One Shot for the Community

[arysthaeniru]

Title: One Shot
Author: matokilove
Recipient: The Community
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Violence, swearing, mentions of blood.
Summary: AU. Rikkai is the most powerful criminal group in the underworld. When there is only one shot at life, you need to make the best of it.
Notes: Troika, one-sided Yukimura/Niou. I tried to fulfil my original recipient’s prompt as closely as I could, I hope the Community enjoys it as well. A big thank you to the people that helped me through it, and to my amazing kickass beta.


Yukimura Seiichi hummed and closed his eyes in delight as the éclair du chocolate melted in his mouth. It had been so long since he had spared an evening to go out and have a proper dinner at his favorite french restaurant. Of course, he had celebrated success with his family after the job done last week, but he had been aching, for something like this. A quiet evening with the lowlights of the restaurant framing the neon lights belows. Such a lovely sight; he felt like he could even paint it, but that would involve more lightening and the moment would be gone. What a shame, really.

“The noises ya’re making Boss…” Niou smirked from the other side of the table, eyeing him with unveiled mischief, “....worth taking Sanada’s fist, I swear.” Yukimura chuckled and the sound was like small bells breaking the silence.

Niou’s smirk turned into a small smile before he took another drink of whatever he was having. Vodka, maybe? He loved coming to this places with Niou. They could be as foreign as they wished and they wouldn’t be frowned upon. Secretly, Yukimura envied his resistance to alcohol. Niou always drank but never ate while they were outside their headquarters. One day he would tear the secret out of him, or Yagyuu, and put it to the test with Sanada and Yanagi. Ah, fun times.

Taking another piece of the chocolate treat with a fork, Yukimura offered it to Niou. He loved to tease him, and Niou loved to be teased, and so they were perfect for each other. Not in the way Sanada, Yanagi and himself belonged to each other, of course. But there was something wild in hanging around with Niou, some sense of adventure that was exhilarating and reckless at the same time. Yukimura loved it.

This was something he couldn’t quite have with the others; they worried too much.

Rikkai was powerful enough to be feared in the underground scene and the higher business circles, striking deadly and powerful and making successful robberies when they choose to. They were known ghosts. People knew Rikkai existed but the members didn’t; therefore they were unbeatable and untrackable. You can’t kill or imprison a ghost after all. The pack of dogs led by Tezuka, butting in other people’s business and even almost getting them a few times, were a manageable annoyance. That Echizen brat was going to wake up dead sooner rather than later, though.

But this...Rikkai had it under control.

Rikkai was so close to finally achieving what they’d been working so hard on for three years now, that Yukimura could even taste it. Soon, they would be rich enough to own the city that shone with artificial lights below them and nothing would stop them. The sky was the limit.

The other man an arched an eyebrow, giving in to Yukimura’s request. “It’s good to see ya this happy… ya sure the other two are okay with this? You seem to be having so much fun; I might start fearing being shot dead if they think I did something to you.”

“Wouldn’t that be fun~?” Yukimura smile was more like a smirk, as he took another bite from his dessert. “It’s alright. They’re having fun with their old men hobbies, too. I just needed a break, you know.” One night out, without Sanada constantly frowning, a second away from slashing in half a person if they look too suspicious, or Renji’s unnerving mumbling he didn’t understand and checking his phone more than he looked at him. Yukimura loved them, but they were driving him crazy, as of late. “Are you proposing something, Niou? Be careful, I might say yes~”

“I’m not that suicidal.. yet.” Niou chuckled and raised his glass to Yukimura. They just worry, Boss, can’t really blame them…”

“I know, and that’s the worst. One last job, Niou. Then--”

The sound of several shots and glass shattering hit them before the realization of what was happening did.

“Yukimura! Under the table!” Niou’s cry was muffled by the screams and tables hitting the ground. The three men continued shooting, emptying their guns carelessly and messily all over the restaurant. The last thing Yukimura saw before being shoved under the table was Niou’s worried stare that mirrored his own; he had sacrificed the chance to pull out his guns for the sake of saving him and had just realized what he had done. Niou fell to the floor and Yukimura was already on his feet, his gun at the ready.

The leader had the nerve of looking at him, smirking, before throwing a disc at his table. The man fell to the ground dead, before the disc reached its destination; the other two followed suit before they even realized they were being shot down like flies.

“Niou!” Without putting his gun away, and still aiming at the door, in case of any other unpleasant surprises, Yukimura took a glance at the body next to him. There was blood oozing from Niou’s shoulder; he stumbled a bit as he got up but his hold was strong as he hurriedly dragged Yukimura out of the restaurant.

“We need to go, Yukimura! Now!”

The ride back to the headquarters had been pulled out from someone’s nightmare. Niou was still bleeding, but driving like a madman, taking sudden turns and none of their usual streets in case they were being followed. Yukimura would have become dizzy, if there hadn’t been a wrenching feeling in his gut already. The people had known who they were. That wasn’t supposed to be possible. They had shot at them in a public place. Maybe Sanada had been right about worrying so much, after all. The gash in his forehead, where a stray piece of glass had cut him sometime in the middle of this mess, was the proof of how close he had been to death. What if it had been a bullet? Their attackers had the upper hand for the briefest of times at the restaurant by making their move when Yukimura and Niou weren’t expecting it. He didn’t know what was more unsettling, the fact they could have killed them or the fact that it hadn’t been their intention at all.

The alarm signal had been set off to each of the Rikkai members’ pagers after they left the restaurant, so when they finally reached the headquarter’s garage, the team was already ready to take action. Sanada almost took the door off its hinges in his hurry and worry to check on Yukimura.

“Niou got shot! Get him first,” Yukimura ordered over Sanada’s voice fussing over him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yagyuu already taking Niou inside to tend his wound, followed by Marui. Alone now, Yukimura allowed himself to rub the aching pain in his forehead carelessly with his hand. “They knew, Genichirou. They knew who we were. They targeted us; it wasn’t a crossfire or a coincidence.”

“We don’t know anything yet.” Sanada was frowning, his stare as fierce and determined as always. “This is not over; it still can be done, we just-“

“Need to be more careful. All of us, no exceptions.” Yukimura looked straight into Sanada’s eyes. They knew this was inevitable, coming out, but just before the last decisive job was a great danger to all the members. Sanada would do anything to ensure their success, yet getting himself killed in the process was not an option. “Any other incidents?”

