Guilty Pleasure Friends

Sprint

A plan. They needed a plan.

Misono paced through his room, up and down and back up, only briefly stopping at one of the windows to stare at the quiet garden outside like it offered any answers. People and locations moved back and forth and sideways in his mind like pawns on a chessboard, forming a thousand scenarios and formations and possibilities, some likely, some unlikely. And his opponent was invisible. He had no idea what Tsubaki was thinking, what move he would make next, if he had been misleading them all on purpose and where the real opening was, hidden behind all the tricks and mind games and deception.

They had left the exposed table at the family restaurant and gathered at Misono's house, all crowding together in his room while Hugh monitored his underlings' reports and Misono struggled to find a plan, an idea. Tsubaki had given them the location where Shirota was, or at least the location where he and his gang would be waiting for them to accept the offer after all, if the two places coincided. His guess was that they did. If they were to exchange hostages, he and the others would have to keep theirs somewhere close at hand.

Unless it was a trap, and they weren't planning to give Shirota back at all.

He wondered if they should call the authorities. Call the police and get Tsubaki and his entire gang arrested and dealt with. He had asked himself that question many times before, but each time he had dismissed it with the same thought. This was a gang war. They wouldn't be able to explain all this without revealing the former Servamps' violent past and possibly getting them in trouble too, and they were trying to leave that past behind. Besides, if Tsubaki and the others saw the police turning up on their doorstep, what would that mean for Shirota inside? Would they threaten to harm him? Would they actually harm him? Or would they escape and disappear into thin air like they had before, leaving no proof or evidence behind aside from Todoroki and Hyde's accounts, which none of the adults had believed because Higan-sensei had covered for Tsubaki's team?

In any case, they didn't have the time. They needed to hurry and go after Shirota, fast. Now that he had declined the hostage trade, there was no guaranteeing that Tsubaki's gang wouldn't do anything to him.

"Hugh," he said, stopping in the middle of his pacing to turn towards the third-year. "Tell some of your underlings to watch the house where Hyde and Todoroki were held and see if they can observe any suspicious movements. Are they still following Watanuki and Kuro?"

Hugh glanced at the screen in front of him. "Indeed," he said proudly. "My army from the shadows never–" He stopped short in his tracks.

Misono glared impatiently. "What is it?"

"I..." Hugh gave himself a shake, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "It appears they have lost all connection to me."

Misono's breath hitched. A collective gulp went through the room. Without missing a beat Misono leaped across the room, stumbling over to Hugh to stare at the screen over his shoulder.

"No more messages, as you can see," Hugh said gravely. "They all ceased at once. Some of them were in the middle of reporting."

"Someone intercepted the channel." Misono turned away from the screen and resumed his pacing. "They have caught on to your underlings' presence. We have no more time to lose." He stopped, facing Hugh again. "Where was their last location? Can you pinpoint it on a map?"

Hugh nodded, turning around his laptop and tapping his finger on the displayed map of the town, marking a small intersection among many. Misono ran his finger along the streets on the map. The school was here, but Kuro and Watanuki had come from downtown, somewhere in that area... that meant they must have been going in this direction, and...

The building where Todoroki and Hyde had been... was over here.

Not far from the point where Hugh's underlings had lost connection. A little further in the direction Watanuki and Kuro seemed to be going in.

"I know where they are headed," he said aloud, gathering the others' attention around him. "It is highly likely that Watanuki made Kuro the same offer Tsubaki made us, and Kuro accepted. We absolutely must not let him offer himself in exchange for Shirota." The image of Lily with a knife in his chest appeared in his mind, and he shivered. "Let us hurry! If we use Dodo-san's car and take the shortest way we will still get to them in time."

Hugh rose up. "And then?"

"We shall see," Misono replied, his mind working faster than ever. "For now I think we should create a diversion. While some of us try to stop Kuro from doing anything rash, others should investigate the building from all sides. There has to be a back door or some other secret escape. Hugh, as soon as you can, gather your underlings to guard the house closely– no, make it the entire block. Do not let anyone slip through the net unobserved."

Hugh raised his chin, sticking out his chest. "Consider it as good as done!"

"Good. We shall discuss the rest of the plan in the car." Motioning the others to follow, Misono paced towards the door and marched outside, heading straight for the garage while sending his driver a short message that was instantly delivered. "But I must remind you all to be cautious. While we are a strong group..." He looked at Lily, then at Hyde and Todoroki, perfectly healthy on the outside but most likely still recovering from their injuries on the inside.

"Our current fighting power is rather limited."

---

Mahiru gazed at Lilac, then at Otogiri, then at the door where Tsubaki had gone, apparently taking longer than he had meant to with whatever call he had needed to make. "So," he began with some hesitation, "basically, you're saying you'll come to our help if there's a problem with C3 and the other way around? And the condition is that for that time... we're not allowed to harm you?"

