[PoT]:: Inui/Eiji In a Single Bound II
Title: In a Single Bound II
Pairing: Inui/Eiji, Kirihara/Bunta.
Rating/Contains/Word count: R/Darker themes, kidnapping/ 3,424
Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I make profit from Prince of Tennis.
Summary: In which the two pairs make their move, and lose someone important.
Notes: Please let me know your thoughts/constructive crit/comments. This is an AU written as a request. Eiji and company are superheroes. This is a series that will be updated weekly.
In a Single Bound #1
I would have had this up earlier in the week, however, I live in the Pacific Northwest. We had a serious snow/ice storm and I was without power for a while. The next part should be up in a more timely manner.
The sun had just started to rise when Eiji woke up. He rolled over, finding the bed empty except for him. There was no note on the bedside table, so he figured Inui was still in their apartment, or close by. He stuck one foot out from under the covers experimentally, and found that it wasn't too cold. Reigning himself to the fact that he wouldn't go back to sleep, he rolled out of bed. Tugged on a sweatshirt that was Inui's, liking the way it hung off his body. Plus it smelled good. Like coffee, and sugar, and Inui's cologne. He padded, barefoot out to the living room, scratching idly at his stomach.
"Good morning, Kikumaru." Inui's voice was rough with lack of sleep. He was sprawled out, feet dangling off the arm of the couch.
"Morning." Eiji swallowed a massive yawn.
"There's fresh coffee, would you like me to get it for you?"
Eiji came around the couch, seeing that Inui's eyes were closed, one arm dangling off the couch, fingers on the floor. The other was tucked under his head. The news was playing on the television, volume low that Inui could hear it, but it wouldn't have disturbed Eiji's sleep. "I'll get some in a little bit." He stretched out on top of Inui, head resting on a broad chest, feeling the slow rise and fall of Inui's breathing.
"Did you sleep well?" Eiji broke the silence first, watching the news.
"Not really." Inui's hands smoothed up and down Eiji's back. "I keep thinking about what happened with Marui and Kirihara and how quickly it could have gone wrong."
"Inui.."
"Without Kirihara there.."
Eiji couldn't handle the emotions in Inui's voice. He shifted slightly, leaning in and silencing Inui with a kiss. "You knew what I do, before we got into this."
"It doesn’t mean that I can't be worried about the statistical outcome of situations you get yourself into." Eiji kissed him again, Inui's hand sliding under the sweatshirt.
"Will you come with me later today?"
"Where?"
"Marui was released a few days ago, and is moving around. He wants to meet up." Eiji shivered as Inui's touches continued to move over him.
"I think I'll work on the camera for when you leave on your jobs." Inui kissed Eiji's cheek.
"You were the one that got Marui and I out."
"Give me some time, Eiji." The way Inui said his name made Eiji's breath hitch. He leaned in again, kissing Inui solidly on the mouth.
After breakfast, and Eiji finished doing the dishes, he watched as Inui retreated into the back bedroom to work on the camera using the pieces Eiji had picked up a few weeks earlier. Eiji got showered and dressed. Before he left he checked in on Inui, making sure that the other man didn't want to go.
Eiji elected to walk to the park where he was meeting Marui. It was a decent enough day, plenty of other people at the park. Young families out for the day, couples walking together, children shrieking and playing on the playground. He saw Marui on a park bench, and not too far off from him was Kirihara playing with a dog. Eiji plopped down on the bench next to Marui.
"Yo." Marui grinned, blowing a bubble at him. "Glad you found us, I was going to text, but I didn't know exactly how to explain where we were."
"You're doing better?" Eiji asked as way of greeting. "Since they let you out, how are you doing? Are you back to work?" The barrage of questions tumbled out of him before he could fully stop them. He had been genuinely worried about the other man, and had attempted to go to the hospital a few times to visit. However, the presence of the ever stoic, ever stern yanagi and Sanada. Even though, Inui had reassured him that yanagi was far gentler than he appeared.
"I'm fine." Marui's response was nearly automatic. "I have him," He pointed at Kirihara, "Trailing after me like I'm going to fall over and die at any second."
"He was worried about you." Eiji's attention was distracted momentarily as Kirihara threw a ball for the wiggling lab, and then chased after it himself when the dog rolled over onto it's back. "What happened…to him?"
Marui was quiet for a long time, chewing on apple scented gum. "He is a laboratory experiment. I stole him."