“Yagyuu and Marui were already here when the alarm went off. Jackal is checking the perimeter and Akaya called in, he’s on his way,” Sanada reported without a second of hesitation as they walked their way to the house. On the outside, the headquarters looked like an abandoned industrial warehouse located near the slums, but in the inside it held everything Rikkai needed to operate. From two garages, three training rooms and a shooting range to dorms, a dojo and even an inner garden, the headquarters constituted the core of Rikkai as much as it did its three founders.

“Renji. Where is he?”

“He hasn’t arrived yet.” There was a little bit of apprehension in there, Yukimura could easily tell. “He was supposed to meet an informant.” Yanagi was the reason they were living ghosts and the security risks in their ‘operations’ were minimal. They knew better than to page him when he went information hunting; doing that could give him away or get him killed.

“Alright. We need a computer, a disposable one. I don’t want them to have any more information than what they already have,” Yukimura said showing the disc to Sanada as they entered the living room of the house.

As Sanada dashed into action, Yukimura loomed over where Yagyuu was already working on Niou. The doctor had an office where all the medical supplies were held but it was at the other side of the house, so Yagyuu had improvised a field to lay the first aid kit on the kitchen table to Yukimura’s dismay. Those things belonged in an operation room and far away from anywhere near him, but he guessed it couldn’t be helped.

“How’s that going, Yagyuu?”

“He’s going to be fine. The bullet went cleanly through, it didn’t severe any important artery or vein,” Yagyuu said, carefully cleaning the wound. Niou was biting on a white cloth to muffle any painful noise the procedure could tear out of him. “But it is one of the most painful zones to get shot, though, Yukimura-kun. Niou will be in a considerable amount of pain for the next few weeks, maybe you should take that into consideration during our next plan of ac---”

“Then make sure he doesn’t feel any of it,” Yukimura said between writhed teeth, not even pretending to smile. The date of the next job could not be changed- they only had one opportunity. Niou spitted out the cloth in his mouth.

“I can do it. Don’t worry, Boss,” he managed before crying out in pain as Yagyuu pressed on the injury to see if it could be stitched up. Mostly, they knew it was to prove (quite successfully) Yagyuu’s point. It served Yukimura right for choosing people so alike himself, he mused.

“We’ll work something out--” There was a loud crashing noise and Yukimura was already pointing his gun at the source. Sanada was standing there, regaining his balance after newly-come Akaya had crashed into him. By the look of things, the loud noise had been caused by the laptop and disc falling to the floor. After what had happened in the restaurant and with the adrenaline still in his veins, Yukimura didn’t put his gun down. It took him a couple a seconds for his mind wrap around the situation and overrule the instinct of just shooting down the possible threat. Sanada’s stare bored into him as he moved, slowly, to pick up the fallen items. It was alright, they were safe. Dear heavens.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Don’t kill me, Yukimura-shachou! I’ll buy you another one-what happened to your forehead?” Akaya’s self-preservation instincts were apparently weaker than the ones regarding worrying over him, and Yukimura felt a resigned satisfaction as he put his gun down.

Akaya was the youngest of the team, barely seventeen, but one of the most deadly assassins in hand-to-hand combat, and he was loyal to death to their cause. Even after seeing what he was capable of and how unrecognizable his victims were after he was done with them; it was hard to not consider Akaya as a kid. Maybe it was because he acted like a kid, most of the time. Was he wearing a cap with furry cat ears?

Akaya didn’t make it far, though. Two steps in Yukimura’s direction and he was on the floor, just where the computer had been moments ago because Sanada had slapped him.

“You almost broke it, Akaya! If you damaged it, I---” came Sanada’s roar as he towered over him, the computer and disc safe in his arms again.

“I said I’ll buy another one!”

“ This” -it looked like Sanada was resisting to smack Akaya in the head with the disc, or the computer- “is the only thing we have over the people that shot Niou and hurt Yukimura.” Instead of hitting Akaya, he closed the disc case gently before hanging both items to Yukimura. “I don’t care that you were late! You should have been faster to get here so wouldn’t have to run!”

“Niou-senpai got shot?!” Akaya’s eyes were wide open, his tone tinted with complete incredulity. Yukimura would have been surprised as well, if he hadn’t witnessed firsthand.

“What? You get patched up all the time, brat. Isn’t it Yagyuu~?” Niou’s voice sounded more hoarse than what Yukimura would like to admit, or anyone at that.

“If you’re saying it because of that one time, y--” Akaya was already on his feet, as easily provoked as he was. Helpfully, thankfully, Sanada’s hand in Akaya’s shoulder was enough to make him sit down on the floor again.

“Be quiet. Everyone, now.” Yukimura quietly snapped at them, and that worked better than if Sanada would have yelled; which was good, because he could feel a migraine coming his way and yelling would only make it worse. How much did their attackers know? Was the next operation completely compromised? No, that couldn’t be. They’d worked too hard for this to come down over something like this. This was just a fluke. Somehow the information of him being an important man within the inner city underground had leaked. They were trying to make a bravado of some kind. They knew nothing. “Now’s not the time,” Yukimura added.

Everyone fell silent. Yukimura put the computer on the table and turn it on. For the next minutes, the only noises were the muffled protests coming from Niou and the disc as it was being read by the optical drive. Immediately, the screen blacked out.

“Was it a tracker then?”

“No, look!” Akaya pointed at the screen as a video started playing. A dark room appeared with a person sitting in a chair in the center. As the camera came closer, the silhouette became clearer; there was a man, head down and bounded. Was he unconscious? No, he was stirring a little. “What…”

Akaya’s words drifted off as a gloved hand forcefully grabbed the man by the hair, pulling his head back for the camera to focus on his face.

The room became colder than ice and tension perfectly palpable now. The silence became absolute.

Renji.

Split lips with dry blood in them, a painfully swollen black eye, and a cut still oozing blood from his eyebrow. The camera backed out enough to capture the surroundings, showing three other men in the room. Yukimura wished he didn’t know where this was heading. Yanagi didn’t even flinch when one of the men in black hit him in the face again. They all knew he wouldn’t give in to any intimidation or punishment for not telling what they wanted from him; he would stay strong and unyielding. Akaya flinched though, with every single hit, with every single pained groan that betrayed Yanagi’s resistance. Sanada’s hands were in tight fists that turned his knuckles white and Yukimura felt him shaking ever so slightly in restrained rage.

