Realistic or Modern Fixers: Japan Edition

[ZombieBaee]

Candy

It was good to hear that Crow had been keeping tabs on Lee while he was gone, it made her feel a little better about her apartment but it was still creepy to be up there alone. Honestly she wasn’t sure if she could ever go back? There was too much history there between her parents and the shit with Lee. That was a later problem though, for now they needed to get through the next few weeks taking down the Suits and supporting the Fixers. So for now she just stuck to staying at Crows house and helping handle things from there when she wasn’t at the bar. Shadow seemed quite thankful to have someone in the house to fully take over the computer and communication with Crow and honestly Candy kind of loved it.

Even now while the others were in route to the conference, Candy was placed in front of the large computer in her own little computer chair and her own mouse and keyboard. Crow was besides her and had split the various screens between the two of them. Candy was handling communication with the team while Crow did the heavy lifting with security, hacking and surveillance.

“Guys there’s only two rooms in the whole center we couldn’t get into the cameras, I’m starting to think there physically are none. So just be wary of that, one is a utility closet near the main room that Ivan will be in but the other is on the 4th floor no where near where we need to be.” Candy pressed a button on her headset to talk to the others as her fingers flew across her keyboard. “It looks like Esme and Daisuke are already there as well. They’re with Ivan and his team.”

Daisuke and Esme couldn’t join on the headset because their would be too many questions, so Candy kept them in the loop through text and would update the others on anything she saw from them.

Candy turned off her mic and looked over at Crow. “I have a good feeling about today. I see a win in our future!” She cheered slightly and leaned over in her chair to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before tuning back into her duties. She was optimistic as ever but honestly things seemed to be going well. It was early still for sure but… at least for today the goal was for no one to get killed.

 

[KAYDEN]

Daisuke Tanaka

Zuki was remembering things, like ACTUALLY with details! It seemed a bit fuzzy for sure but she was starting to place people and events together. It was amazing! And it was KILLING Daisuke that he hadn’t been able to hand out with her and talk about it much since that night at Crows house. Of course they texted as much as humanly possible it seemed but with this conference coming up and Ivan being huge on his public image, Daisuke and Esme had been pulled in a thousand different directions.

“My son in law won’t appear to be a fucking loser. You will be there and you will uphold my standards.” Those had been Ivan’s exact words to Daisuke about this conference. Apparently it was the biggest of the year for him, where he made a lot of business connections and met with a lot of current shareholders in his various companies. It only made it all the more sweeter to imagine selling him out on that main stage.

Today was finally the day and for the most part Daisuke had to put his trust in the others hands, Zuki especially. They couldn’t be on the ear pieces because Ivan or his men would say something so they were reduced to Candy constantly texting him and Esme with all the communication. Currently Daisuke and Esme were following behind Ivan and his security detail as he walked around and met with various vendors and staff. It was disgusting to see him acting like he was some great and kind man when he was quite aware of how this fucker acted behind closed doors.

As their group turned a corner Daisuke was stopped by a member of Ivan’s team, telling him that Ivan asked for Daisuke to go and meet a family member involved in the business. Only when Esme asked who and offered to come with, she was shot down. The interaction made his hair stand on end… something was wrong. “Sure, be right there.” He nodded to the man and was thankfully left alone momentarily to speak to Esme. Daisuke leaned down to give her a fake kiss on the cheek and whisper in her ear to tell the others what was happening and to excuse herself to find Zuki.

Then Daisuke was led out of the room and down the hall, up an elevator. Once they landed in the fourth floor and they were met with the vast emptiness of it all… Daisuke realized he was screwed. Before he could even turn and try and run one of the men put a gun to his back and pushed him down the hall towards a room that they unlocked with a key card. Inside Daisuke was met with three other men, these guys were more of Ivan’s men but it was clear they were different from his normal security. They were Suits.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Luna

This was a ridiculous plan. Keeping the target alive complicated things, and despite Daisuke reassuring her that they could do this she didn’t understand why. He was a bad guy, it seemed like Esme understood that and yet she still wanted the guy alive? Call it having no family for most of her life, but Zuki didn’t understand that sentiment. Bad guys deserved to die…but, she promised that she’d avoid killing him. While Daisuke worked on getting access for everyone Zuki took it upon herself to volunteer to be security, and by volunteer she threatened literally most members of his security team. After most everyone backed out Zuki showed up and, like she planned, was asked to help keep the peace at the conference. That was the easy part.

Despite texting Daisuke and talking at the meetings in the bar Zuki still couldn’t find the confidence to tell him about most of her memories returning. Her head was still fuzzy and she couldn’t recall most things that happened the last year, besides she would have time to talk to him after Ivan was no longer an issue. Everyone had their roles for the operation, Zuki would strike when her and Ivan were alone and they could all move onto the next mission. So as the conference went on she casually walked the perimeter of the building and made a half assed effort to guard the building. She was dressed in tight black pants, a white button up paired with a black suit jacket, her favorite boots, and her long black hair was tied up into a tight bun.

The last thing she expected during her rounds was a panicked Esme running up to her with the news that Daisuke had been taken. Her heart sunk into her stomach and she told her to go with Akari and Asa to stay safe. With that said Zuki was moving rather quickly to the hallway Esme said he was taken to. Over her earpiece Zuki demanded the men report in and they responded that the suspect was apprehended and that some other men were handling him in the conference room upstairs. “Guys they have Daisuke. I’m going to get him, he’s upstairs. Shadow, Emi, if you want to stay close to the conference room up there I’d appreciate it. Smells like some Suit bullshit.”

As Zuki made her way to the room Daisuke was in she pulled out her security badge and let herself in. Her hair was held together with long chopstick looking items, though they Zuki had altered them to make them blow darts that shot tranquilizers. She pulled out the sticks from her hair and without hesitation shot the two men beating Daiuske to a pulp, watching them drop to the floor and leaving Ivan standing. “What the fuck are you doing? He’s your son in law isn’t he? Some family guy you are.” With that said she dropped the sticks and pulled out her gun to aim it at him as she untied Daisuke.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Sunny

“I really think you should have let me pack some tripwire. It came in handy our first mission together, I don’t see the downside in at least bringing it.” The conference was going on well, so well that it didn’t seem that Emi and Kage would be needed. Since it was decided she would go back to Hitoshi’s to stay and keep an eye on her she felt like Kage was mad at her. Part of her knew that he wasn’t and that he was just worried, and that she was being paranoid because of how guilty she felt for leaving him again. She kept her promise though! Every moment available she was texting him, the gun was glued to her person at all times, she stood her ground and no one touched her. Even all of her bruises were healed! Whenever they met at the bar she stayed with him at the house, she was really trying to reassure him that they’d make it through this.