"You stole him?" Eiji asked. Kirihara had given up on the ball, and instead was rolling around with the dog.
"Before you came out, I was working as a lab assistant." Marui said, sitting back, legs sprawling into the path. "I was given the task to feed him, and make sure that he didn’t get into too much trouble." Another long pause, "They did horrible things to him. Genetic tests that are even above what Renji knows." There was another pause, Marui's words constricted.
"It's been three years. It took me two years to get him to speak like us. To be like that." He jerked his chin toward Kirihara. "He promised me he'd never lose control. He thought I'd send him back. He thought that I'd give him back to those bastards."
"You came out right after I did."
Marui nodded, "It was the only way to keep them from coming after us. Renji and Sanada provided us a place to hide so I could work with him."
"Who did it to him?" Eiji asked, though in the pit of his stomach he knew the answer.
"Atobe Incorporated." Marui sneered. "They basically own Mizuki's operations, and about half the fucking country." His tone shifted when Kirihara came over to them, the dog trailing behind him. He sat next to Marui, and peered at Eiji.
"Anyway, I know of a job that's coming up. Are you interested?"
"Working together?" Eiji arched an eyebrow. "The three of us?"
"Four. You have Inui-san." Kirihara added breathlessly. "Renji says he's a badass. Kind of crazy, but he trusts him, so it's okay to work with him."
Marui pressed a white business card into Eiji's hand. "We have to go, but think about it. If you want to, give me a call at this number before Thursday." Kirihara's hand slipped into Marui's, as they turned to head off. "Kikumaru," Eiji looked up when Marui called his name. "Tell Inui that me and Renji say hi."
Eiji watched them walk off, hand in hand, with the dog playing and dancing around them. Marui had offered something huge--most of them worked in pairs, but the three, four of them could actually make some progress. Eiji, like the others had originally gotten into doing things for the fame, the notoriety, the fact that they would be recognized. That night when Marui had put everything on the line had started to change his opinion, and open his eyes to what was really going on behind the curtain of glitz and news hype.
Feeling on edge, and unable to sit still, Eiji started to walk the path through the park. He came to another clearing that held playground equipment. Quickly scaling the monkey bars, he hung upside down, legs hooked over the bars. The blood was rushing to his head, but at the same time it provided some sort of clarity. He could actually make a difference, working with Marui and Kirihara. Though, it could also end up being a trap.
"Why didn't you tell me that you worked with Marui and yanagi?" Eiji spoke, though he couldn't see Inui, he knew the other man was there.
"You never asked." The response came from somewhere behind him. Inui was probably on the bench. "You know what my work entailed before I left the company." There was a certain sadness to Inui's words.
"Did you work on what was done to Kirihara?" Eiji effortlessly lifted himself up, climbing on top of the bars, and sat on the top of the structure, watching Inui.
"Neither Renji or I knew until it was too late. We had come up with the basic principles, but there was no way to guarantee success, so we moved on."
"You really did work for the Atobe corporation."
Inui nodded. "As did Marui and Renji. Sanada, like you is an outsider." The light reflected off of Inui's glasses, the man's expression unreadable. "We worked for a man named Oshitari"
"Who is he in relation to everything?"
"Oshitari is Atobe's right hand man." Inui sighed. "I've kept track of his movements, and judging from the exorbitant financial transactions, it would appear that they've continued with their plan."
"To do things to people like with what they did to Kirihara?"
"In a way, yes." Inui said. "I'll come with you when you meet with Marui. Renji and I need to catch up." Inui cleared his throat, gaze just a little to the left of Eiji. "Are you coming home tonight?"
"Yup!" Eiji grunted as he swung up again, sitting on the top of the bars. "I'll bring home things for curry okay?" He watched as Inui walked off, worried at the slump in the other man's shoulders. Eiji stayed outside until the sun started to set. He went to the market, picked up the things for curry, and went back to the apartment. He could hear Inui in the backroom, amused by the sound of mechanical clunking and noise, but not too worried. It didn't smell like smoke--unlike the last time Inui set something up.
Dinner was dished up when Inui came out of the back. There was a moment's hesitation in the doorway, Eiji feeling his heart sink momentarily. The worry faded completely when Inui wrapped around him from behind, holding him against his chest.
"I'll help you. And Marui." Inui's chest rumbled as he spoke. "I need to come out of the shadows, and I want to take that step with you." Eiji's heart pounded under Inui's hands which spanned his chest.
