---Kiro

The first half of the morning was much of a bore to Kiro, whcih he had expected it to be. Spending the greater half of the morning reading through papers and stamping his indsignia on them, while yawning every couple of minutes and stretching while pacing back and forth, he thought he was completely done with the boring part of the day. At least that was before his assistant brought in another stack of papers, placing them on his desk as if they were heavy weights. Crouching over, almost enough for his chin to touch the table, he glared at the papers as if was trying to telepathically burn them with his mind. "Please tell me this is it for today," he said in almost a whining tone.

"I believe so sir. However I do recommend finishing it all so it doesn't pile up like the last stack. That load alone was work you put off for the last three work days."

"What?" He shot up in surprise. "Then what did I do yesterday?"

"Work you put off from last week."

"So what was I doing last week?"

"I believe you said something about a friend of yours inviting you to a basketball game. Oh, and one of those days I caught you playing with a Rubik's cube."

Giving a slightly nervous chuckle like what a kid would give his parent after giving them a bad report card, he turned back to the papers and sighed. "Very well then. I'll have this done in no time."

"Very good sir." With that his assistant left the room and he buckled down to finish his work. It took a few more hours than he wanted and he had to skip lunch, but it was worth it in the end. At least he knew that if he finished all of his work for today then he could take Avazona out the next day without having any of his work load holding him back from enjoying a day off.

Once done, he checked the time. 12:40. Seemed like a good time to check on those new models the agents had. It was usually a fun thing for him to do. At times he felt like he was one of those American idol show judges. Though a lot of groups and performers seemed to be the same old thing that he had seen time and time again, some people really impressed him. So much so, that if he wasn't in business mode, he'd jump at a chance to sign them. However, being a business leader, he needed to first set up times where he could meet with the agents and performers individually. He didn't do this for everyone, but for people whom he deemed outstanding, he wanted to interview them himself. Sometime in the middle of this he received a call on his phone which, by checking the caller ID, he was able to tell was Jou. It was peculiar indeed that he had received calls from anyone. Even Ava didn't call him that much during the day. Other than texts his day was voiceless when it came to cellular conversation.

"Hello." He answered normally, though he was wondering if something was wrong.

"Kiro! It's Kai, I didn't have your phone number so I stole Jou's phone. I was gonna ask you where he likes to be licked but I found it out, thanks, bye!"

Before he could hang up, he was hung up on. A smile grew on his face. "What a strange girl. Hehe. I hope Jou's okay."

Though the distraction was short, it was a good break from work in able to get him pumped again. In minutes he was sure he was working twice as fast, though that was probably just his imagination. Soon, however, he received another phone call. He didn't recognize the number but from the middle codes he could tell it wasn't a normal phone number.

"Hello."

"Yes. Is this Kiro Hiroshima?"

"This is him."

"Oh good. I'm glad I could reach you. I'm Satomo Juki, one of Avazona's instructors. Usually I wouldn't make such a fuss about it, but she is usually on time for class and rarely absent. I was wondering if she was sick or something."

Absent? The thought ran through his mind as he replayed the events that had occurred earlier in the morning. She didn't seem sick or anything. Could it be that she was sick and decided not to go to school? No. That wouldn't make sense. She would have told him. Besides, she messaged him a few times earlier in the morning. Said she was going to cook dinner and save him some for when he got home. He also remembered that she said she had something important to tell him. What could it have been though?

"Mr. Hiroshima? Are you there?"

Snapping out his train of thought, Kiro motioned towards his phone again. "Uhh, yes. Yes I understand. I'm sure it's all a bit of a misunderstanding. I'll have a talk with her and see if she's okay."

"Good. Thank you a lot. I'd hate for one of my favorite students to stop showing up to my class. Not a lot of people like my class. Oh yeah. Now that I think about it, a younger male and woman came looking for her as well. Hmm."

"Oh... Okay I have to go now. I'll call you if any news pops up." With that being said, Kiro hung up the phone, thinking about what he should have done. Could those two people have been Jou and Kai, and if so, why would they call him with an odd conversation if they were looking for Ava. If they went to her class to look for her then that could only mean that they had something urgent to say to her. That or..... He quickly dialed Ava's number into his phone, but when he received no answer he quickly grew flustered. That wasn't like her at all. Usually she'd answer his call if he did call even if it was during school hours. Something was wrong.