Deep down inside though the thought of everything being done made her extremely nervous. Akari was moving out and on with her life, and she was worried Kage would move on without her. After all, she didn’t have much to offer. Plus, it didn’t help her anxiety when she had a vision of Lee last night; he had been waiting in the bar parking lot and looked angry. The man was never up to any good, and to be honest the vision made her feel sick to her stomach.

At some point she had to address Kage about it, but he had always been the one to be skeptical about her visions. The thought of him not believing her broke her heart, and she was struggling to bring it up. They stood in the conference room and she smoothed out her knee length light blue dress, perking up when she heard Zuki’s voice in her ear via the earpiece. They had Daisuke? Oh, no. Did Ivan suspect something? Did they know what they were up to? “Don’t get yourself into too much trouble without us.” With that said her brown eyes looked up to see that they were near the staircase. Quietly she opened the door and slipped inside, making her way up to the next floor. “So we just hang out by the door in case she needs us?” Maybe now was the time to talk about his brother? They were alone, and she didn’t like awkward silence.

“Hey, would you believe me if I told you I saw your brother at the bar? Not like, last night. I saw him in a vision, and I just wanted to let you know. He was sitting in a car. I don’t want to scare the others but we should be extra cautious, maybe we could even catch him.” Emi gave him a weak smile, hoping she wasn’t showing how nervous she was.

 

[Sir Damien]

Doc

“I’m just going to look at you from now on until you remember what my answer is. It isn’t changing. Of course I don’t mind killing the fucker.” With a small sigh Asa ran a hand over her head in hopes to ease her nerves. He could tell that this had been killing her, but he seriously didn’t mind. She wasn’t the type to kill someone, she shouldn’t have to turn her ideals just for some low life like him. Good people like her…they deserved to stay good. Asa wasn’t a good person by any means, but he did want to protect her in any way possible. “If you change your mind I’ll be here, but other than that we’re going to be sticking with me being the one to do it. Thanks.” As she handed him the earpiece and badge he equipped them, smiling fondly to himself at the memory that popped in his head. “Like our first mission? If I recall correctly you were not my biggest fan.”

“Those missions were a means to some extra money, but things changed when you joined. I actually enjoy doing things now. I’m sure after everything is all over with we could get together for a game night or something. Murder mystery night?” With a small chuckle he gave her hand a kiss as she squeezed his hand, standing from the car shortly after she did. He tucked one hand into his pocket as he walked next to her and into the building. The conference building was packed, the technology getting released was the latest and greatest and everyone was abuzz. The pair walked around for a while before he eyed Esme running across the large room towards them. “Somethings up.”

As if on cue he could hear Zuki over the earpiece, saying Daisuke had been caught and arranging Emi and Shadow as backup. “We’ll be here if you need us, and I suppose we’ll look after you Esme. Just stick with us, and try to calm down. Daisuke will be fine. Let me know if I need to come patch him up.”” The poor girl was in a panic but Asa did not feel like dealing with that.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Sherlock

Akari knew that Asa meant what he said but it was still hard to her to accept for whatever reason. It just felt wrong to ask someone to do that sort of thing for her, no matter who it was. "Okay." She sighed and accepted his words for yet another time, listening to him as they walked towards the building. The thought made a smile spread across her face a bit. "I'm still not your biggest fan." She joked at him, glancing up at him out of the corner of her eye. They were getting back to their old selves, slowly but surely... and it felt nice. "But to be fair, you didn't like me either. If I recall you were the one that was the most against Emi and I moving in, besides myself that it is. As for the future... I don't see this crew having a murder mystery party without Crow actually acquiring a real dead body so hard pass, but I appreciate the sentiment. I'm sure we will find our thing again after all this."

Inside the convention center was bustling with various men and women in all different walks of life. Some were clearly business men while some were clearly simply pedestrians here looking around for something to do. However despite all the people, one woman managed to stand out as per usual. Esme. Only she was running towards the two of them in a panic and causing people to stare. Besides her Asa piped up and Akari simply nodded in agreement.

As Esme reached them Zuki chimed in through the ear piece and Akari let out a groan. This had been going so well, how did that idiot get grabbed already? "Esme, Asa is right. Daisuke will be fine and we really need you to calm down. People are looking." The last bit was added on under her breath as she noticed people were staring. Esme was well known around town as was, but now that they were at a convention that was largely focused on her father? A lot of people knew who she was and having her acting like this was going to cause issues. "Come on, let's get you somewhere safe. Just act like you're sick or something and were taking you somewhere to rest." Akari made a bit of a show out of escorting Esme away from the crowd while nodding for Asa to come with them. "Candy find me a room please?"

With Candy's help the three of them found an empty meeting room, it was fairly small so it wasn't in use for any of the vendors but there was a large table surrounded by chairs. Akari had Esme take a seat and breathe before she turned to Asa and bit her lip. "They will be fine right?" She spoke to him before reaching up to turn on the mic to her earpiece. "Make sure someone keeps eyes on the exits. Even if we handle Ivan almost all of his staff are probably Suit members as well, they might call for help."

 

[ZombieBaee]

Candy

Candy watched on the cameras as men took Daisuke out of the main conference room, Crow followed Daisuke on his screens and Candy followed Esme. Thankfully it seemed that Daisuke had told the woman to find Zuki so that was good. Candy chimed in herself as she watched Zuki head off towards the room Daisuke was taken to while she kept an eye on Esme. "Akari, Asa incoming." She gave them a quick warning as the woman quickly made her way through the crowds to find the couple who was posing as convention center employees. While the three of them made their way to the small meeting room with Candy's instruction, the green haired girl was constantly glancing over to watch Crow's screens.