Lilac and Otogiri nodded. Mahiru frowned.

Something was fishy here, he could sense it. Something was up with this deal. The way they had said it, the way it was worded... he couldn't pinpoint what it was, but he could sense it. There was a trap.

"That is right," Otogiri said quietly when Lilac made no sign of speaking. "C3 is stronger in numbers than either of our groups, and they have powerful fighters. And as the hunter of all gangs, they're our enemy as well as yours."

Mahiru's frown deepened. "That's what people say," he muttered. "You guys, Mikuni-san, Kuro... but... thinking simply, the same thing's true for C3 and us with you guys." He thought of Tsurugi teaching him how to fight, Jun trying to lead him to Kuro. Then to him running late to pick up Kuro thanks to Tsurugi... the others' accusations... the way Tsurugi had misled him when he had been searching for Kuro... his agreement with Kuro to pretend to be allies with C3 for the time being, just to have them on their side...

Could he do this? Could he make two pretend alliances that directly went against each other?

Mahiru hid a sigh. He wished Misono was here. Misono would know how to negotiate with these people. Or maybe Hugh. But Mahiru wasn't either of them. He wasn't skilled in outsmarting people and making foolproof plans. His approach to everything was always simple.

And thinking simply...

"If I say no," he said, "what's going to happen to me?"

"We'll have to keep convincing you. If you don't trust us, that is a problem." Otogiri glanced at her watch. "Tsubaki-san should be back soon. If you don't trust us, maybe you'll trust his word more."

"What if my answer is still no?"

"Then maybe," said Tsubaki's voice from the door, "you may agree to it for Sakuya's sake."

Mahiru jumped up from his chair. "Sakuya!" he burst out, a sudden realization shooting through his head. Sakuya was part of this gang, and yet he hadn't seen him around at all... "Is he here? Where is he?"

"I wonder." Tsubaki's smile betrayed no emotion. "All I know is that he should be back soon."

---

Sakuya stopped at the corner of the street, pointing at one of the houses that Kuro faintly recognized. "It's that one," he whispered as they ducked behind a tree, impossible to spot from the windows of the building. "You remember, don't you?"

Kuro paused for a few seconds, sorting through his memories, but the image didn't take long to flicker up in his mind. That building... he knew it. He could remember the high garden fence, the entrance, the rooms, the stairs. He had been there before.

The building where Licht and Hyde had been held captive. It was the same place.

Sakuya took off his shades, then he pulled down his hood and stripped out of his hoodie, handing both to Kuro. "Wear these," he said. "I think some of the guys saw me sneaking out in this outfit, so they'll hopefully think it's me for a bit. Just long enough to keep from attacking you on the spot."

Kuro hesitated, then he nodded, slipping into the hoodie and instantly regretting it, the fabric feeling too warm and stuffy against the already warm summer air. But at least it fit him like a glove, and when he pulled the hood in his face and placed the sunglasses on his nose, carefully brushing his hair back to hide the telltale strands of blue, he actually felt a little more comfortable than he had before.

Turning around, he threw a questioning glance at Sakuya, who nodded and gave him a thumbs-up. "The door should be unlocked," he said, reaching into his pocket, "but just in case, here's a key. And straighten your back. They'll know it's not me if you're slouching."

Kuro straightened up, immediately feeling stiff and uncomfortable, but Sakuya nodded. "That's better."

"Can't deal."

Sighing, Kuro gazed at the house, standing there so innocently in the dark summer evening, some of its windows alight as if it was inhabited by perfectly normal people. He wondered if Mahiru was safe. He wondered what would happen to him when he burst in there and they recognized him as who he was. He woudn't make it out of there unharmed. He might be seriously hurt. Would he get to Mahiru? Would he at least draw enough people away to allow Mahiru to escape?

And...

Turning around, he faced Sakuya again, meeting his gaze through the dark sunglasses. "Why are you doing this?"

Sakuya blinked, visibly surprised by the question, as if the answer should be glaringly obvious. "What do you mean?"

"Why are you helping me?" Kuro gestured vaguely to the disguise. "I'm your enemy."

"Isn't that obvious?"

A shadow passed over Sakuya's face, sadness glimmering up in his eyes as he smiled, suddenly looking very much like Mahiru's old best friend and not at all like Tsubaki's gang member. "It's for Mahiru's sake," he said. "I owe Tsubaki-san my life, and he's very important to me, but... Mahiru was my first ever friend. And I know I chose Tsubaki-san over him, but... I can't." His smile contorted with guilt. "I can't stand by and watch anything happen to Mahiru after all."

Kuro gazed at him for a long moment. Searching for signs of a lie, a trap, anything. There was nothing. The look on Sakuya's face was genuine, completely and unapologetically genuine.