By the time they put a large knife against Yanagi’s neck, Akaya was unable to watch anymore. “Fuck!”, he screamed as he stood up and turned away.

Yukimura heard something breaking; he wasn’t sure what, if it was something expensive Akaya smashed or if he just projected what he was feeling inside and he couldn’t care less. He didn’t stop watching the screen. He couldn’t. A cold liquid fury was scorching him inside as it traveled his veins, engulfing him all. They wouldn’t kill Yanagi, they were just making a show of the fact that they could.

The man in charge, glasses and tacky hairstyle, smirked at them before a massive form of another man blocked Yanagi from view. “The instructions are in the disc, Rikkai.” Then, he turned the camera off.

Yukimura had to force himself to think that this was recorded already. This had already happened and even if he replayed it a hundred times, he couldn’t change anything about it. It was in the past. He could not stop this from happening, but they were going to get him back. They had to. And those people would pay and wish for death long before he would grant it to them.

Yukimura wasn’t aware he too was shaking until Sanada’s big, strong hands closed on his. When had he stood up and hovered in front of him? Yukimura could see the same cold fire in his eyes, stronger if possible.

We’ll bring him back. It was a silent promise, a fact.

“Perimeter’s clear. What did I miss?” Everyone turned to look at Jackal standing on the doorway, and no one could say a word.

The instructions from the guys that got Yanagi had been clear. The wanted money, lots of it. Wasn’t that always the motive for pulling these stunts? They wanted a shitton of it, though; more than Rikkai’s reserves (and that was saying something). The money was not an issue, even if what was more than what they had. Robbing high profit companies, strategic business blackmail, information espionage, secret investments; Rikkai were the best on what they did and that resulted in great earnings at the end of the month. They weren’t just ‘thieves’ or ‘safecrackers’, they were ‘unorthodox business associates’ as Yagyuu put it (and that sounded a lot better). They were known as a powerful force that could bring down businesses or even some gangs if they were becoming an obstacle for their goals. From time to time, a cocky upstart competitor would pop up and would try to trail them down to prove something. Then, they would face Rikkai Law and realized how stupid they were for even trying. Stupid little punks.

Marui Bunta took a bite of the strawberry cake, chewing on the metal fork as he looked down at the map in front of him. Hmm. The real problem now was that these Higa guys also wanted some weird stuff that was being developed in one of the Josei Shonan laboratories. Hanamura was complicated, dangerous and kinda creepy and so were her security systems.

“Don’t get cake on the map, fatty.”

“Shut up, Niou. I’m thinking.” Ah, that exit was blocked and if they activated that alarm they were pretty fucked up. Okay, another plan.

“Thinking of cake~”

Marui ignored him. Niou was even more annoying than usual after getting shot. Weren’t the drugs supposed to make him mellow or something along those lines?

“Why so serious? Is the cake off or something? I didn’t put anything on it.” Scratch that, Niou was a freaking nightmare. Sprawled on the couch, he looked like an evil cat from hell. He would probably even claw people’s faces off if they got too close to him, “Or did I?”

Marui dropped the fork and put the cake away with a frown. Niou shouldn’t be allowed to have free time, but drugged and out of service, it was inevitable. The redhead understood that everyone was particularly edgy, too.

It wasn’t only the fact they were missing a friend, comrade and strategist, the disc that the punks had thrown at Yukimura the night before contained all the criminal info on Rikkai. Basically, these guys had all of the data of the jobs they did in the last few years, with names, locations and the criminal information on each one of the members (thank the gods it hadn’t gone too deep into personal background, some of them still had families to take care of). Honestly, Marui didn’t have a clue of how Higa got it, but they must have had some damn good connections to get it.

Higa weren’t just the regular ‘upstarts’ though. Marui had already gathered some vague information on them; they were fairly new but quite the sadistic bastards and did the lowest of crimes. Rikkai never went as low as trafficking women and beating up lowlifes for a living. Yet, these assholes could out them to the rest of the underworld (that really did all that ghastly stuff) revealing their faces and identity, endangering all they knew and making their work harder and more dangerous (because people just like to take the easy path and even if they could take them down, it was going to be troublesome).

Also, they had outdone Yanagi and that alone was scary.

“I believe you’re missing this passage, Marui-kun,” Yagyuu said, pointing at a small corridor near one of the exits. “It will allow an quick, easy exit for the ones in the cold room. If the information we have is correct, it will be more than enough time to leave scene before the alarms go off.”

“Yeah, that works. No, wait, apparently there’s a block here and a guard’s station over here.” Marui pointed at different locations on the map. “We can turn right but…Did you make coffee?” The bastard was drinking it already. What was with Yagyuu never sharing? Jackal would have brought him some, but he was in the garage fixing the cars and making them faster and deadlier.

“Just turn left then~” Niou’s mocking drawl made Marui feel like throwing the rest of his cake at his head.

“There is a wall on the left, you idiot. Ah right, you can’t see it because you need to be laid down because you got shot.” Marui decided to roll his eyes at Niou instead, it was less messy.

“Then make a hole, genius”

Marui ignored Niou again, standing up from his stall and walking to Akaya’s room. They were going in circles; he needed something that would let him plan better on this labyrinth of laboratories and test rooms. He returned a few minutes later and dropped something on top of the map.

“Are those Akaya-kun’s gashapon figurines?”

Marui shrugged at Yagyuu’s question and popped a piece of gum into his mouth. “We need them to plan. I’m this badass looking guy here.” He placed the figurine on the map where he was going to be during the operation. Yagyuu looked too dumbstruck for words. Good.

“Now ya’re thinking, fatty.” Niou smirked, groaning as he stood up and walked toward the table. “Ya look more like this, though…”

“Fuck off, Niou! I’m not Snorlarx!” Marui snapped at him but he was smiling slightly now.

Niou patted Marui’s back as he took another one, an evil looking half monster, half human with a sword. “This one’s Sanada, that’s for sure.” Niou said as Yagyuu helped him onto one of the stools with a complete disapproving frown on his face. The glasses guy wouldn’t make Niou go back to the couch but didn’t want him to bleed out again either. That would probably mean lots of work for Yagyuu.

“Jackal,” Marui said with a grin as he took what looked like the main character in one of Akaya’s videogames, bald and all strong looking, and put it near the cars. “And Akaya!” He took one that could switch faces.