It was clear that the rooms without cameras was some shady plan of Ivan's, not a design flaw. "Zuki we don't have eyes on you guys. Try and narrate without sounding weird ok? And try to get him to say some shit we can use against him if he tries to fight anything in court. We probably already have enough on the fucker but let's add a cherry on top yeah?"

Candy clicked off her mic and focused on listening as she turned to Crow. "Let's have an ambulance on stand by, Asa is there to patch anyone up but..." She couldn't help but be worried again. Everyone here was constantly getting hurt and now two of the MOST OFTEN HURT PEOPLE were in a room with a bunch of gang members and no fucking cameras. Not a good sign.

 

[KAYDEN]

Daisuke Tanaka

Things got bad quick after the door shut to the room that they had brought Daisuke up to. Somehow Ivan was already waiting for him despite them having just left him downstairs. He must have taken a separate route to avoid questions from others. Before Daisuke could even question what was going on he was getting thrown to the ground and beaten without question. At one point they stopped momentarily for Ivan to ask Daisuke if he wanted to tell him anything about Zuki... and Daisuke's heart sunk. All he did was say he didn't know what Ivan was implying and apparently that meant the discussion was over and back to the beating it was.

It became clear quickly that this wasn't about getting information. This was about power. Ivan had been made a fool of and he knew it now. He must have found out something or else he wouldn't have been asking about Zuki. This was about proving a point, that he wasn't to be messed with or gone against. They didn't ask him anymore questions after the first and now all that happened was Ivan laughing as his fucking goons beat Daisuke to a pulp while he was unable to fight back what so ever.

When the door opened Daisuke was barely conscious but he could hear the sound of someone coming closer to him and the sound of two bodies thudding to the ground beside him. Then someone was untying his arms and he heard Zuki's voice. He wasn't shocked that she came to his rescue after he sent Esme to find her but it was still kind of jarring to hear her here. It made him worried, especially after Ivan had just been questioning about her. "He knows." Daisuke groaned as he moved to sit up with great difficulty, letting out a few groans and a whole hell of a lot of winces as he did so. A rib was broken for sure and he knew he was covered in fucking bruises. His lip was split and who knew what else was wrong. He just knew that this was bad, their plan was relying on the fact that they were catching Ivan off guard, not the other way around.

"Oh please Zuki, that man doesn't give a fuck about family. If he did his own daughter wouldn't be so quick to be against him." Daisuke spoke and took in a deep breath, breathing was proving to be a bit difficulty let alone talking. He only hoped that his words would shock Ivan enough so Zuki could do something more. It was likely only a matter of time before more of his men arrived if they were gone for too long without any one updating them about what was going on up here.

 

[EclipseRosee]

Kage;Shadow

"Your tripwire from the first mission was entirely luck and accident. I don't see it actually going well if we tried to plan it. Doesn't seem to be the way things work for you love." Kage looked down at Emi with a raised eyebrow and sighed slightly. "Let's just get through this safely without any extra options for you to get hurt okay?" He knew she was much more capable of protecting herself now than she was back then but it was still hard for him to let go of that control. Back then he had felt so weird about his need to keep her safe, he didn't understand it, didn't get why he felt such a need. But now? Kage was in love with Emi. It only made him more and more worried each time. Finally he let himself feel something, have someone, open himself up. It was so much scarier now than it was before even if she was stronger now. "When you're with me you don't have to worry about trip wire or fighting or any of that okay? I'll keep you safe so that you can save that energy for when I can't be there." He patted her head softly with a slight smile. Of course he was talking about when she was at the house... he was still uneasy about all of that but accepted that he was outvoted when it came to the matter.

In his ear he heard Zuki speak up and Kage let out a long sigh as he followed Emi out of the room and up to the next floor. He knew it couldn't just go smoothly. "Yeah, we will just wait for her word if anything happens. If she does I will go in and I want you to stay back and be ready to call in Asa and Akari ok? If things go bad I want you to be the one to make sure we can get help ok?" He looked down at her and smoothed over her hair as the two of them stood in the empty hallway.

When Emi spoke up again it caught him off guard a bit. It had been a long while since someone had brought up his brother to him and even longer since she had mentioned one of her visions. It wasn't that Kage didn't trust her, it was that he just didn't know if he trusted her visions... or whatever they were. It made much more sense to him that she was simply intuitive with a very good imagination. And with all the shit that constantly was happening around her, who could blame her for that sort of thing?

"Em no one has seen him in months, Crow checked last I knew. Do you think that maybe all this shit going on just has you on edge? Like a nightmare sort of thing?" Kage didn't like the thought about his brother possibly popping up again but... fact of the matter was that from what anyone could tell he had disappeared... or died. "I understand your worry but I really think right now he is the least dangerous thing on our plates."

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Luna

"Hey, hey. Take it easy there champ." Zuki knelt down in front of the battered Daisuke to assess the damage, grimacing as she heard Candy in her ear. As Daisuke moved to sit up she reached out and tried her best to help support him, though she quickly felt overwhelmed as she began to remember everything. Maybe it was something about seeing Daisuke bloody like their first mission, but she could remember everything up until the shootout that caused her amnesia. Her face began to turn red with anger when he said that Ivan knew, and she gave a firm nod. "Of fucking course he does. Just stay still, I'll get you out of here in a minute." Zuki gave him a warm smile before she stood up and spun around, a scowl planted on her face as she pulled out her silenced pistol from her hip. Ivan stood there laughing, going on about how he connected the dots and how this was what they get for trying to pull one over on him. "Now, I expect you two to remedy this situation and get a divorce. If not, we'll do away with you and Pepe. I know the boss doesn't want you dead, but sacrifices must be made for the future."