He means it. He really is trying to save Mahiru. Lettuce does care.

"Can't deal," he mumbled. "Okay then. I'm going in."

Adjusting the sunglasses on his nose, double-checking to make sure none of his hair poked out from underneath the hood, fixing his posture a second time, Kuro swallowed and locked his gaze onto the house, that very house where Mahiru was being held captive for a reason he couldn't understand. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that he needed to get him out, safe and unharmed. And if he was already hurt...

If he was already hurt, then Kuro didn't care what would happen to himself. He would throw all caution to the wind to make sure none of his kidnappers could ever lay a hand on an innocent person again.

Swallowing down the fury boiling up inside his chest, Kuro clenched his fists and marched straight towards the hideout.

Behind him Sakuya remained in the same spot, watching his retreating back, his purposeful stride. When he had made sure that Kuro wasn't going to turn back again, he pulled out his phone and sent a short message.

hes on his way.

---

"Okay," Tetsu whispered as he leaned forward to get to Misono in the passenger seat, "d'you have a plan yet?"

Misono frowned. Truth be told, he still wasn't sure. For the entire handful of minutes they had been in the car he had been trying to think, but no plan seemed solid or failsafe enough. Everything had flaws. And as long as he couldn't figure out what Tsubaki was thinking, that part wouldn't change anytime soon.

"I can't say for sure," he muttered, hoping to sound more convinced of himself than he felt. "All I know is that we have two priorities. First, we need to get Shirota out of there unharmed. And second, we have to stop Kuro from exchanging himself for Shirota."

He let his gaze roam through the car again, thinking out loud. "I would prefer not to rely on Lily, Hyde or Todoroki too much," he said. "All three of them have taken previous damage, and any more may have lasting effects. However, in terms of fighters, that leaves only..." He frowned and took a deep breath. "You and Hugh, Tetsu."

Tetsu and Hugh exchanged a glance.

"Okay," Tetsu said, giving a simple nod. "Just tell us what to do when you got a plan."

Misono tensed, suddenly much more acutely aware of the burden that had been placed on him. "Are you sure?" he asked. "You know what happened to the others. Are you aware that this is a mission where both of you may be risking your lives?"

"I know." Tetsu's voice and expression didn't waver. "I don't mind. As long as you know what we're doing, it's gonna be fine."

It's not, Misono wanted to say. Currently I have no idea what we are doing, and I may easily be leading us into a trap. But he didn't say that. He only gave a businesslike nod while continuing to think out loud.

"In that case," he said, "you and Hugh shall go inside and rescue Shirota. The rest of us will focus on holding back Kuro from doing anything rash while drawing them out, leaving fewer for you to fight. Up until now Tsubaki has never relied on large numbers, so let us hope the same rule holds up for this case too."

Puzzle pieces moved back and forth in his mind. The image in his head grew clearer. Little by little a plan started to form, a solid, foolproof plan that could actually work.

"That means we need to announce our arrival," he went on. "We must approach from the main entrance with as much noise as possible. It is best if we look appropriately furious and agitated too, as if all of us have come to break into the house and get out Shirota. Tetsu and Hugh, meanwhile, should slip in from another side while their attention is on us... Hugh, have you heard anything from your underlings?"

"Yes, indeed," Hugh answered, glancing down at his phone. "Some of them were so wise as to contact me through this device instead, outside of our usual communication network. They appear to have located the back door perfectly well."

Misono gave an acknowledging nod. "So it was only the internet connection that was intercepted," he muttered. "Good. Dodo-san, we're almost there. Drop us off a few blocks away. Our group shall go first. Hugh, Tetsu, you seek out the back door and stay out of sight from the windows until our signal. The rest of you, come with me. Do not get involved in any fights if you can help it. Dodge all attacks. Our goal is only to distract Tsubaki and his group, not to leave them unable to fight."

The others nodded. Suddenly the mood in the car seemed much more tense than before.

Dodo stopped the car at Misono's sign, and for a second all of them hesitated. No one wanted to be the first to get out of the car and officially declare this mission started.

It was Licht who broke the silence at last, trying to push past Hyde to get towards the door. "Move, shit rat," he said. "We need to get out and save some people. We don't have time."

Snapping out of their daze, the others stirred, unbuckling their seat belts and opening the doors, one by one scrambling out of the car. "Do not stay here," Misono said to Dodo as he got out, "but remain in the vicinity. I will call you as soon as all this is over." Hopefully with as few people injured as possible, he added in his mind.

Dodo gave him a thumbs-up, closed the passenger door behind him, and drove off.

The others were left on the sidewalk, suddenly feeling very unprepared despite the thought-out plan.

Part of Misono wondered if this was a bad idea after all. If he had made some sort of mistake, if he had overlooked something, if he had miscalculated and was leading them all to their doom. If they were too late... or if they were walking into a trap. If they were accidentally doing the very thing Tsubaki was expecting them to do.