Thursday came, Eiji and Inui headed out when Marui sent a text asking them to come by, along with an address. Inui drove, Eiji looking as the buildings became more and more industrial. They pulled up in front of a warehouse, Inui walking a few steps ahead of Eiji. The door opened under Inui's hand, both of them entering the building. The interior was set up a lot like Inui's back bedroom. Lots of computers, and tech devices. There was a wall of monitors, some dark, others showing various news programs.
"You came." Renji spoke up. Eiji was still unsure of the tall, slender and stern looking man. Inui on the other hand had a giant smile on his face. Eiji watched as the two embraced, before Renji motioned them over to table.
"This is the basic schematic layout of one of Atobe's labs." Marui appeared at Renji's side, chewing on apple gum. "If we destroy it, it will momentarily cripple his actions."
"What sort of lab is it?" Eiji peered at the diagrams, and the neatly written kanji in the margins of the schematics.
"Biological." Renji spoke up again. He and Inui were crowded around a corner. "They're trying to create a weapon form of what they did to Kirihara."
"Where is Kirihara?" Eiji just realized that the normally overbearingly snazzy Kirihara was absent.
"Sanada took him out." Renji said. "It's not safe for him to hear this quite yet."
"He's coming with me."
"That's still open to debate, Bunta."
"I'd like to see you keep him away."
"What will happen, is Sadaharu and I will take care of the computers, and that would allow you and Marui" Renji continued to speak, and pointed at Eiji. "To get inside and basically bring down anything that you can. Sadaharu and I will also download the contents of their online library, so you won't have to worry about carrying anything out."
"Renji, you plan on doing this tonight?" Inui spoke up, peering at a computer screen. He tapped at the keyboard, changing a few things on the screen as Renji looked on.
"It would be best if we moved quickly."
"Kikumaru?" Inui moved away from the computer, and took Eiji by the elbow. He led him away from the others, worry on his face.
"Are you certain that you want to go through with this tonight?"
"If they think it's the best time to strike."
"There's an eighty-five percent chance that something will go very wrong."
Eiji reached up, hand framing Inui's face. "You'll be in my ear won't you?" Inui nodded.
"Then I have nothing to worry about."
A slamming door announced Sanada's and Kirihara's return. Eiji watched as the dark haired youth nearly tackled Marui to the floor. There were harsh whispers, and Kirihara's voice rose as they argued about the night's plans. It wasn't much longer after the discussion that they were loading into a dark blue SUV. Marui was at the wheel, Eiji in the passenger seat, and Kirihara was in the back seat, muttering under his breath. Eiji only caught a few words of the quiet tirade, and shivered. The drive seemed endless, and the further they got out of the city, the quieter Kirihara got. Eiji glanced in his mirror to see the dark haired youth, staring out the window, unblinking, face curiously closed off. A second look at Marui confirmed that he too, wasn't happy about their mission for the night.
"Eiji." Inui's voice came through the transmitter in his ear. "Whatever happens, you three must get out together. Forget about mission, and the plan. Just make sure that the three of you get out in one piece." Eiji swallowed hard at Inui's words. There was something the other man wasn't telling him. Doubt crept into his thoughts, his stomach tangling into a knot.
"Renji's pretty good at what he does right?"
Marui's grip on the steering wheel was white knuckled. "I trust him." There was finality to his words. Eiji didn't push any further. The SUV pulled up to a checkpoint, an armed guard motioned for them to roll down the window. Marui did, handed him three laminated id cards. The guard shone a flashlight into the interior of the SUV and waved them through.
Paved road gave way to a long, gravel drive. The SUV rattled as the tires caught in potholes, their progress lurching slow. Ahead of them, loomed a huge, sprawling complex. Another gate, this guard stared at their ids for a while before waving them through. They passed through a chain link fence topped with barbed wire. Sharpshooter towers were stationed at the corners of the fence, the building illuminated with pale yellow light from the interior.
From the back seat, a low, animalistic whine came from Kirihara.
"Akaya."
"I'm fine." The response was spat out as soon as Marui said his name.
Marui parked next to a few other vehicles. They got out of the SUV, Eiji slipping the id that Marui handed to him into his pocket. They spread out, Kirihara dashing past them, taking to the stairs. "Kirihara is going to the fifth floor." Inui said as Marui brushed past him as well. "Marui's going down to the basement. I suggest you take the second floor. That way you can all get out using the access stairs located on the north end of the floor."
