled at Iris when she came in.

"Of course...we can play Uno all you want." Takashi said. Yusei rolled his eyes.

"I'll just take it out on you later if I lose." He muttered back, sneaking a quick kiss on his lover's cheek when nobody was paying attention.

“Awesome! That’s a game we can all play! Let’s do it!” Yuuma cheered, his daughter giggling as she went to get the cards from her bag. “That’s called abuse and that’s a crime,” Judai pouted, shoving Yusei’s face off playfully.

Takashi and Astral started clearing the table so they would have room to play the game, watching the exicted little girl happily. She was cute. Vector smirked.

"Get ready to lose guys! I'm the king of Uno." He declared.

"Vector, no using the cameras to read what's in other people's hands." Takashi warned. Vector pouted.

"But that's more fun!!"

-x-

Sora Shiunin was inside his solitary cell, seething with anger. How dare someone betray him and Dennis...he'd been spying in the other cells, searching for familiar faces, but he'd seen nobody. He had no doubt Dennis would find out eventually from his own sources who the traitor was...but Sora wanted to have something to contribute as well. Dennis would reward his initiative...and his loyalty. He couldn't say anything to the cops....nothing.

Yuuto was several cells down from Sora, out of his sight range. The cops had been smart to not put him in sight of Sora. He was mostly bed-ridden anyway, keeping most of himself hidden in the shadows just in case.

Ukyou looked at Droite.

"We've heard back from the search parties...there's no sign of Dennis anywhere. We can't find him. It may be time to see if Shuinin will talk to us...if not him, maybe Yuuto will say more..."

“I think it’s time.” Droite said, giving a small frown as she stretched her muscles out. “I’m ready to start interrogations. Hopefully Shiunin will be… helpful. Go get him. I’ll head to the room.” Droite went to go grab the case file she prepared and headed off. A few minutes later, Gauche, who had been instructed by Ukyou, came to get Sora.

“Alright brat, let’s go. This way."

Sora heard the footsteps approaching and looked up. He smirked a little when he saw Gauche.

"You guys are wasting your time. I've got nothing to say to you. I'm no traitor." Sora hissed, but he got up with Gauche regardless. If the cops wanted to waste his time and theirs, fine.

“You can take it to Droite.” Gauche huffed. The man lead the tiny criminal to the interrogation room where Droite was waiting, looking calm and collected. She stared at Sora as he was seated and nodded to Gauche, dismissing her best friend.

“Good morning, Shiunin. I trust you know why you’re here."

Sora entered the room and sat down, crossing his arms with a bored expression.

"To waste everyone's time, of course. Geez...could I at least have some candy to suck on while we talk? There's nothing interesting here at all..." Sora said, looking around with a slight pout. It was a fairly standard interrogation room...it had what was clearly a two-way mirror with cops on the other side that Sora couldn't see, and a table with chairs...boring...

Droite was incredibly relaxed, having dealt with difficult people before. “Unfortunately, eating is prohibited here. Though I’m surprised how much you seem to enjoy sweets. One would imagine someone who worked in your field would get tired of it eventually. Seems you’ve owned that candy shop for some time now."

Sora pouted.

"Boo...that's a stupid rule. Who doesn't like sweets or snacks?" He said, before pausing to ponder something.

"Well, nobody likes them more than me, and I never get tired of them! I'd run the candy shop forever if I could!" Sora said.

“Seems to me like you like other sorts of sweets too.” Droite narrowed her eyes. “A man can’t live on sweets alone, huh?"

"Unfortunately not, no. I eat too much of my stock." Sora mused.

"You guys are probably tearing my building apart now right? So you'll see what's there soon enough."

“We have. It’s interesting. What business does a candyman have in a drug world? Doesn’t pay enough? Or do you genuinely not like sweets?”

Sora pouted.

"I like sweets a lot! But like I said, I eat my stocks a lot! And the people who come by usually like extra stuff too sometimes!"

Droite raised her eyebrow but said nothing. “Care to share, Shiunin? You said before you wouldn’t tattle, but lets talk about you. How did you get involved with all of this?"

Sora sighed.

"Come on...you guys know how this works don't you? They ask for stuff that's not on the market elsewhere!" Sora said. He smiled.

"Dennis is a friend of mine...we went to school together ages ago at Academia! Then he happened to move to Heartland after I did, and we happened to meet up and became business partners. It was a great deal...the extra cash and customers have really helped my shop."

“Oh, I know.” She liked knowing that her prisoner couldn’t tell what she could or couldn’t logic out. It meant she had the advantage, even though her cold face didn’t show it.

“And you spend the money on candy.” She said, thinking about the bills the others had found in the shop.

Sora laughed.

"Of course! What else would I spend it on?" He said happily, glad that Droite was understanding.

“So when did you become… as you say… business partners? It seems like you’ve been in that district for some time. Your store is quite popular amongst the people there.” Droite asked, trying to build a profile of Dennis subtly through Sora.

"Hmm...it was about 2 years ago I think. Dennis was just starting out and needed some places to sell from. My place was popular, but slipping. It gained more popularity after the business deal." Sora said

“I’d imagine so.” That matched the records. “I’m surprised he was so influential after two years. Most people take longer to build a network as tight as his."

Sora shrugged.

"Dennis is a pretty social guy...he gets around. He makes tons of friends relatively easily." Sora said.

“Loyal friends too. He doesn’t have any leverage on you, does he?” Droite said, making a quick assumption based on Sora’s mannerisms.

Sora snorted.

"Of course he does. He has something on everyone he works with." Sora said.

"So you're not getting anything outta me about where to find Dennis!"

“I didn’t ask about Dennis. I’m asking about you. Your involvement, particularly your distributions of drugs. Don’t divert the topic,” Droite said, making it very clear to Sora she knew perfectly well what was and wasn’t happening here. “But thank you for clarifying details to me.”

Sora smirked. "I know...but you're probably also making inferences about Dennis from what I'm saying. He is my supplier after all..."

“Which is natural. But at the same you’re the one I’m interrogating.” She frowned. “We already know a lot about Macfield. You however, were a surprise to find at the scene of the crime. You’re my focus now. I hope you know that."

Sora raised a brow.

"...Ah yes...you have the traitor who told. Who is he by the way?" Sora asked with a frown.

“Remember who is asking the questions, Shiunin. And not everything needs to be told by people. The two of you left plenty of evidence behind in the house.” Droite said plainly, not letting anything pass her face.

"I know, I know, but answer me that one and I'll tell you all you wanna know about me." Sora said, frowning. He really wanted to know...who had spilled the beans and betrayed Dennis and him...

"Give me their name."

“You really don’t know how interrogations work, do you Shiunin?” Droite asked, unamused.

"I know you strike bargains sometimes. That's mine. Otherwise, I'll be silent. Give me their name." Sora said.

“Why? So you can punish them? So Dennis can?”Droite said, narrowing her eyes. “We don’t make deals that endanger people.”

"I just want his name, officer. I'll find out on my own eventually." Sora said.

"...and there's no way for any of us to punish him here."

Droite looked unamused. “Continuing on, Shiunin. Is there anything else you would like to tell me?"

"Nope. Not unless you tell me who betrayed Dennis." Sora said, leaning back in the chair and crossing his arms.

“Why do you want to know so bad? Is Dennis’ influence that strong over you?” Droite asked, noting Sora always referred to the person that betrayed them as the one who betrayed Dennis, rather than ‘us’ or ‘him’.

"I wanna know for my own reasons too, ya know. Whoever blabbed also ruined my candy-shop deal and is gonna make it impossible for me to have candy for the rest of my prison sentence!" Sora exclaimed.

“Well… it’s not impossible. The prison staff do allow some changes to the menu, especially if a psychiatrist or the police make a request.” Droite said calmly. “You can have sweets still if you tell me what I want to know, Sora.“

Sora bit his lip. Damn that sounded like a good deal...except he was sure that if he didn't betray Dennis, he'd get candy from him. And Dennis knew exactly what he liked...

"...No. I won't betray Dennis. Not even for sweets." Sora said after a moment.

“Not even for sweets you can request and eat freely? Without it being contraband?” Droite said. She knew about the prison system, and she knew it was infinitely times harder, especially for candy. “If we make a deal, we could easily get you sweets every day. Contraband anything from even an experienced con with contacts would be at BEST weekly.” Droite couldn’t believe what kind of weird bargaining she was doing.

Sora let out a tiny whine at that thought. He knew she was right to some extent...

"....If you give me sweets now, I'll tell you more about me...?" He offered. He really did want some sort of candy right now...he felt like he was going through sugar withdrawal.

“You like chocolate?” Droite asked, still keeping stone-faced. Internally, she was smirking. Gotcha. Like giving candy to a baby.

"Yes, but lollipops are my favorite." Sora said immediately, perking up as if he was a dog about to get a treat for doing a trick.

“We have strawberry lollipops. Will that do?” She said, standing up.

Sora nodded rapidly.

"Yes!" He cheered, seeing her get up. He was excited now...he wanted candy so bad...

Droite nodded. With that, she left the room, taking the case file with her and leaving Sora alone. She gave a long, confused sigh as soon as the door was closed, and headed to Ukyou.

“… Do you really think he’s going to tell on Dennis for sweets? Especially after… you know how Dennis acted when he thought Kaito knew the traitor. You think Shiunin will hold his end of the deal?”

Ukyou sighed, having been in disbelief with what he'd seen as well. Sora was like a kid that was easily bribed with candy.

"...Well...there's only one way to find out, I guess...give him a lollipop and see if that makes any difference." Ukyou said, passing Droite a strawberry lollipop.

Droite rolled it between her fingers and sighed. Rubbing her temples, she collected herself. “Anything you want me to ask, assuming he does spill everything?”

"I want to know some locations...for both drugs and hideouts for Dennis. We need to find the Devil's Breath, and Dennis himself..." Ukyou said.

“Yeah… Both of them. I was also going to see if he knows how Dennis is getting the breath. And then we’ll see if we can stop future shipments into Heartland.” Droite stretched and cracked her knuckles. “Alright… Pass me a few more. Maybe we can keep bribing him as we go along.”

Ukyou nodded.

"Yes. We don't want anymore of that awful drug getting in from anyone." Ukyou said, passing the lollipops to Droite.

"...Good luck." He said.

Droite put the spares in her jacket pocket and walked back inside. She didn’t smile, but she held it up. “This what you want?”

Sora's eyes lit up when he saw the lollipop.

"Yes!" He said, reaching for it immediately.

“One piece of information first. Just so I know you’re not cheating me,” Droite said sternly to him, holding it up away from him like he was a child.

Soras face fell then he huffed.

"Fine...what'd you wanna know?"

“Locations for where you and Dennis hide the drugs you both distribute. I want a list.” She flipped one page in her case file over and passed Sora a pencil. “Easy enough, right? And not tattling on where Dennis himself is."

Sora blinked as he was given a pencil and paper. He then huffed again.

"This is worth way more than just one lollipop! No deal!" He said.

Droite rolled her eyes and put two more in her hand. “Good enough? You should be careful considering candy isn’t on the menu in the holding cells.”

"Yep!" Sora said, snatching the candy and sticking one in his mouth. He picked up the pencil and began writing, but he didn't know all the hideouts, like Yuri's house.

"Here you go!"

“That was fast.” Droite blinked as she took the paper when he shoved it back to her. She picked it up and stared at it. “And this is all you know?"

Sora nodded, sucking and licking his lollipop happily.

"Yep. These are all of the places Dennis usually hides stuff!"

“Interesting. You know quite a bit Shiunin.” Droite said. She had come under the impression she would get nothing out of Sora, especially with how Yuuto was acting regarding Dennis, but this was the most they had gotten since the first time they busted Dennis and Yami. “If I pump you with more candy, you’ll give us more information, right?"

Sora switched the lollipop into his other cheek with his tongue and shook his head.

"There's nothing you can give me that will make you know 100% where Dennis is. Even with what I told you, he knows better to be there. He won't be at any of those places...he's got extra hideouts nobody knows about but him." Sora mused.

"But I might remember a few extra things if I get more sugar to fuel my memory, you know?" He said with a smirk.

“I think we can manage that. But remember Shiunin. If you do anything that we don’t think is acceptable, or if the information is false or dangerous to our officers without some form of warning, I’ll cut you cold turkey. As long as you understand that, we have a deal.”

Sora snickered.

"You got it, boss lady!" He said with a grin, keeping all his lollipops close just in case. He didn't want to lose them and was serious when it came to candy, so he wasn't lying about his information...but he was withholding a few things. He'd give those if the price was right.

Droite nodded and read the list again. Then she passed another piece of paper over. “Write down your favourite sweets. We’ll see if I can requisition them to bargain with you more information."

Sora grinned and eagerly took the paper, writing down quite a few sweet brands and general lollipops quickly.

"Here you go! My favorite are the big swirly lollipops, but I'll eat any of these!"

“Alright.” Droite was relieved that not all the brands listed were particularly expensive, but just high in sugar. “I’ll get you them. Care to share where the Devil’s breath is too? In which particular ones?"

Sora sighed.

"Most of it was in the first one I wrote, I think. I never actually dealt with that stuff...too strong for me." Sora mused with a shiver. The drug that took away free will was famous and dangerous, he knew.

“Do you know who Dennis dealt with? Or who he likely dealt with besides Mutou?” Droite asked.

Sora frowned.

"Dennis dealt with all kinds of people...I could never keep track of them all. He's pretty open about who he accepts...and those he doesn't get killed usually...like your boy, Tenjo." Sora mused.

"Ah yeah, I remember Mutou...that guy was scary. Oh...is he the traitor? But wait...he was arrested awhile ago...if he blabbed, you would've acted sooner..." Sora pondered out loud.

“Mutou is a well-known associate, but he isn’t the traitor,” Droite said, not lying at all. She hid her irritation at the jab at Kaito, and merely shrugged. “I just thought those individuals would be more distinct. After all, they’re more dangerous drugs than what you want to deal with.”

Sora shrugged.

"Yeah I didn't think he was..." he mused.

"Nope. Nobody stands out to me! I don't deal with the big stuff directly." Sora said.

“Alright…” She smiled. “Well… That’s all then. Thank you, Shiunin. I’m looking forward to your cooperation.” She stood up and grabbed all of her stuff.

"No problem boss lady! I look forward to candy!" He grinned, letting Gauche escort him back to his cell.

Ukyou waited for Droite outside.

"We should get those spots checked out right away...before Dennis or someone associated with him gets a chance to move the drugs."

Droite waited for Gauche and Sora to leave before she walked back out to her superior. She nodded, looking at it.

“The Drug Team will kill for this. I’ll give this to Barrett and his guys there and between our two teams, we’ll coordinate our attack on the warehouses”

Ukyou nodded.

"Please do. Tell him we're acting quickly on this. I'm sure he'll agree."

Droite nodded. She made a motion to leave, but since Anna was elsewhere and Gauche was with Sora, the two of them were alone. The woman frowned deeply and looked at Ukyou. “… I’ll do this now but… I know this isn’t appropriate, but I still need to ask. When is your reevaluation, Ukyou?”

Ukyou also started to leave, when he realized Droite had stopped.

"...it's still a couple days away. Don't worry about it....this bust would be a good thing to tell the higher ups." Ukyou said.

“… I’m not worried. But it is as I thought.” Droite looked away. “… I’ve also been asked to meet our superiors in two days. I thought it would be an interrogation regarding you, but it seems I’m going to the same meeting.”

“… We should make sure we ruin Dennis properly this time."

Ukyou listened. If that was the case...then it was possible Droite had been chosen as his replacement after all. It did make him feel more reassured that his team was together.

"I see...well, then we should both be ready...when the time comes." He said. He nodded.

"Absolutely. We'll deal with this first, Droite."

“Two days. Not a lot of time, but I don’t need sleep,” Droite smirked wryly. With that she headed for the door. “Let’s go then.”

-x-

Today was a busy day in the hospital. Chris had come in to do a post-surgery examination of Sakaki Yuuya to monitor his progress. He was surprised and happy to see Ms. Catherine.

"Ms. Catherine...I'm glad you could make it today." Chris said with a smile.

Cathy looked over at the well-dressed man and she gave a charming smile back at him. She pushed her glasses up casually and walked over, her heels clacking in the hallway as she walked. “And here I thought I wouldn’t see you until the meeting. Hello Professor Arclight,” Cathy said, offering her hand. “It’s good to see you. Are you here to look at our patient?”

Chris shook her hand firmly.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well. I'm ecstatic that we'll get to work together on this project." Chris said.

"Yes I was just about to see him...will you join me? He's had his surgery and I'm going to see how he's doing."

“As am I. I’ve read your work. I’m very impressed,” Cathy smiled. “Of course I’ll join you. No sense going to the same destination separately.” She walked ahead. “Have you heard much about this case?"

Chris smiled and gestured for her to follow with a smile.

"Well, a little. Yuuya-kun is the youngest of four siblings who are quadruplets. He is the only one with this illness. However...the police said that the other three can feel some of the symptoms that Yuuya-kun feels during an episode. It's really quite extraordinary." Chris said, flipping through the file.

"Its undiagnosed, and the surgery was because of the medication that his brother gave him."

“Yes, it’s interesting.” Cathy practically purred as she walked ahead, her bell earrings jingling with each step. “I’ve heard about it. The police report I was sent said the boys named it Arcvrayosis or Zarc Syndrome. Admittedly I’m more interested in that, though working on his chronic pain may tie in with it. Actually, his chronic pain is interesting too. I’ve heard both local and general anaesthetics aren’t effective with him, and not because of allergies." “Indeed. I’ve looked at the report… I’m unsurprised that mix of drugs caused that calcification. He’s going to have internal damage still for the rest of his life, unfortunately.”

Chris nodded.

"It is interesting indeed...and unfortunate. His brother didn't know what he was doing clearly..." Chris mused. They arrived at Yuuya's room.

"They've been giving him anaesthetic and sedative since he got here...it's been keeping most of the symptoms at bay for now. He's a little out of it though..." Chris said, opening the door.

"Good morning, Yuuya-kun...how are you doing today?" He asked gently, seeing the man in the bed who seemed so small and lost and scared...it was a sorry sight.

Cathy headed in and smiled, waving at Yuuya. The man looked up at Chris and Cathy, and he squinted, as if unsure what was happening and what he was seeing. In Yuuya’s eyes, he could see grey blurs in the painfully white light, and he could barely hear what was happening when they were ‘far away’.

Frowning, Cathy went to Yuya’s patient board and she looked at the medications that were in his body. She raised an eyebrow.

“That’s… A lot of Lidocaine. That’s… a little worrying.” Cathy knew that the LD50 for humans was around 335mg per kilogram, so the amount that was being pumped into Yuuya every three hours was a little absurd. She wondered if she was reading the chart wrong for a moment. “Benzodiazepine… Propofol too.” The latter wasn’t good, and Cathy questioned why the hospital was using it since it was only for short-term use caused a decreased level of consciousness and lack of memory for event. It seemed strange they were using all of these drugs together, though the supplementary paper seemed to have it rather stable.

"It seems they don't have much other alternative to treat him properly. This is why we need to get something better." Chris said.

“Seems like it. I’ll probably need to ask the doctor for extra data and a copy of these reports. And to get some samples.” Cathy sighed.

Chris nodded.

"We'll have to be careful getting them." He said, noticing how Yuuya was shying away from them. Whenever the gray blurry shapes came closer, he would always shy away. He was scared of the doctors and the hospital...he just wanted Yuuto...he wanted to see his brother again...

"...Yuuya-kun, I'm gonna check your blood pressure, and your temperature, okay?" Chris asked gently.

Yuuya whimpered, seeing the face there and he tried to move his body away. He gasped as he practically saw the unfamiliar figure and he closed his eyes, shaking a little.

“Yu… Yu… Where…”

Chris could read the man's body language and expression. He couldn't recognize him, clearly...

"Yuuya...sssh. It's just Dr. Arclight...and Ms. Catherine is here too. We're here to help you feel better." He said gently, as if he was speaking to a child. Even though Yuuya was a grown man, he looked so small and scared.

Yuuya wanted to shake his head, but he couldn’t. His body felt thick and heavy, as if it was made of lead and it seemed even impossible to move his fingers. He couldn’t even back away nervously, since his body was so heavy. The words blurred in Yuuya’s head, and he merely whimpered, clenching his eyes shut. He wanted Yuto. He wanted Yuto. He wanted his brother. He was alone. Where was Yuto? Where was he?

“Hmmm… Yuuya?” Cathy turned around to see a man with an identical face, holding a bouquet of flowers. “Oh, I apologise, I didn’t know he had other guests.”