Something snapped inside of her. Like the first time she killed someone, when she just threw caution to the wind. Without warning Zuki shot him in the knee, watching as the man fell down screaming. "You guys are calling an ambulance right? Make it two. Now, Ivan. You've pissed me off. Normally I wouldn't care who you fuck with, but you chose my husband to beat to a pulp. Not your smartest move. You want to kill people just to force your daughter in a marriage that would make her miserable? For fucking what, your image? Honestly I'm sick of you, and I'm thinking you're better off dead." With a yawn Zuki walked to Ivan and knelt down next to him, pressing the pistol to his temple. Like she anticipated he began to beg, to apologize, and say that he'll do anything to live. "You're going to pack your shit, make sure I never fucking see your face again, and you're going to disappear. No more Suits. You won't interfere in anyone's life anymore. You either agree or I put a fucking bullet through your skull." Ivan screamed, cried, agreed to the terms and beg for her to release him. "Be out of town by tomorrow." Zuki threw him to the floor before making her way back to Daisuke, depositing her gun just as the EMS people ran into the room. "You cool if I ride with again?"

---

Once they arrived at the hospital the cops took her to question her while Daisuke was taken back to be examined. They said that Ivan had been attacked and he said the man ran off before Zuki had gotten there, and that they just needed to confirm the story. Zuki confirmed that she walked in and found them, and that seemed enough for the officers. They were off and it left Zuki to pacae the waiting room, though Esme and Pepe were soon there joining her. Her dad had been shot and he seemed so apologetic to her about everything he had put her through, he said he'd leave back to France in the morning and she was free to leave Daisuke, do whatever she wanted to be happy. It warmed her heart to see Esme so grateful and thanking her, but when the doctor came out asking for her she was quick to abandon them and follow him back to the room.

From the sounds of it the injuries weren't life threatening, he patched him up as much as he could but with the broken ribs he had to take it easy for the next few weeks. "We really have to stop meeting here." Zuki smiled sweetly at her before moving across the room, pulling up a chair so she could sit right next to him. "How are you holding up? Sounds like you'll need someone to nurse you back to health, and without Ivan breathing down our neck I think we can go to the Fixers house so I can tend to you. Pepe even offered to go back to your place to get your things." Gently she held his hand, lacing her fingers together with his, her thin finger now adorned with her wedding ring. "I missed you Daisuke, I'm really sorry I ran off on you. Can you forgive me?”

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Sunny

Part of her loved that that Kage always wanted her to feel safe and secure, but it made her sad that he was dismissing her vision as just some nightmare. She knew what she saw! With a small sigh Emi gave a small nod and looked away from him. "Yeah, nightmare. Right." It was clear that Emi was not happy with his answer but swallowing it down was the right choice for now. She would just have to tackle this on her own if he wasn't going to help her be on the lookout. “Maybe after everything’s all done you can retire from this profession? We could move somewhere nice and quiet so we don’t have to live such a dangerous life…just a thought.” It wasn't too long after his disappointing response when a shot rang out and she could hear Zuki taunting Ivan over the earpiece. It was clear she wasn't happy with the way she was threatening him, but at least it seemed like it was working? As soon as the EMS workers walked off of the elevator Emi quickly directed them to the conference room before grabbing Kage's hand and disappearing down the staircase.

--

They all planned to meet at the bar after the mission, and ideally Zuki, Daisuke, Esme and Pepe would be there with them. They were at the hospital though, and Esme said she wouldn't be showing up tonight. Zuki said that if Daisuke gets dismissed and he was feeling up to it they'd show, but other than that it was just the six of them for the victory party. Her mood wasn't quite as chipper as it normally was; being at the bar with the knowledge of her vision made her hyper vigilant and on edge. She couldn't pay attention to much of anything. "Oh, Zuki said Daisuke is getting discharged tonight. That's good." Goosebumps shot down her spine as she slid her phone back into her pocket and caused her to peek over her shoulder at the door. There was nothing, but that didn't put her at ease.

Crow was busy cheering to their success and the fact that everyone was alive, leaving room for Emi to pat Kage on the head as she excused herself from the table. Quietly she slipped outside of the bar, took a deep breath, and looked around. There were quite a few cars in the parking lot but it didn't look like any of them were on. Just one quick walk around the parking lot and she'd feel better. At first everything was quiet save for the busy sound of the street. However she could feel that someone was behind her, and as soon as she spun around she instantly regret it. Emi pulled out the gun with nervous hands and aimed it at him to warn him, but as he approached her she panicked and shot a bullet into his shoulder. It didn't stop the man though, he was fucking insane! The angry bleeding man rushed Emi and roughly hit her in the head with the butt of his gun and causing her to fall to the concrete.

 

[Colt Voltage]

Crow

At the first stage in the mission Crow was super positive things would go smoothly. The whole team was finally back together, they all had their roles and Zuki seemed agreeable that she wouldn’t kill anyone today. Plus, Candy was at his side running the whole operation! Despite not living at the house currently he found the time to make her a computer set up in his office right next to him. It made him want to be home as soon as possible, not just so they could game or anything specific like that, he just couldn’t wait to spend all the time they could together. Hell they missed out on the last eight months, they needed all the time in the world to catch up.

When things took a turn Crow couldn’t help but sigh heavily. Of course things couldn’t go smoothly. He flicked through the camera views on his screen as everyone made their next moves. “Ambulance is presently on standby, Zuki please don’t kill this guy.” Crow turned off his mic and looked over at Candy to say something, pausing when he heard the gunshot and request for two ambulances. He heaved another sigh and gave another nod before turning on his mic. “Now we’ve got two ambulances on the way, once again do not kill him.” It didn’t take them long for them to arrive but they got what they needed. Ivan agreed to disappear, Daisuke and Esme were free, and things turned out in their favor. “Everyone retreat, we’ll meet up at the bar.” With that said he shut off the monitor and jumped to his feet to hold out a hand for Candy. “Ready to go milady?”

—

Once the group, save for Daisuke and Zuki, made it to the bar Crow was quick to get everyone a round of drinks. They succeeded in yet another mission with minimum injuries! Ivan would disappear, Hitoshi would hear and they would move for him next. After that was Crows mom…then they were free. The city would be free from the corruption and they could theoretically retire from the Fixers. “You all did exemplary, I couldn’t be more proud as your boss. Now if Akari and Asa could get Hitoshi without either of them getting injured I’ll be impressed.” He threw back one of the shots before giving a firm nod. “I have a feeling Emi’s old man may go into hiding after he figures out what happened to Ivan, I think we should make a move either before or during the move.”