"Right." Eiji opened a door marking where the stairs were. He took the stairs two at time, his shoes clanging against the metal stairs. He crept around the second floor, making sure that there wasn't anyone around. Carefully, he withdrew a box of matches, papers and books into trashcan. He moved from room to room lighting fires as he went. There was no howl of a fire alarm, so Renji had held up on that part of the deal.
"Kikumaru." Marui called as Eiji clattered down the stairs. "We have to hurry." The other man sounded out of breath. Marui was a few steps behind him. "Kirihara's meeting us outside."
"Did he get it done?" Eiji pulled open the back door to the first floor, holding it for Marui. Kirihara had been tasked with destroying machinery and equipment, something that Kirihara had seemed eager to do.
"Yeah." Marui tugged on his own ear. "I can hear him. He's bitching that we're too slow." Eiji laughed softly, bursting through the side door, and into the night. He could smell smoke, and there was a frenzy of activity in the building. From the second floor a few windows blew out, showering the ground with glass. There was a blaring alarm after an explosion from deep inside the building.
"Kirihara?"
"Yeah." Marui ran next to him. "Sanada showed him how to build a simple bomb."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Eiji couldn't help but laugh. They turned the corner, Eiji putting his arm out to stop Marui. Kirihara was being restrained, struggling, screaming and clawing at two men who were shoving him into the back of a car.
"Akaya!" Marui screamed across the compound. At that, Kirihara struggled harder, fist connecting with one of the men's faces. "Let me go!" Marui struggled against Eiji. "Let me go." Marui grunted, Eiji pulling him closer. Eiji darted back around the corner, Marui still struggling against him when another man emerged from the car, spraying the courtyard with bullets. Car doors slammed, tires squealing as the car shot off toward the exit.
Marui's tears where hot as they washed over Eiji's arms. The other man hiccupped and sobbed, all the while struggling to break free. "We have to move. Now." Eiji grabbed Marui's hand, pulling him along.
"Over the fence. It's your only option." Inui spoke up.
"Climb!" Eiji urged Marui up, He wore thick work gloves, pulling a heavy duty wire cutter from his belt. He managed to cut a hole in the barbed wire, sending Marui over the top, and scaling the fence as well. He landed on his feet on the other side, pulled Marui up and ran into the woods.
From within the compound, Eiji could hear the guards organizing themselves, search lights turned on, washing the compound and surrounding areas in bright light. Eiji pressed on, hand tight around Marui's pulling him deeper into the surrounding woods. There was a bay of dogs, Eiji's heart sinking further. Help was at least an hour out, and there wasn't much they could do to outrun dogs.
"Here." Marui jerked left, suddenly. His voice was flat, but he had at least stopped crying. "There's a tunnel." He started kicking at the thick underbrush. "It leads to a safe house, that we used…we used…"
Eiji dropped, scrambling at the forest floor until his fingernails scraped over metal. "I found it." It took both of them to lift the lid. Eiji dropped in first, going down the ladder attached to the wall. Marui followed, pulling the latch closed, locking it.
"It's heavy enough that it will take them a while to get through." Marui panted as they ran through the tunnel. It was carved out of the ground, concrete under their feet served as a path. It was dark, and damp and smelled of mildew and rotting things, but Marui knew where he was going. Eiji followed after him.
"Renji and Inui are meeting us at the safe house." Marui spoke up again, minutes or hours later, Eiji couldn't really tell in the absence of light. His chest burned, his legs hurt, but there was nothing in the world that would make him stop running. Eiji did in fact crash into Marui when the man stopped.
"We go up from here." There was another ladder, metal rungs solid and secure under Eiji's hands and feet.
He blinked as they crawled up into a room, the light too bright for his eyes. Inui's hand closed over his, pulling him out of the crawlspace. Eiji couldn't breathe as Inui wrapped around him, crushing him to his chest.
"Who was it, Bunta?" Sanada spoke up. Renji was silent, eyes closed, seemingly not paying attention.
"Oshitari." Marui spoke. There was something in the way Marui said the name, that made Eiji wince. "I'm going to get him. You will not stop me."
"You're not going alone." Sanada said. "Let's get weapons, and a plan. And then get Kirihara back." A hard gaze was fixed on Eiji and Inui.
"We're in." Eiji said, pulling away from Inui. "We'll get him back, Marui. It'll be okay."