"Sorry gentlemen, I have to leave on urgent family business at the moment. We shall continue this viewing in a few days, I'll have my assistant set up a time for you."

As he ran out of his office towards the exit, he was called by a few people, but was in no mood to stop. He couldn't stop. Something was telling him that if he took away anymore time, he'd end up regretting it.

Once he was in his car he sped towards home only to find that she wasn't even there. Having no leads he called Jou and waited for his answer. As soon as he heard something other than a ring, he quickly said, "What's going on Jou. Where's Ava. She's not home and she's not at school. I don't know what to do. This isn't like her at all. If you know anything you have to tell me."

---

---

“I think I found something. Take a look at this!” Jou called Kai over to where he had found a document. “It looks like this Tusbaki rented out some sort of storage unit. This could be where Ava is.” Kai tore through the document with her eyes.

“We should probably wait until the police arrive to head to the address.” Kai nodded. She was confident in taking him on, but now that she had seen his apartment, this guys was a complete quack job. It chilled Kai to the bone thinking she ever even spoke to him. She heard Jou speaking on the phone, probably to the police, telling them what he had found.

“They said they were updating the squad car, which is now heading right there.” Jou said. “They said it would be dangerous for us to get there first. But it’s pretty far away, but if we start heading there now we should still probably get there after them. What do you think?”

Kai nodded in agreement. "Ava is gonna wanna see us. If things have been going bad, seeing a bunch of strange men is just going to freak her out, whether they are on our side or not." Kai looked back to the sheet that she held in her hands, the address was right at the top. "You're right, it is pretty far, but we can make it within a good time window."

---

---

Jou nodded at Miss. Zurita’s assessment of the situation. It would hopefully be a comfort to Ava if she had friends there after she was rescued by the police. He didn’t want to think about her sitting alone after being kidnaped. He was about to head out with Miss. Zurita when his phone rang. Before he could even ask who it was his cousin’s voice exploded from the speaker.

From Kiro’s hurried and sporadic tone, Jou could tell that his cousin was agitated. Though it wasn’t surprising considering the situation that Kiro explained. It appeared that Kiro had found out Ava hadn’t been to class today and had been unable to contact her. Which made sense considering what Jou and Miss. Zurita now knew. Jou briefly felt guilty for not contacting his cousin earlier. Though that washed away when he heard the roar of a car engine over the speaker.

“Kiro... you... need to calm down for a second.” Jou said in the best soothing tone he could muster at the moment. This crisis would become even more of a disaster is Kiro ended up in a car accident. “Krio, pull over for a moment. I, we think we know where Ava is.” Jou waited for a few moments hoping his cousin would heed his advice.

“Listen Kiro,” Jou started, trying not to agitate his cousin even more than he already was. “We think Ava may have been… kidnapped-but we know where she might be!” Jou tried to relay that everything was going to be ok. “The police are on the way and should be getting there soon.” Jou thought for a moment. At his cousin’s rate of speed in a car driving paranoid Krio might get there before the police if Jou told him about the storage location.

“Kiro, come pick us up.” Jou said, relaying his and Miss. Zurita’s location over the phone. “We’ll all go together and see Ava when we get there.” Jou tried to make himself sound as upbeat as possible. Not only for his cousin but himself and Miss. Zurita as well. Even Jou needed to hope that everything was gonna be ok.

---Kiro

“Kiro... you... need to calm down for a second.”

Calming down was the last thing on Kiro's mind at the time.

“Krio, pull over for a moment. I, we think we know where Ava is.”

That's what the man wanted to hear. "Really? Where...Where?"

He couldn't help but to focused on the where of things right now. Jou was making everything seem indefinite, but what he wanted was a definite answer. He'd kill for any type of answer that was straight and direct. Kidnapping was already inside of his head. He didn't want to focus on that. What Kiro wanted to know was where he could find his sister. That was the only thing that mattered.

"If I come pick you up then what will I do if I'm just a minute too late? I have to go straight there Jou. You understand right? I'm sorry, but I can't waist any time." With that said, he called the local police station and quickly retrieved the information he needed. It was sometimes a good thing to known around the area, but most of the time it had always felt like a life cheat. Maybe this too was because of him. If good things could happen to people because of money and fame then bad things were also sure to happen, right? He had thought so. What if her kidnapper was nothing more than a person after his money? That'd make it his fault that she was taken. It had already felt that way seeing as he should have made sure she had a bodyguard or something. It may have seemed over the top in the past, but thinking of how their clients and singers would have security, he realized that maybe it wouldn't have been too far out of the ordinary for them to have some as well.

