Hell-bent

[Sunday. 03:35. Turntables]

So-

SO SOFT?!  

What kind of angelic lip balm does this goddamn information broker use to get her lips to be this delicious? It's like kissing a fucking peach goddess or something. This woman.... Aren't her specs a little too high?

No, no, more importantly! Momoi Satsuki actually hesitates for a fraction of a second, just enough time for Riko to gain the upper hand.  She's not about to waste time worrying if this is a trap, let alone have this plan of attack backfire because Momoi's lower lip is just.. soooo sweet..

Riko knows from her quick analysis of Momoi's physique that she can't afford to pull any punches with this one. So she takes advantage of the slight pause to slam her adversary into the ground, hard:  free hand to the throat, knee to the  centre of the chest (between those...nevermind) and gun to the head, all in one fluid movement.

AHhh fffffUCK. The damaged shoulder is not happy with this development, but she will just have to bear with it for a while longer.

Although she finally has Momoi beneath her, at her mercy, Riko still mentally prepares herself for a fight: there's no telling what she has planned--

" I didn't think you'd be so forward," Momoi murmurs flirtatiously, the very first words spoken between them, not making a single move to counterattack.

"Much better than I expected, the reports of your physical aptitude were true <3. But I do hope you'll be gentle with me- oh dear~"

She lets out a delighted gasp as Riko shoves the barrel of her gun harder into her temple, never breaking eye contact.

What is this, psychological warfare?

"Don't fuck around. I have some questions for you to answer, Momoi Satsuki."

"Oh? Were you perhaps anticipating my arrival?"

Well. She can't deny this.

Riko relaxes her grip around Momoi's neck and slowly slides her fingers to the left side, ignoring the slight hum coming from the latter woman's smiling lips.

"Did you order the attack on me and my subordinate earlier today?"

Momoi pouts.

"Hmmmm, who knows... what do you think, Aida-san?"

"Just answer me."

Riko pretty much knows the answer, but she needs a control question if this going to work. Not that she'd put it past Momoi Satsuki to be able to fake her way through a normal lie detector, but Riko has confidence that her own trained senses are a far cry from 'normal'.

"No, that wasn't me. Actually, I was going to lure you into my own trap, but someone else interfered before I could."

"Do you know who it was?"

"I have an idea~"

Her rose-coloured eyes sparkle, gauging Riko's reactions.

"Where were you at around 8 p.m. yesterday ?"

"Torturing your attackers for information."

Riko almost pulls back in surprise. She's not...lying? Well, why would she lie about that...no, rather:

"What? Why would you do that?"

"It seems like some unwanted elements are interfering with our game. Besides,"

Something brushes against the wrist of Riko's gun hand. Even on 120% alert, it takes her half a second to long that this sensation is the grasp of Momoi's delicate fingers.

When did she-?!

The shift happens in a heartbeat. Before Riko can catch up with the situation, she's already on her back, shoulder in some special kind of agony, and her weapon out of reach.

"You're my prey. I won't hand you over to anyone else <3"

Momoi, who is now straddling Riko on the sento floor, intertwines the fingers of both hands into Riko's, pinning them down with a vice-like grip.

"Now, it wouldn't be fair if I don't get to hear something from you as well. I'd love it if you could tell me more about yourself, Aida-san. I promise I won't tell a soul~"

[Sunday. 03:39. "Excuse Me I Lost My Sons, Can I Make An Announcement? ...Goodbye You Little Shits"]

Madame Araki Masako, head of the Araki clan, is just about to open a bottle of the sake she was gifted earlier today by an allied clan member, when she receives a notification on her phone. A photo message, sent by her trusted subordinate, Fukui, captioned:

"Your dragon and your reaper are sleeping on a random park bench....is that ok lol?"

Masako needs to set her phone down in order to massage her temples with both hands.