“Ah… you’re the politician, Sakaki Yuri, aren’t you?” Cathy asked, recognising him and his attire.

“I am, actually. I’ve seen you two on the news so… Ms. Catherine and Professor Arclight. Hello there. Am I interrupting?”

Chris frowned a little. Yuuya didn't seem to be very responsive. He sighed, looking at Yuri.

"Not really...I was going to try doing some routine checks on your brother, but he seems like he's not sure what's going on...I don't want to scare him by trying anything." Chris said.

"Perhaps he'll be more comfortable with a familiar face...would you be willing to help?"

Yuri gave a polite yet charming smile and he nodded. “Of course I will. Anything for my brother. I understand you’re both working on a cure for him, so I’m happy to help.” Yuri did want Yuuya to be vulnerable like this, but he also did see some merit in curing him, or at least having him dependent on medication that could switch him between normal and this state. He’d cooperate for now. Yuri placed the flowers on the side table in their vase and he sat down on a chair, bringing it as close as possible to Yuuya. Gently, he took Yuuya’s hand.

“Yuuya… Yuuya. It’s me, Yuri. Your brother Yuri” He moved close so Yuuya could see him through the haze. “Yuuya…”

Chris and Cathy waited patiently as Yuri approached his sick brother. Yuuya had barely heard any of their discussion, and the first thing he was aware of was someone taking his hand. It made him tense and almost pull away. "No..." he whimpered, wondering if they were going to give him another IV line of drugs he hated, before his hazy eyes registered a familiar face. He couldn't see exactly who it was...but there were gentle eyes, pale skin...purple-ish hair... "...Yu..." He tried to say "Yuuto" because he couldn't quite see exactly who it was. But he knew it was his brother, and so he immediately felt a little better. His red eyes watered a little, which didn't help his vision, but he was just so relieved, and he'd been so scared...but now Yuuto was here and everything would be okay. He couldn't move much, but he made a motion to try and press closer to the brother next to him.

“Yes, that’s right. It’s me.” Yuri kissed his forehead and held his hand, stroking it gently. “I’m here, Yuuya. Don’t worry. I’m here for you. Now listen, Yuuya… I have two friends here. You like friends, right?” Yuri said, speaking to Yuuya as he always did, like he was a small child.

“I need you to let them help you. They’re going to make you feel better okay? You’ll be better.” Yuri squeezed Yuuya’s hand gently.

Yuuya tried very hard to focus on his brother's words, trying to forcefully clear the haze from his mind. He was beginning to make out a few of the words, listening to him say things like “I'm here” and “friends” and “better”...and Yuuya smiled a little, able to piece together most of the rest on his own. But what mattered most was that Yuuto was here...he felt him kiss his forehead and stroke his hand, comforting him like he alway did...

“...Okay...” He managed to say at last, leaning closer to Yuri regardless. He didn't completely trust the strangers...but he did trust his brother. Chris smiled, glad that things were working out.

“Alright...we'll be gentle.” Chris said, gently starting to check some of Yuuya's vitals, his temperature, his blood pressure...things that indicated the status of his condition. Yuuya did feel a little bit, but it wasn't painful. He was mostly focused on his brother...and that was when he began to notice that...this wasn't Yuuto. His hair was too short...

“...Yuri...” He finally murmured, a little sad that it wasn't Yuuto. Sure, he did love Yuri...but he was concerned about how Yuuto was doing in prison...how his legs were healing...how he was dealing with his nightmares and the breakup he'd had with Shun...things that were mostly Yuuya's fault...

Cathy was glad things were working out too and she helped by collecting some of his hair for DNA testing and then going to ask the doctors at the hospital for biopsy samples, leaving Chris to the trivial stuff. She also asked them for blood and for them to be sent to her as soon as possible, figuring they would need it. Yuuya was still very sick, but he was going to at least recover from his surgery.

Inwardly, Yuri scowled, hearing that Yuuya sounded disappointed that he was there. He must have thought he was Yuuto… again. Like the last few times that he was here. However, on his face was all smiles. He squeezed Yuuya’s hand gently, and entwined his fingers with his brother’s.

“Yeah… It’s me, Yuuya. We’re together. It’s alright, really. They’re almost done and then they’ll leave you alone. It’s okay.”

Yuuya curled closer to Yuri, letting Chris finish things up. He was upset that Yuuto wasn't here...but Yuri being here was nice. He gave his brother's hand a weak squeeze, since just that alone was an effort for him right now. He sighed.

“...Okay....” He murmured again. Chris smiled.

“And we're all done, Yuuya-kun. Ms. Catherine and I will be working on diagnosing your illness or at the very least, getting you some effective medication to treat it.” Chris said, speaking to both Yuri and Yuuya.

“We'll take our leave now...there's a call button right on the bed here in case you or Yuuya-kun needs something.” Chris said with a smile, packing up his things. He and Cathy would have work to do now.

Yuri was glad he got some response. It made him feel like it was worth it, like he had reason to make Yuuya his. He wanted the man so much, it drove him insane. He’d give up everything to possess his beautiful brother.

Yuuri smiled. “See? They’re going Yuuya. All done.” He looked up at Chris and nodded. “Thank you so much, Professor. Give my regards to Ms. Catherine if she doesn’t come back. You have my thanks. I’m so glad that my brother is finally getting the treatment he needs.

Chris smiled.

“We'll be taking good care of him...he's expected to make a full recovery from the surgery he's had, and we'll be looking after treatment of his chronic illness. I know you're busy, but your brother is very scared here...I'd recommend you and your other brother visit him as much as possible to keep him comfortable.” Chris said gently. He knew that Yuuto was arrested and wasn't able to visit, but Yuugo was hopefully able along with Yuri.

Yuri grinned internally but he instead smiled and nodded calmly, as if he hadn’t been intending to do that. “Of course I will. I want to be here with him as much as I can. I know Yuugo is busy but I’ll mention it to him. I don’t mind being here for Yuuya. If the doctors will let me, I’ll try be here every day. I’ll do that for my precious brother,” Yuri said, looking at the boy. He petted his hand and smiled. “Every day, Yuuya. I’ll visit and keep you company. Would you like that?”

Yuuya was sort of zoning out during his prolonged conversation, but when Yuri pet his hand to grab his attention he tried to focus on Yuri's words again. He smiled a little.

“...Yea...” He said. He wanted company...he hated being alone in hospital after all. And Yuri, even if he wasn't Yuuto, was someone he could trust and who cared for him. Chris nodded.

“Great. Perhaps I'll see more of you around then, Sakaki-san. I'll take my leave now.” He said, finishing up with his packing and heading out of the room, leaving the two men alone.

Yuri smiled. He watched the man close the door behind him. Despite knowing the guards were outside, the man leaned over and kissed Yuuya’s cheek. He held his hand gently but tightly, and snuggled against him, practically crooning. He wanted to go further, but he couldn’t push too hard. He didn’t want Yuuya pushing him away.

“I love you, Yuuya.” It was so hard to resist him...

Yuuya suddenly felt a change in Yuri, and it was surprising. He felt Yuri kiss his cheek, which could have been read as normal except that...it felt odd. When Yuuto kissed his forehead, it reminded Yuuya of his mother...but when Yuri kissed his cheek...it felt more like he was marking a possession as his. Yuuya's instincts were to pull away...but he couldn't when Yuri was snuggling up against his body, pressing every bit of himself that he could against Yuuya. Yuuya tried to squirm a little. It felt too close...it was gentle, but it was too...intimate, all of a sudden.

“...Yu...Yuri...” He murmured, trying to puzzle out what this all meant with a hazy brain. Yuri said he loved him, and of course Yuuya loved him too...maybe he was misreading things? Yuri had always been touchy after all...

Much like Yuuya could read the change in him, Yuri could do the same back. He could see how Yuuya tried to tense, even though his body was incapable of doing much at all. Admittedly, Yuri was surprised Yuuya had feeling in his cheek since he was so drugged up, but he figured he was just sensing the change rather than sensation. However, he knew that Yuuya didn’t like it. Too forward. He’ll have to pull back a little bit.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t want to scare you,” Even though his pained expression was so beautiful. “I just wanted to make sure you know I’m here for you. I’m always here for you, Yuuya. I’ll do anything to keep you safe. You know that, right?”

Yuuya tried to focus on Yuri's words and actions, but it also did make him a little uncomfortable. His body felt heavy, and he didn't like that he couldn't really move. He forced himself to relax a little more. Yuri was being honest...Yuuya never thought his brother would hurt him. He must be misinterpreting Yuri's actions...

“...Yea...I know...” He said, smiling a little.

Yuri smiled at him and rubbed his hand gently, since he knew Yuuya liked that. He’d have to forgo kissing for today, and maybe tomorrow, but he did want Yuuya’s trust again. He needed Yuuya vulnerable. He wanted him comfortable so everyone would give him to him…

“Good. As long as you know that."

Yuuya did feel a lot better with simple hand rubs. He kept leaning closer to Yuri, enjoying the physical presence of his brother as a reassurance.

“...Yuri...” He started, trying to sort out in his head how to voice his question. He was happy that Yuri was with him, but he couldn't help but think of Yuuto, all alone in prison...and probably worried about him. He wanted to know that Yuuto was okay too...and to let Yuuto know how he was doing. He thought about Yuuto as much as he could when his mind was clear...he had no idea how long it had been since he'd seen him. He missed him and wanted him with him desperately.

“...Yuuto...did you...see him?” He managed to ask after a moment.

“Talkative today, aren’t you?” Yuuya had a sweet voice. Yuri rarely heard it when he visited. The man raised a thick eyebrow when his brother mentioned it though and he shook his head.

“No, I didn’t see him yet,” Jealousy burnt in Yuri’s stomach, like a venomous viper. “I didn’t get a chance to.” He didn’t bother. “He didn’t want to see me. You know how we fight, Yuuya. I tried to ask the police to reason with him, but no such luck.”

Yuuya's face fell a little as he realized that Yuri had not seen Yuuto.

“...Fight?” He asked, sad to hear that his brothers had apparently been fighting? Why did Yuuto hate Yuri...it was something about Yuri hurting him all those years ago...Yuuya wished he could remember that falling out, so he could fix it...

“...Can I...call?” Yuuya asked, wondering if a phone call would work better for Yuuto and Yuri. He really just wanted to let his brother know what was happening...let his brother know he was okay...see if Yuuto was okay...see if Yuuto could visit too...

“Yeah. The same fight. Don’t worry, Yuuya. It’s alright.”

“Are you up for calling?” Yuri asked, surprised. Yuuya had done nothing besides sit and stare at him whenever he visited, but now he wanted to call and talk to Yuuto. Yuuya really loved Yuuto, more than the rest of them. It was infuriating for Yuri. He always cared for Yuuya. He just could never find where Yuuto had been hiding him…

“We can try. If you’re up for calling.”

“...Yea...I...want to...” Yuuya said. He missed his brother. He wanted to know he was okay...he looked at Yuri pleadingly. He didn't have a phone on his own. He smiled when Yuri said it was okay. He fought to move his arm, wrapping them lightly around Yuri in a hug while remaining on his back.

“...Thank you...” He was grateful for Yuri letting him do this...he'd need his help after all.

That smile was beautiful, and made it worth it for Yuri to try calling Yuuto. He opened his eyes in shock as Yuuya forced his arm up and held him, knowing Yuuya certainly shouldn’t have been able to do that. Maybe his drugs were wearing off? Or did he love Yuuto that much? “Let me call him…” Yuri didn’t want to call him. He began punching in the numbers for the police station after looking them up, but before he hit ‘call’ he realised… he absolutely didn’t have to call him. Yuuya wouldn’t know the difference. Not when he was this sick. He hung the phone up but brought it to his ear anyway. He squeezed Yuuya’s hand. “Hello? Yes, hi. My name is Yuri Sakaki. I’m Yuuto’s brother. Is it possible if I could talk to him? Yes, I don’t mind if the call is screened,” he lied. He winked at Yuuya, as if convincing him they were getting through. “Yes, I’ll hold. Tell him Yuuya wants to speak with him too."

Yuuya listened, completely unable to realize that Yuri was bullshitting him. He smiled when Yuri winked and waited patiently for Yuri to pass him the phone.

Yuri smiled and waited before he leaned over, passing Yuuya the phone. He held it up for Yuuya, moving his face so Yuuya couldn’t see him talk.

“Hello? Yuuya?"

Yuuya accepted the phone and smiled as he put it to his ear.

“...Yuuto...” He murmured, happy to hear from him. He was happy that his brother was here...

“...you're...you're okay?”

Yuri helped him hold it and he smiled. This was too much fun. It was taking everything in his power not to laugh.

“Yuuya… Ah… It’s not Yuri. That’s good.” Yuri could imagine Yuuto saying that. “I’m fine. Are you okay? Has Yuugo seen you?”

“...Yuri's...here...” Yuuya said softly.

“...No Yuugo...”

“Yuri’s there? Just…” Yuri pretended to huff angrily. “No Yuugo? But I told him where you were. He should be visiting you too."

Yuuya's face fell. Now he'd made Yuuto angry...

“...Yea...” Yuuya mused sadly. So Yuugo hadn't shown up even if Yuuto told him...

“...I...please...don't fight...I don't...want you to...” Yuuya said, upset that his brothers were fighting.

“I know you don’t want us to fight, Yuuya but… It’s complicated. I can’t tell you why, Yuuya.” Yuri wondered how to subtly get Yuuto in Yuuya’s bad graces without being too obvious. “He doesn’t care at all, Yuuya. Just leave it…”

“He...he cares...” Yuuya said, tears coming to his eyes.

“T-tell me...why...please...why...” Yuuya cried, feeling upset that Yuuto wasn't at least giving Yuri a chance. Didn't he say he would? He promised Yuuya he would give Yuri a chance before...Yuuya's hazy mind was confused and lost and he felt so upset...

“He doesn’t, Yuuya. I know he’s with you, but he’s bad,” This was too good. Yuri wanted to laugh. “I can’t tell you, Yuuya. You won’t understand. Just leave it. Leave it, Yuuya.”

Yuri coughed and leaned back in, so Yuuya could see him talk and distinguish this was him instead.

“Yuuya? Are you okay? Is Yuuto upsetting you?” he whispered, as if afraid of letting Yuuto hear.

Yuuya bit his lip. He...he didn't know what to believe...Yuri was here...he was nice...but Yuuto...he trusted Yuuto too...

“...I...” Yuuya murmured, unsure what to say. His mind was racing too much and the drugs made it hard to focus...hard to organize his thoughts properly.

“Listen to me, Yuuya,” Yuri moved away so it seemed like it was the phone speaking again. Yuuto needed to seem untrustworthy. This was the tricky part. He needed to plant a seed of doubt in Yuuya’s mind about Yuuto, not him. “I know what’s best. Yuri is bad. He doesn’t look after you!”

“Yuuya…” Yuri moved back in. “You’re crying. Do you need to rest?”

“No...” Yuuya said softly, crying a little harder. He was upset...he didn't like this conversation. And he felt so tired due to his mind was racing...he couldn't think clearly with the drugs...

“I...maybe...”

Yuuya needed to be conflicted. Yuri would keep showing his best side and give Yuuya Yuuto’s worst. Yuri gently took the phone off Yuuya.

“It’s me, Yuuto. You’re hurting Yuuya. Please stop it. You’re stressing him out.” He waited in silence, making sure Yuuya could see him with the phone. “I know you don’t trust me, but you’re way too possessive of Yuuya. I’ll look after him. I promise.” He pretended to grimace and then he looked at his phone.

“He hung up on me."

Yuuya saw what happened and was still crying a little.

“...No...” He said softly, upset that things had gone this way...and completely unsure who to trust. Who could he believe?

“...I...I'm sorry...it's...it's my fault...” He said softly. He wished everyone could just smile and get along...but he wasn't helping. He'd made things worse...

Yuuri went to take Yuuya’s hand. He rubbed it gently, leaning in close so Yuuya could see him. “No… No it’s okay, Yuuya. It’s not your fault. Yuuto is… stubborn. If he doesn’t like me, I’m not surprised he doesn’t want to change his mind. It’s alright.” Yuuya cried so beautifully. He was pretty when he cried, like a star from a movie. No snot, red puffy eyes, flushed skin… Yuri wanted to do this more often.

“I don’t blame you. Neither do your brothers. We all love you very much. Yuuto does, I do… and you know if Yuugo does or not."

Yuuya was comforted by Yuri's words and calming gestures, though he did still cry a little.

“I...I wish...we could be together...all of us...” He murmured. He hated being alone, and it would nice to have his family...he felt like he didn't have enough time with them. He loved all his brothers and he wanted to be with them...all four of them.

“I know… I know… I wish that too.” He genuinely did but in a different way. He knew his brothers would never forgive him if he shared how he wanted his family together. “It’s just… hard at the moment. But we love you, okay? I love you especially.”

Yuuya sniffled. It was good to hear he wasn't alone in that thought process...he just wanted all four of them to be happy together.

“...yeah....I love you all...too...” Yuuya said, smiling a little.

Yuri kissed Yuuya’s forehead, knowing that was the safest place. He smiled back and squeezed his hand. “Let me read to you, okay? Relax. I’m here."

Yuuya smiled, feeling reassured now that Yuri was here. He leaned back into the pillows, as if he was a child waiting for their parent to read them a bed-time story.

“Okay...” He said, holding Yuri's hand and waiting for him to start reading. He could already feel exhaustion from all the activity he'd been doing.

Yuri smiled. He pulled his phone out and grabbed a book Yuuya like when they were kids. He figured Yuuya wouldn’t be able to understand anything too complicated given his state so he began to read the familiar children’s book with a friendly dragon, holding Yuuya’s hand the entire time.

Yuuya listened to Yuri's words, barely able to register them all individually, but enjoying the prosodic characteristics nonetheless. They soothed him, almost like a lullaby and he drifted off to sleep pretty quickly, still holding Yuri's hand gently.

Eventually Yuuya fell asleep, and as much as he wanted to stay, Yuri had things to do. He kissed Yuuya on the forehead and stared at his face. He was so pretty. It was impossible for Yuri to do nothing.

The door was still closed, so Yuri leaned over. Making sure Yuuya barely felt it, he gently kissed his lips. A quick peck, nothing that Yuri wanted to give, but he still kissed his brother. Yuri felt a spark of fire run through him, a sensation that he had craved for so long, that he had missed for over a decade. Smiling, he petted Yuuya’s face.

Satisified for now, he got up and left heading out the hospital. After thank Yuuya’s guards, he grabbed his phone and dialled Yuugo’s number, having stolen it off Yuuya’s phone some time ago.

Yuuya didn't even stir at any of the kisses or petting that Yuri gave him. He had no idea it had happened.

Yuugo was in the garage when his phone began to ring. He frowned as he didn't recognize the number, but picked up anyway.

"Hello?"

“The police told me to tell you which hospital Yuuya supposed to be at. And I’m not going to repeat myself, so listen up.” As much as Yuri wanted to toy with Yuugo, he knew he had to get the man’s attention so he didn’t hang up. He headed down the elevator of Card Heart hospital. “He’s in Lady Gadian’s hospital. The one in the Clover District in Inner Heartland.”

Yuugo's eyes widened as he heard the familiar voice.

“Yuri? The cops gave you my number?!” He exclaimed, but then he immediately calmed when he heard the words “Yuuya” and “hospital.”

“He's in hospital?! Oh my god...what's wrong? Did he hurt himself?! Did the medication Yuuto gave him not work anymore?!” He asked.

“Lady Gadian...wow that's quite aways...” Yuugo said, quickly making a note of it.

“They suggested I should call you because you frightened the poor receptionist last time. Please don’t bother them and embarrass the family, Yuugo,” Yuri said, knowing he cold use Yuugo’s pride from having him question the cops himself.

“He had surgery. Apparently the ‘medication’ Yuuto was giving him were killing him. I’ve been told he’ll be fine. He’s going to be impaired for life, but he’ll live.” Yuri said. “And make sure you remember. No one will remind you, No-go.”

Yuugo scowled.

“I didn't mean to! I was just worried about Yuuya!” Yuugo exclaimed. His eyes widened.

“Oh no...what the hell do you mean 'impaired for life'? Does that mean he's gonna be stuck in hospital again?! And where's Yuuto? Is he there too?” Yuugo said.

“I won't forget Yuri! And my name is YUUUUUUUGO!”

“So was I, and I didn’t scare him half to death,” Yuri mused. He headed out to his car and he switched the phone speaker to his car speaker as he started it up.