"OOOOhhh. What am I thinking? I have to hurry up." His cars engine could have been heard from miles away, as he was revving the rpm's almost to the red zone. Paying no attention to the speed and only stopping for lights, he wondered who would make it there first, him or the cops. Though, judging how things worked in the law systems, he was almost a guarantee to get there first. Justice was never there on time and when he pulled up to the alleged location, he marked yet another time where something was too late. Seriously, if the cops knew before he did the location, then why weren't they here? Was it a paperwork thing? Was his sister being left in her probably scared and hurt state just because of some needed paperwork.

"Why can't I stop thinking about dumb things?" The answer would never come to him. It was just his thoughts were jumbled do to his minds alerted state. It was even throwing off his thinking process. Before he even thought of a plan, or consequences to his actions, he was face to face with the door of the building. The same building his sister was said to be held captive in.

Without second thought, he opened the door, almost throwing it away from him. From there on, his memory get's a little hazy. For you see, when a person lays eyes on something that absolutely tears a hole into their world, managing to show that person he or she isn't as safe as they think they are and also managing to hurt someone who they never thought would have to feel pain...... When that happens.... well, the person might just break. It didn't happen as soon as he opened the door. His adrenaline was trying to take over his body, and as he was flung into an unfamiliar situation, he had his guard up, expecting the worse. However, when he laid eyes on his sister and the blood that was surely coming from her pain.... Well, there was actually no way he could prepare for that sight.

So he blacked out. Basically giving his body away to his current emotions. The man who had seemed surprised that Kiro was in the room didn't even have time to react before the man was on him. Kiro, who had not tried to hurt someone even with words before, was now mawing this deranged lad like the boy had just entered a lions den and messed with its king. Needless to say, when the cops did arrive, maybe six or seven minutes later, the kidnapper wasn't going to be identified as anything other than a lumpy red mush of cuts and bruises, and the man who entered the crime scene and did that to him was crying while holding his sister in his arms.

All the while this was happening, that man was still in a dazed state. Sure the tears were flowing his his grasp was tight, but his mind set, may have been forever changed do to the event.

---

"Pretty, pretty doll ... I'm going to dress you up nice and pretty, so that you can stay my pretty doll forever ..."

Her entire body trembling from the shock it was receiving due to blood-loss, Ava managed to lift her head just barely enough to fixate a dark gaze on Tsubaki.

"Go ... To Hell ..."

A loud cackle echoed in the room as Tsubaki lifted the knife in his hand, his tongue flicking out and licking at the blood that coated it - her blood, to be precise. He crossed the room to her, tracing the tip of the knife across her blood-coated face.

"Ah, my lovely doll ... But I have already been there ... It was Hell to await your welcoming arms, but I have pushed on! And I am slowly breaking you down ... You will love me eventually ... I will have nothing less ..." He backed away and approached his tray of tools obviously contemplating the next technique to torture her with.

She went limp. Her arms had long-since lost all feeling in them, and her body no longer had the energy to stand upright. Even if it did, she would only end up slipping in the blood that was a pool on the floor below her. How she had lived through this for so long, she hadn't a clue.

All she knew was that she couldn't last much longer. Her body was cold - almost deathly so. On top of that, she couldn't stop it from shivering. It was an uncontrollable trembling, and soft whimpers of fear escaped her lips. Her mind had taken to shifting in and out of consciousness in order to protect itself, and black dots were sparkling and damaging her vision.

When Tsubaki turned with a long, leather whip - a technique he had already used on her - she shuddered, her eyes clenching shut and her head ducking down in an attempt to hide. It was to no avail, of course. His footsteps echoed in the room as he grew closer.

And closer ...

And closer ...

Just as he was about to reach her, the sound of a door flying open and hitting a wall cracked in the deadly silence of the small building. Ava's eyes slowly blinked open and she was momentarily blinded by the bright sunlight that suddenly flooded the interior of what had become her torture chamber. The room itself wasn't frightening, now that she could see what the shapes in it had actually been. Instead of what her worst imagination had thought up and created, she saw that they were simply cardboard boxes used for storage.