[Sunday. 03:40. *Liam Neeson Voice* Now, The Next Part Is Very Important: Midorima-kun's Going To Take You]

"Haha,,  of course Taiga is an idiot. Without even understanding the position you are in, you blindly do your best. Do you even realize how many people wish to use you?

 But  you've gotten this far relying on intuition and personal strength. Even if you are betrayed, even if you fail, you won't falter. 

Will you?"

Kagami opens his eyes. The cold water rushing from the shower head hits the back of his neck and runs down his body, washing  away the sticky mess of memories clouding his mind. He's been so distracted lately, what with the new environment and Kuroko and the bounty and Kuroko, that's he's hardly had the time to think of anything else.

He tilts his head back to let the icy droplets of water roll off his face, then twists the faucet off. Reaching over to grab a large towel to wipe down with, Kagami then steps onto the cool floor of this massive hotel bathroom. It's all fancy, complete with a bowl sink and like five different varieties of expensive shampoos. As expected of a joint owned by the old man....

Who would have thought that one of the hotels of the Kagami-owned chain has a suite specifically that doubles as an established safehouse?

As he's drying himself off, Kagami notices a light bruising on the bend of his elbow, in the centre of which is a tiny red pinprick. Did that bastard...take his blood that time?

".....shit is getting real complicated, huh.."

Kagami hopes they won't be staying here too long. Although that weird random fight with the masks and meeting Kise was exhausting, his blood feels restless. Itchy.

Speaking of blood...his clothes are too blood-and-sweat stained to be any good to wear now.  Shit.

He wraps the towel around his waist and opens the door into the main room, stepping back into the suite to find Kuroko sitting on....the only bed in the room, typing away at his laptop.

"Hey, is there a spare change of clothes I could wear? Mine are kind of disgusting, so..."

The bodyguard pauses and glances up from his computer, wordlessly running his cold blue stare down Kagami's form.

"......what."

Kuroko blinks.

"Although it's a western-styled hotel, I believe yukata are provided."

He gestures to a closet on the other side of the room. Indeed, several dark blue garments are folded neatly on a shelf in said closet. Kagami isn't entirely sure how he's supposed to wear this, but it's like any house robe, right, so it should be fine...

 He slips the yukata over his shoulders, uhhh. How to tie it...kinda loose like this??? Whatever, it's comfortable enough. He frees himself of the towel, folding it neatly, and turns back to face Kuroko, who has his hands pressed to his mouth.

"Is this good?"

" Yes, that is.........good."

The bodyguard turns back to his laptop, expressionless, although Kagami could swear that there is a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. What is he smirking about....

Of course, the young heir can't sit still at all, so he takes to engaging in some one-armed pushups on the hotel room floor.

1, 2.......,100.

 Switch arms.

"So, are we gonna fight the bastard who sent those masks tonight or what?"

"Hmmm," Kuroko fingers click against the keyboard rapidly for a few seconds before he replies.

"No. I believe those were sent by a less...significant player. We have more pressing enemies to deal with."

23, 24, 25.

"Who's next, then? Of your, uhhh, 'childhood friends'? "

"I  cannot be positive, but chances are it will be Midorima-kun. He was the team's long-range weapons specialist."

A sniper?

Kagami's pulse quickens at the thought.

45, 46, 47...

"Then is he out to get a hit on me?"  Hah. Just let him try.

Kuroko shakes his head, closing the laptop shut and setting it aside. His voice is unusually clipped:

"I believe his 'employer' is out for a live capture. It would make sense....that being said, I will ask you this once more, Kagami-kun,"

64,65,66...

"These people...they are strong, and they will stop at nothing to achieve their assigned goals. "If I am going to protect you and complete my mission, I am going to need your help. You know very little about the situation; are you still sure you want to go through with this? Are you sure....that you trust me?"

Without even understanding the position you're in...

"I believe we should be make the first move this time. Kise's visit was a warning, but now it is time to be proactive. Kagami-kun. If you want to back out and stay hidden, please tell me now. "

97, 98,99....