Pairing: Inui/Eiji, Kirihara/Bunta.
Rating/Contains/Word count: R/Darker themes, kidnapping/ 3,424
Disclaimer: I do not own, nor do I make profit from Prince of Tennis.
Summary: In which the two pairs make their move, and lose someone important.
Notes: Please let me know your thoughts/constructive crit/comments. This is an AU written as a request. Eiji and company are superheroes. This is a series that will be updated weekly.
In a Single Bound #1
I would have had this up earlier in the week, however, I live in the Pacific Northwest. We had a serious snow/ice storm and I was without power for a while. The next part should be up in a more timely manner.
The sun had just started to rise when Eiji woke up. He rolled over, finding the bed empty except for him. There was no note on the bedside table, so he figured Inui was still in their apartment, or close by. He stuck one foot out from under the covers experimentally, and found that it wasn't too cold. Reigning himself to the fact that he wouldn't go back to sleep, he rolled out of bed. Tugged on a sweatshirt that was Inui's, liking the way it hung off his body. Plus it smelled good. Like coffee, and sugar, and Inui's cologne. He padded, barefoot out to the living room, scratching idly at his stomach.
"Good morning, Kikumaru." Inui's voice was rough with lack of sleep. He was sprawled out, feet dangling off the arm of the couch.
"Morning." Eiji swallowed a massive yawn.
"There's fresh coffee, would you like me to get it for you?"
Eiji came around the couch, seeing that Inui's eyes were closed, one arm dangling off the couch, fingers on the floor. The other was tucked under his head. The news was playing on the television, volume low that Inui could hear it, but it wouldn't have disturbed Eiji's sleep. "I'll get some in a little bit." He stretched out on top of Inui, head resting on a broad chest, feeling the slow rise and fall of Inui's breathing.
"Did you sleep well?" Eiji broke the silence first, watching the news.
"Not really." Inui's hands smoothed up and down Eiji's back. "I keep thinking about what happened with Marui and Kirihara and how quickly it could have gone wrong."
"Inui.."
"Without Kirihara there.."
Eiji couldn't handle the emotions in Inui's voice. He shifted slightly, leaning in and silencing Inui with a kiss. "You knew what I do, before we got into this."
"It doesn’t mean that I can't be worried about the statistical outcome of situations you get yourself into." Eiji kissed him again, Inui's hand sliding under the sweatshirt.
"Will you come with me later today?"
"Where?"
"Marui was released a few days ago, and is moving around. He wants to meet up." Eiji shivered as Inui's touches continued to move over him.
"I think I'll work on the camera for when you leave on your jobs." Inui kissed Eiji's cheek.
"You were the one that got Marui and I out."
"Give me some time, Eiji." The way Inui said his name made Eiji's breath hitch. He leaned in again, kissing Inui solidly on the mouth.
After breakfast, and Eiji finished doing the dishes, he watched as Inui retreated into the back bedroom to work on the camera using the pieces Eiji had picked up a few weeks earlier. Eiji got showered and dressed. Before he left he checked in on Inui, making sure that the other man didn't want to go.
Eiji elected to walk to the park where he was meeting Marui. It was a decent enough day, plenty of other people at the park. Young families out for the day, couples walking together, children shrieking and playing on the playground. He saw Marui on a park bench, and not too far off from him was Kirihara playing with a dog. Eiji plopped down on the bench next to Marui.
"Yo." Marui grinned, blowing a bubble at him. "Glad you found us, I was going to text, but I didn't know exactly how to explain where we were."
"You're doing better?" Eiji asked as way of greeting. "Since they let you out, how are you doing? Are you back to work?" The barrage of questions tumbled out of him before he could fully stop them. He had been genuinely worried about the other man, and had attempted to go to the hospital a few times to visit. However, the presence of the ever stoic, ever stern yanagi and Sanada. Even though, Inui had reassured him that yanagi was far gentler than he appeared.
"I'm fine." Marui's response was nearly automatic. "I have him," He pointed at Kirihara, "Trailing after me like I'm going to fall over and die at any second."
"He was worried about you." Eiji's attention was distracted momentarily as Kirihara threw a ball for the wiggling lab, and then chased after it himself when the dog rolled over onto it's back. "What happened…to him?"
Marui was quiet for a long time, chewing on apple scented gum. "He is a laboratory experiment. I stole him."