Tearing her gaze from those, they fixated on the figure that stood in the doorway. Due to the sudden light, she couldn't make out more than a black blob standing there, but despite this fact, that figure became her savior. Instantly her relief at being found vanished, and she was jerking at the chains that held her from the ceiling, her fear evident.

"No! Don't! You have to run or he'll kill you!" she shrieked, new-found energy and tears appearing inside of her.

Obviously the figure had no fear, or was very, very stupid, because in an instant he had launched across the room. When his body turned just right, the angle of the light revealed his face and showed him to be none other than her brother.

"Kiro! Don't! He'll kill you!" she cried, her fear for her brother completely overruling anything else that she may have been feeling in that moment.

The events that unfolded after that caused her to cringe and duck her head, her eyes tightly shut and nausea threatening to overtake her. She lost consciousness a few times while he turned Tsubaki into nothing but a carcass, and it was only when she felt her limp arms drop to her sides that she realized that carnage was over. She had blocked it all out - the screams that the man had made and the sounds his body gave off as it was torn apart.

Ava found herself cradled in her brother's arms, his tears dripping from his cheeks and onto her body. And yet, she could not move. This was mostly due to the fact that her body refused to let her do anything more than lay there, but also since she was too dumbfounded to see her brother crying. While she had been the only one to ever see the man cry throughout the entirety of his life, it was still very rare for him to do so.

Completely against all odds, she managed to lift her heavy, cold, and torn arm up, her blood-coated fingers lightly tracing across his face and brushing the hair from his eyes. She knew that she looked awful - after all, who wouldn't when they had been through what she had? - but she pushed down any qualms that she may look terrible. Her face was smeared with blood and sweat, covered in bruises and cuts, and one eye was even swollen. Her nose was undoubtedly broken and her lip split, but she managed a small smile, tears appearing in her eyes.

"Don't cry ... Don't cry, Kiro ... Remember ... The promise you made to me ...? You promised ... Never to cry if it involved me. You promised ..." she said, her voice hoarse and cracking. "Besides ... I like to see your smile ... You look so much better ... When you smile," she whispered, her eyelids fluttering a bit. Her mind was growing foggy, her eyes unable to focus and see straight. Her smile wobbled a bit. "Please ... Smile for me, Kiro ..." she murmured, her eyes slipping shut. Her hand dropped heavily from his cheek and into her lap, where it went still and un-moving. Her entire body stopped its' trembling, just as the sound of people came rushing through the door



"Ava .... Ava ... Ava, wake up darling ..."

The fog was thick. Heavy, dark, and so very, very thick. Somehow, she managed to slowly wade her way through it. When she reached the break between the fog and whatever lay on the other side, she was forced to lift her hand to shield her eyes from the bright glow of whatever it was she had come to face.

Once the glow had subsided, she slowly lowered her hand and glanced around.

"Avazona, dear ... Come sit down beside me."

Lifting her gaze from her surroundings, she found the source of the gentle voice. It belonged to a young woman who held a striking resemblance to her. The woman in question sat on a bench that was placed perfectly beneath a beautiful cherry blossom tree that was in full bloom. She felt no fear as she closed the distance between her and the other person, and easily seated herself on the white bench beside her.

"Wow," she sighed, curling her fingers around the seat of the bench. She leaned forward, drinking in the beautiful view that the spot provided.

Down below them was a large, sparkling blue lake, so clear that she could see the bottom even from where they sat. Golden and white fish darted beneath its' surface, and a dock led out several feet into the water. A dock sat in the center, and swans floated atop the clear pool.

A pathway of white stone cobble mixed in with grass led off in several different directions, and the entire place was decorated like a private garden, with a wide array of beautiful trees and flowers gently swishing in the wind. The sound of birds and other wild life echoed in the quiet air, and a chipmunk darted directly in front of her feet. Stifling a giggle, she sat back and gazed up at the sky.

"What is this place?" she breathed out, not sparing a glance to the woman.

"It is neither heaven nor purgatory, and it most definitely cannot qualify as Hell. It is the in between of the in between and heaven - if that makes sense," she laughed out. Ava lifted a white hand and held it up to the sun, watching as it outlined her fingers with its' bright glow. A flash of that same exact hand appeared, only this time it was coated in blood, darted through her mind, but was gone before she had even registered what it could mean. Frowning slightly, she lowered her hand before shrugging and turning her gaze to the woman beside her.

