A Future Without You is Soon |Mikey x OC|

Chapter Twenty-One

      "Shiho~Chan! Stop!" Takemichi snaps. Shiho doesn't listen. She keeps walking toward Tao's limp form.

   "Mikey! Shiho!" Shiho freezes, as does Mikey. She turns around. Baji stands up on the battered car. "You guys are getting mad over me? Thanks, guys."

   "Kei~Chan..." Shiho whispers. She almost can't hear her own voice.

   "Baji~kun?" Takemichi asks.

   "Baji~san! You gotta stay down!" Chifuyu shouts.

   "Kei~Chan...! Stop!" Shiho shouts.

   "I'm not...gonna die!" Baji says. "This wound ain't gonna kill me! So don't worry about it, Kazutora." Baji pulls out a switchblade.

   Shiho's eyes widen. "Wait!"

   "You..." Baji shouts, plunging the blade up to the grip into his stomach, "are not gonna kill me!"

   Baji falls to the ground, many different Touman members shouting his name. Chifuyu runs to his side.

   Kazutora and Mikey go back to their fighting. Shiho freezes. Tao laughs dryly at her feet.

   "This could have been avoided if you just joined Valhalla," Tao says.

   "No!" Shiho says. Her emotions keep getting the better of her. She knew this would suck, but Christ, can she stop crying? First Etsu's fight, then Baji, then Etsu's injury, now this? Pathetic.

   "It's your fault their dead!"

   Shiho opens the pocket knife. "Shut up!" She plants her foot in his stomach, shoving him into the ground, and raises the knife.

   "Shiho~Chan! Stop it!" Takemichi cries. She doesn't listen. She can't let her friends be the only ones dead. She'll drag this bastard down to hell with her.

   She starts to bring the blade down, but Mitsuya stops her by tackling her. The knife falls out of her hand. Mitsuya pins her wrists to the ground. "Shiho, stop!"

   "Let me go!" Shiho struggles for a minute, but manages to get her knee planted to Mitsuya's chest. "Get off!" She pushes him off of her. She stands quickly and runs to the now standing Tao.

   "Draken!"

   "I know!"

   Shiho plants her fist into Tao's jaw, then into his chin. Shiho lifts her leg all the way up, then she slams her leg into his shoulder. She can feel the crack under her foot. Tao cries out.

   "Shiho, stop it!" Draken pulls her away and throws her to the ground. He pushes her down and pins her again. "Mitsuya, grab her legs!"

   "Let me go! I can't let him get away with this!" Shiho snaps. "He killed Etsu! I can't let him get away with it! Not like last time! Let me go, Draken, Mitsuya!"

   The two seem so surprised their grip loosens enough that she could probably get out, but she relaxes instead. She keeps crying, completely forgetting about Tao for a breif moment.

   "I can't even protect my friends! I couldn't protect Hide! Or Keisuke! Or Etsu! I can't even protect Jirou!" Shiho cries between sobs. "What am I supposed to do now? I'm losing everything! And there's nothing I can do!"

   "Shiho..." Mitsuya says.

   "Shiho~Chan!" Takemichi shouts. He runs over to her and stares at her disheartened expression.

   "What?" She snaps.

   "They're...they're not dead yet."

   Draken and Mitsuya lets go of her. Shiho sits up and grabs his arms. "Are you fucking with me?"