Well, no time to think over it now. They needed to hurry before anything bad happened.

"Let's go," he said to his group, straightening his posture to look more confident than he felt. "Tetsu, Hugh, remember your part of the plan. The rest of us comes after me." He glanced at the group. "Todoroki, you go ahead. It is more believable when someone like you leads the group."

Licht didn't need the invitation; he was already marching ahead, straight towards the hideout. "What are we waiting for?" he asked. "Let's kick some ass!"

"Whoa– Angel-chan, wait up!" Hyde shouted, stumbling after him. "We're not supposed to get into any fights, remember?"

"And that," Misono muttered under his breath, "is more believable too."

Lily scrambled after the bickering duo, trying to hold them back. Misono glanced over his shoulder at Tetsu and Hugh, hesitating. He didn't want to leave just yet. Suddenly a cold feeling of dread had settled inside his gut, the creeping, lingering thought that once they parted ways here, things would never be the same again.

He shook it off. What was he getting all sentimental for? He wasn't the type to believe in gut feelings. And his mind knew what they all had to do. He was the one who had made the plan. There was no going back now.

But he could at least say something to make this easier.

"Tetsu," he said, his voice sounding strange in his own ears, "Hugh. You two..." He tensed up for a moment, fidgeting, searching for words. It felt like there was so much he needed to say, but nothing came out except, "Take care of yourselves."

Hugh proudly stuck out his chest. "What do you take us for?" he said. "We shall complete this mission to your utmost satisfaction!"

"Hugh's right," Tetsu said with a smile. "We're gonna be okay. You guys take care too."

Misono mustered what he hoped looked more or less like a self-assured smirk. "Don't take us lightly."

Then he tore himself from Tetsu and Hugh and hurried after his group towards an uncertain fate.

---

Tsubaki's hideout loomed up in front of him, harmless-looking on the outside, but Kuro wasn't here to be fooled by appearances.

He was long past the stage of worry and doubt. He wasn't here to play around. They had caught Mahiru, and he was about to get him back. That was all he cared about. And if he had to kill someone to do it, and if he had to tear the entire house to pieces until nothing but a pile of rubble was left of it, he would get Mahiru back, no matter what became of him.

They'll pay for laying their hands on you.

He knew he was outnumbered. He knew they were stronger than him, but he didn't care. All reason, all carefulness, all self-preservation instincts had left him. The only things on his mind were the desperation to protect Mahiru and the burning, seething urge to kill everyone else who stood in his path.

His body moved on its own, like a machine, mechanic and unfeeling, marching through the garden gates that gave way too easily for all the built-up fury inside him. The path up to the house was crossed in a matter of seconds, and then he was standing in front of the door.

Behind this door, he thought, was Mahiru.

He just had to get through it and–

"Watanuki Sakuya, stop right where you are!"

He froze. This voice... was he imagining things? This wasn't a member of Tsubaki's gang. This was Misono's voice, clear and unmistakable.

For a short moment he wondered why he sounded so close when Sakuya shouldn't have come after him, then it hit him. Sakuya's hoodie. Through some way or another they had to know it was his.

All the better. If they were here to stop him, they wouldn't recognize him until it was too late.

Footsteps hurried up to him from behind, multiple sets, and at least two of them he recognized. There was the patter of Hyde's sneakers, the tapping of Lily's hard soles on the concrete. He gave himself a shake. Better not wait till they had caught up with him. He needed to get to Mahiru. Fast.

Taking aim, he stepped up to the door, fixing his gaze on the lock. One solid kick, maybe a few, maybe however many it took. He would tear down this door, no matter how long–

"This isn't Sakuya-kun!" Hyde's voice yelled from behind. "This is big brother!"

Caught.

Quick, quick. Before they could stop him. Before they could tell him something about danger and being careful, he had to–

"Big brother, no!"

Two arms grabbed him from behind, dragging him away from the door. He struggled and yanked, but another pair of arms came up from the side, holding him in place as he stared back and forth between Lily and Hyde.

"Let go," he gasped.

"No!" Hyde clung to him harder than ever, his voice painfully loud in Kuro's ear. "I'm not letting you go in there and sacrifice yourself! Not even if it's for Mahiru-kun! Stupid big brother!"

Lily nodded gravely. "You cannot go in there alone," he said. "You will be torn to shreds. All of us will free Mahiru-kun together. There is no need for you to risk anything on your own."

Kuro struggled. He didn't want their help. He didn't need their help. They would only hold him back. He needed to get to Mahiru, fast. As fast as his body could take him. Every lost second was too precious to spare.