"Than what is it called?"

The woman pursed her lips, tilting her head back to gaze up at the sky this time. "This place has no name. It is simply a place for a guide to speak to a charge, or for families to once again speak - or for the first time, in some cases."

"If that's the case, than am I dead?"

The woman turned her eyes down to Ava before allowing a gentle smile to cross her rosy lips. "Of course not, dear. You business and purpose in the world has yet to be served, so you cannot die before you finish what you were born to do. That is how God intended for it to be. You are simply in a state that brings you far closer to death than you are undoubtedly comfortable with."

Ava lowered her gaze to her lap, biting her lower lip, before lifting it once more to the woman's.

"You said you were a guide. And that families can speak for the first time here. You also resemble me quite a bit ..." She paused, gathering her wits before continuing. "So ... Are you my mother?" she asked, tilting her head a bit.

The woman burst into laughter and dropped her hand onto Ava's head. "My, those wits of yours most definitely are not rumors. You are as intelligent as your father was, and as beautiful as me," she beamed, her proud feeling of her daughter evident.

Ava smiled for a moment before she quickly lost it.

"So why am I here?"

Her mother, Catarina, tilted her face up towards the sky.

"Ava, do you love your brother?"

Blinking, she tilted her head and gave her a confused look before slowly replying. "Yes ... Of course I do. Why?"

Catarina shook her head, turning her face back to her daughter's and smiling once more.

"Darling, I meant as a man. I know you love him as a brother - but do you truly love him as a man?"

A frown draw across Ava's lips. She drew her brows together and turned her look of confusion into one of even greater emotion. "Yes ..." she said slowly, her hands clenching on her legs. "Why?"

Catarina was silent for several heartbeats. Finally, she turned a smile on her daughter. "Than you have your answer, daughter. Now ... It's time to wake up, Avazona."



Why was her body so heavy? And what was she laying on that was so ... Comfortable?

The heavy sedatives were difficult for her to push through, but she somehow managed to do so. Slowly crawling out of the thick world of pain killers and sleeping medication, Ava slowly cracked her eyes open.

The room that she was in was dimly lit, with only a lamp to light its' interior. What it illuminated wasn't very impressive - hospital rooms rarely room, especially in the ICU - but it was just enough. The room itself didn't offer very much privacy, seeing as all of the walls were see-through glass, but it was just enough for her. The only furniture that she could see was the bed that she lay on, one hospital chair that looked extremely uncomfortable, and a small couch that would put couches to shame due to its' tiny nature. A bedside table sat nearby, and the beeping of a heart rate monitor slowly came into her knowledge.

Lifting her gaze, she spotted an IV bag, and slowly followed its' tubing to her arm.

And her entire body scared her shit-less.

Bandages covered her from her neck and below, hiding almost every inch of her skin. Her arms were wrapped in it and several of her fingers were held in splints. One leg was up and in a cast, and the endings of even more bandages hinted at that leg being swathed in them beneath the cast, also. The other leg was simply wrapped thickly in - you guessed it - more bandages, and the arm that wasn't hooked up to the IV was identical to the one that was. She could only imagine what her abdomen looked like, but due to her hospital gown and the immense pain that filled her body despite the pain killers, she was unable to view it.

Dropping her head back onto the pillow, she blinked back tears as memories of her dream entered her mind.

No. It wasn't a dream. It was as real as the bed she was lying on. Her mother Catarina had contacted and spoken to her, and there was nothing that would convince her otherwise.

Tilting her head, she glanced at the call button that rest directly beside her hand. It took a lot more effort and energy than it should have, but she managed to move her ring finger the inch that separated it from the control, and it pressed down the button firmly. It took only a few moments for the doctor arrive, who quietly opened the door and walked inside, clipboard in hand.

"Hello, Miss Illigardi. I know it's a silly question to ask, but how are you feeling?" he asked softly, drawing up the uncomfortable-looking hospital chair so he could sit directly beside her bed.

"Terrible," she croaked, and then cleared her throat before repeating herself. "Terrible," she said, satisfied when her voice came out more solid in sound.