"Hah, who wants to back out?" Kagami snaps, sitting up abruptly and brushing aside a bead of sweat rolling down his temple.

"I already told you, I don't need to understand shit. A dangerous game with a bunch of strong people? Fuck yeah I'm in, stop asking already, jeez."

Kuroko exhales softly. He climbs off the bed and kneels down to Kagami's level.

"Thank you." he says in a voice so gentle, Kagami is taken aback.

"N-no problem." Ahhh, what the hell is this? The young master feels even more restless than before.

"Alright. Then I have a plan to lure the next one in; I will need Kagami-kun to get captured."

".......................h-huh?"

[Sunday. 03:42. Love At First Snipe Part II]

"So you can imagine my surprise when the guy I'd dedicated almost a year of my life to hunting down ends up being my new teammate. My reason for joining this unit was specifically to track him down, and he was just sitting there, my sworn rival, holding an old school oil lamp like it's the most natural thing in the world.

The situation was just so absurd and ironic that I just lost it, laughed until I thought I was going to throw up. So he waited for me to calm down, and when I did, what do you think is the first thing he asked me?"

Takao mimes pushing a pair of glasses up the bridge of his nose and adopts an uncanny imitation of Midorima's speech patterns:

"'You must be the new recruit, nanodayo. Tell me, what is your zodiac sign?'

So, obviously, my response was:

'What, are you hitting on me?'. I'm not claiming I'm mature, okay.

Anyways,  he just--

'No'.

Not even a comeback. How do I even work with someone like this? So I told  him I was born November 21st, and apparently that was enough for him to accept me onto the team.

Yeah, Shin-chan's an expert marksman, probably not many people in this world that can match him, but he's a little weirdo, bless his hear--"

"Takao?"

"Oh--! Hey Shin-chan, you're back already. Did you get what you came for?"

Midorima nods, glancing back at the closed door he just walked out of. A dim light on the outside of the house is reflected in his glasses, obscuring his eyes. Something inside of Takao's gut turns, but he pushes the feeling aside as Midorima turns back to face him properly.

"What were you talking to this time? The koi?" he peers down into the pond Takao is crouched down next to, as if expecting to see some avid listener fish.

Takao laughs, standing up and dusting himself off.

"I'm not sure. There was a presence on the grounds, over there somewhere, the entire time I was waiting for you. Like security, I guess? Or a phantom. I thought I might as well keep them company."

Shin-chan adjusts his glasses, frowning down at Takao.

"A phantom?"

"Yeah, you felt it too, right? That ghost presence. Anyways, that took you about an hour, what were you doing in there so long with that yak- I mean, your friend?"

"We were playing a game of shogi."

They head out towards the exit. As they walk side-by-side, Takao notes that Shin-chan smells faintly of incense. He gets the impression that he's not supposed to pry too deeply in this late-night visit.

Then again, Shin-chan brought him along for a reason...right?

"Shogi, huh....okay. Coming from you, it could have been a lot weirder. Who won?"

Shin-chan  shakes his head, and holds his hand out. Sitting in the middle of his palm is a white game piece, a silver general.

"The game is incomplete. After everything is over, I will come back here to finish it."  

.....Shin-chan's being especially cryptic tonight. Takao squeezes his hand against his own chest.

"Is that today's lucky item?"

"Something like that. Thank you for waiting, Takao. I am ready for the next part now; are you?"

Always, Shin-chan.

[Sunday. 03:43. War Of Attrition]

Four hours, six condoms, and one neighbour complaint later, a winner is finally determined. Kise  actually has to resort to slapping his palm on the bed to tap out, as his throat is too raw for his voice to come out properly.

Heh. The outcome was obvious from the start. No one can beat Aomine....in anything. Ever. Because he's just the best. Damn right.

Victorious, Aomine rolls onto his back. He would love to dish out some smug line, but having surpassed his own physical limit about an hour ago, he is fucking exhausted himself, so he just stays quiet in the guise of post coital stoicism.