More images flickered through his head, of blood, injuries, broken bones and stab wounds, ambulances and the blank stares of the unconscious. Memories. And yet not memories. He had been in these situations before. But now each one of the strangers' faces was replaced with Mahiru's, his gentle features splattered with blood, his uniform torn and bloodstained, his brown eyes blank and hollow, devoid of life and warmth. Hyde's countless broken bones. The knife in Lily's chest. All of it mingled with the image of Mahiru's face.

His instincts burst out of their cage, roaring to life. Turning abruptly, he elbowed Hyde in the face, stepping on Lily's foot as he caught his wrists and twisted them until he let go. Both of them still tried to catch him, but he pushed them both aside, speeding off and sprinting madly towards the door. Once he flung himself against it. Twice. From the back Lily and Hyde were approaching again, Licht close behind, Misono following. Soon they would catch up to him. Oh well, let them. As long as they didn't try to hold him back.

He eyed the lock again. The door was shut, but it wasn't locked. He could simply push it open... no, it wouldn't work. He couldn't grip it. His hands were shaking too much.

Taking good aim, Kuro leaped and hit the door with the most powerful kick he had.

There was a great crash and a bang. For a second Kuro felt like his leg was being pressed together. Then the door gave way, breaking out of its frame and slamming to the ground with Kuro landing on top.

He looked around, ready to fight anyone who got in his path.

But there was no one.

The corridor he had landed in was completely empty.

---

There was a thud. Then another thud. Then a long moment's silence.

Then a huge crash reverberated through the house, and the walls vibrated.

Mahiru jumped to his feet. His eyes darted from side to side. What was that noise? It sounded like it came from downstairs... like someone had managed to break down the door.

His entire body was drawn to the window. Every one of his instincts was telling him something strange was going on here, something that didn't make sense. Something didn't add up here. Were they being attacked? No... was Tsubaki's gang being attacked? But who was the attacker? Surely not one of the Servamps, right? After all, they shouldn't even know he was here. Or did they? But if they did, shouldn't they also know that this was a peace negotiation, and there was no need to fight?

He looked at Lilac and Otogiri, then at Tsubaki. Lilac looked a little frightened, but not even he seemed startled, surprised by this sudden crash, this intrusion into their turf. Almost like...

...like they had seen it coming.

The window. He had to get to the window. He had to see what was happening–

One step, and all three of them had stepped into his way.

"Hey!" he shouted, trying to step around them, but Berukia and Shamrock came in from the sides, trapping him with no way out, his back caught against his chair and the wall behind it. "What's happening? What's going on? Let me look!"

Not one of them budged. Mahiru hesitated. Would he need to force his way through? He didn't want to attack any of them, just in case they really did mean no harm, in case they really wanted to make a deal. But the part of him that still believed that was getting smaller and smaller. Something was too wrong here. Something was fishy.

Still, there were five of them, and he was alone. And unless whoever had broken down the door could get to him in time and help him, he was horribly, hopelessly outnumbered.

If only Kuro was here. The thought shot through his head before he could stop it, but he shut it down at once. That was out of the question. Kuro had made it clear enough that he wanted to part ways. There was no way he could possibly know he was here.

He had to deal with this alone, or not at all.

His thoughts were racing through his mind. Tactics, possibilities. Could he try to outsmart them somehow? Would he pull that off without any of them catching on? Probably not. But maybe if he used the element of surprise, if he made a sudden escape, he could make for the window and climb out, just like he had when escaping from C3–

C3. Tsurugi.

Of course.

It had only been a few times, but Tsurugi had given him lessons. Tsurugi had begun to teach him how to defend himself, for this very situation. So that if he ever found himself trapped by attackers, he would know what to do.

What had Tsurugi taught him again? Blocking... attacks... dodging... It wasn't much. Maybe not nearly enough. But it was a start, at least. Not all of them could be as strong as Tsubaki, right? He had managed to escape from Berukia before, for some time at least... Otogiri had stabbed Lily, but she wasn't carrying any knives now. Lilac and Shamrock's strength was unclear. An opening... some kind of opening...

Backwards, maybe?

It seemed completely absurd. Behind him was only a chair, and then the wall. But if he climbed that chair and jumped, he might be able to make an escape, get out through the door or window and run. Then he could get help somehow, either from the other Servamps or from Tsurugi and the others. He'd just need to call–

His hand reached into his pocket, and he froze. His phone was missing.

Had he lost it? No, that wasn't it. He had never dropped his phone before. And he hadn't left it lying around anywhere. But that only left...

When Tsubaki had got all up in his personal space all the time, when he had grown so suspiciously touchy... had this been the true goal?

Then that changed things. First of all he needed to get his phone back.

"Tsubaki," he said, glaring at him before a sudden idea shot through his head, and he sat down. "I'm not going to do anything, don't worry. But when are you planning to give me my phone back?"