Niou smirked again and took one with painted blood splattered all over it. Maybe they should monitor what Akaya watched more often. “I’m this one. Yagyuu?”

Yagyuu’s glasses glinted and the corner of his lips were curling upward. Marui could tell the tension that had built after watching the video wasn’t gone, but it wasn’t oppressing them anymore.

“I’m--”

“I don’t hear you working,” someone said, cutting Yagyuu off. Marui turned to see Yukimura leaning into the door frame, arms crossed and a stern look on his face. “I told you I wanted the plan by tonight. Should I make you wish you were in Renji’s place instead~?”

“We’re on it, Boss!” Marui winked at him and then popped a bubble. He knew they were working, but was harder from Yukimura and Sanada with how close they were to Yanagi. “Don’t worry, we’ve got this.”

Yukimura must have seen something in them, from the beginning when they’d joined him. He knew they wouldn’t let them down, ever. They would bring Yanagi back. The leader saw the table full of toys and rolled his eyes, almost smiling, before turning around and leaving.

“So what? The ecchi half naked princess is the boss?”

“Yep~”

Sanada Genichirou didn’t hear anything but the sound of his steady breathing, the sound of the fabric as he moved and the wind being cut by his sword. One, two, three, four. The straw man fell to the floor into pieces, scattering straw across the tatami floor. Sanada could feel every straw and every crack on the wood under his bare feet, and the cold sweat sliding down his back and forehead.

The paper walls were wide open and the cold night breeze creeped on his face and hands. He barely noticed, with how hot he felt inside. The rage was all consuming, burning inside him. One, two, three, four. The next dummy fell to ground after vicious slashes from Sanada’s sword. His grip on the sword handle tightened as a memory of Renji tied up and bleeding flashed through his mind. One, two, three, four. Sanada heard the pained sound that escaped Renji’s mouth after being beaten, loud in his ears, louder than the slashes of his swords against the straw and bamboo.

Sanada half-collapsed, half-sat down on the tatami after sheathing the sword, gasping for breath. His throat felt sore and there was a wheezing sound. He had probably cried out loud too. It didn’t matter, the team knew better than to disturb him when he was at the dojo. He laid down completely, a hand over his eyes and his chest falling and rising quickly.

“Did the dummies beat you this time?” The coldness in Yukimura’s voice, served only to turn the guilt sting into a stab. It wasn’t necessary to use recriminating words; Sanada knew Yukimura blamed him over this and he wasn’t going to deny it. If only Sanada had gone with Renji to meet the informant, this wouldn’t have happened. He had stayed, had watched him smile slightly before walking away. It was Sanada’s fault.

“I took them down with me.”

“Not good enough.”

“Ah.”

The silence was heavy after that. Even with his eyes closed, Sanada could feel the other’s presence. How could he not? It felt colder than the breeze coming through the open doors, and it sent a shiver down his spine. It wasn’t from fear for the other, but because the distance between them felt so solid then. Sanada wished he had Yanagi’s eloquence to reassure Yukimura that everything was going to be fine; instead he felt the unspoken words choking him. Renji had always been the bridge between them, the center that balanced their virtues and flaws and prevented their strong wills from clashing spectacularly.

“Scouting tomorrow. Take Akaya with you.”

Still on the floor, Sanada nodded. He was the most familiar with the zone and it would serve as field experience for Akaya. He would make absolutely sure the zone was clear and safe for the team to enter. Sanada was not going to lose any more of Rikkai due to his carelessness. He took the arm off his eyes and sat, looking up at Yukimura and feeling his heart clench. Yukimura’s clothes were splattered in paint like he hadn’t bothered to put an apron before attacking his canvas. More like massacring, Sanada thought. He wished he had chosen other colors than black and red; they made him look like he was covered in blood.

Seiichi.

“Ah.”

“You sure you’re right about this, Sanada-san? I mean it looks more like a fancy mall than a secret evil laboratory…” Kirihara Akaya asked before raising the camera around his neck and taking a picture of the five story building in front of them. Well, some beauty stuff he had seen girls use looked like torture devices but that was really far from what they were supposed to get for those fuckers that had Yanagi-senpai. “Oi! Don’t smack me when I’m taking a picture! It gets blurry.”

“Then don’t ask obvious questions,” came Sanada’s dry reply. Akaya rubbed his head, pouting a little. Why couldn’t he get Jackal to get him to this part of the city? Through his camera, he could see the people walking across the street. Oh damn that girl was hot. Akaya zoomed; definitely foreign, those legs were far too good to be Japanese. “Pay attention, this is not a leisure trip,” Sanada growled at him.

“I know,” Akaya snapped back, guilt making a knot in his throat and he had to swallow a few times. He already knew that and if he could exchange places with Yanagi he would do it in the blink of an eye. Then he would kick those idiots’ asses and break some bones, and then he would kill them for shooting Yukimura-sanchou and Niou, and for hurting Yanagi-senpai. Nobody messes with his family. He growled as he tightened his grip on the camera and he took another couple of shots.

They were sitting on a bench in front of the building they were targeting the next night. It was a busy hour in the day, businessmen running from one building to another, people buying lunch and students leaving for their homes. Akaya wondered what it would be like to go to school like the rest of the people his age as he took another couple of shots. He was home schooled and even if his senpai-tachi were moronic most of the time they knew pretty much everything you could even think off. And if he bribed Niou or Marui he could even learn to do cool stuff like hacking computers and breaking in. The smell of smoke made Akaya to turn and look in Sanada’s direction.

“Do you know why we’re taking these pictures during the day, Akaya?” Smoking made Sanada’s voice deeper and kinda cool. Akaya usually sneaked out so smoke a few times too, or get some from Niou’s private stash but if one of Big Three caught them they got really mad and it wasn’t really worth it. Sanada went on, “We usually work at night, don’t we?”

“Yeah.” The younger man was thinking fast but nothing much came to mind, “we get lost in the crowd?”

“Ah.” Sanada took another smoke before putting it out and patting Akaya on the back to make them walk toward the building. Actually, Akaya had only seen Sanada smoking a couple of times in the years he had been in Rikkai and never in front of Yukimura. “We can get closer without being noticed.”

