"Lonely Heart," chapter 10

Title: Lonely Heart (Chapter 10)
Fandom: Ronin Warriors
Characters/Pairing: All five Ronins, Cye/Kento, Ryo/Luna, Mia Koji, Professor Koji, Sekhmet, Sayoko Mouri
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine
Warnings: Alluded to trauma and mentioning canonical parental death. Canon typical violence. One scene does get a little intense. If you want to avoid that, when you get to ‘Terror warped into a white-hot inferno of fury as Kento charged,’ skip until you get to ‘Kento must have blacked out after that, because the next thing he knew, he was being held by someone with zero circulation in their body.’
Notes: More slice-of-life/remake AU!

Late October 1994

“Maybe if you apologize, they’ll go easier on you,” Cye offered.

“I will not apologize,” Kento spoke as firmly as he could while trying not to cry. “You heard what they called Rowen. They deserved it.”

“Yes, they deserved it. They were verbally abusing him as well as trying to start a fight with him. But Kento,” his friend reminded him icily, “how will you protect him if you’re expelled from the school?”

Kento stared down at his hands. He hadn’t washed them yet, so there were still dirt and bloodstains on them. Cye was furious with him, but not in his usual ‘I’ll yell at you and then feed you because I’m not that mad’ way. He was cold and pragmatic. And he was right, Kento realized as the tears started to fall. “I’m sorry,” because those monsters didn’t deserve an apology, but Cye did. “I—I was just—they were gonna hurt Rowen, and—”

“I know.” Warmth bled back into Cye’s tone as he rubbed Kento’s back. “And you were right to protect your friend.” Kento’s hands were gross, but Cye clasped them without so much as blinking. “But you’re going to have to be a bit more flexible with your moral code, just this once. Rowen and I both need you here.”

Despite everything, Kento grinned at that. “This morning, you said that you were going to exact your vengeance on me because I ate that candy bar you wanted.”

“Yes, well, I can’t do that if you’re in Yokohama, can I?” They both stopped talking when Rowen stepped out of the principal’s office.

Rowen smiled at them. “I solved the problem.”

Cye frowned. “How?”

“I told them that if they expelled Kento, I would leave the school. I also told them that you would leave the school as well, Cye. Sorry for guessing what you would do.”

“You guessed right. On my darker days, I come to school only because I know you two are here.” He smirked at Rowen as he helped Kento up. “It’s going to be okay, Kento. It took the pride of the school threatening to quit in protest, but it’s going to be okay.”

“It’s mostly going to be okay,” Rowen corrected. “Kento is still suspended. The principal also made it quite clear that if he ever gets in another fight again, the entire student body could quit in protest and Kento would still be expelled.”

Cye’s expression became stormy. “That’s not fair. All Kento did was try to protect you. He’s done more to protect students at the school than the majority of the administration has.”

“Yeah, about that.” Ms. Akagi looked very tired as she left the office. She had been one of the few teachers who had vouched for Kento’s character in this entire mess. “Mouri, Hashiba. Make yourselves scarce. I need to speak to Fang alone.” When Rowen scowled and Cye’s grip around Kento’s hand tightened, she sighed and added, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to stealth expel him when you two are gone. I just need to discuss some things with him, that’s all.”

Once the others were gone, she said, “Fang, off the record, you did the right thing by protecting Hashiba.”

“Then why is everyone telling me I was wrong?”

“Because you went too far. You could’ve gotten a teacher. You could’ve just grabbed Hashiba and run. You could have quit when both those kids were down. But you kept hitting them, even when they begged you to stop.”

“I’m sorry,” he gasped, eyes stinging. “I just—I couldn’t risk stopping. There are people out there who like hurting others—and those kids were laughing so hard at Rowen when they knocked him down—they wouldn’t be satisfied until Rowen never got back up again. I had to do it. I had to make sure that they would never hurt Rowen again.”

Ms. Akagi stuffed her hands in her coat pockets. “Ah, I get it now. You want to keep your friends safe. To make sure that the evildoers never come back from their liar.” Kento nodded frantically. Finally, somebody got it. “But Fang, life isn’t a tokusatsu. Those kids are brats, but they gave up. You should’ve stopped there.”

“But… but then they could…”

“They could try to hurt Hashiba again, yes. But that’s why you rely on others to help you out.”

“I’m not sure that I can do that, Ms. Akagi. I don’t trust a lot of people.”

“Well, you trust Mouri and Hashiba, right?” Ms. Akagi shrugged. “Next time those two boys start yelling at you to stop, you listen, okay?” She smiled, a little. “Even a Kamen Rider has to rely on his pals sometimes.”