Tsubaki lifted his head. For a second he looked surprised. Then the corners of his mouth twitched, and he reached into his pocket to pull out Mahiru's phone with an amused glint in his eye.

"So you noticed its absence," he said. "I kept it safe. Would you like it back?"

Mahiru stared at his eyes, searching for any hints, any signs that he wasn't telling the whole truth. His intuition was telling him Tsubaki was hiding things, but he wasn't skilled enough at reading his expression to tell if it was right. So he simply reached out for his phone, but Tsubaki's fingers quickly closed around it again, holding it out of his reach.

"Not so fast." He smiled without it reaching his eyes, and the unbidden image of a deviously smirking fox spirit suddenly crossed Mahiru's mind. "Before I return it to you, do you promise that you won't try to call anyone until we agree to part ways?"

Now this, Mahiru thought, this was definitely a trap.

Should he say yes? He could always find a loophole around it later, or secretly call someone from his pocket. And most importantly he would have his phone back, just in case. But if he tried anything, what would happen? Who was saying that Tsubaki and the other four were planning to let him get away with it?

He opened his mouth without knowing what word would come out of it when there was another crash and then a series of yells and thuds from downstairs, and quiet footsteps approached from the wall behind.

"Well, well," Tsubaki said, tossing up the phone and catching it again in his hand. "That took them a little longer than I thought. I only hope the little ones will heed my advice and try to dodge any attacks so no one will get killed." His expression turned serious. "As for us... we should prepare for step two."

More crashes, thuds and raised voices. Mahiru tried to see past the five lined up in front of him, but all he made out beyond were the wall, the window and the door. And then, suddenly, one of the voices rose above the others, clearer than the rest and familiar.

"Lily!" it shouted. "Hyde! Hold him back before he does anything to himself!"

Mahiru leaped forward. "Misono!"

Misono? Why was Misono here? And Lily and Hyde... and who in the world was he?

Licht? Tetsu? Hugh? Or...

Mahiru gave himself a shake. No. It couldn't be him. No matter how much he wished for it, no matter how much he hoped, it couldn't be Kuro. Kuro had turned his back on him. Kuro had left him. He couldn't keep relying on him anymore.

And yet, why couldn't he shake this feeling? Why were all of his instincts, all of his senses telling him that Kuro was here?

"Misono!" he shouted again, at the top of his lungs. "Can you hear me?"

There was a pause, then Misono's voice replied. "Shirota!"

"Mahiru-kun?" There was a yelp and a thud, then Lily's voice rang up from below, grave and concerned. "Is everything all right?"

Mahiru pushed closer to the ring of gang members surrounding him, pressing towards the door. "Don't worry!" he shouted back. "I'm fi–"

He never got to finish the sentence. Several hands clamped over his mouth at once. Arms caught hold of his sides, his limbs, yanking and pushing him back and roughly shoving him onto the ground.

Mahiru tried to protest, but he couldn't breathe. No sound came from his mouth. His body was pinned, held in place, unable to move no matter how much he struggled. Downstairs Misono and Lily called his name, sometimes joined by Hyde, but he couldn't respond.

Quick, he had to do something. Something. There had to be some way to free himself. Some way to get out of here and run to the others, tell him he was okay and they should get out of here, because this was definitely a trap. If he could just find a way... if he could just think...

A voice rang up from below. A loud, clear, desperate voice, drowning out all sounds, all sensations, all thoughts in Mahiru's head. A panicked voice, full of fury and horror. A voice Mahiru would recognize against a choir of a million others.

"Mahiru!"

Kuro.

A flash shot through Mahiru's head, faster than lightning. What had Tsurugi taught him? What had he been thinking before being distracted? He could still use all that. They would expect him to push back. They would expect him to try and free himself that way. So thinking simply... he would just have to try and escape in the other direction.

Without warning Mahiru stopped struggling. The hands on him remained firm for a moment, then they relaxed, just slightly enough to be noticeable but still tight enough to stop him from any sudden tricks. In the direction they expected him to go, anyway.

Mahiru waited for another moment. Then he pulled himself backwards, letting them shove him against the wall as their balance swayed and one by one they lost their grip. Before any of them could regain their hold he leaped up, jumping to his feet and onto the chair before launching himself straight at Tsubaki.

Lilac flinched away on instinct. Shamrock was shocked stiff. Berukia and Otogiri reached out their arms, but they were both a split second too late. Tsubaki dodged the attack just in time, but the phone was still within Mahiru's reach, and Mahiru snatched it out of his hand before landing on the ground and starting to run.

"After him!" Berukia and Shamrock screamed in sync. Mahiru ran faster. His legs sped towards the door, then out of the room into the corridor. Where to now? The stairs. Where were the stairs? He could have sworn they were near here. But in what direction? Who had built this house to make it as hard to navigate in as possible?