Akaya followed Sanada, feeling something like pride as he did so. He didn’t get to participate in many recon missions; that was usually Niou and Yagyuu’s job. They mixed well in all kinds of places since one looked like a yakuza and the other one like businessman (but both were equally creepy). Akaya turned the camera to take a picture of himself, a wicked smile on his face and making a peace sign with a hand, when in reality he framed the laboratories’ entrance. He looked at Sanada, as to probe him to acknowledge how clever that had been. “What? I just-- I mean the picture I-“ Akaya’s smile faltered, Sanada looked as serious as always. That had been clever, really! Why was Sanada so hard?

“We need number of guards and cameras in the lobby. Go.” Sanada ordered before pulling the brim of his hat down and walking away. It took Akaya a moment to realize he was being left alone to gather information on the most important mission they’ve had yet, rescuing Yanagi-senpai. Not only Yukimura-sanchou had thought it he was necessary for the sighting but Sanada was trusting him to do this on his own. Akaya’s stare became fierce as he crossed the gates of the fancy building. He wouldn’t let them down, he would succeed. He would make them proud.

Maybe he could get the pretty receptionist’s phone in the process, too.

“Are you guys ready?”

Yagyuu Hiroshi gave a short nod after a quick glance toward Niou, who was playing with his metal lighter, flicking it on and off. He would have said something along the lines of ‘Niou, refrain from endangering us by combusting the car, please , but they were in front on the Josei Shonan laboratories about to break in and the tension was high as it was already. Yagyuu had just injected Niou with enough painkillers to knock a horse out, and then enough of exhilarating drugs to keep him from being sedated from the start. He could let it pass this time, provoking Niou now would only lead to disaster .

Yukimura had wanted Niou in the mission and no persuasion against it coming from Sanada had worked, so Yagyuu had obliged in making Niou functional. As much as could be done with such a short recovery time, Yagyuu thought. Jackal looked at him through the rear view mirror, silently judging him. Of course, what he had done to Niou was against medical advice and his professional ethic, but compared to all of the questionable actions Yagyuu had done in his life ensuring their success to save a fellow Rikkai member was definitely not the worst.

Sighing in resignation would have been unbecoming then, wouldn’t it?

“How long now?” came Sanada’s voice, distorted by the communication device. Rikkai was split in two different teams for this: Yukimura, Sanada and Akaya in one car; Jackal, Marui, Niou and Yagyuu in the other.

“Almost there~,” Marui’s voice came from the copilot seat. He was typing madly in his computer - half-buried in empty gum wrappers- taking down the surveillance systems for them to get near the building without being noticed. Marui popped a bubblegum and Yagyuu didn’t cringe because he was used to the sound by now, even if he was absolutely disgusted by it. “Just a few minutes now. That old bitch’s hard to break…” The redhead said finally putting the computer off his lap and onto the front board so he could stretch and pop his neck into place.

Yagyuu took advantage of the spare time to check on his and Niou’s guns, the tools for breaking in, the communication devices and the medical kit one more time. Yes, everything was in perfect operating condition. He wished Niou’s pupils weren’t so dilated, though.

Niou nearly growled at him, “I’m fucking alright. Stop lookin’ at me like that.”

“Thirty seconds, everybody.” Marui announced through the radio. Jackal’s knuckles went pale as there was a synchronized sound of safety locks being pulled inside the car.

“Always win…” It was Yukimura’s voice this time. That was their cue. It was time.

“Rikkai,” they replied, quietly, solemnly. All of them, minus Jackal, dashed outside of the car with their guns at the ready.

Yagyuu heard Jackal’s voice before he closed the door of the van and they shot off running.“Take care, guys.”

Two shots of tranquilizer darts and the entrance guards were down to the floor, unconscious. There was never need for unnecessary violence and Yukimura was never a supporter of it either. For that, Yagyuu was grateful. One thing was bending his Hippocratic Oath in order to comply with the job requirements and another one was downright killing people that had done nothing to them. There was something tacky in just killing people without a firm purpose behind it. Higa was a complete different matter, though. Once they had Yanagi back and safe with them, and Yagyuu was sure each and every one of them had very creative ideas of what to do to them when this was over.

Without a word, Niou put a black box on the lock on the entrance and Yagyuu checked on his clock for the time. Niou had designed the box at the headquarters, taking into account the information they got on Josei Shonan to crack the security code. Niou, the irresponsible thug look aside, was a perfectionist and was great and what he did. Yukimura knew it, they all did. He wanted to make sure it worked and be there for the small chance it didn’t. As predicted, the lock clicked open a few seconds after it started working. Quickness was a necessity; the security breach Marui had managed would only grant them twenty seven minutes.

Marui entered first, being used to taking the front, while Yagyuu stayed behind to protect their backs. All the years they had spent working, training, living together made it possible for them to move together swiftly without using communication devices. They only needed a short nod or a hand gesture to move around the maze-like laboratory. Yagyuu and Marui’s aim was remarkable, and the regular guards were no match for them. The young doctor looked at his watch again when they reached the second filter. They had only twenty minutes left.

Without hesitation, Niou placed his invention on next to the door to unlock it , and Marui and Yagyuu turned their lanterns on. Once they crossed it they would be in complete darkness until their reached the cold room where the chemical they were stealing was located. Yagyuu kept his gun up and ready, in case the lock set the alarms off and unwelcomed company headed their way. The lock gave in and Niou winked at them as he switched his lantern on as well.

The temperature lowered as they became closer to their destination, quite uneventfully because of their careful planning and the implied success of Sanada and Akaya’s mission in another part of the building. Niou’s breathing was becoming slightly labored but when Yagyuu placed a hand on his shoulder, he shook his head ‘no’.

Yagyuu resisted the urge to curse as they continued their way.

The blinking red lights near the cold room were enough to make the outline of the final guards, but it worked for the guards as well. Without saying a word, they changed position as Yagyuu shielded Niou and they only had to dodge the first shots before Marui shot the guards down. They waited, holding their breath, to see if the alarms had gone off.

Niou shoved him aside and started to work in the final door. As the time passed by, they became more tense, as if each one of them had a loud internal clock telling them how short on time they were. If this went on any longer that panned, things would become complicated.

“Fuck.”

Niou swearing was all they needed to know the door was not going to open -that way, at least. Marui shoved him away and pointed at the lock before shooting a whole load on it. It didn’t even make a dent on it.

“What the--”

“What’s wrong?” Sanada’s voiced sounded clipped and demanding. Yagyuu pulled another gun, a smaller one and directed the small laser at the door.

“Shit!” Marui yelped as he jumped far away from the heat that started emanating from the door, stumbling with Niou in the process. The door glowed red before the lock gave in and fell to the floor with a plop.