“It means that he’ll need new meds that they haven’t invented yet. He is stuck there for now. Yuuto is in prison, like he should be.” Yuri smirked as he heard Yuugo yell at him and he drove off.

Yuugo rolled his eyes.

“Well they'd better find new ones fast! And don't be so snarky with Yuuto...he never intentionally hurt Yuuya, like you tried to!” Yuugo snapped.

“So dragging Yuuya and getting him also involved in his criminal activities is also not intentionally hurting him? If he was actually good, he would have gotten an honest job and asked the government for help with Yuuya. That way he wouldn’t have to get organ transplants,” Yuri said smoothly.

“Yuuya wasn't involved in that shit that Yuuto did...none of us were! And he couldn't, cause the government didn't know what medication to give him! And no honest job short of maybe CEO at the top of a very successful business could have paid for those meds!” Yuugo exclaimed. He frowned.

“Fucking hell...organ transplants sound rough...” Yuugo mused.

“You just stay the hell away from him if you disapprove that much of what they're doing! Yuuto and Yuuya don't need you around messing things up!”

“There are policies that help those who are disadvantaged. As unforgiving as Japan is, we’re not stupid Americans with their health care. He still could have had help,” Yuri frowned.

“I absolutely disapprove, that’s why I’m stepping in. I love Yuuya, Yuugo. Now that I have a chance to be back in his life, I’m absolutely not letting the two of you ruin it any further."

“Yeah, and as soon as the police came in, he was fucking arrested! That's not help!” Yuugo exclaimed. He frowned.

“We don't need you stepping in! Your love for Yuuya is sick and twisted and I'm not gonna stand by and let you hurt him!”

“And whose fault is that? I’m talking a long time ago, Yuugo. The fact you don’t see the problem makes me think you’re definitely not suited for caring for Yuuya,” Yuri smirked to himself.

“No second chance for me, Yuugo? Really? I didn’t know you’re so, spiteful. I don’t even feel like that anymore. There’s nothing but brotherly love.”

“I'm definitely more suited than you!” Yuugo growled. He was definitely not going to let Yuuya fall into Yuri's hands.

“I don't trust you...you're always such a liar, that's why.” Yuugo said with a scowl. Even when they were kids, Yuri would lie a lot.

“And I don’t trust you because you’re outright unreliable.” Yuri sighed and shook his head. “I wanted to ask you if you would help me look after Yuuya when he was taken out of hospital, but I guess that’s not an option, is it now?”

“Yeah, that's a no, cause you're not gonna get him! If Yuuto isn't allowed to look after him anymore, then me and Rin will!” Yuugo snapped.

“We’ll see how he is, and then I suppose I’ll see you in court then. Unfortunate.” Yuri shook his head and sighed. “Oh well. See you later then, Yo-yo.”

“Bring it! You're gonna lose for sure.” Yuugo growled.

“And my name is YUUUUUUUUUUGO!” He cried, before hanging up and huffing angrily.

Yuri smiled. It would be an easy win for him, surely. He hung the phone up and continued to drive, still thinking about Yuuya’s lips, how soft and gentle they were, and how he wanted to make out with him desperately.

Yuuya would be his.

No matter what the cost.

-x-

The week had been incredibly tough for Yami. He'd spent a lot of time working with the therapists to try and find a medical explanation for why Yuugi had disappeared, and continued to be completely absent. He'd had an MRI, which had indicated his brain functioning had completely changed from the last time. He'd heard talk of changing his medication. He'd sat down with Dr. Arclight to try and talk things over, even though Yami had mostly just sat quietly because he hadn't felt like talking. He hadn't really felt like doing much of anything...he hated being alone, but at the same time, he wanted everyone to just leave him be. Yami felt so empty inside and he was starting to think there was nothing he could do to bring Yuugi back...after all, last time had taken seven years to fix...

The guards approached his room and called him out for free time. Yami opted to simply stay in his wheelchair and be moved that way, not really feeling like standing or walking at the moment. His only tiny hope was whenever he got to see Koutei...he still wanted Koutei to trigger a resurgence of Yuugi in his head. Koutei was Yuugi's friend, after all...if he'd come out for anyone, it'd be him.

The guards wheeled Yami to the workout room where Koutei was already waiting. When they got to the door, Yami got out of his chair and walked in to see Koutei, his sad expression more than enough to answer the question he knew Koutei would ask about Yuugi.

Koutei felt more shaken by Yuugi’s disappearance than how he had when his father died. It was messed up to think about, and while Koutei had respected his father, he had loved Yuugi, who had been nothing but a joy in his life. This past week, it was like he and Yami were mourning like the death of a friend. Not only that, but also being haunted by his ghost. It was weird to think that Yuugi was gone… and a part of Koutei refused to accept it.

He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream, but Koutei never did. He just stayed quiet. Even though his heart sank when he saw Yami’s sombre expression, he put a weak smile. He had to be there for Yami. Yami was suffering so much.

“… Hey..."

Yami just felt like a wreck, and probably looked it too. He hadn't slept very well all week, either thinking about never seeing Yuugi again, or trying to imagine the horrible way that Raphael died. If it was by Sergey's hands, Yami had no doubt it had been a painful, slow death...exactly the opposite of what Raphael deserved. He'd also felt horribly guilty about it...his warning hadn't been enough to save Raphael. Maybe he should've said something sooner? Maybe he should've talked more to Raphael about Kaiba...and assassins like Sergey? And worst of all, Yami felt guilty for causing Koutei's pain as well. He could read Koutei's expression and knew that behind every weak smile he'd been given, there was agonizing pain. He'd promised himself he wouldn't hurt Koutei again, and here he had. He hadn't been able to keep Yuugi around for Koutei either. Koutei was missing one of the people he loved now...and Yami wouldn't even blame him if he admitted he loved Yuugi more. Yuugi was better than him...Yuugi was the one who deserved to live, and now he wasn't.

“Hey...” He murmured, limping slowly in and sitting down on one of the workout machines next to Koutei. He hadn't really been exercising his leg much, so it was a little stiff. He just wasn't motivated to do that...he was more interested in trying to meditate and call out to Yuugi, no matter how futile the effort.

Koutei had tried to run in order to get some of the stress off, but now that Yami was here, he felt he should be there. The man slowed down his pace and he switched the treadmill off. Then, he walked over to where Yami was sitting and sat next to him. He had no idea how dark the thoughts Yami was thinking, but he knew that none of them were particularly good. “… Muscles locking up? They’re looking pretty bad,” Koutei murmured, not sure what else to say that he hadn’t said yesterday or the day before.

“...A little. The doctors have cut back on the physio...they're doing other sorts of tests instead. And I haven't been walking much...” Yami mused, massaging his leg a little. The other tests were to try and find Yuugi. Everything was about finding Yuugi right now.

“...You don't have to stop for me, if you don't want to.” Yami offered, knowing Koutei did like his workouts and was probably using them to cope with Yuugi's loss.

“I was just finishing up,” Koutei muttered, watching Yami massage the muscles. “It’s alright.” He went quiet for a minute, watching Yami rub his leg. He could see how pale and tired Yami was, and Koutei wished he could help. He wished he could do something to bring back Yuugi.

But he couldn’t.

“… Here…” Koutei murmured after a few minutes. He got up but knelt in front of Yami, taking his leg. “Let me massage it. I know how to do it properly.”

“...Okay. If you say so.” Yami mused, groaning a little as he worked the stiff muscles. He hated this part of recovery...and part of him wished the pain triggered Yuugi to emerge and wonder what was wrong with their leg. He paused when Koutei moved to kneel in front of him, offering to massage his leg. He hesitated, before he sighed.

“...Alright...thanks.” Yami said, moving his own hands off of his leg so Koutei could give it a proper massage.

Koutei smiled at him and began rubbing his fingers deep into the sore, tender muscles. Thankfully his years as an athlete had inspired him to learn a thing or two about massage therapy, and he was happy to do this for his friend. He stayed kneeling before him, occasionally glancing between Yami’s face and leg to monitor him.

“… What’s the plan for today?"

Yami hadn't really been massaged by anyone else before, except in physio, and that was usually painful (he hated the rollers). But this was nice...he groaned a little as Koutei expertly dug his fingers into his aching muscles, soothing them with little pain. It wasn't bothersome, and Yami had to fight to keep still.

“Ah...not much...” Yami finally said around little groans.

“...I think...more tests later, or something...I'm not sure...”

Koutei kept working on them, nodding thoughtfully. He sighed, wondering what else he could do to help Yuugi out. “… Are you still writing to him?”

Yami let out a groan as Koutei dug into a particularly tense area, and then a sigh.

“...Yes. Every day, I do. I also try and probe for him in my head...but it's hard. It's like he's barricaded himself in his room, and then hidden his room in a maze that's dark and always changing...one that would take thousands of years to solve. I know I couldn't do it in seven at least...” Yami mused.

“...So I can't find him...I don't know what to do. Nothing I did worked last time either...”

Koutei bit his lip as he heard it. Yami had put a lot of thought and effort into this, and it really did seem like Yuugi was nowhere to be found. He didn’t want to lose his friend to the grief…

“There’s… got to be something.” He stopped massaging him. “Something we haven’t tried. Something to bring his consciousness forward like it used to.”

Yami frowned in thought as Koutei finally stopped massaging him.

“...In seven years...I saw and did a lot of things that would've shocked Yuugi. But, none of those things triggered him to appear...it wasn't until Raphael that he actually solidly re-appeared.” Yami pondered out loud. So what made Raphael so different than everything else? Yami's eyes widened, the answer coming to him almost immediately after thinking of Raphael. It was kindness, caring...maybe even love, that had triggered Yuugi. And that meant there was still something he could try...

“...I think I have an idea...but...I can't do it alone. I'd need your help, Koutei.” Yami said, looking at the blonde who was still kneeling in front of him. He hesitated a moment, knowing that before he'd told himself he really shouldn't do this...but it was for Yuugi.

“...I need you to kiss me.”

Koutei was thinking of the same question, wondering where they could go. He knew Yuugi responded to strong emotions and thoughts that Yami felt, but he didn’t realise like Yami did that Yuugi had been missing for years and Yami wasn’t exactly innocent. He listened to his friend and looked a little hopeful when Yami seemed to realise something.

“I’ll help but…” He paused, realising just what Yami said. Did he just… “Uh… Not that I don’t want to but… Why?”

“Because...” Yami bit his lip and blushed a little, hesitating as he realized he'd have to explain exactly how nice Koutei's kiss was before.

“...well...the last time you kissed me...Yuugi was triggered a little. I don't think it was the kiss itself that did it, cause I had been kissed before and had kissed others before with no response from him. But, what was different was...well, the feeling. Your kiss was just...gentle...caring...loving even...Yuugi responds well to that. That sort of feeling was what woke him up, I think, with Raphael.” Yami said.

“...If you don't like that idea, we don't have to...I mean, Raphael never kissed us...so...” He said, noticing Koutei's hesitation.

Koutei looked at Yami, still a little shocked at the suggestion, and a distant part of him thought that Yami just wanted to use him, like he had in the past. However, Koutei was a man who believed in Yami sincerely and fully. He loved Yami, well and truly, and hearing him say all those kind things made his heart flutter, despite how inappropriate it seemed at the moment. He slowly moved up from the floor next to Yami, and he shook his head.

“… I don’t mind. I’d… like it if we did. But do you think it will work?”

Yami watched carefully. He knew this was kind of using Koutei, but he figured that if both of them were so desperate to get Yuugi back, it worked out for both of them. He shrugged.

“...I don't know. I really don't know for sure...but...when I think about what made Raphael so special, it was basically that he cared for us. He filled a hole left from when Jii-chan died...that was what made Yuugi disappear in the first place. Now, Raphael is gone, and the hole is back...so...fill it with someone else who cares, and Yuugi might come back.” Yami said, looking at Koutei.

“...And you're the one who cares the most..and Yuugi and I care for you. So...you'd be the perfect fit.” He shook his head.

“I don't know what else to try...I just want him back...” He said, face a little sombre as he said it.

It was true, they both wanted Yuugi back so desperately. Koutei was especially willing to be used in any way to try get his friend back. He missed Yuugi so much, it hurt not seeing him around, even if he was looking at what was technically his face right now.

Koutei gave a sad smile as he saw Yami’s expression. He reached out to brush some of the blonde strands of hair out of the man’s face, so he could get Yami to look at him. Much like last time, the man cupped his cheek and he stared at Yami’s purple eyes gently, feeling a little nervous.

“… Well… It’s worth a shot. I want to try too.” He leaned in a little, giving Yami time to pull away this time, before he gently pressed a kiss against the man’s lips.

Yami looked up at Koutei when the other gently brushed his blond bangs out of his face. Knowing what was coming this time, he could feel a rush of anticipation...he did genuinely like kissing Koutei after all.

“...Okay. Then we'll try...” He said softly, staying still as Koutei leaned in. He didn't pull away when their lips were sealed, immediately closing his eyes and trying to just let himself feel. Like last time, Koutei was gentle, sweet, caring...the only thing different was that Yami wasn't taken by surprise this time. And then there was the additional difference of no change in his head...Yuugi wasn't triggered by the kiss this time. That was no good...Yami leaned closer, deepening the kiss because he wanted to feel more, so that maybe Yuugi would be able to react from the depths of his mind.

Koutei couldn’t tell if it was working, so he focused on relaxing, making sure that he poured his feelings out in the lip contact. He closed his eyes as well, his free hand moving to Yami’s hip, gently caressing the man without being too forward. To his surprise though, instead of pulling away after a few moments, Yami pushed back, deepening it. Koutei steadied his hands and he replied in the same time, kissing him deeper. His heart was racing, both in excitement and anxiousness, and he hoped to all hell that this was working.

Koutei's feelings were being read loud and clear by Yami...he'd never felt so loved, so treasured. Koutei was so gentle, hesitant and caring with him...like he was something precious. He brought his hands up to Koutei's face, pressing him closer as the other returned his energy. Kissing him and having these feelings reciprocated made Yami feel warm and happy...but Yuugi wasn't popping up. There was no change at all. Before Yami could try something else, they both heard someone clearing their throat. Yami pulled back and looked in the direction of the sound. There were a couple of guards that had entered without them noticing, too wrapped up in each other to pay attention.

“You both have visitors waiting.” One of the guards said.

Honestly, Koutei wanted to ignore the coughing, but soon, Yami was pulling back. The man looked up to see the guards and he went pink-faced too, realising they had just kissed in front of an audience. The man scratched the back of his head and he nodded.

“Right… Coming…” He stood up and looked at Yami, leaning over to help him to the wheelchair. “… Did it… do anything?"

Yami looked away from the guards in embarrassment. He'd gotten a little too into this, apparently. He accepted Koutei's help to stand up. His leg did feel better, but it was still hard to walk.

“...Yuugi didn't stir...” He murmured, knowing it was not accurate to say it did 'nothing'.

“...But it felt amazing...thank you.” Yami said, giving Koutei a small smile and squeezing his hand. The guards approached once Yami was in his chair to escort him to the visitor's rooms.

“...I'll see you later.”

Koutei was a little disappointed that it hadn’t woken Yuugi. As childish as it did seem, Koutei wanted ‘true love’s kiss’ to wake him up, and make all of them happy. However, he was glad that Yami had liked it. Seeing the man smile, he smiled back, cheeks going a little pink. He squeezed his hand as well and he waved to the man, seeing him head off.

“See you later.” Even though they were going in the same direction, the visitors room were separated, so Koutei soon followed after his guarded escort, feeling elated a little that he kissed Yami again.

Meanwhile, in the closest one, Alit was waiting. This time, he'd come alone, without Masumi. She was out with Kotori and Akari and Yuzu. He usually did like shopping trips, but he also wanted to keep his promise and check up on Koutei. It had been awhile after all. He was surprised when Koutei was let in with a dreamy, love-sick look on his face. Alit hadn't seen that on the other man's face in ages...and for once, it wasn't directed to him.

“...Well, don't you look happy?” Alit mused with a smile.

“Alit!” Koutei beamed as he saw his best friend behind the transparent barrier. He gave a laugh as he sat down, letting the guard close the door and lock him inside the room. “Am I that happy?” He asked, pink-faced. “Is it that obvious?”

Alit smirked.

“You look like Gilag when he first got kissed by his sweetheart, that's what.” Alit mused, leaning forward with a grin.

“It's great to see you doing so well...what's been going on that's got you in such a good mood?”

“Umm…” Koutei scratched the back of his head sheepishly and laughed quietly. “Honestly… Things haven’t been great until… literally five seconds ago.” He sighed. “Man… Alit, I know it’s crazy, but I think I found them… My soulmate."

Alit raised a brow and smirked as he listened.

“...So you did get smooched then, huh? By this...soulmate of yours?” Alit said. He was surprised. On the one hand, it was nice to see Koutei so happy. On the other...

“...who is this soulmate anyway? Tell me about them.” Alit decided to say, concerned about whether this soulmate was well...generally crazy. This was a mental ward after all...and it was also one for criminals. What if this person was dangerous?

“I mean… it’s the… third time? We did it twice before but that was all at once. This was just now…” Koutei played with his hair shyly, feeling like a teenager who had been confessed to by their crus.

“Um…” Koutei paused and his lovestruck expression disappeared. Wait. Shit. Alit may have not known about Yami’s involvement in Masumi’s kidnapping, but he probably knew who Yami is. He paused, wondering if he should indeed tell his best friend.

“… How well do you keep up with the news?"

Alit's eyes widened.

“Third time?! Wow...you've been busy it sounds like.” Alit mused, surprised the Correctional Facility seemed to allow this. Alit frowned at the sudden change in topic...and the change in Koutei's expression.

“Kinda? I have been paying more attention recently...cause I'm not out and about as much. Lemme guess...this soulmate of yours has a reputation.” Alit said.

Koutei gave a long sigh.

“… Do you know the name Mutou Yuugi?” He asked quietly, ready for Alit to yell at him again.

Alit frowned.

“Hmm...that name does sound familiar...” Alit said, pondering where he'd heard it before. Suddenly it came to him, but not in the way that Koutei expected.

“Oh! I heard something about a break-in here a couple months ago and a prisoner who was almost killed. I only paid attention to it because I was worried for you, but I tuned out when I realized you weren't the guy they hospitalized...I think that was the name, right? Mutou Yuugi...” Alit said.

“Do I have the right guy? If so, he must be doing okay, if he's back here...”

Koutei honestly wanted to kiss whatever deity was out there, because that was literally the best case scenario. Alit knew who he was, but not as the CEO killer or the cop killer. He internally sighed in relief, and he nodded to him. “Yeah… That’s him. He’s got a very special split personality disorder,” he calmed down. “He’s… They’re really something else."

Alit couldn't help but feel he'd heard the name somewhere else than just the incident with the Correctional Facility, but he couldn't remember for the time being. He raised a brow.

“...Split personality disorder? Isn't that like...where they're a different person like all the time?! You said 'they'...how many are there? Do you...do you like all of them?” Alit asked, confused. It sounded like Koutei had fallen for one of the truly sick people here...that was concerning.

“There’s only two,” Koutei said immediately, reassuring Alit. “It’s not that crazy, honestly.” He sighed, not answering Alit’s question on purpose. “ Though … One, Yuugi… He’s disappeared recently. And he’s the ‘main’ personality, so Yami and I are worried.”

Alit was a little reassured that it wasn't like there were five people inside one person's head that Koutei was friends with. He frowned.

"...so one just disappeared? How does that even happen?" Alit asked, confused.

"...that illness does sound serious though. How do you even know which one you're talking to, if they both look the same?"

“… Shock. Someone close to Yuugi and Yami died, so Yuugi’s just… gone. Yami says they can’t even see his brain activity when he had an MRI. Last time this happen, Yuugi disappeared for seven years, and Yami isn’t taking it well.”

“There are… differences. Like… It’s pretty obvious when you talk to them. To me anyway."

Alit frowned.

"Wow...sorry to hear that." He said, sympathetic to Mutou's loss.

"That does sound kinda scary...I guess it would be like losing your buddy or something. But this guy has you to help them out right?" Alit said.

"Hmm...well I've never talked to anyone with a split personality so I don't know if I'd recognize it...are they distinctive? Tell me about them. Are they nice?"

Koutei nodded. “Yeah… He does,” He smiled at Alit, glad for the cue from his friend to talk about Mutou more positively.

“Definitely. Yuugi is a ray of sunshine, the brightest point in this place. He’s friendly and kind and he loves games. We’re always doing fun things at meal times, and he’s always so curious about things. It’s almost like he’s innocent, and he’s gentle… but he’s also really brave,” he smiled sadly, “He actually stood up for me when he first came in. I… got into trouble, but Yuugi was there to try protect me.”