His phone chimed and it seemed like Daisuke was getting discharged, which meant that nothing was too serious with his injuries! Right? After their hard work they’d be tasked with resting and recovering from the mission, Crow was sure that Akari, and Asa wouldn’t need too much backup. If they did that’s when Shadow and Emi came in! “The cops won’t find anything from the cameras earlier, I erased the whole days worth of memory. So nobody will get into any legal troubles thankfully. Now all we have to do is relax and cheers to our success.” Crow was beaming ear to ear he was so happy. He threw his arms around Candy and gave her a tight squeeze. “Thanks for everything, you’re the best partner in crime I could ask for!”

 

[ZombieBaee]

Sherlock

For the most part the mission was a success, shockingly. Of course Daisuke went and got himself a lot more hurt than they had planned for but what was new. It felt good to be on this side of things again, better than Akari thought it would if she was being fairly honest with herself. Even now as they were all celebrating back at Candy's bar she felt so much like her old self. It was nice...

"I am honestly impressed with how quickly Zuki got that man to fold, I mean shit if we had known that months ago this could have been in the works before all the drama of a secret wedding and all the other bullshit that came with it." Akari laughed softly as she leaned forward on the bar top to grab her cocktail and take a long sip of the sweet liquid. Crow was going on as he normally did and Akari simply tuned him out and turned to face Asa where he sat on his barstool besides her. It was their turn next, to handle taking down her and Emi's father. They would have help from the others of course but they would be leading the pack. It was hard to come up with an angle to get the guy this time, ever since Akari had made an attempt at taking his life, he beefed up his security. That house now had a security system that was comparable with Crow's, he had more guards and even had gotten dogs to patrol the yard. It wasn't going to be easy to try and sneak in unnoticed, which meant they would need some story and a reason to be there. For Akari that wouldn't be too hard but.... it would be hard to explain why Asa was with her without things going south fast.

"The real hard work starts tomorrow eh?" Akari sighed and took another sip of her drink before reaching out and lacing her fingers through his. "Thank you for being willing to do this with me...for me. I'm sorry I've been such a wimp about it all and questioning your every move. I just-" Her voice trailed off as she watched Emi get up from her seat and head outside. Where was she going? Not more than a few moments later the door to the bar opened again and at first Akari assumed it was Emi returning already but instead it was another woman. Classically beautiful and kind of scary looking, like she was ready to kill someone. Given their current situation.... hell their lives in general.... Akari moved her hand slowly to the gun that was strapped at her side slowly. Candy had placed a VERY clear sign at the front door that they were closed for a private party so either this person was stupid or had bad intentions.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Candy

They did it! They really did it! The ambulances were on the way and no one was dead! Daisuke was hurt but it sounded like he was mostly okay, though they would know more later. Crow told everyone to get out of the conference and to meet up at the bar and with that Candy clicked out of all the security cameras and took off her headset. Besides her Crow was already standing and beaming down at her with his hand outstretched and Candy took it with a smile. "Yup!"

-

Everyone got to the bar besides those that were at the hospital. Everyone seemed to be in as good of spirits as Candy and Crow were too! Well many not AS good but no one seemed super grumpy! That was a win in her book! Crow was talking to the others as Candy stood behind the bar and finished up making a round of drinks for everyone. She had closed the bar for the night and even placed a sign out front to make it clear to anyone that may try and walk in. The door itself was kept unlock in hopes that Zuki and Daisuke could soon join them. By the sounds of it that was a very possible outcome! Daisuke would need to take it easy for while but none of the injuries were bad enough to be life threatening or require any sort of surgery. So some stitches and quick fixes and he would be home soon enough according to Zuki.

Soon Crow was throwing his arms around her and pulling her into a hug that made her let out a loud laugh and hug him back, her face nuzzling into his neck as she did. "I missed you so damn much. I dont want you to go back there tonight." She knew he had too but god she was running on such a high she didn't want to end the night on a sad note, she couldn't help but get upset every time he left to go back to his mothers. Candy pulled back and smiled up at him brightly. "I can't wait for this to all be over so you can come home to me."

Across the bar Candy tuned into the door opening and closing not once but twice and it caused her to turn in Crow's arms to look at who was coming or going. To her shock it was a stranger that she vaguely recognized. Maybe a previous customer? "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry but were closed for the night for a private event! Did the sign up on the door come off?" She raised a brow at the woman but a second later something clicked. Candy glanced over at Asa with a small glare before speaking up again, this time a lot ruder than before. "Again, we're closed. You need to leave."

 

[EclipseRosee]

Shadow;Kage

Kage simply sat back and listened once they all got to the bar, which was normal for him. Part of him was obsessing over the fact that Emi was likely upset with him for dismissing her visions yet again but he wouldn't lie to her to spare her feelings, that wasn't the type of person that he was. The visions just didn't make any sense, there was no reason for them to exist and no way for his brain to wrap around it. Sure, her one about Daisuke was strange and weirdly accurate but he still couldn't confirm that there wasn't another reason there. Now that he knew her more he had thoughts about what happened back then, theories. Maybe Emi had overheard her father talking about plans for the Suits and not realized it and had a dream about the situation. Maybe she was just intuitive. No matter what it ACTUALLY was, he couldn't believe that it was just "visions".

The other part of him was thinking about what she said back when they were leaving the conference center. Leave this profession? Honestly Kage had never thought of it... he never thought he would make it out alive in the end. Plus he still hadn't finished his goal, so much of his life had been about taking down his brother and the people responsible for his mothers murder. But things were different now, now he had hopes and dreams and a woman he loved despite all the issues they have faced or may face. They could live comfortably for the rest of their lives on the money he had gotten from the Fixers but... could he really just leave it all behind?

Emi spoke up and pulled Kage from his thoughts as he glanced over at her. "Oh that is good. I figured he was fine, I mean hell I think I've beat him up worse than Ivan's goons did." He was clearly joking but it was his twisted way of trying to make light of the situation. A moment later Emi gave him a small pat before excusing herself and he watched curiously as she headed outside. Probably just needed to get some air.

A few moments passed and a woman walked into the bar that Kage quickly dismissed as a stupid customer but Candy's reaction made him a bit cautious. Turning to look at the woman she looked fucking pissed and Kage wasn't sure why. That and he really didn't care, not his problem. What was his problem was where Emi went and what was taking her so long. A few minutes had now passed since she went outside and Kage decided to get off his barstool and follow after her.