“Puri.”

“What the fuck was that?!” Now Yagyuu was positive Sanada and Akaya were running their way if the agitation in the brat was any indication.

“Everything is under control, meeting point in five as planned,” Yagyuu replied before turning off his microphone and kicking the door open.

“Give us a fucking warning next time!” Marui yelled at him after muting his communication device too. Yagyuu arched an eyebrow at him and raised the wrist that held his clock, tapping it slightly with a finger. Marui rolled his eyes. “Jerk.”

“Yo, check this out…” Niou drawled, slightly out of breath, as they stepped into the cold room where the vials they were supposed to take glowed slightly, inside a medium size glass box.

Marui took a peek inside the box, “Wow. That’s something wicked. What do you think they are? Chemical weapons maybe?”

“Dunno, could be. Make sense for ‘em to want it.”

Yagyuu ignored the chat his partners were having as he took the backpack off and pulled out a small freezer box from it. Marui put the small vials carefully into it, and closed the lid before helping Yagyuu to secure the backpack on his back again.

“Whatever it is, it’s not our concern. We’re here to retrieve it.” Yagyuu really didn’t want to think about it at all if he could avoid it when he was carrying said substance on his back. In theory, it wasn’t as different from carrying a bag full of money or jewels and he definitely preferred that mindset. Niou would probably have a kick of it though, if he could carry them. “Let’s go, then.”

They were already back at the headquarters alright carrying success in their backs. They had managed it, stealing those vials from Hanamura. They had been right about her vault too, and Sanada and the kid had taken quite the sum of money from it so Rikkai wouldn’t end near bankrupt after this mess. Of course, some plans of getting back the ransom Higa was asking for Yanagi were already in the making but it was good to know they had it covered.

Successful jobs were always followed by celebrations where the Big Three would treat them to a nice place or buy them food and alcohol enough to pass out at the headquarters’ entertainment room. Yanagi would -half-heartedly- try to stop Akaya from drinking too much; Sanada would accept betting with them at cards and pitifully lose but it wouldn’t really matter, he would even laugh about it and Yukimura….

Yukimura would look like he owned the world and beyond, and to Niou, that was one of the most amazing sights he had ever seen.

Not this time, not this job.

This hadn’t been his chosen mission and Yanagi was still missing, so things were still fucked up. There hadn’t been any glorious speeches and instead Yukimura had offered a polite but dry ‘Well done’. Yukimura’s fake smile during the whole ordeal made Niou feel sick more than the special cocktail Yagyuu had kind of forced into him.

“Is something the matter, Masaharu? If you’re feeling something out of the ordinary, it could be a sign of an allergic reaction. Open your--”

“I’m just fucking tired, ‘Roshi. And probably over-drugged,” Niou snapped at Yagyuu before rubbing his eyes with his hands. Definitely over-drugged. “I think I need to lay down or somethin’… I’ll call ya if I start seeing multiple little Sanadas dancing in kigurumis… Maybe…Who knows, might be fun~”

“You’re slurring and spacing out. This is not a game. I’m perfectly aware of the amount of chemicals I injected you with. I--”

“And thanks for that. We made it, mmhh? I may want ya to give me another ride like this.” Niou placed a hand over Yagyuu’s. Shit, he was blaming himself for this. Yeah, it had started bleeding again but he was alright, there were things that hurt worse than a freaking bullet. Unconsciously Niou turned to the spot where Yukimura kept on revising the map of the meeting place, totally unfazed by the scandal made by the kid and Marui over who got the last slice of pizza. Sanada was there, behind him, hovering over him and just making the pressure worse. Didn’t he see it? Niou wanted to take their leader away, stuff him with French chocolate and wine and make him relaxed and confident again; return him to his unquestionable glory so the Higa fuckers would shit themselves at his sight when they meet them to get Yanagi back.

“Masaharu, stop it.” Yagyuu’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts, but Niou didn’t stop staring at the pair in front of them. “I know what you’re thinking so don’t.”

Well, at least the strong tone Yagyuu was using was different from the quiet fussing-over motherly shit from before. Niou arched an eyebrow; Yukimura just shot Sanada a glare before walking away, heading for his studio. Did he miss something when he turned to look at Yagyuu?

“Dunno what yar talking about, ‘Roshi. Going to say g’night to da Boss and then going to bed. Tomorrow’s the big day.” Niou didn’t wait for a reply he didn’t want to hear.

Yukimura’s spaces always held this sense of glowing beauty. The inside garden was a piece of art in and of itself and his studio was like half-finished fragments of reality taken out of someone’s vivid dreams. Even now when they were in their worst chaotic shape with splattered paint all over the place and canvas torn to pieces on the floor. Yukimura was already opening the lid of an oleo paint when he spotted Niou, leaning onto the door frame and watching him intently.

“Yo.”

“Ah, Niou.” Yukimura’s facial features softened slightly and Niou felt a smug sense of pride because of it. He was Yukimura’s escape, he always had been. “I see Yagyuu tended to your wound again. Make sure you’re taking your medications. Thank you for your hard work.”

“Shit got nothing on me.” Niou smirked a little and hoped he looked better than he felt. “Saw ya looking at the map again, Boss.”

Yukimura turned away and looked for an apron, randomly gathering supplies on his way. Since Niou wasn’t being kicked out yet -not that that had ever stopped him before- he entered the studio and found a stool to sit on. He silently watched Yukimura work for a while. The leader stopped after the first brushes and changed the canvas for a new one. Niou leaned into the wall and took a deep breath before speaking, “Ya know ya have nothin’ to worry about. It’s not the first time we’ve done this. This time tomorrow our Strategist will be back.”

“Yes, he will.” Yukimura voice was as soft as always but Niou could feel the tension there, the uncertainty over the outcome nobody would ever admit or voice out loud. Niou wondered if he ever sounded like that around Sanada and Yanagi. “I know I might be asking too much from you, but you will at your best shape tomorrow night, right Niou?”

The law of Rikkaidai. Total success, no failure is permitted. It was a necessity if they were dealing with people that could fuck you up big time, that was a given. Yet, Niou could hear the implicit ‘You’d better not screw this up. Renji’s life is in danger’ behind Yukimura’s words, very loudly.