“Yami is a bit rougher around the edges. He’s witty, sarcastic, but also really charming. He’s confident and strong… He likes games too but games with a lot more risk. Even if he doesn’t seem like it, he cares a lot, though usually he tries to push people who get too close away. But he’s a really good guy."

Alit smiled, glad to make Koutei feel better. He didn't want his buddy sad after all.

"Well, anyone who stands up for my buddy is okay with me. With all those games you're playing, it sounds like you're having fun." Alit said.

"They both sound like cool guys...and different, surprisingly. I'm glad you have a couple of friends in here. Makes me less worried about you being happy." Alit said.

“Yeah… I mean… Shinji counts I guess, but I always hang out with Yami and Yuugi. They’re my best friends… and…” He blushed, hiding his face a little.

Alit smiled, watching Koutei blush and hide his face like a schoolgirl confessing their crush.

"And you love them, don't you?" Alit said gently.

"...and if they're giving you smooches, they must like you too. I'm happy for you, Koutei. You've found someone special for you."

Koutei smiled behind his hand. “Yeah… I do…” He sighed quietly though, his expression becoming darker again. “I just… wish things were different. Yami started the kiss this time to try bring Yuugi back… and even if we do like each other, he’s got a life sentence. I get out in a few years…”

"Oh..." Alit's face fell a little.

"...well, his illness does sound serious...I guess that's no surprise." Alit said. He sighed.

"...Maybe he could get parole or something? Or you could visit him at least..."

“… no chance of parole.” Koutei sighed. “If he does get help from the Correctional Facility, he may be sent to prison. Yami’s done… some pretty horrible things. I love them, and moments like these are great but…” He just remembered… how hard it was going to be.

Alit's eyes widened.

"...What exactly is he in here for then? Did he...kill someone or something? Something really bad like that?" Alit asked, a little concerned.

“…” Koutei paused.”… He’s changed. He honestly has. I want you to know that, alright?” He said, trying to reassure Alit.

Alit blinked and sighed.

"I'm not judging...I know that people can change. I'm not who I used to be exactly either...that's probably thanks to Kotori." Alit said with a smile, remembering how he had been mostly a womanizer until Kotori had made him want to settle down.

"And I'm all for forgiveness...Gilag went to jail too for awhile, but then he came out a different man. Now he's got Ponta to look after, and a steady boyfriend. A boyfriend, Koutei! Nobody ever gave him a second glance before, but now he's found someone special and I'm happy for him." Alit said.

"...So if you say this Yami guy has changed, I'll believe you."

“… Yami murdered about 45 people, five of those being assassinations in cold blood.” Koutei said after a moment, burying his face into his hands.

Alit's jaw dropped at that admission.

"He's a fucking serial murderer?!" Alit exclaimed, despite his little speech before about forgiveness. He was astonished that they had someone like that here...he thought that this wasn't exactly a place for someone of that calibre. He quickly looked away and took a breath to calm himself.

"...That's...wow...just wow...I had no idea they had guys like that in here. He must be just...fucking ripped and huge then, huh? Sounds like a good workout buddy at least..." Alit said, picturing a mass murderer as probably bigger than Koutei and at least twice as strong. Possibly even bigger than Gilag! And he was trying not to be terrified by that image and the idea that Koutei was really close to him.

“The term is ‘mass murderer’. And yeah… he is…” Koutei was ready to start trying to calm down Alit, to reassure him that he was alright and there was absolutely no danger, and then he heard the part about Mutou being ripped. Koutei tried to imagine it, before he burst out laughing hysterically, snorting into his hand as he tried to imagine Yami or Yugi with serious muscle definition.

“Pfft… Not even close. Mutou is tiny. Like he doesn’t even come up to my shoulder. He’s apparently always been small and skinny. He literally passed off for a ten year old last year too. He’s great at working out, but more making it like into a big game”

Alit was astonished when Koutei just burst out laughing. He wasn't sure what about this situation was funny, until Koutei finally described Mutou's physical appearance.

"Wait wait wait...like a ten year old? Wow...that's..how old is this guy?! A teenager?" Alit was dumbfounded to think of a mass-murderer being as tiny as a ten-year old kid. That would be like if Ponta decided to kill 40 people. It was unheard of.

"...Wow. I'd have trouble believing someone that tiny could be dangerous..." Alit had to admit it was a little reassuring though. Apparently Mutou was too tiny to be any physical match for Koutei. He raised a brow.

"...You seem to have a thing for people shorter than you." He mused, knowing he was a little shorter than Koutei. Not that short, but shorter.

“He’s like… mid twenties. A little younger than us, honestly. He’s just utterly tiny.” Koutei grinned. “He can fight though. Like… not well but he has a bite to him. He has a really strong fighting spirit… both of them do. That’s what’s so cool about him. His main strength is his brain though. Yami is an incredible strategist.”

Koutei paused and snorted. “Really? I didn’t know I had a type. Can you really tell with a sample size of two?”

"Hmm...a guy in his mid-twenties who looks like he's ten. That's gotta be hard to deal with..." Alit mused. He listened.

"So...this Yuugi guy is also a mass-murderer, since he can fight and stuff too? And you said he likes games...they must both be good strategists then." Alit pondered. He snorted.

"Well it's still 100% of all your crushes, right?" He teased.

“I mean, he doesn’t look ten all the time. He just could pass for it because he’s small.” The man shook his head.

“Yami is the murderer. Yuugi… Yuugi was unconscious for all the crimes Yami did. Only his last murder did Yuugi come back. But they are both good strategists yeah.

Koutei smiled and blushed. “Yeah… jerk. Teasing me about it though."

Alit listened.

"...Wow. So Yuugi...just woke up during a murder? Yikes..." He mused. He saw Koutei's blush and snickered.

"What, I'm not a jerk! I'm just pointing it out!" He teased

Koutei didn’t want to think about it. It made him think of Yuugi. Was that what it would take to wake him up next time? A murder?

“Yeah you are. You’re not allowed to point that out as my former crush,” he teased back.

Alit snorted.

"Alright, alright! I'll lay off...but it is true." He mused. He smiled.

"...I'm glad you found someone, Koutei, really. Even if this guy's a murderer, if he honestly wants a change, you'd be the best guy to help him with that." Alit said honestly. Koutei was so patient, kind and caring. And he wanted a change himself, obviously. It was a match made in...well...a mental ward.

Koutei smiled gently. He chuckled, looking at Alit, smiling warmly. He was glad he could joke like this. Alit really made it seem like it was possible to get Yuugi back.

“Thanks, Alit. I appreciate that."

Alit grinned.

"No problem, Koutei! You just hang in there, okay? I'm here for you too." He said happily.

Meanwhile, Yami was left in a private room that had no dividers and a table, similar to the one he'd heard about Raphael's death in. And inside of it, there was someone he didn't really want to see.

"...What the hell are you doing here? My court case is over." Yami said as he entered, staring down his former lawyer and fuck-buddy Matsuda Beryl, seated across from him. He was really not in the mood to deal with this guy...

“Good to see you too, Yami,” Black Mist rolled his eyes, though he seemed professional as the guards left the two of them to be alone. “However, as much as you don’t want to see me, I need to see you. As your appointed lawyer, and the one who Raphael asked me to deliver the news to I have to be here.”

Yami simply kept his eyes on him, judging his behavior. He didn't want him to make any kind of move on him after all. But then he heard Raphael mentioned, and his indifferent mask cracked a little.

"...Why did Raphael send you then?" He asked, having a bad feeling.

“It’s his will. It took some time for his lawyer to sort it out with me, but we finally managed to get everything sorted.” He opened his briefcase and passed Yami a plain sheet of paper.

“He made changes to his will before he died. Have a look at what he left you."

"His will..." Yami repeated, the truth of this situation hitting him hard. So this was it...Raphael was truly dead...if his will's beneficiaries were about to collect...that was the only explanation.

He accepted the piece of paper in silent shock, surprised that Raphael would give him something at all. He had orphans to care for...charities that would benefit from his wealth...but he still gave some to Yami. Yami's eyes widened as he read the number on the paper.

"This...this is really for me?" He said, astonished. It was a lot of money...more than Yami had ever had to his name in his entire life.

“Yeah… I fought tooth and nail to get you that and not have some other lawyer’s try get that off the deceased’s will. You’re welcome, by the way,” Black Mist said. It definitely was a lot of money, and real Yami couldn’t do anything with it. It was a waste, really.

Yami kept staring at the paper, glancing up when Mist spoke. He sighed.

"...I don't know why you bothered...I can't do anything with this. I have a life sentence..." Yami said, putting the paper down.

"...And no amount of money could give me what I want anyway..." He wanted Yuugi back. He wanted Raphael back. He wanted...he wanted to be able to actually be with Koutei. Money could get him none of that.

Black Mist leaned back in his chair and shook his head. “Maybe I have a thing about keeping money away from orphans. I don’t know. It’s free for yours to hold on to. Put it somewhere for someone else. Maybe you can pay for bail if you’re good.” Black Mist shrugged, figuring the same thing.

“What’s the matter now? Care to share?"

Yami sighed. He didn't think he'd have a chance for bail...but he supposed he could do that.

"...I'll hold onto it...maybe something will come up..." He said sombrely. Maybe when Koutei got out, he could give it to him. Make sure he wouldn't have any trouble with money anyway. He glanced at Mist.

"...Yuugi's gone. It's like he died with Raphael...I'm alone in my head again, that's what..." Yami mused softly, not sure why he was saying this to Mist.

“…Yuugi?” Black Mist quirked an eyebrow. “The split side that didn’t know me. Gone? Huh… I didn’t know that could happen. And you miss him?”

"It happened before, dumbass. That's why he didn't know you." Yami snapped a little, before sighing.

"...Yes. It feels...off, to not have him there. It always did. I just don't have anything to distract me from that fact here..." Yami mused. There was no gambling, no thrill that came from winning, no real way to toy with people through sex or drugs and mind games...nothing to get rid of that empty feeling.

Black Mist leaned forward. Even though he still was in a happily committed relationship with Thomas, sometimes he couldn’t help himself. He smirked at Yami, trying to cheer him up.

“Well… I could kiss you to distract you like old times. After all, I heard on the way up here you’ve been busy with your mouth. Might be good for you to bother with mine.”

Yami saw Mist shift, and his eyes widened when he heard the suggestion...but the thing that really surprised him was that Mist somehow knew he had kissed Koutei in here.

"...How the fuck do you know what I've been up to in here? It's none of your business." Yami said, fighting down a blush. That damn psychologist...or those damn guards...they'd probably blabbed to everyone, hadn't they?

“… Wait seriously? Have you?” Black Mist blinked before he burst out laughing. “Serious? I was just messing with you. If you really wanted to kiss someone though, you should have called. I’m much more eager than any inmate for you.”

"Shut up!" Yami cried, face going much more red now.

"...ugh...what is wrong with you? You have a fucking inmate fetish or something?" " He asked.

“Honestly, a little bit. I like guys with an intimate relationship with danger, honestly.” That was probably why he was dating Thomas. The man gave a huge grinned, utterly amused by the entire ordeal. “I guess that means I’m not getting that kiss, huh? Who you saving it for?"

"More like you want an intimate relationship with danger..." Yami muttered. He shook his head.

"No, I'm not going to kiss you." Yami said, looking somber as he remembered Koutei. No matter what he wanted, there was no way they could be together...

"...I'm not in the mood anyway..." He said, going back to his usual sad-face that he'd basically been wearing for the past few days.

Black Mist’s smile faded, and he actually looked serious for a moment. He sighed, knowing he wasn’t particularly good with these instances, but Yami had been someone he was close to back in the day, less so than Vector but sure. He paused for a moment, before he got up to go awkwardly hug him.

Yami was sad and didn't particularly care to hide it right now. He didn't have the energy. He didn't even really notice Mist approach until he was being enveloped in a hug. Yami blinked, tense for a moment, before relaxing a little. It was nice to have a bit of comfort. He'd only gotten a hug from Koutei, and he and Mist did have a similar build...when he closed his eyes, it was like they were the same person.

Mist petted the man gently. He really meant this to be innocent, but as he did so, he couldn’t help but sigh in contentment. Thomas had been so busy these days. It had been a while since he had a warm body against him. Mist stroked Yami, slowly caressing his skin, subconsciously dragging his fingers to the hem of Yami’s shirt and lifting it up.

Yami's tenseness began to disappear gradually as Mist pet him gently. He closed his eyes and relaxed after a couple of moments. He was willing to let himself drift away a little, feeling calmed and a little thankful that he was being comforted. He also couldn't help but draw comparisons in his mind between Mist and Koutei...although Mist's cologne and clothes were different than anything he'd ever seen Koutei wear, they had a similar build and Yami seemed to fit just as snugly in both of their arms.

It wasn't until he felt Mist's warm hands on his bare skin that he realized that Mist was slowly trying to undress him. His eyes jolted open in alarm and immediately he began to squirm in Mist's strong grasp.

“Let go of me!” He yelled, managing to weakly pull away just enough to swing at Mist's face, punching him square in the closest cheek to him. He swung repeatedly, trying to beat Mist back enough to pry his body free.

Mist barely knew what was happening. One minute, he was feeling Yami up, admiring how small the other man was, and the next he got a hard punch in the face. The man practically jumped in place and stumbled back, holding his cheek in astonishment.

“What was that for?” Mist hissed

As soon as Mist gave him an opening, Yami was jumping back too, out of arms reach. He scowled at the man, astonished that he apparently didn't even realize what he was doing.

“The hell do you mean, 'what was that for'? You were feeling me up, asshole! I didn't say you could do that!” Yami accused him. He was shocked that Mist would try and take steps to molest him like that.

“No I wasn’t.” Black Mist said, actually sounding indignant. The lawyer felt his jaw and straightened up. The guards moved to the door, wondering what was going on, but Black Mist waved them off as they peered through the window. “I was hugging you. I wasn’t trying to do that"

Yami's eyes narrowed even more. How could Mist not realize what he was about to do?

“You were fucking pulling my shirt up! That's not something you do in a hug at all! So, you weren't just planning to hug me, you were planning to molest me! You trapped me in a hug, and then started taking my clothes off.” Yami snarled, knowing fully well he was right.

“And you asked to kiss me earlier. I told you no, but you went ahead and tried to start shit anyway. You fucking molested me, you bastard.”

“… Huh. I guess I was.” Mist tried to think of the last time he had a hug that didn’t involve removing his clothes, and somewhat surprisingly he couldn’t think of anything. Usually it would lead to that with Thomas, and he wasn’t particularly touchy with anyone else.

“I wasn’t trying to kiss you. Honest.” Black Mist rubbed the back of his neck. “Man… I’m sorry, Yami. I didn’t even realise.”

Yami was incredulous.

“...How the hell do you not even realize what you're doing? You've had enough sexual partners to know the importance of consent, haven't you?” He exclaimed. He crossed his arms.

“Just saying sorry isn't enough. If you ever come back, I won't see you unless you're in a visiting room with barriers. I know they exist. I don't care if the legal shit is confidential. If you have even a smidgen of care about what others want, you'll grant my wish.” He said sternly.

“Now, unless there's anything else related to Raphael or legal shit that needs to be shared, I'm leaving.”

“You’d think that, wouldn’t you?” Mist muttered bitterly under his breath. He sat back down, drumming his fingers on the table.

“Fine. Fine. Just don’t get me in trouble about this. I don’t know what’s gotten into me lately, so I sure as hell don’t need that sort of thing.”

“Hmph… Didn’t read the rest of his will, did you? Or actually tell me where to put the money you want to save."

Yami listened with a frown. He knew Mist was a former prostitute and may have had a few borderline molestation instances, especially because he was so small and skinny back when he'd known him. But it was still surprising that Mist didn't seem to think with his head, especially now that he was a lawyer.

“You should talk to someone then...or get laid by someone who actually wants to sleep with you.” Yami mused. He glanced at the will on the table.

“...I don't want to read it. Just tell me if he left me anything else, aside from the money.” He said, not wanting to be reminded once more that Raphael was gone.

“...I guess I can open a bank account to save the money in for now...I've never had one before.”

He didn’t deal with rape cases for a reason. He was too… unsympathetic, he supposed.

“I do get laid by someone. He just hasn’t been home lately. Too busy being a pretty boy and doing an interstate shoot,” Black Mist gave a shrug. “Might be a few more weeks until I see him.” Black Mist followed Yami’s gaze and frowned.

“No, money was everything. Evidently he didn’t have anything else he could give you anyway.”

“Want me to do that for you? Or arrange someone to come over?” Mist asked.

Yami frowned.

“So you're a cheating bastard too. Good to know.” He said. He was honestly glad that Raphael hadn't left more...then he'd feel even more guilty about taking things from needy children or for giving Yuugi false hope. He wondered if that was why Raphael had done it...Yuugi hadn't ever known he had a life sentence...

“You can do it...no need to send someone else.” Yami didn't really want to see anyone else.

“Is that it then?”

“I haven’t been cheating. I’ve been explicitly not cheating. Maybe that’s why I’m so restless. I’m too used to this shit.” He used to cheat, but he hadn’t been doing anything as bad as he did today. Black Mist rubbed his temples, wondering if it was time he got a therapist, especially when he could pay for it.

“Alright. I’ll have the account set up, and a representative will call to set up your banking details.” Mist nodded.

“Yeah. That’s it."

“Hmm...maybe. You should talk to someone about it...whether it's your pretty boy partner, or a therapist, is up to you.” Yami advised. He nodded.

“Okay. Then I'll get out of here.” Yami said, waving the guards in with his wheelchair. As promised, he didn't say a word of what went on.

“Bye.” Yami said simply, letting himself be wheeled away back to his room where he could write a note to Yuugi about what Raphael had left them, and maybe...hopefully...wake him up at last.

“Maybe…”

“Take care, Yami. Good luck finding Yuugi…” Mist muttered. He waited for Yami to leave before he got up, rubbing his temples. He’d talk to Thomas tonight when he called him. Maybe that would help...

-x-

Akaba Reiji was concerned. He had heard on the news as everyone had that Kawahara Raphael had been brutally murdered in his own home. That was disturbing for Reiji, because it meant that the CEO killer hadn't given up...the attacker had once again been Sergey, who had potential connections to Roger. He needed to get an update on what Shun was doing...he wanted to know if Roger was still a suspect.

He sat in his dark office alone, setting up a video call with his hitman in Neo Domino.

Shun had done nothing but work. Yuuto hadn’t returned any of his calls or his messages. Even if Shun used a phone that rerouted the call history to another phone, Yuuto knew how to contact him, and he hadn’t yet. Even though going for years without talking wasn’t uncommon for them, Shun was worried that Yuuto had been serious about asking him to leave his life. No responses… no attempts… For once, the silence felt oppressive.

So he worked. And worked. And worked. Only leaving his house for supplies, Shun had made use of Roger’s finger prints and made scans. Now, he had finished constructing all the tools he needed for a raid into Sector Security, and he planned on having a nap so he was ready to raid the place at night.

Shun was about to shut his laptop off when he got the call. The man frowned and switched the video on, seeing Reiji.

“Yes?"

“Another CEO has been murdered here in Heartland, by Sergey, a former assassin of Roger's. I want updates on your monitoring of him.” Reiji said simply. He knew Shun was planning a raid soon...the man seemed to have dedicated himself to his work quite a bit recently.

“Hmph… Running out of CEOs to kill,” Shun muttered, “I’m going to visit his office tonight. You have good timing.” Shun said, though there was no smile on his face. “He’s been acting like all things are normal. Nothing suspicious, honestly. No meeting with unusual people, no one entering the building if they shouldn’t.”

He sighed. “I tapped the phone lines and have a recognition program going through the calls picking trigger words up, so I know if there’s anything going on. I know Roger has a preference for voice calls though, so I haven’t gotten much out of that lead”

Reiji frowned and pondered this. “Before killing Kawahara-san, Sergey was in prison. It makes sense that he wouldn't be able to contact him the usual ways...Sergey couldn't have come to visit him either. When you check his office, look for any form of communication you haven't tapped, and analyze what he's said in the past two weeks. Sergey broke out two weeks ago, and according to the police report, it was a planned affair. If Roger was responsible, there must be evidence that he orchestrated the escape and then sent Sergey after Kawahara-san.” Reiji said.