He smiled a bit and nodded. "I can imagine. I'm Dr. Row, and I'll be keeping an eye on you while you stay in this hospital. Would you like for me to catch you up to speed on your condition?"

She nodded a bit, winced, and then let her head rest on the pillow once more.

He flipped up a paper and scanned the one that he had revealed until he finally focused on somewhere near the middle of it.

"To start out with, you have five broken fingers, but all of them can be healed in time if you keep the splints on them. Your leg was broken in three different placed, and you suffered from two broken ribs. You have a concussion, but not to the point of us worrying about you sleeping. We will, however, keep the lights dimmed for your own sake," he said with a comforting smile cast upwards at her. Returning his gaze back to the paper, he continued to read. "Your nose is broken, as well as one of your eye sockets, but both were surprisingly easy fixes. We did, however have to put an uncountable number of stitches on your body. It got to the point that we lost track, so we merely put down in your report that you were so severely injured that it was impossible to keep track of your number of stitches."

"Basically your entire body is covered in stitches, which explains why you have so many bandages wrapped around your limbs. You suffered from forty-nine knife cuts, plus an additional six stab wounds. Your back is laced with twenty-eight whip lashes, and your arms are carved with twenty-five slices on each, plus an additional nine."

"I have far more in detail for your report, but I'll save you the details," he concluded, flipping the paper back down.

Tears glimmered in her eyes as she looked at the ceiling, and turning the glittering pink-red orbs on the daughter, she felt a clog in her throat.

"I want to see Kiro. Please, can I see Kiro now?" she choked out. "And are Jou and Kai here? Please let me see them. Please let me see my friends!" she begged.

The doctor stared at her for several moments, obviously contemplating his decision. She was about to start a full-out temper tantrum if he didn't answer her soon, and if he did, denied her access to the only people in her life that she cared about, but he finally nodded and rose.

"I'll fetch them immediately," he said gruffly. With that, he disappeared quietly through the door, and Ava let her head fall back onto the pillow, her eyes falling shut as she dozed off a bit.

---

---

Kai's heart practically jumped out of her chest when Jou's cell phone rang. Was it the police? No ... the voice that blasted out of the small box indicated otherwise. Kai scurried over to Jou's side, pressing close to be able to hear everything Kiro said.From the way things were sounding, it wasn't going to well. From what Kai knew, Kiro was beyond protective of his little sister, so if he happened to get there before anyone else, Tsubaki was screwed ten fold. Kai made a 'tsk-' noise when Kiro hung up. Not realizing she was being hypocritical, she mentally reprimanded him for rushing into a dangerous situation head on.

"This isn't good," she stated blankly as she headed for the door. "If he gets there first, he might be the one getting arrested." Without any confirmation from Jou, Kai made a mad dash out the door and along a route she knew would take her to the storage unit.

~.~.~.~

It took a good fifteen and a half minutes of running on Kai's part, but she made it to the scene of the horrible incident. She ignored her wheezing and stumbled past the officers that were surrounding the place. Several told her to stop, but she had to see Ava. By the time she caught a glimpse of her best friend, she was being loaded into the back of an ambulance, a very distraught Kiro next to her the entire time. She was several feet away and she could smell the blood.

Here Kai had complained about being bullied in elementary school and here Ava was, on the verge of death. That's what it looked like at least. Kai stumbled into the storage unit, once again ignoring the officers, only to dash back out, holding back her own vomit. It was a terrible site ... something even someone as hardened as her couldn't handle it. Tears escaped, falling one after the other to the ground below her.

"What kind of person can't tell when their best friend is being tortured like this ..." She whispered to herself. Kai folded into herself, taking the fetal position against the building. She had no proof she was family so there was no way they would let her be in the ambulance with Ava.

A flash of anger hit Kai like a wave, her coping mechanism had kicked in. "What kind of sick bastard does this to an innocent girl like that?!" Kai quickly stood and, for no reason, spun around and round-housed the wall of the building behind her. In a match between solid brick and her foot, it was obvious who won. She crouched over in pain as the tears continued to swell. "I swear to God that if he even considers breathing within a one hundred mile radius of her again, I'll end him myself. If anyone touches her, they will pay."

