February 16th, 2006
"Damnit!" Baji yelled, punching the wall with his teeth bared, "Those bastards are going to pay for what they have done."
The room was heavy with anger and grief after what they heard. Of course, they were glad that Kai was hanging on. It was the fact that she could still succumb to her injury. Not to mention the loss of the baby. Everyone was angry.
"I don't think it was them." All eyes were on Ayato. "I may not have known Kai for very long but what I do know is that stabbing her wouldn't be so easy."
No one could object to that. Takemichi and Chifuyu shared a look before turning to spare a glance at Mikey as the boy stared at Ayato.
"What are you saying?" Emma asked.
"I think it was one of us. I think someone in this room tried to kill Kai when her guard was down. One of us is an imposter."
Masashi turned a glare in Hakkai's direction, "I say it's this bastard. He already tried to kill her once."
Hakkai's eyes widened, guilt of what he attempted to do months ago flashing in his mind.
"Hold on a minute," Mitsuya came to Hakkai's defense, "We shouldn't just start blaming each other."
"The who the fuck is it?" Masashi yelled, hands in fists at his sides.
"We can just wait until Kairi wakes up," Takemichi suggested, "She can tell us who did it."
"I am not waiting," Mikey stood up, causing everyone to look at him with unease as they looked at his face. His aura overwhelmed them with a sense of danger.
"He is right," Ayato spoke again, agreeing with her brother. "The imposter might wait for an opportunity to finish the job and silence her. They did try to kill her. Leaving a witness would be stupid."
"Who do you think it is, Yato?" Mikey asked her, dark eyes looking through her.
She looked around the room, "Kazutora-kun, Baji, and I were together all day and when Kai was attacked. It's neither of us. Mitsuya-kun and Smiley-san were attacked before Kai was. And Hakkai-kun and Angry-san stayed by their side. Arai-kun and Mori-kun were attacked during the time Kai was. All of them have been at this hospital getting treatment. I doubt Kai's brother would try to hurt her. He doesn't have it in him. And Chifuyu-kun was with him all day. Rin-kun and Subaru-kun have been at HQ. I know this because I called them when we were attacked. That just leaves you."
All eyes turned on Masashi.
"What? What the fuck? You think I would hurt Kai?" Masashi questioned. "She's my best friend. We grew up together. Why the fuck would I try to kill her? It could be someone else that isn't here. Like those Black Dragon guys. Maybe they are working for Kurokawa."
"You mean Inui-kun and Kokonoi-kun?"
He nodded.
"Can't be them," Rin said, earning everyone's attention, "Inui is resting in this hospital after the 6th Division Captain went traitor and left for Tenjiku, taking Kokonoi with him."
"How do you know that?" Draken asked. He was shocked by the news.
"Inui told me when he called me to tell me what happened. I called an ambulance for him after tracking his location. It was too far from where Boss was attacked for them to be the culprits."
"Which still only leaves you," Ayato said, walking towards the taller boy, "Where were you when Kai was attacked?"
Masashi glared down at Ayato, "I was attacked just like the rest of you."
"Ayato-kun," Takemichi went to stand in front of her, "Masashi-kun's my sister's best friend. They came here together. Remember? She trusts him more than anyone else. Well, other than Mikey-kun that is..." He scratched the back of his head as he added that.
"Exactly. She trusts him the most. Making it easy for him to be able to get past her guard and kill her."
"You are still missing a motive," Katsuhiro added, "Why would he do that?"
"... I don't know. But I was looking around when we all heard the news about the baby and I saw his lips twist up."
"You're insane! You saw shit!" Masashi yelled. "I'd never hurt her!" He looked around to the others, "You believe me, right?"
"Did you... Did you really smile, dude?" Katsuhiro questioned. "Why would Ayato lie about that?"
"I don't know!"
Ayato pushed Takemichi out of her way and grabbed on Masashi's collar with her eyes set on fire as she stared him down, "Quit the act. I know it was you."
"My, my. It's lively here."
Everyone turned to see an older boy walking up to them with a smile on his face. He was followed by several other boys in a gang uniform. Tenjiku had arrived.
"What the fuck are you bastards doing here?!" Baji all but growled out, ready to go on the attack. Ayato let go of Masashi to pull her boyfriend back.