“...If you find the evidence, I want Roger dead. He's too dangerous to be left alone...even with Sergey dead already, if he ordered Sergey to do this, then it's clear he has more knowledge in the aspect of controlling of human beings than he claimed at our last meeting. If he or his work survives, he might use it to make another assassin.”

“Right. I’ll keep that in mind,” Shun muttered. “I’ll look out for the drone technology he’s investing too. He may have used that as a relay system for Sergey.” He gritted his teeth. Sergey… that bastard again. Shun almost started gritting his teeth until he heard the man was dead.

“… Since when was he dead though?” Shun had wanted to kill that bastard himself.

Reiji nodded.

“Please do. If you can, take it from him. At least get a copy of the plans so I know what he's up to.” He raised a brow, noticing the clear change in Shun's demeanour.

“Sergey died with Kawahara-san. The CEO managed to take him out alongside him.”

Shun gritted his teeth. On the plus side, Sergey was dead. On the other, not dead by his hand. Vengeance hadn’t been served, and honestly, he was real pissed. The man grumbled, but in the end shook his head and looked back at Reiji.

“Good for something then. Hmph."

Reiji could see Shun's irritation plainly.

"You can get your revenge by taking out whoever is responsible for sending him. I suspect it is Roger." Reiji said simply. He was also a little bit concerned. He didn't want Shun just running off on a personal vendetta for Yuuto's sake...that would be like him disobeying orders. Especially when he'd previously shown interest in that.

The assassin huffed, forcing himself to calm down. “Right… Roger. I’ll tear him in half,” Shun muttered. “Anything else you want to ask?"

Reiji sighed.

"Only if you have the clear evidence that he is responsible. I don't want another innocent CEO dispatched." Reiji reminded him.

“The guy gave Sergey his upgrades in the first place.” The man growled. “He deserves to die anyway”

"And Sergey is dead. As long as he hasn't given those upgrades to anyone else, and isn't trying to control people anymore, then it's fine." Reiji said.

Shun grumbled. “Fine. I’ll hold back.” He added the ‘for now’ in his head, not wanting to piss Reiji off. “Again, anything else?"

"No. Do your search tonight and we will discuss what you find tomorrow." Reiji said.

Shun nodded. With that, he hung up on Reiji and sighed. “Damn it!” Suddenly, he picked up his chair and threw it at his bed, hissing at it angrily, as if it had hurt Yuuto instead. He knew he should have been happy Sergey was dead, but it felt like he hadn’t done anything for Yuuto… Yuuto who was hurting and scared and maybe had killed himself… “Damn it!"

Reiji sighed as Shun hung up. He was concerned with his assassin's behaviour. He wondered if the man was planning on running off orders, killing Roger anyway just because his guy had hurt Yuuto. He sighed, picking up the phone to dial his other assassin, one who specialized more in stealth work than killing.

Only one person had this contact number, so the man on the other side answered immediately.

“Yes?” Came the quiet voice from the other line. “What do you require of me, Reiji-dono?”

"Tsukikage. I need you to do a little stealth work on Kaiba Seto. Hes one of the only men of stature left here who could be behind the CEO killings. I need to know if he did it."

“Kaiba Seto?” Tsukikage asked. “… I understand. I will do as you ask. Do you want everything he has?”

"I want to know anything suspicious, including who hes communicating with. I need to know if he was involved." Reiji said.

“As you wish. I’ll contact you before the week’s end, Reiji-dono.” Tsukikage jumped to the next roof and looked around, seeing KaibaCorp in the distance, the tower glimmering in the evening sun.

Tsukikage was watching the tower and had a good view of two boys approaching the front door. One was recognizable instantly as Kaiba Mokuba, the Vice President of the corporation. The second wasn't known to the spy, but it was Ponta.

"Wow, your older brother works here?" Ponta exclaimed in awe.

“Yeah,” Mokuba laughed, not noticing they were now suddenly being shadowed. “He’s sort of a big deal around here. He does some really important stuff.” He chuckled. “I do too, of course."

Ponta was equally oblivious, walking alongside Mokuba happily.

"Wow! Your brother sounds so cool! It's always fun to work with your big brother, huh, pon?" Ponta grinned. He would love to work with Gilag on all the important stuff he was doing...but he was still too young.

Mokuba chuckled. “Yeah. He’s the coolest. No one can deny that,” Mokuba smirked, flicking his hair unable to help but feel extremely proud about his older brother. “I wouldn’t say it’s all fun though. A lot of hard work is involved. Maybe I can show you some of it if I don’t have that much to do.”

Ponta grinned.

"I can't wait to meet him, pon!" He said excitedly. His eyes widened.

"Is it secret stuff? I won't tell pon! Maybe I can help, then it'll be easier?" Ponta offered.

“Um… not secret, but it’s a bit complex. Are you good at math?” Mokuba asked, already knowing Ponta would have no idea but wanting to humour his new friend. He headed inside the front entrance, waving to the receptionist as he headed to the Kaiba private elevator.

Ponta nodded.

"I'm pretty good at math, pon! I'm good at memorizing numbers!" He said with a grin. He waved at the secretary same as Mokuba did, copying him perfectly. He followed Mokuba and stepped into the fancy looking elevator.

"Are we going to the top, pon?" He asked excitedly.

“All the way to the top,” he said, waving his keycard on the elevator panel. The pad beeped and Mokuba stepped in, waiting for Ponta before he punched in the floor where both his and Seto’s offices were. “Not scared of heights, are you?” he teased.

"Yay!" Ponta cheered. He shook his head.

"Nope, not at all, pon!" Ponta said happily.

The elevator slowly went up and Mokuba turned around. He grinned, pointing to Ponta. “Hey… Ponta. Turn around. You can see a lot of Inner Heartland from here.” He said, seeing how pretty it was in the evening sun.

Ponta turned as instructed, eyes widening as he saw the beautiful view. Heartland was sparkly and flawless, almost like a dream world...Ponta pressed his hands against the glass to get closer to it with a huge smile.

"Wow...it's so beautiful, pon...I've never seen the city from this high up before!" He said, amazed by the view.

“See? It’s pretty cool, isn’t it,” Mokuba said, looking over the glowing orange world. All the buildings clustered together shone beautifully at this time, and Mokuba knew it. The teen smiled, looking between Ponta and the scenery. “It’s even better from my brother’s office."

Ponta's eyes widened even more, excited.

"It is! I can't wait to see it from your brother's office then! It must be amazing, pon...you're so lucky. You and your brother can see this whenever you want!" He said happily.

“Yeah… almost every day you know. Sometimes I forget it’s there, you know?” He mused. “But it’s nice to show friends..."

Ponta looked at Mokuba with a smile.

"Your other friends must love it too! They're lucky to know you, pon!" He said, not realizing Mokuba didn't really have other true friends.

“I get compliments when they come to my office.” Workers for him, mostly, but Mokuba shrugged, not wanting to correct Ponta. He smiled. “Hey, that includes you, you know.”

Ponta grinned even wider when Mokuba included him in the friend group.

"I hope so, pon! You're my friend too!" He said, hugging Mokuba happily.

Mokuba’s eyes widened but he hugged him back. The elevator dinged and opened up, and Mokuba grinned. “Come on. I’ll show you my brother. This way."

Ponta enjoyed the hug, letting Mokuba pull away one he'd had enough with a smile.

"Okay! I'm looking forward to it! What's his name again...Seto, right, pon?"

“Yep. Kaiba Seto,” Mokuba loved how clueless Ponta was. “Ready to see him?” He asked, ushering his new friend in. “Seto. I’m back. I brought a friend with me too,” he said, knowing his brother wouldn’t be busy.

Ponta nodded.

"Got it!" He said, following Mokuba inside. He gaped at the huge office, covered in windows...just like Mokuba promised, he was sure the view was amazing.

But for now, he focused on the person at the desk who looked up at them when they entered. Ponta noted he looked familiar...he was fairly certain he'd seen this man before, but couldn't remember where at the moment. He smiled.

"Hi! I'm Mokuba's friend Ponta! Nice to meet you!"

The man at the desk paused and looked up, raising an eyebrow. “Hmph… Mokuba, why did you bring him here?”

“He wanted to see you, big bro. Meet my family and all. He wanted to know what you did at the company,” he hinted.

Seto caught the hint, but figured Mokuba must be mistaken. There was no way this kid didn't know who he was...and what this company did...

Ponta smiled.

"Mokuba said you two work together on math stuff, pon? Oh and I like your building and office...it has a nice view of the city!" Ponta said. Seto hmphed.

"...it's more complicated than most kids can handle, I’m afraid." He mused. Ponta tilted his head.

"...you also look familiar, pon...did you ever go on tv? Did acting or something?"

Kaiba quirked an eyebrow and actually peered past his laptop to look at Ponta. Mokuba masked his laughter seeing his brother’s incredulous face and grinned.

“Oh? You’ve seen him on TV Ponta? I didn’t think you watched much.”

“I didn’t do any acting,” Seto muttered, wondering if Mokuba was pulling a prank.

Ponta shook his head.

"I don't, but I was watching Alit's boxing match overseas and I think I saw him in a commercial...yeah it was definitely you!" Ponta said. Kaiba stared at the boy.

"It was probably for my company then." He said. Ponta nodded.

"...yeah...I think it was Kaiba something now that I think about it...but that's cool, pon! My big brother was on tv too! He's been in commercials for all kinds of stuff!" Ponta beamed.

Mokuba didn’t say anything. He just looked at his brother and smirked. “Convinced yet, Seto?” he asked, not minding if Ponta heard or not.

Kaiba simply stared at Ponta, stunned by how completely naive he was. When Mokuba had told him he'd found someone who had no idea who they were, Seto had definitely dismissed it as a prank. But this young boy was so earnest and open and seemed completely genuine in his assertion that he had no idea who they were. He sighed.

"I'm convinced, Mokuba." He said. Ponta looked between the two brothers with a smile, not really understanding what they were meaning.

"So what sort of work do you and Mokuba do together, Seto-san? Can I help Mokuba with his stuff so we have more time to hang out, pon?" Ponta asked.

“Lots of business stuff,” Mokuba said, glad to have a victory over his big brother for once. As much as he loved Seto, it was hard not to gloat with an arrogant smirk. “Here. Let’s go to my office, Ponta and I’ll show you. Don’t be too surprised if you can’t read it though, okay?” he mused.

Ponta grinned and nodded at Mokuba.

"Okay! Good to meet you Seto-san! Bye!" Ponta said, waving at Seto before following Mokuba happily. Seto simply stared in disbelief.

"...see you." He answered.

Mokuba winked at his brother and opened the door, leading his friend out of the office. Down the corridor, he opened a door with his key card. It opened up to another extravagant room, shimmering brightly in the evening sun as well.

“And this is where I work."

Ponta's eyes widened at the beautiful office.

"Wow, this is really cool!" Ponta exclaimed, dashing over to the window to see the view with a grin.

"You must love working here, pon!"

“It’s nice… even though I’m not usually looking this way.” Usually he undermined his own achievements, but with Ponta he wanted him to be impressed. It was weird how different he acted with Ponta, but in all honesty it was nice to have a friend to be impressed by. “You wanna see?” He asked, switching on the computer.

"Why not, pon? It's beautiful!!" Ponta exclaimed with a grin, admiring the sun setting and the lights turning on in Heartland, how they seemed to sparkle and glow.

"Sure, pon! Whatcha working on?" He bounded over to the computer to see what Mokuba had on there.

“Well I got to do my work.” Mokuba smiled. ‘I’m usually too distracted by my work, you know,” He opened his computer and opened up a spreadsheet. “This is my planning sheet. The purpose of the VP to determine the strategic direction of the company plan through overseeing operations. I’m supposed to develop new functioning roles based on the stocks here.”

"Ah...I guess that makes sense, pon." Ponta said. He looked over the sheets in curiosity, frowning.

"...wow...I don't understand any of this stuff, pon! You're amazing Mokuba! This looks hard but you do it all the time like it's nothing!" He said with a grin.

“Oh, it’s not nothing. It’s a lot of hard work. I have to do my best. I’m just lucky I don’t get homework from the school. However, it does take many hours.”

Ponta's eyes widened. "Wow, no homework? They let you do that cause of your job, pon? Maybe I should get a job then!" He mused. "Do you have to do this every day, pon?"

“I don’t know, Ponta,” He gestured to the screen. “Would you want to do this every day?” He asked him, ruffling his friend’s hair.

“Yeah. It’s a lot to do… Sometimes I have to stay up late to finish it"

"It's a ticket outta homework though!" Ponta laughed, letting Mokuba ruffle his hair with a grin. He blinked.

"Oh wow...that does sound like a lot of work....are you gonna have to do that tonight, pon? Can I help so you don't have to work as hard?"

“Think about it like harder homework though,” Mokuba pointed out. “It’s a lot of math.”

“Hm… I don’t think so… Sorry, Ponta. I’m just used to this. I’ll be fine though."

Ponta pouted.

"Boo...I don't want harder homework..." He said. He frowned.

"But you need rest, don't you, pon? Homework doesn't usually take all night for me, but yours does! That's no fair..." He said.

Mokuba laughed. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. I can manage it, I’m a Kaiba after all,” he waved off, smiling.

Ponta blinked, not quite sure why Kaibas were so special, but he could understand the family feeling.

"Yeah! You've got your brother to help you too!" He said happily.

Mokuba chuckled. “Yeah… I do. So don’t worry, Ponta, I’m alright.”

"Okay, pon! Can I still stay and keep you company? That way, you won't be lonely when you work!" He asked with a grin.

“Huh?” Mokuba raised an eyebrow, a little surprised at Ponta’s generosity. “That’s okay… I mean if you want to sure… but I’m probably not gonna talk… You know?"

Ponta smiled.

"That's okay. I'll just keep you company...I'm used to that." Ponta said, recalling Haruto being too weak to talk to him or too tired to play and Ponta simply kept him company at those times. He could do the same for Mokuba.

"Just lemme know if you need something, pon. I can help if you need it!"

“Huh? Well… If you’re okay with that, sure. You can do your homework while I do this and we’ll stop for dinner. You call home and tell them you’re probably gonna be late back."

Ponta nodded.

"Okay, pon! I'll call them now!" He said, grabbing the phone and dialling the home phone

Mokuba nodded and got to work. Meanwhile, at home, Kotori was cooking dinner when she heard the chime of their phone. Making sure Masumi was settled, she hobbled over to get it. “Hi Ponta,” Kotori chirped, picking up. In the background, Masumi bubbled, drinking her bottle. “What’s happening?”

"I'm with Mokuba at work, pon! We're staying here late, so I won't be back til later!" Ponta sais with a grin.

“At work? What do you mean, Ponta?” Kotori asked. “Are you at KaibaCorp? What are you doing?” The woman asked.

Ponta nodded.

"Yeah! I'm at KaibaCorp!" Ponta said happily.

"Ah, I'm just hanging out with Mokuba...he has work to do, so I'm gonna do my homework, pon."

“Oh, okay. That’s nice of you,” Kotori said. “Call me if you need someone to pick you up, okay?"

"Okay, pon! I'll let you know!" Ponta said with a grin, before hanging up. He smiled at Mokuba.

"I can stay, pon!" He told him.

Kotori smiled and shook her head. She went to go back to Masumi, wondering if she should talk to Alit and Gilag about Ponta’s new best friend.

“Oh, that’s great.” Mokuba smiled. “You can bring the chair over so you can sit next to me. If you have any problems with your homework, I can help."

"Okay!" Ponta grinned, grabbing a chair and heading over to Mokuba's desk and playfully butting against him.

"If you have problems, I can help too, pon!" He said happily.

“Awesome!” The boy chirped as he bumped Ponta back. He chuckled, admiring how Ponta was so enthusiastic. “Let’s get to work, alright?”

"Of course! We gotta work hard, pon!" Ponta said with a chuckle and a grin.

-x-

The Heartland Police Station had been very busy these past few days, working on the drug cases. They hadn't been able to find Dennis, despite Sora's tip offs, but the drug team had managed to find tons of drugs in the warehouses. This included Devil's Breath, thankfully...it was currently being processed carefully by the station. Ukyou and his team had been working tirelessly all week, and he felt like they were finally getting to the end of this busy cycle.

"...Ugh, I don't ever wanna fill out another drug form in my life..." Anna groaned. She desperately wanted a break, as did everyone else.

"Me neither! Don't we have something else we can do?" Gauche exclaimed. Ukyou sighed. He had a meeting later...but there was still something else he figured they could do.

"...A break is warranted, I reckon. I heard from Chris that Kaito is finally conscious in hospital...we still need to talk to him to get his side of the story." Ukyou said.

Droite rubbed her temples. Even though she did’t want to complain but she had to agree with her coworkers. There was just so much to process and write, even with the drug team working with them. Droite just pulled up another stack of printed papers to deliver to Barrett and sighed.

“… It wouldn’t be too bad. Visiting Kaito sounds like a good idea. I didn’t know he was up.”

“Yeah…” Anna smirked. “Good thing Ukyou is so close to Professor Arclight, don’t you think?” she teased.

Ukyou rolled his eyes a little at Anna's teasing.

"Let's get this last bit of paperwork done, then we'll go see how Kaito is doing and take a statement from him about what happened. Maybe he knows more about this drug dealer." Ukyou said. Gauche grinned.

"You got it! Let's go see Kaito!"

“Alright. I’ll let the reception know we’re heading off on break,” Droite said, standing up and stretching. “I’ll alert the hospital.”

“Thanks Droite!” Anna smiled. The next few minutes was solely dedicated to work, but before long the group was walking out of the station, smiles placed on each of them.

“So is Kaito at Card Heart?” Anna asked as they walked out.

Ukyou nodded, getting up and packing his things.

"He is. He's in ICU, but we'll be allowed in because we can say we're in on official business. Chris says he's going to recover eventually...but we'll see for ourselves how he's doing." Ukyou said.

“Right…” Droite grimaced, remembering how Kaito looked. They got into the same car and headed off, Gauche in the driver’s seat. Droite crossed her arms, trying to think.

“Hopefully he’ll be awake when we get there… man… the things I wanna say to him…” Anna muttered.

Ukyou sighed, getting into the car along with the others.

"I know...I'm stunned he still puts himself through these risks. Hes retired..." Ukyou mused.

"I hope he's doing okay."

“He’s been retired for like… what? It’s got to be at least three or four years? Five? Fuck… it’s been a while,” Anna muttered.

“I’m not sure. He’s always up and trying to help, so I can’t actually remember when he was officially off the force. It’s got to be a while,” Droite admitted.

"It has! He's gotta be resting now...spend time with friends or something. Doesn't he have buddies like Chris or his brothers to keep him company?" Gauche said. Ukyou sighed.

"Chris is busy with work...and Kaito does not see his brothers often. They are also busy...Thomas is out of town with a photoshoot, and Dr. Miheal Arclight has his patients."

“So Kaito is probably alone with that enabling robot of his. Fantastic,” Anna muttered under her breath. “Incredible.”

“Maybe our visit should also be an intervention. We should go easy on him, but gently talk him out of… well… what he’s doing,” Droite said.

"...Well, now he will not even have Orbital 7...the robot's remains were found at the scene." Ukyou mused sadly. He did like Orbital, who seemed like a person more than a robot often.

"Yes, he will need a talking to...someone needs to convince him to settle down." Ukyou agreed. Gauche nodded.

"Oh we'll talk to him alright! We'll set him straight!" Gauche promised.

“Yeah… for a primitive personality core, he was pretty amazing. It’s hard to believe he isn’t technically an AI but just a program with lots of compact program routes,” Anna said.

“Hey… Gauche. Gentle, remember.” Droite frowned. She waited until they were pulling up in the car lot. Droite stepped out, stretching a bit. “Let’s go.”

Ukyou nodded.

"Kaito built him from scratch. He'll be sad to hear it's broken...." he mused.

"Yeah yeah I know. We'll be gentle." Gauche promised, getting out when they parked along with the rest.

Droite looked at Gauche, a little disbelief in her face, but in the end she just walked away, heading for the hospital. The police team walked into the hospital, startling the receptionist at the table when they saw four officers in uniform.

“How can I help?”

“We’re here to see Tenjo Kaito,” Anna said. “Can you tell us where he is? He should be in the ICU unit. We have some questions for him.”

“I see… I’ll have one of the nurses escort you officers. Please wait.”

“Thank you.”

Ukyou and his team followed the nurses through the hospital.

"Isn't Sakaki Yuuya in this hospital too?" Gauche noted. Ukyou nodded.

"He is. Chris is looking after him a little too...he's out of surgery and recovering physically, but they haven't made much progress on his medication yet. It's still early though, so things should get better." Ukyou said. The nurse eventually stopped outside Kaito's room and opened it for them. Ukyou and team filed in slowly, gazing at the figure on the bed.