Niou shrugged and Yukimura smiled, pleased; the smile he only reserved for Niou. They both knew that this mission was nothing like the other ones they'd undertaken, but Yukimura was planning and treating it like such. Really, when Yukimura smiled just like he did, there was a glow under his skin and a light to his eyes that would make anyone with a brain follow him to the ends of the earth. Niou would have done anything for Yukimura, anything.

“Yukimura, I checked over the information you asked for.” Oh, for fucks sake. Did Sanada have to choose right the fuck now to interrupt? Niou closed his eyes, annoyed. Sanada entered the studio and handed over some stupid papers and the moment was lost. He sighed as the two demons started chatting over some logistical issues for the exchange the next day.

“Niou, you should go to bed. We have a big day ahead of us. I’ll revise this with Sanada tonight and give you all of you details in the morning,” Yukimura said softly without looking up from the sheets, his attention now totally robbed from Niou’s persona.

Niou mentally cursed everything; he cursed god, he cursed this fucked up situation, he cursed Higa, he cursed having an unrequited feelings for Yukimura, he cursed Yagyuu for being right, and he cursed Sanada the most. At least Yanagi had the delicacy to interrupt when Niou’s one-sided fantasies were somewhat fulfilled.

“Sure thing, Boss.” Niou mocked saluted Yukimura -totally ignoring Sanada and his permanent scowl-, before limping his way out. Tomorrow they would face Yanagi’s captors and Niou would provide his lot of skills in case things became as complicated as Yukimura expected them to.

Of course, Yukimura didn't really need what Niou wanted to offer the most.

“That will be all. Tell them to be ready in six hours time. ” Yukimura’s voice was cold and distant as he put the sheets down and turned around to tend to his forgotten canvas. It was already morning, they had spent the rest of the night checking over the little details for the exchange and making sure they were fulfilling Higa’s requests. Sanada wasn’t expecting a different dismissal coming from Yukimura with how tense things were between them but it stung nonetheless. He nodded, not that it mattered when his lover was not even looking at him, and turned to leave.

“Do you think they killed him already?”

Sanada stopped dead in his tracks, a dreadful cold sensation creeping inside of him. “No,” he said and his voice held the strength of an Emperor, “there would not be a deal that way. He’s alive.” Higa knew that, that’s why they had sent a proof of Renji being alive to threaten them with his death. Yet, they both knew that ‘alive’ was a vague condition. Sanada couldn’t suppress a shiver; he would need a couple of hours at the dojo to block the mental images his own past experiences with forced interrogation and torture helpfully provided.

“It’s been four days now.” Yukimura’s voice cracked just before something else did; Sanada turn around only to see the brush Yukimura had been holding had snapped in half and some blood was already dripping down to the floor. Sanada stepped forward and, without a word, took Yukimura’s hand to examine it and then cleaned the small wound with a disposable tissue.

“He won't ever compromise us no matter the circumstances,” Sanada said quietly and looked up; Yukimura’s eyes told him that, for once, that was not the reassurance the other needed. “Renji’s going to be alright, he’s as strong and unyielding as you and me.”

They haven’t experienced the fear of losing each other, of breaking the harmony the unit the three of them created, since Yukimura had faced sickness. Those had been dark and painful times. It had been more difficult for Yukimura back then, of course, having to bear the uncertainty of dying as well. The old nightmares are harder to beat, they had time to learn how to hunt you in new ways.

Sanada took a deep breath before pulling Yukimura close and embracing him tightly; he felt his heart clench at the fact the other didn’t push him away. Sanada spoke softly but firmly, “We will be there for him” -to fix whatever was broken- “and then we’ll show them what Rikkai is made of.” Because this was not going to be left unpunished.

“I’m such a lacking leader, an onerous lover,” Yukimura said quietly and Sanada’s right hand found his way to caress the blue hair soothingly. “If I had been there…”

“Renji didn’t know this was going to happen and if he didn’t, there is no way we could have either. If anything, I’m the one to blame. I stayed behind, it was my fault. I can’t undo the past, I can only forge the future with my actions and I promise you, Seiichi, I will bring him back.”

Yukimura sobbed once and pulled Sanada closer.

There was a weary silence as they stepped outside the cars, their minds were focused and their hands steady on their guns on their belts. The heavy bullet proof doors slammed shut but that didn’t perturb them; on the contrary, it ripped away any nervousness away and made their senses sharper.

Yukimura fixed the coat over his shoulders; they had a mission to fulfill.

Wordlessly and as planned, each one of them took their position as they entered the abandoned subway station. The most intimidating members, Sanada and Akaya, took the front while the most skilled shooters took the back, Yagyuu, Niou and Marui. Jackal was walking behind Yukimura in the middle, holding the box with the vials and the money. Higa had requested all of Rikkai to be present for the exchange since every one of them were too dangerous to be left on the loose. Higa probably wanted to be sure they weren’t planning on setting them up once outside -of course they were, they just didn’t need to do it right now.

Their steps resonated through the empty walls as they descended the set of stairs, and to any outsider they’d look like the perfect picture of merciless assassins with their colder-than-steel glares, heads up, chests out and ready to take over the world. And they would be right, Yukimura had trained them to be exactly that.

If the tension was high and palpable before they’d reached the platform, it was even worse when they finally reached it.

Higa was perched halfway toward one of other exits, ten men fully armored and looking at them intently. They were barely fifteen meters away and for a moment both parties were measuring the other up. The bastards looked too smug and their head too attached to their bodies for Yukimura’s liking.

Their leader, Kite Eishirou, stepped a little closer, with his arms crossed as he wanted to see for himself the phantom glories, the ruthless Rikkai carried on their jobs. “You’re late,” he said with a smirk, “If I bide by our terms, you’re taking a corpse with you tonight.”

He was taunting and they all knew better than to fall for such a stunt. Well, maybe not Akaya who was downright growling at them now. Yukimura gave him a snide smile. “Maybe you should get a better clock then, if you want to leave this place at all that is.”

“Is that so, Yukimura Seiichi?” Kite’s smirk didn’t waver at all, “Or maybe I should just keep this one with me? He’s quite good at the numbers thing, he still might be functional enough to give me the right time.” He waved one of his men to move aside.

Renji .

He was sitting on a jagged wooden box behind them, his back against the wall, and he looked barely conscious; his head was covered in purple spots and dry blood, his clothes ragged and torn in some places, his hands were tied up behind his back but at least he was breathing. The Rikkai leader let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding at the sight.