Kento blinked. “You know about Kamen Riders?”

“Oh, yeah! I’m a big toku fan, of course I love Kamen Riders.”

Feeling better, Kento smiled back. “Me, too. I used to pretend I was a Kamen Rider when I was a kid.” Sometimes he still did, despite Cye’s sarcastic remarks.

“Good for you, Fang. And once you’re back at school, we’ll talk about our favorite Riders. But for now, you’re suspended and your friends are waiting to walk you home.”

March 1995

Kento had thought that he was going to enjoy having the apartment to himself for a week while Uncle Shuu was out of the country on business, but it turned out that it sucked. He missed his uncle’s mild nature. He couldn’t invite his friends over because he wasn’t any good at cleaning (not to mention the place was small). The leftovers were getting gross and he could only beg food from Cye for so long. So, he woke up hungry and lonely. He did his best to focus on how he’d be with his friends and not-boyfriend soon, but that didn’t help much when the only sound in the apartment was you groaning because the old stir fry you were going to have for breakfast was moldy.

Kento was cleaning out the fridge when the phone rang. “Uncle Shuu?” he said, because who else would be calling him this early?

“Son!” Pa’s voice was as boisterous as ever. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, sir,” Kento said quickly. “I’m just getting ready for school.” He got ready for the inevitable questions about how he was doing grade-wise. Somehow he was passing everything now, thanks to Rowen and Cye. As long as he didn’t tank his finals, he’d be okay. And judo was awesome, like always.

“Oh, I know. I’ll get out your hair soon. I just wanted you to know that your mother and I are going to pay you a quick visit at the end of the week.”

“What?” Kento took a deep breath, then another. “Pa, I’m doing okay, you don’t need to—”

“Easy, Kento. We just want to check-in, that’s all. I mean, you’re thirteen and are living on your own for a week. Feel free to be annoyed by this, but I can’t help but worry about you.”

Oh. Okay. A visit was fine. “I understand, Pa. It’ll be nice to see you and Ma again.” Their relationship had become strained since this summer, but he still loved them and missed them. “Are you bringing Rinfi and the others?”

“No, they’re staying with their grandfather while we’re in Tokyo.”

“Oh,” Kento said, not quite able to hide his disappointment. He’d already been looking forward to introducing Cye to his siblings, especially Rinfi. Seeing two stubborn sarcastic types in one room would have been hilarious.

“Don’t worry, Kento. You’ll see them over break. But before you go, I need to confess that this is also a business trip.”

“Oh.” Kento found himself trying to breathe again. He knew where this was going.

“We’re going to wine and dine with a gentleman on Thursday evening and were hoping you would come with us. It’s a good chance to see how networking happens first-hand, son.”

“Okay, Pa,” Kento said because that was easier than arguing right now.

“But if you don’t want to attend, just let me and your mother know.”

“… It’s fine, Pa.” Because he didn’t want to hurt his father’s feelings. And besides, it wasn’t like he had any other plans for his life.

“Are you absolutely sure, Kento? I don’t want to pressure you. Um, Ma and I may have talked about how I need to work on that earlier.”

“It’s fine, sir. I should go to school now. I’ll see you soon.”

Dad’s saying it’s going to be okay even as he falls, and there’s laughter, laughter so cruel it could belong to an ogre—

Cye pushed the memory of his most recent nightmare away, focusing on the task at hand. He had to leave for school in a few minutes, so breakfast today was just scrambled eggs. He’d already set the table when Sayoko meandered in, yawning.

“Long night at the office?” Cye tried to keep his voice light.

“Yep. I’m probably going to have to stay late at work today as well.” Sayoko started eating her eggs. “Are you going to be okay by yourself?”

Cat sat opposite his sister, eating quickly. “Oh, you know me. After studying, I’ll play a video game or practice the piano. Submerge myself in a world all my own.” Which he would do… after he was done speaking to Professor Koji this afternoon and possibly get some answers about his father’s life and death.

One couldn’t put too much stock in dreams and nightmares, especially when one half-remembered them at best. But his dreams were becoming more detailed. He could remember more after awakening. And they were becoming more desperate, like someone was trying to tell him that there was more to Dad’s death than he’d realized. He remembered that Dad had died saving someone’s life.

Maybe he had been killed for that.

He didn’t want to think it was true. He didn’t know his father well, but he knew that he was a good man who was willing to lay down his life for others. Dad didn’t deserve such a horrifying fate. However, it would explain why no one would speak of his father’s death. Who would want to?