The two men lay there, covered in sweat and catching their breaths, as they had done many times in the past after intense bouts of sparring. Only this time, the "intense sparring " is a little different....more adult than it was before...

Now, Aomine can admit that this model bastard may have had a head start in the first few quarters, the damn insatiable temptress. But ultimately, Aomine's stamina and perpetual horniness allowed for a complete turnaround.

He turns to look over at Kise, whose face is buried in the mess of sheets strewn about the mattress. Wasted.

"Oi.  Still alive?"

A tiny, muffled groan is the reply.

Aomine reaches over to touch the back of the model's neck; ah, it's slightly damp with sweat.

That's kinda sexy.

He keeps his hand like this, lightly stroking his thumb against Kise's nape. His own breathing steadies after a few minutes of this. From the open window, the sound of a siren wailing in the distance can be heard.

After moving his hand slightly, Aomine feels something rough under his fingers...the chain.

Frowning, Aomine props himself up on his arm and tugs at the necklace.

"Still wearing this thing, huh."

Kise shifts his head to the side so he can peek one golden eye up at Aomine.

"Of course," he replies, his voice still raspy and strained.

"It was a precious gift from you and Kurokocchi and Momocchi and the rest. Why would I want to take it off?"

He really thinks of it that way, huh. Aomine frowns, dropping the chain and opting instead to brush his knuckles along the side of Kise's face.

"We couldn't get through to you, so Satsuki and Akashi had to think of something....and Tetsu's the one who gave it to you, anyways. I had nothing to do with it."

"But originally it was Aominecchi's, right? From the orphanage you three were at before we met,"

Kise closes his eyes and pushes his cheek into Aomine's palm, like a cat.

"But none of that matters. It's full of important memories from those times."

"Hmph. How can you possibly think fondly of that shithole... they just used us and broke us."

"Mmmm but you remember what I was like back then, Aominecchi? When I was first brought in...I was barely alive. You all saved me."

Aomine hesitates, deepens his frown. He's not wrong, but there's no way he came out of the Teiko project unscathed. Aomine knows this, because he is the same way. As if his nightmares would let him forget. Besides...

"You sure about that ..."  continues to stroke Kise's face a little, narrowing his eyes down at him.

"..........all  of us?"

"Hmm?"

" He's back, you know. Haizaki."

Kise tilts his head up, raising his eyebrows in mild surprise..

"Shougo-kun? Back from what..?"

"Prison...what, you're telling me you didn't know?"

"Should I have known? So he's out already, you say..."

"Well. Apparently he caught wind of the game and is trying to get involved. He's already sent an attack on Murasakibara . Maybe a few of the others as well. Just small fry, but it's fucking annoying."

"Haha, yeah that sounds like Shougo-kun-...oh."

Kise's eyes flicker with some internal realization. With some effort, he sits up, fingers to his own lips.

"So he was  the one responsible...."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is," Kise grins, shifting gears and pressing his hand against Aomine's chest.

"It's bad manners to talk about another man while still in bed <3"

Aomine snorts, leaning back comfortably into the bed.

"Pfff, really? Isn't sex-for-info your specialty? "

A small, offended gasp.

"Aominecchi!!! WHY ARE YOU STILL SO MEAN TO ME!!"

He just can't help it.

 [Sunday. 03:45. Heartburn]

"Should we get them to raid the safehouse?"

"Nah,"

Haizaki slips a cigarette between his lips and rummages through his jacket pockets until he finds a matchbox. He shakes a match out and since his hands are full, strikes it against a nearby brick wall.

"There won't be anyone there, anyways. It's enough that everyone is running around in circles, like idiots."

The smell of sulfur briefly drifts into the air around him as he lights the end of his cigarette.

"Yes, boss."