~.~.~.~

Kai stirred in her sleep, she sat between Jou and Kiro in the chairs nestled next to Ava's room. She had assertively placed them there despite what the staff had told her. She held tightly onto both the men's hands that sat with her, waiting for their turn to see their friend. She would cough occasionally from running all the way to the storage unit and flinch whenever she would hit her bruised heel. But other than that, Kai appeared to be in a peaceful place, whatever she was dreaming about.

A sneeze emanating from somewhere in the hall made her jolt awake, squeezing the men's hands even more than she already was. Her gaze instantly went over to Kiro, his eyes red and puffy from crying. She wanted to say something to console him, make him smile, but she feared that the wrong words would set him off. She would understand completely too. If it were her in his exact situation, she would blow up too. Kai had her own anger held in of course, but none that could compare to that of Ava's brother.

"I-I'm kind of pissed," she managed to choke out. "I w-wanted to get there before you ... kick Tsubaki's ass and ..." Kai stopped mid-sentence. What else could she say? She wanted to be Ava's hero? Yeah, like that would help. Kai reached over to touch Kiro, but pulled back in fear of what he might do. Something overcome her, though, and she stood before the man, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm so sorry this had to happen to you Kiro ... and if you need to talk, I'll gladly listen." Kai didn't let go of him until footsteps emerged from Ava's room. Kai shot straight up, staring at the man who was exiting the room that held their friend.

"She wants to see you," he stated, stepping aside for them. Kai dashed into the room but paused in the doorway. Ava looked so ... broken. And Kai wasn't exactly to be trusted around fragile items. So she simply stared at her friend from the doorway in sorrow, knowing there was absolutely nothing she could do to help. She was useless and helpless in this case, all she could do was watch.

---

---

[[Note: I'm just going with the flow so if you want me to change something message or PM me and I'll do so gladly XD]]

---

---

Jou took a sip of the warm salty beverage then looked up, catching a glance of his partial reflection in the glassy plastic window of the drink machine. He had calmed down a little, but the sight of the reflection still gave him a sickened feeling in the pit of his stomach. He closed his eyes and put his forehead against the front of the drink machine, trying to gather his thoughts and go over what had happened.



Miss. Zurita had dashed off after stating the least of Jou’s fears for his cousin. Jou tried to keep calm despite his racing heart and mind. Realizing that it would be nearly impossible for him to get to where Ava was before his cousin or the police, Jou decided to try and keep a safe pace. If he got there and was too exhausted to be of any help there would be no point. Jou set out after Miss. Zurita, jogging at a brisk but strategic pace for the distance he needed to cover.

Jou arrived at the crime scene just in time to spot the ambulance speeding off. He pushed his way through the small crowd that had been drawn in by the sirens and flashing lights. Running up to the nearest officer he asked what had happened, trying to state his relation to the situation as quickly as possible.

The officer pulled him past the civilian cut off point and began to explain what he had seen since he arrived on the scene. As Jou listened to what they had found his eyes grew wide with horror and disbelief. The description was brutal and Jou began to pick out small splatters of blood in the surrounding area. In a state of shock Jou caught a glimpse of a flashlight shining in the storage unit and the mutilated carcass that it revealed. Jou turned away, covering his mouth and stifling his gag reflex.



Jou took another sip of his beverage, his senses numb from the exhaustion of the past hours. The drink cut into his grogginess, having recently awoken. Though he had gotten virtually no real rest in the hospital chair.



Jou was already awake when Miss. Zurita jolted from her exhausted slumber. Though the tight squeeze on his hand brought him from his exhaustion fueled inner thoughts. He had tried to get some sleep in the hospital chair, but every time he closed his eyes he saw flashes of that mutilated corpse from the crime scene. Worse, he sometimes imagined a glimpse of pink hair on its head or a recognizable cellphone laying next to it. Though he knew it was just his mind playing tricks on him, the idea set him off every time in a fit of fear and guilt. Still he had no gauge for his little cousin’s state, considering the ambulance had already left when he arrived on the scene.

Jou watched in a bit of a blank daze as Miss. Zurita comforted Kiro. The sight sent more pangs of guilt into his mind. His cousin must be going through much worse. For him there had been virtually no buildup. Just all of the sudden his sister was gone without a trace. Followed by a frantic search ending with the storage shed before the police had arrived. The image of the corpse flashed through Jou’s mind once more. Yes, Jou knew that whatever Kiro was going through, it had to be much worse.