The burning rage he felt inside served only to make his mind sharper and his voice colder. This was not the time for mindless blinded recklessness. “Ah, time is such a valuable thing, isn’t it? I’m sure we all are aware of it. Let’s proceed.”

“You’re not fun, Yukimura.”

“I’m afraid what I’d find entertaining for me and my men would not be considered as such by yours.” Yukimura’s soft voice started to have a sharp edge too.

“Bullshit! Yanagi had fun with us. Didn’t you, Yanagi-san?” Kite said over his shoulder, and the one standing guard next to him kicked the box to make him reply. Yanagi’s fluttered open but stayed silent otherwise, “Oh well, we certainly had fun with him~”

The Higa men snickered and one of them even laughed. Yukimura saw through the corner of his eye how Sanada grabbed Akaya’s arm in an iron grip to stop him from committing a stupidity and heard Marui and Yagyuu shifting in the back. Stay put.

“There is no point in delaying this any further,” Yukimura said, firmly. If Kite continued with this, it would only end in a massacre and his resolve in restraining Rikkai to stop it from happening, was starting to run thin. He gave a short nod and Jackal stepped forward past Sanada and Akaya to put the bags of money and container between the two groups before returning to his position next to Yukimura.

“Tanishi, Kai,” Kite said nonchalantly with his arms still crossed over his chest. At Kite’s command, two men broke from Higa’s line to pick up the items. The massive one opened the bag with grotesque big hands, almost tearing it apart while the redhead opened the container. They both nodded back at Kite with equally predatory grins before returning to his side. Kite looked the container with mild interest before nodding at the man watching over Yanagi, “Chinen.”

The tall man pulled Yanagi up and Yukimura felt a sting of worry as he needed support to stand up, let alone walk. Sanada looked so close to just crossing the little distance to carry him that Yukimura was worried about him breaking the no crossing the line rule than Akaya. He couldn’t really blame him, but they had Yagyuu and everything was ready back at home to tend him. They just needed to-

The man called Chinen didn’t help Yanagi all the way, and just gave him a slight push in Rikkai’s direction that made him stumble and almost fall. Akaya was the one that held back Sanada this time as Yukimura’s predictions came to life. Higa watched silently, waiting like vultures for any of Rikkai to commit the mistake of crossing the invisible line of the exchange zone and shoot them down.

Yanagi managed to not fall. He blinked lazily with dazed eyes from whatever they had drugged him with and started walking slowly towards them. Yukimura tried to tell him silently -the way they have always communicated with each other- that everything was going to be alright, that he was going to be fine and that they were going home soon. Yanagi could read beyond the cold façade and impassible face, he always could. He was just a couple of steps away now, and he opened his clouded eyes and smiled at them.

The horror Yukimura felt didn’t come from the sound of bullet -the pistol had had a silencer. It didn’t come from seeing the other man moving his arm to pull out his gun either, since Yukimura was not looking at him when he shot. The horror and realization of what had happened came from the look of complete astonishment in Renji’s face, his eyes wide open and the new fresh blood staining the front of his ragged shirt before he collapsed to the floor.

Time stopped for a moment.

As if detached from his body, Yukimura could see Kite with his arm raised, holding the gun that had taken away one of his reasons of existence. He could see Sanada frozen in place as he had tried and failed to stop Yanagi’s body to fall onto the dirty ground. Everything and nothing seemed to make sense for a moment, as this was just a part of an elaborate surreal nightmare.

Akaya’s wail, full of pain and rage kicked the world into moving again.

“Yanagi-senpai!”

Yukimura pulled his guns out and didn’t even stop to see if the rest of the team was doing so too. He was going to kill Higa, all of them. He might have cried out but if he did it got lost in the uproar of screams and gunshots. Everyone was shooting and taking cover on whatever they could find. Yagyuu took position behind one of the pillars but Yukimura could see blood on his front already. People were falling on both sides. Marui had been the first of Rikkai to fall. Was he still breathing? Yukimura took two enemies down before one of the bullets hit him on the side.

Like a bullet could stop him now.

Yukimura saw red. Everything was moving in slow motion now as he continued shooting. He blasted someone’s head and his gun protested as it ran out of bullets; he recharged before a burning sensation exploited in his shoulder. Rikkai’s leader kept on going forward. He needed to empty his gun on Kite’s body without killing him so he would bleed to death in agony, so he could see the life draining out his face. He was aware of Niou shooting alongside him and dodging bullets.

Sanada was on the floor. They had got him in one knee but he was still fighting fire with fire. Akaya was kneeling next to him, trying to protect him and drag him to the side until he was laying on the floor as well. Akaya’s gun fell from his grip as his blood starting to pool on the floor. Jackal fell to the ground trying to save them both.

Yukimura stumbled and fought to regain his balance as Niou shoved him again, taking a perfect aimed bullet to the chest from Kite and taking down the red head guy before he fell to the ground.

“Yukimura!” Sanada’s panicked cry was louder than the bullets and took Yukimura’s attention away from their enemies. Why did Sanada seem so close yet so far away? Yukimura realized he had fallen to the floor and felt a warm sensation on his stomach. Blood.

No.

He couldn’t fall now. Kite was still alive. He was the only one left from Higa.

This was not over yet.

He ignored Sanada crawling towards him, ignored how warm Renji’s body felt next to him. Yukimura raised himself enough to be able to shoot one last shot to the limping form walking away with the money bags.

Yukimura felt the trigger giving in under the pressure of his finger and the ricochet from the gun in his hand. The bullet hit its target flawlessly, puncturing a lung and damaging the heart. Kite fell down and Yukimura wished he could see his face.

Enjoy gargling and choking in your own blood, asshole.

Even with the adrenaline high in his system, the pain was starting to kick in and Yukimura lay down on the floor. He had failed as a leader. Had Rikkai really fallen? Well, at least he was getting punished for it before dying. That had to serve as some kind of redemption.

Yukimura tried to look for Sanada with his darkening vision; he couldn’t crawl anymore but was still trying to reach him. Stubborn as always, trying to defy fate. Fate was cruel and every person’s worst nightmare, it rendered free will and hard work useless. How many promises would be break because of this? How many unkissed kisses and lost caresses? Yukimura spat out the blood out of his mouth. In the creeping void that threatened to steal his senses forever, his hand found Renji’s tied ones and the last thing he saw before darkness consumed all, were Sanada’s painstriken eyes.

Please don’t let this to be the end.