"You stole him?" Eiji asked. Kirihara had given up on the ball, and instead was rolling around with the dog.
"Before you came out, I was working as a lab assistant." Marui said, sitting back, legs sprawling into the path. "I was given the task to feed him, and make sure that he didn’t get into too much trouble." Another long pause, "They did horrible things to him. Genetic tests that are even above what Renji knows." There was another pause, Marui's words constricted.
"It's been three years. It took me two years to get him to speak like us. To be like that." He jerked his chin toward Kirihara. "He promised me he'd never lose control. He thought I'd send him back. He thought that I'd give him back to those bastards."
"You came out right after I did."
Marui nodded, "It was the only way to keep them from coming after us. Renji and Sanada provided us a place to hide so I could work with him."
"Who did it to him?" Eiji asked, though in the pit of his stomach he knew the answer.
"Atobe Incorporated." Marui sneered. "They basically own Mizuki's operations, and about half the fucking country." His tone shifted when Kirihara came over to them, the dog trailing behind him. He sat next to Marui, and peered at Eiji.
"Anyway, I know of a job that's coming up. Are you interested?"
"Working together?" Eiji arched an eyebrow. "The three of us?"
"Four. You have Inui-san." Kirihara added breathlessly. "Renji says he's a badass. Kind of crazy, but he trusts him, so it's okay to work with him."
Marui pressed a white business card into Eiji's hand. "We have to go, but think about it. If you want to, give me a call at this number before Thursday." Kirihara's hand slipped into Marui's, as they turned to head off. "Kikumaru," Eiji looked up when Marui called his name. "Tell Inui that me and Renji say hi."
Eiji watched them walk off, hand in hand, with the dog playing and dancing around them. Marui had offered something huge--most of them worked in pairs, but the three, four of them could actually make some progress. Eiji, like the others had originally gotten into doing things for the fame, the notoriety, the fact that they would be recognized. That night when Marui had put everything on the line had started to change his opinion, and open his eyes to what was really going on behind the curtain of glitz and news hype.
Feeling on edge, and unable to sit still, Eiji started to walk the path through the park. He came to another clearing that held playground equipment. Quickly scaling the monkey bars, he hung upside down, legs hooked over the bars. The blood was rushing to his head, but at the same time it provided some sort of clarity. He could actually make a difference, working with Marui and Kirihara. Though, it could also end up being a trap.
"Why didn't you tell me that you worked with Marui and yanagi?" Eiji spoke, though he couldn't see Inui, he knew the other man was there.
"You never asked." The response came from somewhere behind him. Inui was probably on the bench. "You know what my work entailed before I left the company." There was a certain sadness to Inui's words.
"Did you work on what was done to Kirihara?" Eiji effortlessly lifted himself up, climbing on top of the bars, and sat on the top of the structure, watching Inui.
"Neither Renji or I knew until it was too late. We had come up with the basic principles, but there was no way to guarantee success, so we moved on."
"You really did work for the Atobe corporation."
Inui nodded. "As did Marui and Renji. Sanada, like you is an outsider." The light reflected off of Inui's glasses, the man's expression unreadable. "We worked for a man named Oshitari"
"Who is he in relation to everything?"
"Oshitari is Atobe's right hand man." Inui sighed. "I've kept track of his movements, and judging from the exorbitant financial transactions, it would appear that they've continued with their plan."
"To do things to people like with what they did to Kirihara?"
"In a way, yes." Inui said. "I'll come with you when you meet with Marui. Renji and I need to catch up." Inui cleared his throat, gaze just a little to the left of Eiji. "Are you coming home tonight?"
"Yup!" Eiji grunted as he swung up again, sitting on the top of the bars. "I'll bring home things for curry okay?" He watched as Inui walked off, worried at the slump in the other man's shoulders. Eiji stayed outside until the sun started to set. He went to the market, picked up the things for curry, and went back to the apartment. He could hear Inui in the backroom, amused by the sound of mechanical clunking and noise, but not too worried. It didn't smell like smoke--unlike the last time Inui set something up.
Dinner was dished up when Inui came out of the back. There was a moment's hesitation in the doorway, Eiji feeling his heart sink momentarily. The worry faded completely when Inui wrapped around him from behind, holding him against his chest.
"I'll help you. And Marui." Inui's chest rumbled as he spoke. "I need to come out of the shadows, and I want to take that step with you." Eiji's heart pounded under Inui's hands which spanned his chest.