"...Kaito?" Ukyou asked softly, alerting the other to their presence.

Kaito looked incredibly worse for wear. Even cleaned and patched up, he looked like a mess. He was thin and pale, with a number of bandages covering his limbs, most notably casts on both of his legs. His nose was still recovering from being bashed several times and even though he was wearing a hospital gown, bandages had been placed over his chest. Kaito had never been a huge man, and he seemed even smaller now. He was blindly staring into space, though he perked his head up when he heard footsteps.

“… Ukyou… Hey…” he muttered.

The team were all horrified by the state of the man. He looked so tiny in bed, and covered in bandages...Gauche and Anna were momentarily stunned to silence. Ukyou was the first to recover, having been told by Chris about Kaito's general state.

"...Kaito, the whole team is here. Droite, Anna and Gauche and I came to visit." Ukyou said gently, approaching the bed.

"How are you feeling?"

Droite covered her mouth, hiding her shock, knowing that Kaito wouldn’t be able to see her moment of weakness. Even though Kaito’s health had rapidly deteriorated over the last few years, he had looked a lot better after his cancer treatment. Seeing him hooked up to all of the IVs like this was horrifying.

“Did you now? I’m surprised you all managed to get in here, even if you are police,” Kaito muttered. “Honestly, I’m a lot better. It doesn’t hurt. Doctors did a good job."

"We managed to pass it off as a break." Ukyou said gently, managing a small smile. It faded when Kaito said it didn't hurt...that was obviously a lie.

"...Kaito...are you really okay, cause you don't look okay?" It was Gauche who asked, because he was incredulous.

“I’m fine.” Kaito frowned. “I’ll be back up in a few days.”

“Kaito, you really shouldn’t. Please take time to rest,” Droite muttered.

Anna frowned.

"You shouldn't be getting back up in a month, nevermind a few days! When you do get out of here, you gotta rest, Kaito!" Anna exclaimed. Ukyou sighed.

"Yes, Kaito...you need to rest. We also came to talk to you about what happened in the candy store. Why did you even put yourself in that situtation? It was dangerous...and you did it completely alone. You could have died."

Kaito grimaced, having been prepared to be interrogated like this but not from all his friends at once. He waved his hand dismissively as best as he could. “I know… I’ll rest.”

“Rest as in ‘actually rest’!” Gauche yelled. “Don’t take us so lightly.

“Calm down. Do you want us kicked out?” Droite hissed.

Kaito shrugged. “… I was just supposed to collect information. I wasn’t trying to bust him or anything… It just… escalated."

"Collect information? For us? Kaito, if that was the case, you should have told us about Sora's candy shop before going in yourself. You should have shared that information and let us help along the way...you're not a cop anymore." Ukyou said.

“What you’re doing is vigilante work, Kaito. That’s illegal,” Droite frowned. They weren’t going to arrest Kaito, but the point still stood.

Kaito looked away from them, not sure what else to say anyway. “I didn’t have anything besides what I learned from Yubel…”

"What did you learn from the bartender then?" Ukyou asked, wondering why Kaito was so interested in this case anyway. Gauche and Anna were frowning, but holding their tongues because of the lingering threat of being kicked out.

Kaito sighed. “Nothing… Dennis distributed through Shiunin… that’s all I got. So I went to check him out.”

Gauche frowned.

"Why didn't you tell us?! We could've gone in and caught him without you! You would've been uninjured!" Gauche exclaimed.

“You were all busy with the drug bust,’ Kaito scowled. “Like hell would you have done anything. I didn’t know Macfield was even there. I just knew Shiunin knew where he was so I wanted to follow that lead.”

"But the drug bust was related to MacField and Shuinin! When we got Shuinin, we got the locations on the drug warehouses and got lots of MacField's supply! We could've got that without you getting hurt." Anna exclaimed.

“And processing all of the people from Yuuto’s hideout. There were a lot of things that you all were busy with,” Kaito muttered. Droite frowned, trying to scrutinise Kaito like how she would a criminal. Why would Kaito do such a foolhardy action? Why Dennis? What was his motive?

Did it even involve Dennis?

“… Are you scared of Devil’s Breath, Kaito? Is that why you did it? Or was it because of your own pride?” Droite asked quietly, staring at the blonde.

Kaito said nothing.

Ukyou frowned. He, like Droite, felt like they were missing something. There was a piece of the puzzle missing...why would Kaito go after Dennis on his own? And if he wasn't sure Dennis was there, then why would he go after him?

But the mention of Yuuto did remind Ukyou of something...Yuuto had given up ratherly quickly in revealing the location...

"...So, you know about Yuuto, huh? He's the one who told us where to find you...and he did it rather quickly after a visit from a hacker." Ukyou noted.

"...Why is a hacker so interested in you, Kaito? And why would the Dark Duelist be concerned about you?"

Kaito internally cursed. Shit. He let that slip. These drugs were really getting into his head. How could he let such a careless detail slip like that? The man paused, wondering what he could say.

“… I don’t know why a hacker would be interested in me…” It had to be Astral that visited then. Astral… damn it he wasn’t supposed to be involved. Kaito hadn’t heard from him in days now. This was news to him. “… I know Yuuto though. He’s an old friend of mine.” He had to lie. No way would the cops believe anything else. “We used to be close. I thought he was just a landowner though. I guess he felt like he owed me… that’s all."

Ukyou frowned, along with Droite. Both of them remembered one particular hacker that had connections to both Yuuto and to Kaito...

"An old friend?" Now that sounded a little odd. Kaito and Yuuto both seemed the loner type. But, there was an easy way out of this...get the stories from both of them independently to test if it was the same.

"Where did you meet? How did you know him then? You must truly have been close if he was willing to share where you were and risk himself and his brother..."

Kaito was thinking along the same lines too. He needed somehow to get that information to Yuuto, in order to save both their skins and Astral’s. Yuuto didn’t need a longer prison sentence, and Kaito didn’t need one in the first place. The man shrugged. “I helped him with Yuuya when we were younger,” Kaito figured to take the role of Shun now, since he knew a little about him and Yuuto would realise if he dropped a hint. Shun had no records in Yuuto’s life whatsoever, despite being a mysterious boyfriend. It wasn’t perfect but it was all he could come up with on such short notice. “I helped him move out of his childhood home with Yuuya and I helped with alternatives to Yuuya’s cure back in the early day. I stopped when I heard he found an alternative cure, but I didn’t know they were illegal drugs.”

"Ah, so you know Yuuya as well, and his illness..." Ukyou said, wondering why Kaito hadn't said anything earlier, when Yuuto and Yuuya were first brought in. He had clearly known about it...

"Hmm...so how long has it been then, since you've had contact with him?"

“It’s been a few years… I haven’t kept up with people since leaving the police force,” Kaito said. Droite couldn’t find fault in that. It was no secret that Kaito was depressed and tended to shut himself away.

Ukyou sighed and nodded.

"...Well...I have another question for you. You said you knew Yuuto, but what about Yuuya? Were you close to him as well?" Ukyou asked. He had heard from Chris that Yuuya did better in hospital with familiar faces around...maybe it could be arranged that Kaito and Yuuya could meet up if it was restful for both of them?

“I helped him out, but he probably wouldn’t recognise me. Yuuya was mostly in his coma for the time I knew him. He may not recognise my face.” Kaito admitted, knowing he could play off that based on what Astral told him about the Sakaki brothers.

Ukyou nodded. That did fit very well with the story Yuuto had told them as well.

"Alright...well, the reason I asked was because Yuuya is also here. He's trying to get treatment for his condition. Familiar faces make him more comfortable here...if you wanted to see him, maybe it would make you less lonely too." Ukyou said.

“Yuuya is here…” Kaito paused. Maybe he could get a nurse to deliver a message to Yuuya and somehow get that to Yuuya. It was a long shot, especially if Yuuya was as bad as Yuuto said, but it was worth a shot if he didn’t see Astral.

“Maybe… If we get the chance, I wouldn’t mind that.”

Ukyou nodded.

"Sure...as long as you rest. You both need rest...Yuuya is also recovering from surgery, like you are." Ukyou said.

Kaito sighed. “… I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused all of you. That… wasn’t my intention."

Gauche frowned.

"You should be! We were worried sick about you! They sent us a tape of you all beat up!" Gauche exclaimed.

Kaito bit his swollen, stitched lip and curled his fist as best as he could. He didn’t have anything else to say to his former coworkers. He had made a stupid, stupid mistake and it was going to cost him…

Droite sighed.

"Gauche, calm down...we're all upset, but yelling at him isn't going to help now. We'll get kicked out." Droite said. Ukyou nodded.

"Droite is right..." He said, looking at his watch. He realized he had a meeting to attend in about half an hour...shit.

"Unfortunately, we need to get back to the station. We'll come visit Kaito again soon."

“Right… we can’t be late,” Droite sighed. “Take care, Kaito. We’ll talk again.”

“Right… Take care then,” Kaito mumbled, still not meeting any of their gazes.

The team headed out, going back to the station.

"I can't believe him...I'm glad he's doing better, but he's so damn stubborn!" Anna exclaimed. Gauche nodded.

"It's like he needs a babysitter too! If we leave him alone, he gets into trouble!"

“That’s not an entirely inaccurate statement,” Droite frowned. “… I’m worried what kind of things Kaito’s gotten involved in though while he’s been off the force.“

Ukyou sighed.

"Indeed...we need to talk to Yuuto about this a little. I'm concerned about the fact that Kaito knew him...I get the feeling we're missing something." Ukyou said.

“Yeah… I don’t think Kaito has done anything bad though. After all, he’s got such a strong sense of justice. We may be missing something, but he’s a good man and has always done what’s right.” Gauche piped up. “I trust him, but he’s an idiot!”

"He may not have done anything bad...but I am concerned, is all." Ukyou said. He got into the car with the others.

"For now though, we'll get some rest. It's been busy at the station for awhile now."

“Yeah… We’ll rest and then finish off everything,” Anna said. “You have a board meeting, don’t you two?”

“Unfortunately,” Droite muttered. “Honestly it’s long overdue but still"

"Yea...I hope it won't last too long." Ukyou mused. He was not looking forward to this...he could only hope that he was not going to get fired from it.

“You’ll be fine,” Anna smiled as they pulled into the police station. “Just keep your heads up and they’ll see there’s nothing to worry ‘bout.”

“I hope so,” Droite said.

Ukyou nodded and gave a small smile to Anna.

"Im sure it will be fine. Everything will work out." He said softly, even though he wasn't sure if he believed it. They pulled into the police station and Ukyou got out of the car.

"Let's go in right away Droite...no sense in keeping them waiting anymore."

Droite nodded and straightened her uniform. With that, she took a deep breath and opened the door for the two of them, leading them into a room where five people were sitting behind a long table, talking amongst themselves until they saw the two.

“Dolowa and Ukyou… Please… take a seat.”

Ukyou nodded, sitting down. The board was composed of several older officers of high ranking.

"Superintendent Ukyou, we've been quite disappointed in your performance as of late. We've lost over half the active police officers due to the failed drug bust, Sergey Volkov escaped to kill another innocent and good man under your watch, and we've still not been able to catch that drug dealer." The board member said. Ukyou hung his head down a little. It was true. He was responsible.

“In fact, half the reason why we haven’t let you go is because we’re severely lacking in officers,” Ouch, straight to the point, huh? Droite grimaced as she heard it herself.

“… It should be noted that your team of four seems to do more than half of the station’s work combined, which is rather impressive, but it does not make up for you failures. Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

Ukyou listened without comment at first. They were right...all of them were right.

"...I believe it should be noted that the squad continues to make excellent progress...Sergey is no longer a concern, we found dozens of escaped fugitives and the person responsible for taking them out of prison, and we've arrested a known associate of MacField's. We are making progress together as a team...and I worry that disrupting that structure might affect the way it functions." Ukyou said.

"We don't plan to break up the team, Superintendent. As we mentioned, we are short staffed. You won't be dismissed completely...but your responsibilities as a Superintendent will be given to someone else. Officer Dolowa, you have always been a natural leader with your team and unofficially second in command to Ukyou. We'd like you to assume the role."

“Well Officer Dolowa? We have no doubt you’d be capable for the job.” Droite frowned. While she wasn’t surprised, it was still a huge shock knowing that they wanted her to take up the leadership position. It would be incredibly beneficial for her status and her income if she took the job, at very least. It seemed like a no-brainer.

“Thank you board, for considering me for this promotion. It’s very gracious of you,” Droite started carefully. “However, it’s that same grace in which I would politely ask if I could decline this offer, and instead appeal to you to keep the position with Ukyou,” she said, looking at her friend.

Ukyou also expected this, and was honestly a little glad it was Droite who was going to get it. This way, the team would stay together. But he was also very surprised when she turned it down, glancing at her in surprise.

"...Well, this is unexpected, Officer Dolowa. Might we know your reasoning?"

Droite nodded to Ukyou and turned back to the board. “Because Officer Ukyou keeps our team together, and while we have suffered immense losses, we have the highest success rates and cut crime almost by 30% within the last five years alone. While I am a good worker, that’s all I am, a good worker. Much like Tenjo Kaito before me, I believe I will do a good job but nothing to Ukyou’s level. Ukyou Kitano is a natural born leader, who knows how to deal with situations and a wide array of people, knowing how to optimise strengths. Even if it’s among my friends, I do not think I’ll be able to manage the job as well as Ukyou.”

Ukyou listened to Droite's speech in astonishment, feeling humbled that she was standing up for him this way. He smiled a little as he watched her.

"Hmm...it is true that your team works extremely well together...that's why we thought simply changing the leader wouldn't hurt the dynamic too much." one board member said.

"But if you feel that strongly about it, very well, Officer Dolowa. You may keep your position and Superintendent Ukyou may keep his, for now. We expect to see these results continue." The head member of the board said. Ukyou nodded.

"Yes sir. Thank you sir."

“It would, unfortunately,” Because Droite mostly scared her friends into line, unlike Ukyou who made people want to do it. The older man was as much a teacher and an inspiration as a boss. Droite smiled as she heard the result she wanted and she bowed politely, glad she was able to convince them without too much trouble. “We’ll continue to deliver results. Thank you." “Be warned, there still will be consequences for your actions that we’ve yet to decide. Please do not make us go back on our decision, you two."

Ukyou bowed as well.

"We understand. We will not let you down." He promised, really hoping he could follow through on that promise.

"Very well. You are dismissed. We expect regular reports as usual on your progress." Ukyou nodded and headed out of the room with Droite. Once they were alone, he smiled at her.

"...Thank you, Droite. You didn't have to do that...I think you would have made a fine Superintendent. They were right to pick you."

Droite nodded and she headed out of the room. She closed the door behind them so the board could further discuss and she smiled.

“I absolutely did have to do that. Can you imagine me in charge? I don’t think it could have worked out. Like I said, I’m a good worker. I’m not a leader,” she said. “Besides, it means I can leave getting Gauche and Anna under control to you,” she teased.

Ukyou listened and smiled.

"You'd be a good leader for them, Droite, whether you think so or not." Ukyou said. He chuckled.

"Yes, I suppose that can be tricky..." he mused before he sighed.

"...They've probably gone home to rest by now. You should too. I'll see you tomorrow."

“It’s been a long and stressful day, neh?” Droite nodded. She remembered the other two had papers to sort out but Ukyou was right, they probably had gone back by now. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ukyou. Enjoy your evening.” Droite stretched out, wondering if Mai was free. With that, she headed for her car, sending Mai a text to ask where she was.

Mai responded immediately, saying she was at home and craving company if Droite wanted to come by.

Droite smirked as she saw the text. She quickly sent another back and sat in her car, waiting for a reply.

‘Let me check on Fuuya and then I’ll swing by. Or should I stop home and get changed first?’

'Whatever you want, honey. If you're too tired to change that's okay by me!' Mai replied, knowing Droite has been busy lately.

‘Do you want to see me filthy?’ Droite rolled her eyes. She clicked sent and then froze, only just realising what she sent to Mai and the unfortunate implications of it. ‘iGNoRE THAT'

Mai's eyes widened as she read the text, chuckling a little at how uncharacteristic of Droite such flirty advances were. She was sure that what Droite meant wasn't the undertones, but Mai couldn't resist teasing.

'I'd love it darling~' she teased.

‘Shut up. You know what I meant,’ Droite texted, a furious blush on her face. ‘There goes me wanting to shower and dress up nice. I’m gonna come over now and see how you like it >( .’

Mai laughed, picturing the blush she was sure Droite was wearing.

'Awww I love it when you dress up...' She replied, but she smiled.

'But I love you more, so come over whenever you're ready'

‘Be there soon’ Droite rolled her eyes as she sent the message and then put her phone to speaker. She started her car up and drove off, hoping Fuuya would pick up.

Fuuya was at home alone as usual, eating alone in expectation of Droite not being home in time. He jumped up when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

“Hey Fuuya, it’s me. Looks like I won’t be coming back tonight.” The woman said. “Will you be alright?"

Fuuya smiled.

"Oh okay! I'll be totally fine! Are you working late?"

“No, I’m seeing Mai. I haven’t seen her in a while so I wanted to talk to her… that and I also have some case questions for her,” Droite said, thinking about Mutou. “Do you need me to pick up anything for when I come home?"

"Ah alright! Sounds good to me!" Fuuya said, glad that Droite was finally taking some time off.

"No, not that I can think of. I'll be okay! Have a good night!"

“You too.” Droite hung up and smiled, thinking of Mai. She really did miss the older woman and she wanted to see her. It took some driving, but soon she was walking up the stairs to Mai’s apartment. Even though she was tired and messy, she straightened herself out before she knocked.

Mai was waiting inside eagerly to see Droite, leaping up to her feet the second she heard the knocks. She dashed to the door and threw it open.

"Hey honey!" She said, giving her a hug, not caring how dirty she was.

"Come in, come in!"

Droite jumped as the older woman enveloped her in a hug, but she hugged Mai back, her face a little pink. “Geeze, Mai… I know it’s been a while… but still… It hasn’t been that long,” the woman said, even though she felt the same way.

"It felt like too long to me." Mai said, kissing Droite's cheek before showing her inside.

"You look tired, sweetie. Did you wanna come lie in bed with me and relax? I can get you a nice warm drink if you want too?"

“In bed? Aren’t you forward?” she asked, blushing but trying to stay calm.

Droite let her lead her in and she gave a small laugh. “Actually… I don’t mean to intrude, but I was wondering if we could get dinner if you haven’t eaten. I haven’t eaten all day,” Droite said, scratching the back of her head sheepishly. “Frozen food is good too. I don’t mind.”

Mai chuckled.

"Well I gotta take advantage of this opportunity to be with you while I have you, don't I?" Mai teased, adoring Droite's blush.

"Oh of course! Anything you want, hon. I have some leftovers you can have!" She said, showing her into the kitchen and seating Droite down.

"Now, you sit down and rest and I'll dote on you for a bit. Did you want some tea? Coffee? Water?"

“I… I can be over more after work… if you asked nicely…” Droite muttered under her breath. She followed Mai into the kitchen and sat down, smiling at her.

“Are you my girlfriend or my mother?” Droite said, though she actually couldn’t remember the last time she had been doted upon like this. “… Tea would be nice. Green tea if you have it."

Mai grinned.

"Im your loving girlfriend!" Mai said happily.

"Sure I've got green tea." She put the kettle on and let the water boil.

"So, what's new with you and the police squad?"

Droite smiled and took her jacket off. She put it in her lap and rubbed her temples, giving a long and heavy sigh. “Ugh… What’s new? Where do I even start? It’s been full on…” Droite sighed. “Well… Today I actually had a meeting with the board regarding the superintendent position. They actually wanted me to take Ukyou’s place as the superintendent of the station and leader of my squad. Honestly..."

Mai listened and her eyes widened.

"Oh my gosh! They offered you the Superintendent position!" Mai exclaimed.

"Did you accept it?"

“No,” she said immediately, looking up at the blonde. “No way. I couldn’t accept it. I like my work, but I’m not going to go mad by taking all that responsibility at work. Besides, I’m not really suited for that sort of thing."

Mai hummed and smiled.

"I suppose that's true that it would be a lot of work. If you took it, you'd see even less of me!" Mai said.

"Though I disagree with you, hon. You're a good leader and you're really smart. You'd be great at that job!"