"Can't I come say hi to my dear siblings and pray for my little brother's fiance's recovery?" Izana questioned, the eerie smile never leaving his face. "How is she? I rushed over the second I heard the news."
"You have some nerve showing up," Katsuhiro spat, "After having your guys attack all of us and Boss."
Izana tilted his head to the side, "Hm? By Boss do you mean Mikey's woman? I had nothing to do with that."
Ayato stepped forward towards Izana, standing a couple feet from him, "Why? Why ruin everything Shinichiro-niisan worked so hard for? Why attack your own siblings?"
Izana's smile vanished, "You wouldn't understand."
"Wouldn't I?" she spat, "Niisan would come visit me to try to form a relationship with me because he knew I was his sibling. He just wanted all of us to be happy together. I'm sure of it! And you are trying to tear that apart! Why?" She bit her lip, "Why didn't you just come home?"
Izana's eyes widened at her words, "Home?"
She nodded, "We are family aren't we?"
"She's right," Emma agreed, standing beside her sister, "Izana-niisan, come home."
Izana looked away from them, "It's too late for that. I just came here to declare war on the Tokyo Manji Gang."
Ayato was too stubborn to let this go. To let him go. After learning about Mikey and Emma, she was so happy that she had people to call family. And now she found out she had yet another brother. She wasn't going to let him turn his back on them. Not without a fight.
She took the last few steps towards him, pulling his head towards hers by his cheeks so that their foreheads were touching.
"It's never too late for family," she said to him. "Please don't push us away." She closed her eyes. "I remember how lonely I felt when I thought I had no family. When I found out I was siblings with Mikey and Emma, I felt so happy." She opened her eyes to stare at him, "We can share that together."
Izana looked at her. Really looked at her. What she said to him was honest words. He could feel what she said was true. She wasn't trying to deceive him. She really accepted him as her brother.
His heart began to beat. He felt the need to cry. Was this what he truly wanted all along? To be accepted? To have a family to belong to?
He closed his eyes, leaning in on her forehead. He relished the feeling of affection he was getting. Affection he had been missing for a very long time. But then fear wrapped around his heart, causing him to bring his hands to hers and pulling away from her.
"You don't understand," he said, emotion leaving his face, "Emma's mother adopted me. I'm not blood related to any of you."
Here it was. They were going to reject him. He did not belong.
"So what?" Izana's eyes widened again. Ayato shifted her hands to clasp his, "Blood or not. Shinichiro-niisan say you as a brother, right? So do I."
"Me too," Emma added in, grabbing one of Izana's hands, "You have always been my brother, Izana-niisan."
"Izana," footsteps indicated someone walking towards the three. Mikey stood with them, he pulled Izana's forehead against his just as Ayato had done, "Family is family."
Mikey couldn't stop himself. Ayato was one of the only people he would listen to when he felt the bloodlust overcoming him. What she said made sense. It had to be someone Kai trusted that would be able to stab her from the front like that. And if Ayato accepted Izana, maybe Mikey could too. Maybe he would be able to gain allies to better protect Kai. He needed more strength to protect the person most precious to him.
The siblings pulled away.
Izana looked into Mikey's eyes, "I really did not have anything to do with your woman's attack. I just heard about it not long ago. But I do have an idea who could be behind it."
Mikey's eyes widened slightly before turning dark again, "Ha?"
"Kisaki."
Mikey and Izana went up to the roof to discuss the details of the information while the injured Toman boys left to go back to their rooms. The other Tenjiku guys stayed in the waiting room with Draken, Takemichi, Ayato, Emma, Chifuyu, and Baji. Ayato made Masashi leave, not truly trusting him to be anywhere near Kai for the time being.
The next few days, Izana and Mikey worked together to try to find Kisaki and Hanma that had gone into hiding. They would have people watch over Kai as often as they could. Mikey would make sure that either Ayato, Baji, Takemichi, Draken, or himself was there to look after Kai.
While Ayato's logic made sense that it could be Masashi, Mikey could not kill him. If Kai were to wake up and Masashi was innocent and Mikey killed him, she would never forgive him. He couldn't allow that. He needed proof.
All that was in the blond's mind was ways he would torture the person responsible for hurting Kai and killing their baby. He would make it hurt before sending him to hell. It was only a matter of time.