Kage headed upstairs and into the cool night air, the moment he exited the bar his phone chimed and he looked down at it with a strange look as he didn't recognize the number. When he opened the text all he saw was a picture of the bar and his hair stood on end. Quickly he looked up from his phone and around the parking lot, looking into the shadows to see if he could see anyone watching them. Another text chimed through and it simply said; "Should have watched her closer brother. Too bad so sad. Another loved ones death you just couldn't protect them from."

 

[KAYDEN]

Daisuke Tanaka

Daisuke spent the entire interaction wavering between focus and nearly dropping unconscious, the pain in his ribs was excruciating and it was making it hard to stay alert. Zuki was commanding the situation but still, he couldn't let his guard down now. Not like this. "You would have to kill me before I would be able to divorce Zuki." Daisuke spoke up, trying his best to put on a brave face but thankfully it seemed that Zuki was charging ahead, pulling out her gun and training it on Ivan before the man could say another word. After the gunshot Daisuke lost all focus, he simply dropped back to the ground and focused on calming himself down until they were able to get out of this room and into an ambulance. He trusted Zuki. She could do this.

Daisuke woke back up for a moment as he was being taken into the ambulance, just enough for him to catch a glance of Zuki and give her a smirk as she spoke. "You are my ride or die right?"

-

The next time that Daisuke opened his eyes was in the hospital room. He was in a lot less pain due to the meds that were being given to him via one of the IVs in his arm. The nurses let him know that the broken rib didn't puncture or cut anything internally and it would just be long healing process for that. Everything else was able to be stitched up or handled with ice packs. All he was worried about now that he was sure he wouldn't die from his injury was that Zuki was okay. Thankfully she quickly appeared and pulled a chair over to his side, she seemed unscathed and despite his broken rib he felt he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"You're completely right but if we are being fair it was MY turn to be the one getting hurt." Daisuke gave her a smirk and moved his hand to hold hers better as he listened to her. It seemed he was right about her memories, they were back. It made his heart feel full again to know that. To hear her apology and to hear that she wanted to be with him again. 8 months was so fucking long... he would have waited forever but fuck he was happy he didn't have to anymore. "Of course I can forgive you, it's not like you could help it. I just...I'm so happy to have you back. Though I suppose I should have maybe made you work for it, nurse me back to health and THEN accepted your apology but I guess I'm just too nice of a guy. I'll settle for a kiss from my wife, is that fair?"

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Sunny

If there were two things that Emi knew, it was that her head hurt like hell now, and she wasn’t going to be the reason Kage got hurt again. After everything they had been through together, all the progress he had made, she was not about to let the same guy ruin him again! Emi had been far too positive about his brother, there was no way he’d come to his senses. He was so infuriating! By the time Emi had opened her eyes she found herself in an unfamiliar room in a chair with her hands tied tightly behind her. The room was dark but it looked like wherever they were was run down and abandoned.

There was a dusty mirror on the wall, but other than that she couldn’t find anything sharp to help cut through the rope. Her face was bruised up, blood caked her maroon hair and stained both her neck and her dress. She was dizzy and her head was throbbing but, there had to be a way out. “You’re just jealous that people actually like Kage. Candy won’t give you the time of day, Zuki left you in the dust and you’re not even apart of the Suits anymore.” Normally antagonizing him wouldn’t have been her first approach, but her options were very slim. Maybe she could psyche him out? Reverse psychology him?

As she struggled against the rope Lee came out with a smug look on his face. It was clear he was deranged and didn’t intend on letting her go. “Candy and her pet Crow are next on my list. We have time before my idiot of a brother finds us though, and I’m going to enjoy our time together. Feel honored, you’re about to die in the same place our mother did. Maybe if I take the last pathetic thing my brother has to care about he’ll finally join me. Now, try to sit still, this is going to hurt. A lot.” A flash of lightning lit up the dark room and she could see the knife in his hand, the clap of thunder making her flinch. Emi didn’t want to die here, so as he pressed the sharp knife into her cheek she pulled roughly on the rope until she felt her wrist pop. She’d get out of this somehow, and if she had to break her hand to get out of this rope she would.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Luna

Things were looking so positive for once and it terrified Zuki. Esme and Daisuke were free from the Suits finally, they were on the way to freeing the rest of them. If it all worked out they’d be able to live their lives again…but Zuki didn’t have a life to live. The Suits had been all she knew, and as excited as she was to finally be able to be free with Daisuke she was also terrified. What if she didn’t measure up to him? All she knew was fighting, killing, stalking, and intimidation. A normal life didn’t have any of those. The only thing that was going to keep her going was the guy holding her hand, the one who looked past all of the scary shit she did.

“You are way too nice for your own good, but I’m glad for that. I’ll look out and keep you safe.” Zuki leaned in and pressed her lips to his for a long moment, hoping he didn’t see the tears in the corner of her eyes. It felt so good to be by his side again. As she pulled away she wiped away the tears and gave him a small smile. “Let’s get you ready to go okay? Everyone’s waiting at the bar for you to celebrate the successful mission.” With that said Zuki grabbed his clothes and moved to help him get dressed. Thankfully between the two of them they managed to dress him quickly, though it was clear he was in pain. It broke her heart seeing him so roughed up, she’d make sure this didn’t happen again.

It didn’t take long to get to the bar, the hospital was fairly close by and traffic wasn’t terrible with the storm coming in. Shadow was outside on his phone and looked busy so Zuki helped Daisuke into the bar to beat the rain that was starting to fall. “Look what I found.” Zuki smiled slightly as she looked at everyone, though the smile fell when her eyes landed on the displaced woman. “Oi, lady, this is a private party. Need me to show you the door?”

 

[Sir Damien]

Doc

Truly it was nice to see Akari so relaxed, she looked like her old self. Since she had been back it seemed like she had been struggling to find the balance of her old and new self, and for the first time she was laughing and smiling. If winning was all they had to do to make her this happy then he’d personally see to the success of their remaining missions. He didn’t say anything though, he wanted to relish the moment as he took a long drink of the whiskey. For once in the past eight months he wasn’t drinking to drown his sorrows, he was just drinking to celebrate with his friends.