“I’m not a good leader. I work better independently. Not alone, but I don’t really lead a team. At most I delegate tasks, like a secretary, or a manager,” A manager was a pretty apt description of herself, actually. “Do you even think Gauche and Anna would listen to me if I asked them to do things? You worked with them. They’re hard to wrestle in line."

"They listen to you a lot! They respect you and acknowledge you. They also like you as a person...of course they'd listen to you. I saw them doing that while I was with the force." Mai argued with a smile.

“Yeah but I really have to whip them into shape. It’s easier when Ukyu does it,” Droite shrugged. “I just don’t like leading, I suppose."

Mai smiled.

"Well it's your decision. As long as you're happy with it, that's all that matters." Mai said, kissing Droite's cheek again before going to grab the tea to pour it and let it steep.

"So any other interesting cases you been working on? Anything from our old friend Mutou?" Mai mused, putting the cup in front of Droite and sitting next to her.

Droite rubbed her cheek, her face pink again. She let the tea stew for a while and she frowned, hearing Mai bring the man up.

“… He’s… Not doing well. Have you heard about what happened to Kawahara Raphael?"

Mai frowned when Droite did, sensing the bad news.

"I did hear it briefly...it's unfortunate that he died. He was such a nice person..." Mai sighed.

"If they're not doing well, I should go see them. Poor Yuugi must be devastated...and I imagine even Yami would be down. He seemed to like Raphael too." Mai mused.

“Yeah… you should. I think both of them would like to see a friendly face. I know Raphael is their only visitor, so they won’t have contact outside anymore. I’ll give you the office number for Doctor Arclight so he’ll come and approve you to visit."

Mai smiled.

"Of course. Thanks, hon. I'll maybe go see them tomorrow, if they'll let me. I just finished my latest case and will probably have some time before the next one." She said.

"I miss Mutou...hes tons of fun to play games with. I should bring cards when I visit. That'll cheer them up."

“I don’t know if they’ll let you play cards, but we’ll see,” Droite said, though she was relieved the woman was going to do that. “I haven’t had time to look at Mutou. We’ve been focusing on processing all the people we arrested on a drug bust and finding Dennis Macfield. Heard of him?"

"Im gonna try anyway." Mai said. She nodded.

"Oh yes, I've heard of him. We almost had him at that warehouse, if not for Yami. Have any of the people you arrested told you anything? Didn't you also get the guy who did prison breaks?"

“Yeah… That’s right…” She remembered. “We’ve got some info… not a lot… but we’re working through what we’ve learned. Kaito Tenjo is in hospital because he went after Macfield, so we managed to catch one of his associates.”

“The Dark Duelist, is how he goes by… We’ve got him. It’s also a slow process…”

"Oh no...that's unfortunate that Kaito was caught and injured in the process, but it's good that you got the associate. Is Kaito doing okay?" Mai asked.

"Oh! The Dark Duelist...gosh that's a good name, but I've heard another he goes by: the Phantom Knight. I was hanging out in an Underground bar with Serena the other day and I heard people talking about him being a mercenary turned prison breaker...they say he moved so quick no one knew what hit them until they died." Mai said with a smirk.

"That must not be true though, if you guys caught him so easily." She shrugged.

“He’s alright…” The woman gave a small smile. “He’s probably going to be taken out of ICU soon. He’ll live, thankfully.”

Droite’s eyes widened. She sat up and stared at Mai. “That’s right! When we went to Serena… The Dark Duelist and the Phantom Knight were the same person. Yuuto is also an ex-mercenary.”

"Im glad he's doing okay..." Mai said. She smiled.

"So we got the right person...Yuuto huh? That's not nearly that threatening." She mused.

“His name is Sakaki Yuuto… He’s been quite useful for information. He helped us save Kaito,” Droite said.

Mai blinked in surprise.

"Did He now? So he knows something about Kaito? And Dennis?"

“Yeah… Kaito had been kidnapped by Dennis, and Yuuto told us where we could find him. We didn’t catch Dennis, but we got an accomplice… all thanks to Yuuto,” the woman muttered.

Mai smiled.

"So hes turning into a lovely accomplice for you guys too then! That's great!" She said happily.

“Once he shares everything else he has, I suppose. It’s been hard fishing info out of him.” Droite sighed and rubbed her temples. “… heh.It seems all I do these days is talk about work.

Mai nodded sympathetically.

"Youre working hard hon. I'm sure you'll get it out of him soon...hes already shared a lot. Won't be hard to get him to share more hopefully." Mai wrapped an arm around Droite comfortingly.

"Well now we got something other than work to do, right? So tomorrow you'll have non-work things to share." She winked.

Droite rolled her eyes but instead of pushing Mai away, she leaned her head against Mai’s shoulder and she smiled. “You’re so dirty, you old woman."

Mai pouted.

"Youre no fun...im not that much older than you." She whined, snuggling up with Droite, glad the woman didn't push her away.

Droite smiled. “I’m more fun when I’m not on an empty stomach. Don’t be silly,” she rolled her eyes, kissing her girlfriend on the forehead.

Mai smiled.

"I can fix that!" She said, grabbing her leftovers that she'd heated up and sliding them over to Droite. She took a fork and stabbed a piece of chicken, holding it up to Droite.

"Say 'ah'." She said with a smile.

Droite looked at Mai, raising an eyebrow. “Really? We’re doing this, Mai? Isn’t this the thing stupid teenagers do?” She asked, looking up at the woman.

"Oh come on, it's cute isn't it?" Mai mused with a smile, edging the fork closer.

Droite blushed. “You…” She looked aside shyly before she opened her mouth. “Just do it already..."

Mai grinned.

"That's the spirit!" She said, happily easing the fork into Droite's mouth carefully to let her get the food off of it.

"There you go..." She said, finding her girlfriend's blush absolutely adorable. She kissed her red cheek with a grin before loading the fork with another bite.

"Do you like it?"

Droite chewed on the meat for a moment. She was more embarrassed above anything, and she didn’t meet Mai’s eyes until she swallowed. “Not bad, for leftovers."

Mai smiled.

"I'm glad you like it! I worked hard cooking it after all." Mai said, offering another forkful. She smiled.

“You’re not going to do this the whole meal, are you?” The woman asked. However, she opened her mouth again, letting Mai baby her.

"Maybe? Depends on whether you'll let me." She mused with a smile, giving Droite another forkful.

Droite ate the fork but she then made an attempt to take the fork off Mai. “That’s way too embarrassing… What do I have to do to make you stop?"

Mai chuckled, pulling the fork away before Droite could get it.

"Kiss me?" She asked with a smile.

The woman sighed as she couldn’t snatch the fork away, but she was pleased to hear what Mai wanted. She giggled lightly and leaned up. “And here I thought you would ask for something worse,” Droite mused, leaning up to kiss her.

Mai smiled.

"That can come later, sweetie." She cooed, meeting Droite's lips halfway happily. She had been craving kisses from Droite for awhile now, and she finally got one now that the woman was off work.

Droite gave a small smile and kissed her back, this time being a little more passionate. Even if she did say she didn’t like it, she really did love being with Mai. She kissed Mai, letting her take the more dominant side as she enjoyed her lips.

Mai kissed Droite gently, but equally passionately. She was happy to be with her girlfriend at last, holding Droite closer as the woman let her take control.

“Mmm...honey, I've been wanting to do that for so long...” She cooed softly when she finally had to pull away to breathe. She smiled at Droite.

“… We really haven’t kissed in a while… have we?” She asked, nuzzling against her with her cheeks affectionly.

"No, we haven't..." Mai said, nuzzling Droite back and kissing her cheek gently with a smile.

"We need to do this more often...I can come to you, if you're too busy to come to me..." She offered.

“Mmm… That would be nice…” Droite smiled and kissed her up on the lips again. “I should make it up to you, though…"

Mai smiled.

"I will look forward to that..." She said, kissing Droite back and holding her close. She was so happy to have the woman she loved back with her...she didn't want to let her go.

Droite was half-ready to do things with Mai that night, but then figured that Mai deserved something a little sexier for their first time. The woman let Mai hug her and she began to feed herself, now without any objection.

Mai simply held her girlfriend, sensing that she was too tired to do much more tonight. She didn't blame Droite for wanting to be romantic...she wanted the same. She wanted their first time together to be special. So, she held Droite and let her finish her meal, before helping her pack it up and leading her to the bedroom.

"You can borrow some pyjamas, if you want." She offered, holding out a spare purple nightgown of hers for Droite with a smile.

Droite smiled as she looked at the nightgown. She expected something skimpy, but all the same she blushed when she saw it. “It’s cute… Let me shower and we can go sleep..."

Mai nodded.

"Sure. There's a spare towel in the cabinet in the bathroom. Help yourself to it." She said with a smile, before going to her closet to get ready for bed herself.

It didn’t take Droite too long to shower. After a little while, the woman stepped out, wearing the nightgown and drying her short hair. She smiled at Mai before she sat on the bed, smiling at her girlfriend. “I should have a day off after all this craziness is over. We should do something like this again sometime.“

Mai was already tucked into bed when Droite emerged from the shower at last. She smiled up at her girlfriend as she sat next to her. “You do deserve one, hon. Just let me know when you take it...we'll plan something wonderful to celebrate it.” Mai said, taking Droite's hand and kissing it gently.

“Now, come to bed...you've got a busy day tomorrow I'm sure.” She said, pulling the covers back to invite Droite into her cocoon of blankets.

Droite blushed as Mai kissed her hand and looked away. She switched the bedside lamp off and cuddled close to Mai, feeling her heart hammer wildly in her chest as they drew close. Shyly, she brought her arms close and around Mai.

“I do… Thanks Mai… Goodnight…”

Mai cuddled Droite close to her, relishing her warmth and proximity. She smiled and closed her eyes.

"No problem sweetie. Good night." She replied, falling asleep fairly quickly.

The night passed fairly uneventfully and before either them knew, it was morning. Droite was first to wake up, and she groaned as she pulled herself awake.

“Morning…” Mai moaned in response and Droite laughed. She kissed Mai’s cheek and crept out of bed, getting dressed. Unfortunately, Mai didn’t want to wake up, so Droite had to leave before the other woman got up, leaving Mai a text thanking her for a nice night.

Mai woke up an hour later, and she was unsurprised Droite was gone. The woman picked up her phone in the charger and checked her text.

‘Thanks. I’ll see you later. I love you’

Mai smiled. She got up and went to get dressed. She was going to the Correctional Facility today to talk to Yami and Yuugi… She hoped they’d be up for talking…

Meanwhile, at the Correctional Facility, Yami had not had a restful sleep like Mai. He had spent quite a bit of the night staring at the ceiling and spacing out, trying to probe around for Yuugi in their mind. So far, he hadn't definitively found him...but there were moments when he could almost sense someone watching him. He wondered if that was Yuugi, but if so, no matter how much he reached, he couldn't pin him down. Figures the only one who could outsmart him in a game of chase was his other half...

And if there was ever a time when he decided to try and rest, he dreamt of Raphael and Sergey. He imagined Raphael shielding him from further harm and facing Sergey's blades on his own, screaming in agony with every bloody slash. Those nightmares woke him every time feeling sad, scared and guilty...he hadn't been able to save him. In his dreams even, he could never make himself move. He could never make himself be useful or helpful...

"Mutou, you have a visitor." A guard's voice jolted him out of his thoughts. He blinked. It was apparently morning...and he'd once again been unsuccessful in both sleeping or finding Yuugi. He sighed, hoping it wasn't the cops or Mist again as he got up to limp over to his wheelchair so the guards could wheel him to the visiting room.

Mai was given one of the standard visitation rooms so she sat behind the glass barrier, looking at Yami. The woman in her casual clothes thankfully had called and gotten the clearance from Miheal, and was waiting for the man she used to try and chase and catch. She drummed her fingers impatiently, waiting for the guards to escort him in. “Mutou… Yami…” She said, looking at how tired and messy he looked “What happened?"

Yami glanced up through the glass to see who had come to visit him, a little surprised to see Mai. He hadn't expected her to come.

"...Mai..." He said softly, knowing how messy he looked. He never did have nice bedhead, and he could practically feel his skin paling and the bags under his eyes.

"...Yuugi disappeared, Mai. I've been trying to find him again...but it's no use. No matter what I do, I can't reach him..." he explained.

“Long time, no see hon,” the woman said, looking at the man, concern in her eyes. “… Yuugi disappeared?” Mai frowned. “… What happened?” she asked, knowing Droite didn’t tell her anything about this.

"Indeed..." Yami mused, before he sighed.

"...Yuugi didn't take Raphael's death well. He was upset and disappeared...just like he did when Jii-chan died..." Yami explained with a worried frown.

“He’s gone?” Mai asked, frowning. She looked at Yami, wondering what was going on and trying to see if there was any game. However, Yami wasn’t even looking at her, far too distraught. Mai never thought that Yami showed his emotions, but they were pinned to his sleeve for all to see.

“… I didn’t know… I heard how Raphael was killed… It’s terrible...”

Yami nodded, not looking directly at Mai. He knew that usually he didn't show how he felt around cops especially...but he was too tired right now to try. He did hesitate before looking at Mai.

"...I wasn't told how he died...just that he was killed by Sergey Volkov..." Yami said.

"...Mai...can you please tell me honestly...did he die quick? Did he...did he suffer?" Yami asked, afraid of the answer but he had a burning need to know...he had to know how Raphael died...

“… I don’t know all the details,” Mai said honestly. She hated sugar-coating the truth, but when Yami looked so desperately at her, she felt immediately guilty and wanted to start lying. “… I… I was told it… was not a pretty sight though. He… must have suffered.”

Yami watched her closely, looking for any hint of a lie. He found none...but her answer was one he expected, even though it came with a stab of sadness and guilt. He looked away.

"...I knew it...I've been dreaming up different scenarios for weeks...Sergey...he would've tortured him..." Yami said, biting his lip.

"...the Devil's Luck finally ran out for Raphael...So of course he died slowly...painfully...and alone..." He said softly, feeling miserable and guilty. He should've done something. He should've helped somehow...

“… I guess so…” Mai murmured back. She wished she had more to say, but at the same time she was also relieved. Yami didn’t need that…

“… It’s not your fault. You didn’t kill him. You’re not Sergey.” Mai said, looking at his face.

Yami frowned and shook his head.

"I'm indirectly the reason he was killed this way...I never should've gotten involved with him on a personal level. If he had to die anyway, I wish I had just killed him to begin with...I would've made it quick, and he'd have been so drugged up he barely would've known what happened..." Yami said, feeling upset by the suggestion but at least it was better than letting Sergey have his way with Raphael.

“Yami, don’t be ridiculous. If you did, he wouldn’t have had the chance to know you…” Mai frowned. “… You know you can’t just think that. Does he want that from you? Either of you?"

Yami bit his lip, trying not to cry.

"...I wish he hadn't gotten a chance to know me...I wish I didn't know him...then maybe...it wouldn't hurt this much..." Yami said, feeling just absolutely miserable.

"...He'd want Yuugi to stay...and I can't do that for him...he's gone. I can't bring him back, Mai, I tried so hard..." Yami could feel his head hurt from just thinking about all his attempts to reach Yuugi. He felt nauseated at the idea of Raphael being tortured, scenarios looping around in his head, most played out from nightmares. He felt his breath hitch as it was suddenly hard to breathe...it was like suddenly he was suffocating and he didn't know exactly why.

Mai had seen Yami sad before, but never this down. Her heart lurched as she saw the man on the brink of tears, just about to lose it from having lost everything. Mai wished she could hug him like she did in hospital, but since she couldn’t, she tapped the bottom of the glass, hoping to get Yami’s attention back on her and the present.

“Do you really think that, Yami? That you’d rather not have met him?” She asked honestly.

“… Yami… We know you can… and even if you can’t… you will. You have people helping you. Yami… Yami?”

"...Yuugi and I wouldn't have suffered if we hadn't met him..." Yami mumbled, even though he knew that he had enjoyed his time with Raphael. He just wished he and Yuugi hadn't gotten so damn attached...

"...Their help won't matter...only Raphael brought Yuugi back...only Raphael...can save Yuugi now..." Yami said, feeling his head pound as he spoke it.

'I want to be with Raphael again.' The thought crossed his mind for a split second, and Yami barely had time to register it before the tightness that had been growing in his chest turned painful. He groaned, clutching his chest and doubling over, gasping softly for breath...suddenly it was so hard...why was it so hard to breathe? His head pounded and he was honestly a little scared. What was going on?

'The pain will end if we're with Raphael, right?' The thought appeared and immediately Yami understood.

"...Ngh...Yuu...gi..." He wheezed. He needed help...he didn't know what to do...the idea did sound appealing, but it was also instinctual to resist, to cling to life as Yami had always done.

Mai listened to the depressing words and she bit her lip. Once upon a time, she had thought the same thing too about her friends, and it was better to be alone than get attached. Jou had helped her out of that thought space, and now Mai felt like she had to do the same for Yami. She opened her mouth to say something and she stopped, seeing Yami clutch his chest.

“Yami? Yami?” Mai asked as she saw him double over. She looked around and pressed the emergency button, even as the guards piled in to see what’s wrong.

“What’s going on?”

“He started…” Mai looked. “Oh my god… Yami! Breathe!”

“Mutou! Oy!” One of the guards went to support the man while the other grabbed his communicator, paging the medical bay immediately.

Yami was fighting to breathe, but it hurt his head. Yuugi was back, but it felt like he was strangling him, continually sending reassurances that it was going to be okay as long as he let go.

"...No..." Yami panted, his body trembling as his head pounded. The two personalities hadn't fought each other like this since the courthouse proceedings where they'd had a seizure, and Yami hoped it wouldn't happen again. The guards managed to re-load him into his wheelchair, but Yami hardly recognized it, his vision blurring and the world spinning as he got dizzy. He kept fighting to take small, wheezing breaths as Mai kept calling out to him to breathe.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry but I'll have to ask you to leave." A guard who appeared on Mai's side of the glass barrier said to her, concerned for the patient who was clearly in distress on the other side. They all knew it wasn't Mai's fault...but something was wrong. Yami was loaded into his wheelchair and rushed down the halls to the medical bay to be looked after. One of the guards had the sense to page for Dr. Arclight as well, since his patient was in trouble.

Mai gave a frown. “Please! Let me in! I need to make sure he’s okay.”

“Ma’am, please. We’ll do everything we can. We still need to ask you to leave.” The man was stern and Mai frowned. Unfortunately, Doctor Arclight hadn’t approved her for anything besides a few visits, so there was no way she could get in. She bit her lip, staring at the door where Yami was wheeled out.

“Fine… but if there’s anything, please let me know. I need to know, alright?” The man nodded. Mai couldn’t fight, so she left, worried sick. As she stepped out of the building, Doctor Arclight got the call. He frowned.

“Yes?”

“Sir, Mutou’s having some sort of panic attack of some sort. We’re taking him to the medical bay to check it out. When you have a moment, you should check it out.”

“Panic attack?” Miheal didn’t know what to make of that, but since he was writing patient reports, he figured that he could go see right away. He got up and grabbed his cane. “I’ll be there soon. Try calm him down.”

Yami was finally brought to the medical bay and unloaded from his chair onto an empty bed so he could be better examined and looked after. Yami groaned as he was moved, feeling nauseious. He might have thrown up if he actually had food in his stomach. The world spun and his chest burned and his head pounded as Yuugi seemed to fight him at every turn.

"...Yu..." Yami tried to say, but he didn't have enough air to even finish Yuugi's name.

"We will do the best we can sir..." The guards said. Some of the medical staff rushed over to help, immediately placing an oxygen mask on Yami.

"Wrap him up in blankets...he's getting really cold. Possibly going into shock." One of the nurses instructed. They bundled Yami up as best they could, and he only seemed to continue twitching and thrashing, as if he was fighting them.

"Mutou? Mutou, can you hear me? Please calm down...take deep breaths. You're going to be okay." One of the medics instructed, and Yami did try to listen, but he could feel Yuugi fighting him at every turn.

"He's got a fever too. This isn't some ordinary panic attack." One noted, confused as to what was happening. The whole group was confused, hoping Dr. Arclight could give them answers once he got here.

Doctor Arclight was there within fifteen minutes, groaning as his bad leg ached. He was tired himself, but he pressed through it in order to go to the man. He quickly hurried to the guards and nurses, looking over at him.

“Someone tell me what happened? What did you see?"

"He was in a visit with a young lady...everything seemed normal until he suddenly seemed to have trouble breathing." One of the eyewitness guards reported.

"Now he has a fever, elevated pulse rate, and difficulty breathing. He hasn't injested any medication here." One medic said.