Thursday came, Eiji and Inui headed out when Marui sent a text asking them to come by, along with an address. Inui drove, Eiji looking as the buildings became more and more industrial. They pulled up in front of a warehouse, Inui walking a few steps ahead of Eiji. The door opened under Inui's hand, both of them entering the building. The interior was set up a lot like Inui's back bedroom. Lots of computers, and tech devices. There was a wall of monitors, some dark, others showing various news programs.
"You came." Renji spoke up. Eiji was still unsure of the tall, slender and stern looking man. Inui on the other hand had a giant smile on his face. Eiji watched as the two embraced, before Renji motioned them over to table.
"This is the basic schematic layout of one of Atobe's labs." Marui appeared at Renji's side, chewing on apple gum. "If we destroy it, it will momentarily cripple his actions."
"What sort of lab is it?" Eiji peered at the diagrams, and the neatly written kanji in the margins of the schematics.
"Biological." Renji spoke up again. He and Inui were crowded around a corner. "They're trying to create a weapon form of what they did to Kirihara."
"Where is Kirihara?" Eiji just realized that the normally overbearingly snazzy Kirihara was absent.
"Sanada took him out." Renji said. "It's not safe for him to hear this quite yet."
"He's coming with me."
"That's still open to debate, Bunta."
"I'd like to see you keep him away."
"What will happen, is Sadaharu and I will take care of the computers, and that would allow you and Marui" Renji continued to speak, and pointed at Eiji. "To get inside and basically bring down anything that you can. Sadaharu and I will also download the contents of their online library, so you won't have to worry about carrying anything out."
"Renji, you plan on doing this tonight?" Inui spoke up, peering at a computer screen. He tapped at the keyboard, changing a few things on the screen as Renji looked on.
"It would be best if we moved quickly."
"Kikumaru?" Inui moved away from the computer, and took Eiji by the elbow. He led him away from the others, worry on his face.
"Are you certain that you want to go through with this tonight?"
"If they think it's the best time to strike."
"There's an eighty-five percent chance that something will go very wrong."
Eiji reached up, hand framing Inui's face. "You'll be in my ear won't you?" Inui nodded.
"Then I have nothing to worry about."
A slamming door announced Sanada's and Kirihara's return. Eiji watched as the dark haired youth nearly tackled Marui to the floor. There were harsh whispers, and Kirihara's voice rose as they argued about the night's plans. It wasn't much longer after the discussion that they were loading into a dark blue SUV. Marui was at the wheel, Eiji in the passenger seat, and Kirihara was in the back seat, muttering under his breath. Eiji only caught a few words of the quiet tirade, and shivered. The drive seemed endless, and the further they got out of the city, the quieter Kirihara got. Eiji glanced in his mirror to see the dark haired youth, staring out the window, unblinking, face curiously closed off. A second look at Marui confirmed that he too, wasn't happy about their mission for the night.
"Eiji." Inui's voice came through the transmitter in his ear. "Whatever happens, you three must get out together. Forget about mission, and the plan. Just make sure that the three of you get out in one piece." Eiji swallowed hard at Inui's words. There was something the other man wasn't telling him. Doubt crept into his thoughts, his stomach tangling into a knot.
"Renji's pretty good at what he does right?"
Marui's grip on the steering wheel was white knuckled. "I trust him." There was finality to his words. Eiji didn't push any further. The SUV pulled up to a checkpoint, an armed guard motioned for them to roll down the window. Marui did, handed him three laminated id cards. The guard shone a flashlight into the interior of the SUV and waved them through.
Paved road gave way to a long, gravel drive. The SUV rattled as the tires caught in potholes, their progress lurching slow. Ahead of them, loomed a huge, sprawling complex. Another gate, this guard stared at their ids for a while before waving them through. They passed through a chain link fence topped with barbed wire. Sharpshooter towers were stationed at the corners of the fence, the building illuminated with pale yellow light from the interior.
From the back seat, a low, animalistic whine came from Kirihara.
"Akaya."
"I'm fine." The response was spat out as soon as Marui said his name.
Marui parked next to a few other vehicles. They got out of the SUV, Eiji slipping the id that Marui handed to him into his pocket. They spread out, Kirihara dashing past them, taking to the stairs. "Kirihara is going to the fifth floor." Inui said as Marui brushed past him as well. "Marui's going down to the basement. I suggest you take the second floor. That way you can all get out using the access stairs located on the north end of the floor."