Akari was suddenly taking his hand thanking him and he couldn’t help but feel his face heat up. “Really, you don’t have to thank me. I should thank you for coming back and staying with me. I’ll do anything to keep you safe and sound, and if offing that bastard is how I have to go about it then so be it. I think the only thing I fear anymore is losing you again?” After losing his parents, his brother, hell after losing himself he didn’t fear anything. He buried the past and built a successful future, a future where he’d never have to fear anything again. Who knew his one true kryptonite was a stubborn cop?

Everyone began to react to someone as the door opened and Asa let a loud sigh pass his lips. Shadow disappeared so it wasn’t an immediate threat, but it was obviously something that had to be handled. Especially by the way Candy reacted, like it was somehow his fault? Slowly he spun around in the barstool and he was suddenly grateful that he had a glass of whiskey in him already. “Are you FUCKING kidding me?” Asa gently touched Akari’s hand that was on her gun to let her know that the woman wasn’t a threat. Loud maybe, sometimes scary, but like most uptown women she didn’t pose a threat.

“Let me get this straight Carmen, after I rudely turned you away and rejected your advances, your gifts, fuck even after I blocked your number you still have the gaul to seek me out? Aren’t you married anyway? Jesus fucking Christ.” Asa pinched the bridge of his nose with a heavy sigh. “Sorry guys this is my stalker, one of my old clients who can’t take no for an answer. Leave, now. I’m embarrassed for you at this point.” The woman began to yell and ask how dare he, but all he could do was roll his eyes. He had told Akari about how he would get shit faced and go out for drinks with people, but he never really specified. This was one of the people.

 

[Colt Voltage]

Crow

The way Candy nuzzled into him made him falter for a second. Crow was great at facades and putting on brave face, but Candy always had a way to break down his armor. He was doing so good at keeping a tough act too! “I, uh, don’t want to go back either. But…” if he didn’t it would make so many issues with him. The sound of the thunder clapping made him remember something and his glum face soon turned into a happy one. “We’re uh, supposed to get a pretty bad storm tonight. I can say I got rained in? Floors are predicted, and this side of town tends to flood a lot. My moms not an idiot but I’m a fucking genius, I can get her to believe whatever I want. Mind if I stay with you tonight?” As Crow posed the question though everything seemed to take an odd turn. Emi was gone, so was Shadow, Zuki and Daisuke arrived but so did this uninvited guest?

Crow finished off his beer as Asa went on about the woman and suddenly he couldn’t keep in his laughter. “Big scary doc getting stalked by this lady? She looks rich and classy and pompous, don’t you know Docs rude as hell and crass? Seriously, I don’t even know why people go to him. His bedside manners the worst! When I got shot he literally told me to be faster than the bullet. Zero stars, definitely the worst doctor in the city.” With that said he grinned and turned back to Candy. “We can stay up late and play video games? Or watch movies, the power will probably go out at some point but the generators will kick on so no worries there. Whatever you want to do, I’m in!” Most nights Crow spent alone at his mothers in his room bored out of his mind, just coming up with ideas for him and Candy so he didn’t focus on being sad. He was beyond excited to spend the night with her again.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Sherlock

Asa touched her hand lightly to let her know it was okay and Akari felt herself calm down a bit. Her nerves were shot recently and she was fairly quick to the trigger even before all the bullshit. But from what she was gathering from the others it didn’t seem like this woman was anything more than a nuisance. Well, that is until Asa stood up completely and began talking. Turned away. Rejected. Advances. Quickly Akari was catching up on the story and it only helped connect more dots when the woman Asa called Carmen started yelling.

Akari knew she had no room to be mad, she was the one that left. Hell she even told him to move on! But she was. She was angry and hurt and volatile like a wounded animal. So she grabbed her coat off the back of the barstool and stormed past Asa to make her way out the back door to the smoking area. “Fucking real nice Asa. Sorry I came back and interrupted your fun.” Fresh air would do her good. She reached the door and opened it, making her way up the stairs and outside after slamming the door behind her.

Tears were threatening to spill and her whole face felt red hot. She was upset, embarrassed, angry. Worst of all was most of those emotions were directed at herself. Eight months ago she left the man of her dreams on one knee to go do bullshit. Eight months ago she told him to move on from her, that he could do better. Now she was being faced with the consequences of that decision and god she wanted to explode. It didn’t help that that woman was some leggy piece of work! “Fuck!” Akari cried and threw a fist into the brick wall of the building, scraping her knuckles a bit before she turned and leaned against the wall. Asa had said he was drinking heavily when she was gone and going out with people but for some reason she never expected it to be women. Beautiful women who had a lot more to show than what Akari did. Ones that were probably well off and less problematic. Ones that didn’t run away from him, shit clearly this one actually chased after him!

 

[ZombieBaee]

Candy

“You’re right…” Candy sighed as Crow began but quickly it seemed like his tone changed. He would stay?! “Really? You mean it?!” She lit up like a kid on Christmas, it was just one night. She knew that. She knew that she couldn’t get selfish or greedy but to even get one night she would take it as a huge win. The thunder boomed and caused her to jump a little and turn her attention back to the screaming woman who was now moving closer to where Asa was standing. God these people did NOT want to ruin Candys good mood and bring out the bar bouncer that lived in this tiny woman’s soul.

Akari said something to Asa that did not sound nice and left, slamming the door behind her. Daisuke and Zuki joined the group and it just added yet another person telling this stupid woman to leave despite the fact that the bitch still was standing there. Crow chimed in as well, although it was more about bashing Asa than it was about telling the girl to get out. And when FOUR DIFFERENT PEOPLE telling her to go didn’t work. That’s when Candy cracked.

Candy reached under the bar and pulled out her trusty baseball bat and rested it against her shoulder as she came out from behind the bar. “Hey! You are really fucking up my good evening you dumb bitch. So I’m going to ask you again to leave or I’m going to SHOW YOU WHAT CRAZY LOOKS LIKE.” She jumped at her and pretended like she was going to swing her bat which got a scream from Carmen before she went running out the door she came in. “And don’t come back to MY fucking bar you vapid CRONE.” Once the door shut Candy turned on her heels with a scowl still on her face as she looked at Asa. “You are only allowed to bring Akari as your date to this bar EVER again. You have only ever picked ONE GOOD LADY and you pissed her off. Go. Fix. Now.” Every bit of punctuation in her scolding earned Asa a push with the top of the baseball bat before Candy finally returned to Crow and the others over at the bar.

