IN TIME | Tenjiku

Bonten

Tokyo: 2018, 12 Years Into The Future:

"I have to save Mikey, Zoe, and Valerie..." Takemichi screams as he storms out of his own wedding reception.

"Leave them be, Takemichi! They chose their path." Kazutora said as he followed Takemichi outside as Draken followed.

"I saved Hinata because of Valerie's help. She doesn't deserve to live this life of solitude and despair." Takemichi exclaimed, remembering all of the details that Draken and Kazutora had told him about Valerie and Zoe's new life outside of the Toman gang.

Valerie was now married to none other and Rindou Haitani while Zoe was married to Ran. They had been living under their shadows for the past several years under the newest, most deadliest gang in Tokyo know as Bonten.

"Why is she even married to Rindou Haitani, I thought she would end up with Kakucho out of everybody considering how close they were a long time ago." Takemichi asked as he stumbled into his car.

"Don't know, but this is dangerous. You can't possibly face them on your own, Takemichi." Draken tried to reason with him.

"I can and I will." He said before driving off in the direction of one of Bonten's many leaked hideouts. He decided he would start with the old bowling ally first.

There, he was met with a gun to his head, held but Sanzu Haruchiyo, one of Bonten's top executives.

"Move, and I'll blow your brains out." The pink haired man said in the most devious tone he could muster up.

"I just want to know about Valerie, Zoe, and Mikey..." Takemichi exclaimed, trying not to show how scared he was. It was then that he saw felt a presence behind him.

"Let us talk alone, Sanzu..." The man said. Sanzu put the gun back in his holster while saying a quick "yes sir, I'll be waiting downstairs" and leaving.

Takemichi didn't dare turn around to face him. He knew it was Mikey from the sound of his voice. He finally got the courage to speak up.

"I sent you a wedding invination, did you at least get it?" Takemichi asked.

Mikey sat silently, holding his own gun to Takemichi's back.

"I wasn't going to let you and the other's get involved with what I've got going on. Why did you come and find me?" Mikey asked. Takemichi then stood up and turned around to face the broken man, who had now had a tattoo resembling Izana's earrings on the back of his neck with hair as white as snow. His eyes were covered in dark circles with bags hanging underneath. He was frail, dark, and skinny. Oddly enough, he hadn't grown an inch due to drug abuse and depression.

"I understand but..." Takemichi went to say before stuttering over his own words.

"But what? This is the life we all chose to live, including Valerie and Zoe. So why did you come and find me?" Mikey was cold and serious with his words, gun still pointed at Takemichi's chest.

"I came to save you all. You don't deserve this life. You deserve a better life-" Takemichi's words were cut off by sudden gunfire.

He had been shot four times in the chest. Dropping to the ground, he watched as Mikey stood up and muttered something under his breath before heading up to the rooftop. Takemichi crawled his way to the broken window while listening to Mikey's footsteps above.

As Mikey stood on the edge of the roof, people staring up at him, he shouted, "LET'S DO THIS!"

He jumped to his death.

Just in the nick of time, Takemichi stuck out his hand and grabbed Mikey by his arm, his blood coating Mikey as he tried to pull him back in.

"JUST SAY THE WORDS, MIKEY! I CAN SAVE YOU!" Takemichi screamed in agony as he held on for dear life. Sanzu, who was watching from below, was hollering towards Mikey about what he had done.

It took Mikey a clear second to realize that this was not the life he had wanted. He wanted to be saved. He just didn't know how. He cared so deeply about everybody and didn't even intend for Valerie or Zoe to even be involved, even if it was out of love.

"Save me..." He muttered as his arm started to slip from Takemichi's, who was losing more and move blood by the minute. Mikey's hand eventually met Takemichi's and the flash of time distorted everything.

Takemichi was determined to save everybody, and he meant everybody.

___________________________________________________________________________

Valerie's House: 2008, 10 Years Into The Past:

I had woken up from the sound of my alarm. 5:30 am, it read as I crawled out of bed. I was depressed, severely, over the thought of mine and Kakucho's break up. It had been a couple of months before when he suddenly got distant - coming over one last night, seemingly to have been beaten up from head to toe by somebody clearly stronger than him.

The flashbacks began again as I thought about that night and how I begged him not to leave me.

"I just don't want you involved with what I'm getting into. We can't do this anymore." He told me as he sat in the kitchen while I tended to his wounds.

"I'll stay with you through whatever, Kaku. Please... don't do this." I was crying my eyes out as he ignored my request for us to stay together. It was the middle of July and I was preparing myself for college in the fall. Now that I was eighteen, things were different. I was grown, and so was he.

"I just don't that this going to work anymore," He squinched as I put a damn cloth across his bruised and battered face, trying to wipe away the blood. He refused to tell me who attacked him, all I knew was that the person who did was trying to recruit him into a new gang. He wouldn't even tell me the name of the gang, only that they were dangerous and he was afraid he wouldn't be able to protect me against the leader who stood at seven feet tall and weight approximately 250 pounds.

It was then that he got up and started to leave. I cried and begged for him to stay one last night, but he refused.

"I'm sorry Valerie, I'm so sorry to break your heart like this." He had tears in his eyes. I could tell he didn't want to leave and that he had wanted to stay with me.

"Then don't fucking do this to me! A whole year of us being together and you're leaving me over this?!" I beckoned at his state.

"I have to, or he'll try and recruit you too. I can't let him know my weakness." He cried out before getting on his motorcycle.

I ran up to him, grabbing the handle and begging him to stop. He moved my hand away and started the engine, driving out of my driveway. As soon as I lost sight of him, I dropped to my knees. The feeling of hatred and despair came over me as I felt I had just lost the love of my life.

My heart was broken.

And thus began, the Three Deities' embarkment.