"He's seizing now!" One nurse said, noticing how Yami's eyes had rolled back into their sockets and how his body twitched and shook. The stress on his brain from fighting with Yuugi had taken its toll. The medical team rushed to steady him, rolling him to his side and letting him ride out the waves of the seizure that eventually left Yami unconscious.

"Does he have a history of this sort of thing? He was healthy at his last checkup a couple weeks ago."

“Ms. Valentine…” Yes… he had authorised the visit this morning. He hadn’t expected that. “Did he get anything from her?”

“No… I don’t believe so, sir. They were just talking,” One of the guards said. He didn’t continue at first, both him and Doctor Arclight startled by Yami’s seizure. There was some scrambling, in which Doctor Arclight wracked his brain for an answer.

“The last time he had this was at court… he had a seizure because he was at… odds with himself is the best way I can describe it,” Yami and Yuugi were fighting each other? But Yami said he hadn’t seen or heard from Yuugi… What was gong on?

“What was the last thing you heard?” He asked the guard. “Did anyone hear what he was talking about to Ms. Valentine?"

The guard frowned as he tried to think.

"Ms. Valentine was talking about Raphael, I believe...then Mutou reacted badly. But he asked her about him..." the guard said with a frown.

"I think I heard him say 'Yuugi' Before We took him out of the room..." another witness guard said.

“Yuugi…” Miheal frowned, confirming that Yuugi and Yami were at odds with each other, probably regarding Raphael. “I see… Make sure he’s stable. I have medication and I’ll see what I can do to help him. There’s a good chance that I may be able to do something about it.”

The medics nodded.

"We will notify you when he regains consciousness then." One said, while they continued to work on making Mutou comfortable and treating any noticeable symptoms of illness.

Miheal nodded. “Please give me a repot when you’re ready.” He headed off, frowning. This was concerning. If what he suspected was true, as absurd and fictional as it seemed, Yuugi may have been trying to kill them both. For what, he couldn’t say, but he knew he had to do something about it. He made a note to talk Koutei, wondering if he could offer hints or a solution to all of this.

Koutei was currently in his room, minding his own business. He had been feeling a near continuous high ever since he'd kissed Yami and gotten Alit's approval for their relationship, and that was only dampened by the fact that Yami still reported no sign of Yuugi. Koutei was trying his best to help in any way he could...that meant his focus was mostly on keeping Yami as happy as possible as he mourned both Raphael and Yuugi. He tried to encourage him to eat when he saw him for meals, and thanks to him Yami was at least eating a few bites of each meal. He also tried to encourage him to exercise, giving him a leg massage whenever Yami said he was sore, and trying to help him with the physio. He offered to talk to Yami if he needed it...he'd always be an ear for him to listen to, a shoulder for him to lean on, and a friend who cared for his safety. He just wished he could do more...

"Ouji, Dr. Arclight wants to see you immediately." A guard said, opening his door. Koutei frowned. It wasn't his usual therapy time...had something happened? Nevertheless, he followed the guard obediently, trying to push away the sinking feeling of dread in his stomach. This unusual time must mean something was wrong...

Doctor Arclight was waiting in his office, looking through a number of papers, frowning as he went over the research he and Johan were going through. There wasn’t much go on, but if Doctor Anderson’s paper was to be believed, what had happened was that Yuugi could have very much tried to consciously kill the two of them. Miheal knew that Yuugi was far more comfortable with ending his life than Yami, but he never imagined it would manifest like this. Yuugi and Yami were different parts of the brain, and it seemed that if one of them had the main consciousness, the other had access to parts of the subconscious. Not just subconscious thought but the subconscious as in what humans did automatically such as breathing and thinking. It was utterly fascinating, but Miheal couldn’t help but be a little troubled over it. Yuugi could easily just stop his heart or his lungs… Maybe even brain function if he tried. Koutei knocked at the door when the guard had brought him, swallowing the lump in his throat. He opened the door and walked in, trying to stay calm. “Doctor Arclight? You wanted to see me?” Koutei asked.

Dr. Arclight looked up from his papers when Koutei came in. He gave him a small smile.

"Yes I did, Koutei. Come in, have a seat." He said, gesturing the man inside.

"...I have something to talk to you about...something that became evident this morning. But before that, I wanted to ask...have you seen any sign of Yuugi during these past few weeks? Has Yami told you if he's been able to feel him, or has Yuugi spoken up and taken over things, even if it was for a few seconds?"

“Yuugi?” Oh, so that what this was about. Yami. That made more sense, considering it wasn’t time for his own session. The blonde sighed and shook his head sadly.

“No… He’s been absent as ever. Yami and I have tried everything, but there seems to be no sign anywhere,” Koutei admitted. Then he paused, realising how abrupt this meeting was supposedly. “Why? Did something happen?"

"I see. So no noticeable change then." Miheal mused. If Yami still has no idea where Yuugi was, that did make sense if Yuugi was buried in his subconscious. No human could feel or control the parts of their brain responsible for things like breathing and making their hearts beat.

"Well, i have some good news on that regard...I may have found Yuugi. Or more specifically, hes made his hiding place known as of this morning. I believe he's buried himself in their shared subconscious. It's the part of the brain that is responsible for basic things like breathing, So Yami never noticed him. Humans don't have any direct control over those areas." Miheal said.

"...But the bad news is that...I believe that Yuugi used his control over that part of the brain to attempt to shut their body down. A discussion about Raphael set him off...and Yami tried to fight him on it..." Miheal sighed.

"...Hes currently unconscious in a bed in the medical ward. The stress on his brain triggered a seizure."

“Yuugi?” Koutei sat up a little straighter, hearing the news. “Really? Oh my god…” The blonde’s grin was imminent, but as as Doctor Arclight continued to explain, his face turned to horror.

“Shut the body down? Why? Why would he do that?” he asked. “A seizure? God…”

Miheal frowned.

"We think it was an attempted suicide. Raphael was extremely close to Yuugi, and he is clearly not dealing with his loss in a healthy way, first by hiding, then by trying to kill himself and Yami." Miheal said, before pondering things further.

"...this is mostly just speculation, mind you...but it's the best explanation I can come up with. The doctors have looked over Mutou and found no underlying cause for his body just shutting down. No drugs, poisons...nothing. He might be a little underweight, because I know Yami hasn't been eating much as he mourns, but it's not enough to cause organ failure." Miheal mused with a sigh.

"...my fear is that if I'm right, Yuugi will continue to shut the body down until he succeeds. Yami occupies the conscious mind, and they're currently unconscious, so it's possible that he can't actively resist anymore. The subconscious, however, never stops working, even when humans sleep...so Yuugi may be able to keep going eventually. I want to stop him before they both die, and I imagine you do as well...that's why I called you. If you have any ideas of things we might be able to say or do to change Yuugi's mind, Id like to hear them."

“Clearly…” Koutei muttered under his breath. It sounded so crazy, but considering his life was already insane, Koutei easily believed Doctor Arclight’s words for face value, even though they were just a theory. It made sense to him, kind of.

“… I can’t… I…” Koutei balled his fist. “Please… I… I don’t know what would work. I don’t know what to say… what to do… but I want to talk to him. Now that I know he’s listening or could be listening.”

Miheal listened, waiting for his reaction. He nodded.

"You talking to him would probably be a good idea...Yuugi cares for you after all. I'll take you to him." Miheal said, getting up with his cane and going to the door, where the guards were waiting to escort Koutei back to his room when their session was done.

"We're taking Koutei to the medical ward to see Mutou." Miheal told them, and they nodded, moving into position to escort Koutei and Miheal through the Correctional Facility.

"Last I heard, he is still unconscious...but he may be able to hear you, like they say people in comas do." Miheal said to Koutei, showing him into the medical ward and leading him over to Mutou's bed. The medical team had hooked up heart-rate monitors and an oxygen mask, and had given him an IV for fluids and nutrients.

"Ah, Dr. Arclight...we were just about to call you. The patient's vitals are dropping. It's slow, but it's also steady...we still can't find an underlying cause for it." One of the medics reported. Miheal nodded with a frown. So Yuugi was still working...

"Yuugi-kun...Koutei is here to see you. He's going to sit on this chair next to you." He said gently, motioning for the medics to give Koutei and Mutou a moment in private.

“Alright…” Koutei followed after him, balling his fist.

“His vitals dropping?” Koutei asked. The doctors were surprised to see another patient there, but since he was with Doctor Arclight, they didn’t question it. Koutei walked over to Mutou and looked at his small, pale body.

“… Yuugi? Yuugi… It’s me… Koutei, Can… can you hear me? Yuugi… I… I don’t know if you can hear me… But…” Koutei paused and took a deep breath, unsure what to say.

Dr. Arclight and the medics stepped back to give Koutei space, not going too far away in case of an emergency.

While the medics and Koutei simply saw a body that didn't stir, inside Yuugi was awake, calm and determined. His other half was quiet, no longer in control and also unable to protest...Yuugi was the main personality after all. He reached out to him with comfort.

'It's okay my other me...soon we'll be with the people we love again...' He reassured silently, feeling his body's natural panic at its imminent shutdown, but not bothered by it. Instead he felt calm and confident in his decision. Soon, he'd stop being sad and hurt.

He'd paid the voices around him no mind until he finally heard a familiar one. Was that Koutei? He perked slightly in his mind, and his body's external reaction was a brief twitch of the hand closest to Koutei. Other than that, he didn't move or react, but Yuugi was listening. He was glad he'd get to hear his friend again before he left. He knew Koutei had Alit outside to help him and he was such a nice person who was recovering well. He'd be fine without him.

Koutei wasn’t sure if that twitch was because the man actually heard him or if it was because Koutei really wanted to believe he was moving. The man reached out and took Mutou’s hand, squeezing it lightly. He swallowed roughly, wondering just what he could say…

“Doctor Arclight… Doctor Arclight told me that you were trying to kill yourself, Yuugi. You wanted to kill yourself and Yami.” He tried to keep his voice level, especially since he had barely started talking, but the theirs began to well in his eyes. “I’m not sure if that’s true but… if you are… if you are, Yuugi… Please… Don’t. Don’t do it.”

He brought his other hand and held Yuugi’s. “I know it hurts. I know it hurts like all hell. I know it feels hopeless and you rather feel like dying, but there are people who want to see you live. Raphael wouldn’t want you to do this… I don’t want you to do this. You can’t… You can’t leave like this, Yuugi. Please… please don’t leave me. Don’t take away the two people I love and care for the most in the entire world.” Koutei felt the tears fall down his face.

“I love you. Please don’t die. You’re such an amazing person who deserves to live, and meeting you guys was the best thing that ever happened to me. Please… Please don’t die. Give me a chance to show you it’s worth living through the pain. Please don’t die. I need you.”

Yuugi felt Koutei take his hand, and had to admit it was comforting. It was like a distraction from the pain he was going through, both bodily pain and emotinal pain. He listened to Koutei speak and was surprised to hear that Koutei's normally steady and calm voice was breaking...it sounded like he was crying...Yuugi frowned a little. He didn't like that...he didn't want Koutei upset...

Then the words starting sinking in. Koutei called himself and Yuugi the two people he loved and cared for most in the entire world...said that meeting them was the best thing that ever happened to him...begging him not to go...saying he needed him. Yuugi was suddenly reminded of himself, many years ago, with Jii-chan in hospital. He'd begged Jii-chan not to go...he'd said he needed him...and of course, Jii-chan was the person he'd loved and treasured the most, the man who'd saved him from loneliness after his parents died.

And the parallels didn't stop there. The pain that Yuugi heard in Koutei's voice was easily comparable to his current pain...he realized in horror that now he was in Jii-chan's position, dying slowly and preparing to leave behind someone who loved him. And if Koutei was like he was...he'd hurt for a long, long time. Yuugi didn't even realized he was crying until now...what had he done? All he'd ever wanted was a friend...someone who wouldn't abandon him...and he had been about to abandon him once he'd finally found one...

The thoughts he was having were causing a physical reaction...his body had begun trembling slightly, tears leaking from his closed eyes and his breathing and heart-rate accelerating slightly, returning to a more stable level. His hand tightened on Koutei's in apology well before he finally managed to open his eyes a little. He was tired, his body exhausted from the effort it had taken him to try and shut it down. It was painful...so painful...his eyes found Koutei's form next to him and he was reminded that he wasn't alone in this struggle, and that if he did go, the pain would be passed to the blonde next to him.

"...Koutei...I'm...I'm so sorry..." Yuugi cried softly, voice a little croaky and muffled by his oxygen mask, but clear enough to understand.

Koutei wanted to say so much more. He wanted to beg and plead with Yuugi, already ready to start bargaining with him and plead for him not to go. However the words were trapped in his throat, and all he could do was really cry there as he clutched Mutou’s hand.

He didn’t notice the fact that his breathing and heart rate and returned, but he did notice the trembling, and when he looked up, he saw the man crying. There was a long pause before Koutei gaped, realising that the man in front of him was looking up.

“Yami?” The man blinked before he immediately realised his mistake. After so many weeks of not seeing him… so many weeks of worrying about him and thinking about him… This was… “Yuugi? Yuugi? Yuugi! Oh my god…” He wanted to hug him but instead Koutei kissed Yuugi’s knuckles. “You’re… you’re back.”

Yuugi stared at Koutei, letting the man hold his hand, trying to see him clearly through his tears. He was still so, so sad and in pain because of Raphael and the pain of his body recovering from his attempted suicide. But he still managed a small smile when Koutei kissed his knuckles.

"...I'm back..." He repeated softly. He still felt so sorry for what he'd done...he wanted to make it up to Koutei somehow. He shakily tried to push himself up a little, managing to get to a semi-sitting position with effort. He reached his arm out to Koutei, wanting to hug him but not really having the strength.

"...I'm so sorry...it just...it just hurt so much...I didn't know...what else to do..."

“He… Hey… Take it easy or the guards will throw me out…” Koutei helped him up as best as he could. When he saw what Yuugi was going for, he gladly obliged, giving the man a tight hug. He couldn’t stop shaking or crying, but the smile was locked on his face.

“Live. Live a life worth living. We’ll figure something out.” Koutei murmured.

“Please. Please. Please never do that again."

Yuugi managed to pull his oxygen mask off and set it aside so he was more comfortable with the hug, clinging to Koutei tightly and feeling fresh tears come on as he buried his face in Koutei's broad, strong shoulder.

"I...I won't...I'm sorry..." Yuugi sobbed, clinging to Koutei.

"...I'll stay...I wanna...stay with you...please don't leave me either..." Yuugi could feel Yami stirring in his mind and felt his body flood with relief stemming from Yami. Yami was also glad to see him again and Yuugi smiled a little, sending a mental apology to his other half.

Koutei wasn’t sure if Yuugi was meant to take it off, but he didn’t care for the moment and hugged the man back. He kissed his forehead and cuddled against him, breathing heavily.

“I won’t. I promise, I promise. I’ll be here for you, Yuugi. Okay? Don’t do that again,” he sobbed, clinging on to the tiny man tightly.

Yuugi simply nodded, not trusting his voice as he cried, clinging to Koutei.

"Thank you...I won't...I promise..." Yuugi croaked out between sobs.

Dr. Arclight and the medical staff were watching the whole exchange. Miheal wore a small smile. He was glad Yuugi was awake again...but he knew the medics wanted to check Yuugi over, to make sure he was recovering okay for now. So, after a moment, he approached.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Koutei, would you help Yuugi lay back down? The medics just want to do a quick checkup on him...you can stay right here and hold his hand." Miheal said gently.

Koutei gave a sigh of relief as he heard the man promise him that and he hugged him again tightly, not letting go until he heard Miheal. The man turn and nodded, rubbing his face clean of tears and snot. “A-ah… Yeah… Sure, doc.”

He gently pulled away from Yuugi and supported his body. “It’ll be better from now, on, okay? We’ll have the doctors check on you and then you can rest and I’ll be right here..."

Yuugi glanced over at Dr. Arclight as well when he approached to talk to him. He was still in pain, although he did like the comfort he was getting. He didn't want to let go, but wasn't strong enough to hold on.

"Okay..." He said softly, letting Koutei gently lay him back down, but once he was down, he immediately grabbed one of Koutei's hands in his own for comfort and reassurance that Koutei would keep his promise and stay.

The medics approached, gently checking Yuugi's blood pressure, heart-rate and breathing rate. Although all were still a bit lower than normal, it was clear they were no longer dropping.

"We'll have to keep him overnight here, I imagine. In the morning, he can return to his room." The medics reported to Dr. Arclight. Miheal nodded.

"Alright. Keep him monitored." He told the medic, knowing that although Yuugi had promised to Koutei he wouldn't attempt anything, his word alone may not be enough. Yuugi's underlying problems would still need to be addressed through therapy sessions.

Koutei gave a smile and hung on to him, not caring who was watching. His eyes were only for Yuugi, and he was so overwhelmed that the man was back. He held his hand for the entire check up, not moving unless absolutely necessary. “I’m so glad…” Koute said to Yuugi, turning to him when the medical staff spoke to Miheal. “Back to routine next morning. Then I’ll get to see you again. Yami too… he’s been worried sick about you."

Yuugi mostly kept his eyes on Koutei too, though he did occasionally glance at the doctors to see what they were doing. Thankfully it was nothing invasive. He smiled at Koutei.

"...Yeah...that will be nice..." Yuugi said, although the back to routine was also a reminder that he wouldn't have visits from Rapheal to expect as part of his routine.

"...I know...he's...he's happy I'm back...and...worried..." Yuugi knew that Yami hadn't liked his suicide attempt and had actively fought against it. He had to keep sending apologies and reassurances to his other half to calm him.

“Well… maybe ask the guards or the doc if he can give you your journal. Yami was supposed to write to you… you should try catch up with him and open up to each other. It probably will help,” Koutei said, smiling softly.

Yuugi smiled.

"Yeah...that would be nice...I want to write to him...and to see what I missed..." Yuugi said softly, leaning against the pillow and curling closer to Koutei in his bed.

"...Will you stay...and talk to me? Tell me what I missed from you?" He asked softly, looking at Koutei.

“Of course… but you haven’t missed much. The only thing you really missed is Yami and me worried about you,” Koutei said. Life in the Correctional Facility was almost monotonous, honestly. The staff tried to make it not so dreary, since it would affect their mental health, but it did seem like it sometimes. “You’re getting better at walking. Yami and I have been working on it.”

Yuugi looked down in shame.

"...I'm sorry...for worrying you..." He said softly. But he did perk up a bit at the second point.

"...Really? I'm...I'm glad...I want to walk..." He said, glancing at his leg, which was under the covers and impossible to see. He smiled up at Koutei.

"...Will you...help me practice too?"

Koutei petted his head affectionately. “It’s fine… Just don’t do it again.” The man gave a bright and cheery grin.

“Of course I will. I’ve been helping Yami, and I definitely want to help you."

Yuugi smiled, letting Koutei pet his head. It was comforting. He was happy to have such a nice friend....he felt tears return to his eyes slowly. How could he have forgotten that?

"...Thank you...you're so nice to me...to Yami too.." He said.

Koutei smiled. He squeezed his hand. “Only because you guys have been so good to me. Thank you too, Yuugi..."

Yuugi smiled too.

"...you're good to me too..." Yuugi said, squeezing his hand back. He was happy to have a friend.

Koutei smiled at him. From now on, they’d keep each other safe. He’d help Yuugi get past the pain and the sadness, no matter what.

Yuugi listened to Koutei speak and enjoyed his company for as long as he could, but he was still quite tired and ended up dozing off slowly no matter how hard he tried to stay awake. But when he fell asleep, he was reassured that Koutei was there, because the other man was still holding his hand.

Dr. Arclight, who had been watching from afar, noticed Yuugi had fallen asleep and approached Koutei.

"Come along now, Koutei...let's let Yuugi-kun get some rest. You'll see him again tomorrow."

Koutei didn’t have much to say but eventually he began droning on about Shinji’s latest conspiracy that was going around. He smiled as he watched Yuugi drift off and he nodded, hearing the doctor. Slowly, he parted his hand from Yuugi and stood up.

“… Yeah… See you tomorrow, Yuugi.” Koutei turned to leave with the doctor but then paused. Before he could tell himself not to, he quickly turned around and kissed Yuugi on the forehead. “Rest well…” He whispered.

Smiling, Koutei turned around and walked off after Doctor Arclight. “Thank you… for letting me see him."

“You're welcome, Koutei. Thank you for bringing Yuugi back...now we can get him the help he needs.” Miheal said, leading Koutei away.

Yuugi didn't feel the kiss, still dozing contently in hospital, reassured that everything would be okay going forward.

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