Haizaki slips his phone into his pants' pocket, then flicks his tongue over his thumb and finger tip, using these to extinguish the fast-burning flame on the match. He takes a long drag, watching the red embers burn through the paper.

It's been fun, shit-disturbing, creating chaos, making a mess for everyone else. Fun, but it's not nearly enough. More, he needs more.

He has always felt this greed, but it's like he hadn't felt it until that night...

A cloudy night, just like this one. About a year into the Teiko Project, Nijimura showed up with a new kid in hand, and introduced him as the latest addition to the team.

He was just like a doll. He didn't speak or acknowledge anyone else, just sat there  with a pretty, expressionless face, unless someone ordered him to do otherwise. He performed all tasks and training obediently and efficiently, but all the while his glazed golden eyes didn't seem to reflect anything at all.

It was only after a few weeks that someone figured it out, either Satsuki or Seijuro.

The kid had been sold into an underground trafficking ring, where he apparently got violent enough for the higher ups of the Teiko Project to hear about. That was the kind of hellhole Nijimura pulled him out from.

For young Haizaki, this was like looking into a cracked mirror, with Ryouta's dull gold existence on the other side, untouchable and unreachable.  

That's why it was so. Fucking. Bullshit. When, in their desperate struggle to stay sane, they brought out that insufferable brightness of his. He was supposed to be a dirty, broken doll, a fucking toy, and yet he still managed to act like he pulled himself out of the filth. Just like the rest of them.

"Miracles, my ass." Haizaki mutters, noting that he has reached the very end of his cigarette. He flicks the butt onto the pavement and crushes it with the back of his heel. Better move on before someone catches onto his scent.

The acrid taste of smoke still lingers in the back of his throat.

[Sunday. 03:48. That's What That Was]

Akashi waits until Shintarou has fully left the vicinity before throwing a shawl over his shoulders, hugging his arms to himself, and stepping outside into the yard. The air is chill, but it is not unpleasant.

After a  few moments of silence, where the only sound heard is the light rustling of leaves in the breeze, a sullen voice behind him mutters:

"That guy was fucking weird..."

Akashi doesn't exactly laugh, but it does take him a second to be able to steady his voice properly to respond smoothly.

"Are you referring to Shintarou?"

"I mean, him too, but that guy he brought with him. He wouldn't stop talking to himself. The entire time. Like, what the fuck."

Akashi taps his closed fan against his lips, still facing away from the other party.

" Perhaps he was talking to you?"

"Hmmm....."

"In any case, I thank you for watching over the premises, Chihiro. You are a great help, as always."

He reaches his arm back, holding his hand out until he feels the light, hesitant touch of impossibly cold fingers.

"Yeah, whatever."

[Sunday.  05:44. Grand Theft Taiga Part 0]

"Haha, how'd you even know this was the right place? This kid seems to be pretty heavily protected."

"Fortune continues to guide me down the right path."

"PFFF SHIN-CHAN WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN"

"Don't laugh, Takao! You are too noisy. Just focus on the job."

"Yeah, yeah, I gotcha. Still though, you're taking some serious precautions here. Just how badass is this bodyguard ex-boyfriend of yours that you're so scared of him?"  

"He's not my-..I'm not-.....be quiet, Takao."

"Haha, whaaaaaat, don't be mad."

"......Are you in position?"

"Yep yep!"

"I am ready as well. The blinds are closed, but I can still--"

"--Hey, uh, Shin-chan."

"What is it, Takao?"

"The target, that Taiga kid. He's supposed to be on the top floor of the hotel, right?"

".....Yes, that is what I said. My source is infallible."

"Kay, ahahha....well, seems like either he has a sexy little doppelganger wandering around the second floor hallways wearing nothing but the provided hotel casual-wear, or your source is very much not infallible."

"What."

"So what's it gonna be, Shin-chan? Plan B?"

"Tch. We have no choice. Try not to harm his body too much, the client will complain."

"I'll do my best, but I can't make any promises ;) "