Then the doctor had given the three the news. That Ava was awake and wanted to see them. Jou had gotten up with the other two and walked over to the door.


Jou tapped his head against the drink machine. The soft sound of the plastic warping slightly echoed through the mostly empty hallway.

Coward...

When Miss. Zurita had stopped in the doorway Jou had seen over her shoulder. The bandages, the braces. He knew, but for a moment he couldn’t believe. He froze up. Then he fled. He couldn’t bare to see it. It was like instinct.

Before he left the doorway he mumbled something. Right now he couldn’t recall. Something about giving Kiro some time? Something about a drink? The bathroom? He couldn’t remember. It had been an excuse. He couldn’t stand there witness to the results of his inaction. His incompetence.

Jou rubbed his aching eyes under his glasses. he turned around and put his back against the drink machine.

Coward… selfish. Selfish coward. She needs her friends. She needs her family. You're trying to hide from yourself.

Jou stared at the ceiling for a moment. Then he gulped down the rest of the salty, now lukewarm drink. He bought a couple more then did a slight jog back to the entrance of Ava’s hospital room. Setting the drinks down by the chairs they had been sitting in.

Hopefully his absence had actually given his two cousins some time. He pushed the idea of an excuse out of his mind and entered the room. Hoping to provide whatever comfort he could to his cousins and Miss. Zurita.

---Kiro

As Kiro sat in the waiting area of the hospital he tried to remember what was so different about today than other days he had been in so far. Why, out of everyone in the world... out of every day spent in the world, did this have to happen to them, To his sister?

After a display of violence that he didn't even know he could show and anger he never imagined he'd have to display, he was taken in by the authorities. He couldn't make much out other than the fact that he was due to make an appearance in a small court session, just between the judges and his lawyers to find out a way to explain the whole situation. Apparently he had beaten the boy pretty bad. By causing so much damage to his brain area, he had been put to a small comatose state, one that might be fatal to his life. So it was only expected that some paperwork would be needed for the justice system. On top of that, he had to answer basic questions from the officers who arrived on the scene.

"Are you in any sort of danger?"

"Has anyone threatened you lately?"

"Do you know of anyone else who would want to cause you harm?"

All of which were completely unrelated questions. Why ask him these things? Why not ask his sister? She was the one in danger. She was the one who needed to be protected. Though he knows why things were more directed to him. He did have ties to millions, maybe even billions of yen, pesos, starlings, euros, and dollars. Not only did his company have ties to songwriters and singers in Japan, but all over the world. He imagined that maybe he would be put under investigation for conspiracy. Surely he wasn't, and was sure no one in his company was, but that wouldn't stop a few high ranking people from picking at him, just to make up a false story about him and his family.

Most of that was off the record of course. He knew that he had nothing to worry about. The person who was after his sister was dealt with and whatever legal nonsense he had to deal with would be dealt with. Soon things would go back to the way they always were and he would go back to worrying for not in the world and living out his days slowly, but happily. At least, that's what he had hoped for, but he knew that after the event that took place, both he and his sister would both change somehow. He only hoped that she wouldn't have a hard time recovering both physical and mentally.

After the questioning he was allowed to be released and headed for the hospital Avazona was taken to. To his dismay, when he arrived they wouldn't allow them to see her and he waited there with Jou and Kai, staying quiet as he thought about what he would possibly say. Something that would cheer her up. Something that would make everything better. Though there really was nothing he could do to take away the memory of the day and he knew so. With his head down, he caught word from Kai who was trying to tell him something.

"I w-wanted to get there before you ... kick Tsubaki's ass and ..."

Kiro stayed quiet. Not wanting to say the wrong thing to Kai either. He knew that she was strong, but had thought that maybe she too was scared at the moment. There was just nothing he could think of to say to anyone at the moment.

"I'm so sorry this had to happen to you Kiro ... and if you need to talk, I'll gladly listen."

Kiro nodded, but kept his eyes fixated on the floor until the doctor came to them saying that they were allowed to see his sister. Though the walk to Ava's room was a long one for him, he was happy to be able to see his sister again. He did feel slightly chocked up when seeing her after all was said and done, but that didn't stop him from walking over to her and grabbing her hand. Though the only thing that he could manage to say was, "Ava" as he was at a lost for anything else to say.