"Right." Eiji opened a door marking where the stairs were. He took the stairs two at time, his shoes clanging against the metal stairs. He crept around the second floor, making sure that there wasn't anyone around. Carefully, he withdrew a box of matches, papers and books into trashcan. He moved from room to room lighting fires as he went. There was no howl of a fire alarm, so Renji had held up on that part of the deal.
"Kikumaru." Marui called as Eiji clattered down the stairs. "We have to hurry." The other man sounded out of breath. Marui was a few steps behind him. "Kirihara's meeting us outside."
"Did he get it done?" Eiji pulled open the back door to the first floor, holding it for Marui. Kirihara had been tasked with destroying machinery and equipment, something that Kirihara had seemed eager to do.
"Yeah." Marui tugged on his own ear. "I can hear him. He's bitching that we're too slow." Eiji laughed softly, bursting through the side door, and into the night. He could smell smoke, and there was a frenzy of activity in the building. From the second floor a few windows blew out, showering the ground with glass. There was a blaring alarm after an explosion from deep inside the building.
"Kirihara?"
"Yeah." Marui ran next to him. "Sanada showed him how to build a simple bomb."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Eiji couldn't help but laugh. They turned the corner, Eiji putting his arm out to stop Marui. Kirihara was being restrained, struggling, screaming and clawing at two men who were shoving him into the back of a car.
"Akaya!" Marui screamed across the compound. At that, Kirihara struggled harder, fist connecting with one of the men's faces. "Let me go!" Marui struggled against Eiji. "Let me go." Marui grunted, Eiji pulling him closer. Eiji darted back around the corner, Marui still struggling against him when another man emerged from the car, spraying the courtyard with bullets. Car doors slammed, tires squealing as the car shot off toward the exit.
Marui's tears where hot as they washed over Eiji's arms. The other man hiccupped and sobbed, all the while struggling to break free. "We have to move. Now." Eiji grabbed Marui's hand, pulling him along.
"Over the fence. It's your only option." Inui spoke up.
"Climb!" Eiji urged Marui up, He wore thick work gloves, pulling a heavy duty wire cutter from his belt. He managed to cut a hole in the barbed wire, sending Marui over the top, and scaling the fence as well. He landed on his feet on the other side, pulled Marui up and ran into the woods.
From within the compound, Eiji could hear the guards organizing themselves, search lights turned on, washing the compound and surrounding areas in bright light. Eiji pressed on, hand tight around Marui's pulling him deeper into the surrounding woods. There was a bay of dogs, Eiji's heart sinking further. Help was at least an hour out, and there wasn't much they could do to outrun dogs.
"Here." Marui jerked left, suddenly. His voice was flat, but he had at least stopped crying. "There's a tunnel." He started kicking at the thick underbrush. "It leads to a safe house, that we used…we used…"
Eiji dropped, scrambling at the forest floor until his fingernails scraped over metal. "I found it." It took both of them to lift the lid. Eiji dropped in first, going down the ladder attached to the wall. Marui followed, pulling the latch closed, locking it.
"It's heavy enough that it will take them a while to get through." Marui panted as they ran through the tunnel. It was carved out of the ground, concrete under their feet served as a path. It was dark, and damp and smelled of mildew and rotting things, but Marui knew where he was going. Eiji followed after him.
"Renji and Inui are meeting us at the safe house." Marui spoke up again, minutes or hours later, Eiji couldn't really tell in the absence of light. His chest burned, his legs hurt, but there was nothing in the world that would make him stop running. Eiji did in fact crash into Marui when the man stopped.
"We go up from here." There was another ladder, metal rungs solid and secure under Eiji's hands and feet.
He blinked as they crawled up into a room, the light too bright for his eyes. Inui's hand closed over his, pulling him out of the crawlspace. Eiji couldn't breathe as Inui wrapped around him, crushing him to his chest.
"Who was it, Bunta?" Sanada spoke up. Renji was silent, eyes closed, seemingly not paying attention.
"Oshitari." Marui spoke. There was something in the way Marui said the name, that made Eiji wince. "I'm going to get him. You will not stop me."
"You're not going alone." Sanada said. "Let's get weapons, and a plan. And then get Kirihara back." A hard gaze was fixed on Eiji and Inui.
"We're in." Eiji said, pulling away from Inui. "We'll get him back, Marui. It'll be okay."