"Guys!" he yelled, starting off in what he could only hope was the right direction, going after the sounds. "I'm fine! Get out of here!"

"Easier said than done!" Hyde's voice rang back between a series of crashes, yells, and frightening thuds. "We're a little busy here at the moment!"

Mahiru glanced over his shoulder. Lilac and Otogiri were on his heels, but the others didn't seem to be following. Downstairs the others were fighting against an unknown number of minions. Were they surrounded? Could they not get out? If he went down to join them, would he be able to save them or be trapped along with the rest?

Behind him his pursuers. Before him the unknown.

Thinking simply, his best chance was the unknown.

Mahiru ran faster, speeding around corners until he came to the stairs, leaping down two and three and four at a time. His pursuers weren't getting closer, but they were keeping up. He couldn't slow down. Faster. He had to get down faster. The stairs ended, more corridors... where were the next stairs? How many floors did this stupid house have?

And even as he ran, an idea crossed his mind. A dangerous idea. A risky idea. But perhaps the best chance they had.

The others might hate him for it, but he would deal with that later. For now they were outnumbered. Most of the others were strong fighters, but even they couldn't keep going forever. They needed reinforcements. And thinking simply, in a situation like this, no matter what anyone else tried to tell him, the enemy of their enemy was their friend.

They won't attack us while there's plenty here of Tsubaki's gang, right?

And so Mahiru turned his phone in his pocket, tapping on the screen as he ran and sending a location and a short message. SOS

Then he leaped down the remaining stairs and found himself standing on the edge of a battlefield.

The ground floor was completely trashed. Every object, every piece of furniture was either shoved to the side or thrown roughly to the ground, lying on the floor cracked or shattered into a thousand shards. And it was swarming with people. Countless people, some of them only middle schoolers, others looking old enough to be college-aged, all of them masked to obscure their faces, emerging from countless rooms and doors that seemed to be leading into different parts of the house, impossible to overview like a hidden maze. Mahiru looked left and right, but he couldn't see his friends. He couldn't go any further either, not without walking straight into the stream of people. Behind him his pursuers approached.

What to do? Where to go?

He could try to overpower Lilac and Otogiri, of course. Lilac was small and didn't look like an experienced fighter. And Otogiri might have stabbed Lily back then, but right now she looked unarmed. Could he go up against her in hand-to-hand combat? Could he handle them both? If he attacked one of them, would the other get Tsubaki and Berukia and the rest of the gang?

Risky. It was too risky. But running blindly into the stream of masked gang members looked like an even worse idea.

Except... his friends were that way too.

What do I do? Decide, quick!

Well, thinking simply... the exit lay that way.

So that way he went.

Mahiru's feet kicked off the ground. For a short moment he was flying above the masked army, floating in midair, able to see everything and everyone. Time stood still.

Then he crashed into the group, stumbled, caught himself and started running.

Gasps came from every side. A few of the masked strangers swerved to the side, narrowly avoiding a collision. Mahiru ignored them and ran. Weaving through the fighters, he pushed his way through, hurriedly, steadily making for the door and the glimpse of his friends he had caught there from midair.

"Everyone!" he shouted, hoping his voice could reach them over the clamor of the fight ahead. "I'm safe! Get out of here and run!"

No answer. Mahiru ran faster. "Guys!" he screamed against the noise. "Guys! I'm here! Hurry up and get out!"

"Shirota!" Misono's voice yelled back. "Where are you?"

Mahiru's face lit up with relief. "I'm on my way! Are you all okay?"

"Largely unharmed!" Misono replied before his voice rang throughout the whole building. "Everyone! Fall back! Retreat!"

"Fall back!"

"Retreat!"

The words echoed through the front of the building, repeated by different voices from different sides. Then suddenly the stream of fighters around Mahiru slowed. The battle ahead ebbed down, and the corridor grew quiet.

Mahiru pushed his way through, but suddenly he was met with a wall. There was nowhere to pass through, not on one side, not on the other. Behind him people were closing in. And the ones directly in front of him had turned around to stare at him from their masked faces.

"What?" Mahiru asked, looking right and left and back, searching for an opening, the slightest hint of an escape. "What do you want?"

"Stop right here."

The tallest one of the masks rose up right in front of him, dark and looming, his face impossible to discern behind his getup. "We can't let you escape just yet," he said. "Your role is not yet over."

In a different situation Mahiru might have wondered what that meant, but right now he didn't have the patience. "Role?" he shot back. "I don't care about my role! The only one who can decide my role is me, and I say I want to get out!"

The masks pressed closer. Hands reached out towards Mahiru. One grabbed his arm. Another one took hold of his shirt, pulling it so tightly he could hear the fingers digging into the fabric.

Mahiru struggled. More hands reached his way. Some he could bat away. More followed. An iron grip closed around his wrist, others around his shoulders, even his legs. He was outnumbered. He was overpowered. He couldn't escape.