“Anywho!” Candy cheered back to her default sweet voice, “Let’s all have a sleepover! If it’s going to get nasty outside everyone should stay put. Now that Daisuke and Zuki are here I can actually lock up the place.” She smiled brightly over at Crow before reaching across the bar to take his hands in hers, “And I am totally going to kick your ass at Mario Kart.”

 

[EclipseRosee]

Kage;Shadow

Kage felt frozen in place. Fear was taking a chokehold of him and he didn’t know what to do next, he didn’t know how to save her. It was clear that Lee was up to something, it was clear that Kage was a fucking asshole and an idiot for not taking Emi’s concerns and visions seriously. But he couldn’t focus on that now, now he needed to figure out where he took her and get there. The only problem was the only thoughts going through his head were bad ones, ones of self doubt and memories of the night his mother died.

Then the thunder cracked and it causes something inside him to snap into place. It wasn’t a plan so to speak but it was like suddenly he just started moving. There was no time to tell the others, he just had to go. Emi was with Lee and he was a twisted mother fucker… that and it was storming. Emi hated storms.

Kage got into his car and turned it on, quickly peeling out into the street and heading towards the only place he knew of that he and his brother had in common. Their old home. It was a shitty apartment in the poor side of town. It lied above an old butcher shop that had been closed since they lived there forever ago. It only took him about 10 minutes to get there but it felt like an eternity and it was honestly a gift from god that he didn’t get pulled over on the way. Not that he would have stopped.

Parked in the alley was a car he didn’t recognize but he could only assume it belonged to his brother. Kage placed his own in park along the street and reached into his glove box to get another of his guns and place it into the holster on his chest before getting out and looking up at the building. The front window was boarded up but it looked like someone had recently went through it, Kage pulled at the plywood and it moved away with ease and soon he found himself in the store and finding the staircase up the the apartment.

At the door Kage placed his ear to the wood and he could hear a voice that he recognized. For a moment fear paralyzed him again as lightning flashes and he was taken back to the last time he was in this place. This was where his mother died, where he failed to protect her, where his family fell apart. He would be fucking damned if Lee took away his new life. The woman he loved more than anything, more than himself. It wasn’t going to happen this time, he wasn’t going to lose.

Kage shouldered the door was was inside quickly, pulling up his gun and focusing on the back of what he assumed was Lee. “Don’t you move a fucking INCH closer to her.”

 

[KAYDEN]

Daisuke Tanaka

“Hey that’s my line.” Daisuke smirked down at Zuki at her mention of keeping him safe. “You don’t have to do all that anymore. You can finally walk away from it all and we can find what you like doing, what you want to do, not what you have to do to survive. “ He knew that Zuki was strong and great at what she had been doing for the Suits but everyone with eyes could tell she didn’t LIKE doing it, even further Daisuke could tell that it wasn’t her. Zuki was fierce and strong and passionate about protecting people but not the way she was being used as a weapon for men that didn’t deserve protecting.

The two of them got him dressed and ready to head out with a little difficulty, it was clear to him now that he was up and moving that he wouldn’t be doing anything super fun for the next couple of weeks but that was okay. It was done, they were free and the rest of it was soon to be over as well.

Zuki and Daisuke made it to the bar just in time for drama to ensue and Daisuke sat back and took a seat as he watched. Candys reaction to it all though did actually make him laugh hard enough to hurt himself a bit more but it was worth it. After the woman left Candy and Crow were talking and mentioned a sleepover because of the weather and Daisuke joined in the conversation. “The drive over a lot of streets were dark and the wind and rain are getting wicked. I don’t think it’s the worst plan but no way in hell am I sleeping on any floors after the fucking day I’ve had. My wife and I will need the finest comfort available, please and thanks of course.” He chuckled as he joked around and reached out to pull Zuki towards him where he sat. Holding both of her wrists gently in his hands as he peered up at her, “Though this one probably doesn’t even know what a sleepover is I assume. Considering the various run ins we’ve had with basic social activities…”

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Sunny

As much as she struggled, Emi was NOT about to give Lee the satisfaction of crying or screaming. That seemed to piss him off after a few minutes of taunting and cutting her, he walked off to grab some more supplies which gave Emi time to pull more at the rope. If it wasn’t for all of the adrenaline pumping through her she wouldn’t have been able to pull her hand free, she could feel the bones crack and pop and knew that it’d kill her later. She had to get out of here though. Just as Lee walked back into the dark room with something in his hand she was able to free her hands, her heart beating anxiously when the door burst open. Lee was standing in the way but she knew who’s voice that was, and she couldn’t help but feel tears sting in her eyes as he turned to look at Kage.

That was when Emi made her move. With her hands free she was able to jump to her feet, making sure that she kicked Lee between the legs swiftly and watching him drop to the ground. She moved to run to Kage but flinched as Lee started to shoot at her, one of the bullets flying right past her face. It was clear he wasn’t going to let her get to the door without getting sprayed with bullets so she quickly dove into the hallway of the apartment. When he knocked her out he must have taken her phone and gun, they had to be back here somewhere. If she could find either of them then she could be useful! “I’ll find something to help us out!”

The loud thunder and heavy rain was distracting her, and the darkness of the apartment made it impossible for her to find anything in the room. The only light was the bright lightning flashing outside the windows. There wasn’t a gun from what she could see, but the large knife he had cut her with was on the table so she quickly picked it up with her good hand. “Lee you’re losing your touch, I thought you were so scary but you can’t even kill a lady! Are you trying to be this pathetic or does it come natural?” Maybe if she taunted and distracted him he’d get frazzled, then Kage could take him down. Emi didn’t want to encourage killing his own brother by any means, but she knew he deserved it and that this was one Kage’s goals. All Emi wanted was for the two of them to make it out of this alive and get back to living their lives.