What now? Should he try to knock someone out? Pull another trick? He might create an opening if he was quick enough. But then what? Behind every masked figure around him there were rows and rows more. How many could he get past before they got him again? Could he get past any at all? Were the tricks Tsurugi and Kuro had tried to teach him good enough to get past this army?

Should he shout? The others had retreated already, but there was a chance they might still hear him and–

A dull thud interrupted his thoughts. The tall masked stranger in front of him staggered, stumbled, and fell to the ground.

Instead of the mask Mahiru found himself face to face with a figure. For a split second his eyes met with familiar red ones. Time stood still.

Then a shadow flashed among the rows of his captors, back and forth until all of them were either knocked out, crouching in pain or fleeing.

A hand closed around his wrist, pulling him towards the exit. Mahiru followed, too startled and shaken to be able to think. His eyes lingered on the hand on his wrist, traveling along the arm, coming to rest on the back, the familiar back behind which he had already stood so many times. The same figure who had protected him from day one, saved him over and over. The same person who had swooped in to save him now, even though he had ended their friendship only hours ago.

Kuro didn't look back. He didn't slow down or stop until they were safely out of the building, making their stumbling way out through the garden gate and into the street. Only once they were outside did they stop, leaning side by side against the fence, breathing hard.

Mahiru caught himself, then he glanced up. Part of him felt like he had to speak now or never, that once the danger was over, Kuro would disappear again and be gone. He needed to keep him here. He needed him to listen.

And yet all he managed out as he stood there, staring at him, was, "Kuro... thank you."

"What a pain."

Mahiru's words got stuck in his throat. Something about Kuro's voice touched his heart. He sounded so... normal all of a sudden. Like none of the things earlier had happened. Like they were still friends, and everything was okay between them, and now that they were safe they would quietly walk back to their rooms together and wish each other a good night.

"You're so troublesome," Kuro muttered, hands in his pockets, not looking at his face. "I leave you alone for one afternoon and you get caught up in this. Can't deal."

Mahiru swallowed. Under normal circumstances, he thought, this would be the moment where he got annoyed with Kuro and set off a chain of squabbling and bickering. But right now he couldn't yell at him. Right now he wanted nothing more than to pull him into his arms and hold onto him until he promised to never disappear on him like that again.

"Kuro," he began softly, "I–"

"Shirota! Are you unharmed?"

"Mahiru-kun! Big brother!"

A series of footsteps approached, and one by one Misono, Lily, Hyde and Licht came running up to them, worry and relief on their faces. All of them were varying degrees of disheveled; Licht had a black eye and several bruises all over his face and arms, Lily's clothes were torn and scratched, and Hyde was sporting a bleeding gash diagonally across his forehead. Otherwise they looked unharmed but exhausted, and suddenly a great wave of shame welled up inside Mahiru for being responsible for all their injuries.

"Guys," he said. "You, uh... Are you okay?"

"Largely," Misono replied irritably. "More importantly, what about you? Tsubaki sounded ready to torture you in that phone call."

Mahiru gaped at him, processing the words. "His wha– Phone call? Are you saying he called you guys here?"

"Precisely that. I strongly suspect it was a trap of some kind." Misono wiped a dusty sleeve across his forehead. "Did they do anything to you? How did you come here?"

"Well..." Oh great, Mahiru really was getting embarrassed now. "Actually, they tricked me. They said they wanted to talk to me about making a deal to team up against C3, but... I guess they just used me as a bait." He sighed. "I should never have followed, but they didn't really give me a choice. And since they told me it wouldn't take long, thinking simply..."

"A foolish decision, yes," Misono said with a sigh. "But no further harm done. You can tell us how you managed to escape later. For now, where did you leave Tetsu and Hugh?"

Mahiru stopped in his tracks. "They were with you guys too?"

"Yes... They were sent to sneak you out from behind while we kept Tsubaki's gang distracted." Lily stepped closer, his brows knitting together in a frown. "Are you saying you escaped without their help? But then..."

"They must still be in there," Mahiru and Misono said in unison.

Misono didn't hesitate. Without losing a second he pulled out his phone, picking out Tetsu's number, dialing and holding it to his ear. "I shall give them a call," he said. "Let us hope they haven't been seen yet."

He waited. And waited. And waited.

"Voicemail," he said at last, his face pale. "The phone rings, but he isn't picking up."

"Maybe he's got his phone on silent," Mahiru said. "Try Hugh."

Misono searched for the contact and dialed again. Waited. With the same result.

"I cannot reach them. Either of them."

"Crap." Cold dread crept up from Mahiru's insides. "Should we go back inside?"

Out of the window came the loud, unmistakable laugh that could only belong to Tsubaki's voice.