His memories of his father were hazy, but Cye knew his sister’s heart. She wouldn’t want to speak of it, but she would do whatever it took to avenge their father if he had been murdered. But that ogre could have easily killed her as well.

“Cye, are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“Sorry, I was lost in thought.” Cye did his best to laugh. “Just make sure to take care of yourself as well. You’re the only sister I have, after all.”

Sayoko frowned. “My baby brother is being nice to me. Maybe I stepped into an alternate dimension.”

“You want me to grab the pepper and put too much in your eggs to prove you’re right where you’re supposed to be?”

“No, you’ve reassured me.”

Later at school, Kento stared at the onigiri on his desk. “Why am I getting this early?” He looked up at Cye. “And why are you in my classroom?”

“Because you need it,” Cye explained, taking a seat next to him. “And Ms. Akagi is cool enough to let me hang out here. At least until the bell officially rings. Don’t worry, I’m not going to make you do anything weird this time to get your food.” He watched Kento eat. “Listen, Kento. I know sometimes you need a distraction before you can talk about things. Sage and I are going to visit his employer after school today. Do you want to come with us?” He smiled gently. “You could finally find out just what Sage does for a living.”

“I wish I could,” Kento said guiltily. “But I have to go home and clean the apartment tonight.”

Cye was still smiling, but it wasn’t touching his eyes. “Why? It’s just you this week, and even you aren’t that slobby.”

“My parents are coming over this week.”

“Oh. Oh, I see. Of course.” Cye leaned in. “Are you going to tell your father—”

“I don’t know. I… probably need to, though.” The onigiri was half-finished. “I don’t think I can take much more of this, Cye.” He was tired of being scared that he’d break his father’s heart and doom his siblings to poverty. He hated dealing with the monsters that Pa and Ma kept insisting they had no choice but to flatter and appease. He couldn’t stand feeling like his life would never be his own.

Cye took his hand, then nearly snarled when the bell rang. “If you need me, let me know.”

Kento nodded. “I always do. And tell me how things went with Sage first thing tomorrow.”

After classes, Cye found Sage leaning against his Jaguar, eyes closed. He opened them when Cye approached. “Kento isn’t joining us?”

“No. Luna also couldn’t make it,” Cye sighed. “She and Ryo are doing something.”

“Well, they are in love and can’t think of anything but each other.”

Cye gave Sage a look as he tossed his bag in the back, then slid into the passenger seat. “Sage, I’m in love with Kento.” He buckled his seatbelt. “And I assure you, I think of things that aren’t Kento-related quite often.”

“Keep telling yourself that.” Sage buckled himself in and started the ignition. “I hope you don’t mind that we’re stopping at my apartment first.”

Cye brightened at that. “No, that’s cool. I finally get to see the mysterious Sage Date in his natural habitat.”

“Okay, the mysterious Sage Date in his natural habitat is a lot more spartan than I ever would have imagined.” Sage lived in a simple one-bedroom apartment just outside of Tokyo. There was a kotatsu, a bookcase, a few photos, a phone in the kitchen, swords and kendo gear, a nice-looking bonsai plant, some fancy jackets hanging on the wall… and that was about it.

“Is spartan bad?” Sage was in the process of removing his shoes.

“No.” Cye investigated the pictures on the walls. Just as Sage had promised, he had framed the photo of Kento after Rowen had beat him in a judo match. However, this was placed next to an image of Kento helping Sage up after Sage had won a particularly exhausting kendo match back in February. Kento was laughing his head off and Sage was sporting one of his rare, unguarded smiles. Cye supposed that was what happened when two hotheads like them became friends. “But with all the fancy clothes and the Jaguar, I expected an apartment décor that matches your tastes.”

Sage disappeared into the bathroom, presumably to change. “I prefer a simpler lifestyle when it comes to where I live. It grounds me. It also reminds me of home. By the way, help yourself to whatever is in the fridge.”

“You don’t talk much about your home,” Cye noted as he stepped into the tiny kitchen, silently vowing to give Sage some seashells to decorate. There were some bottled waters, some cans of tea, some shifty-looking leftovers, and that was it. “I mean, I know about your father and grandfather, but that’s about it.” He opted for some water. “You don’t have to tell me anything, but I’d love to learn more.”

“My grandfather and mother run our kendo dojo back home in Miyagi. My father, as you know, is a detective. He works in Miyagi, but now and then he helps to handle a case in Tokyo. I have two sisters. My older sister, Yayoi, is in college. My younger sister, Satsuki, is finishing elementary school.”

“It must be tough.” Cye noticed some photos on a corkboard next to the phone. One consisted of an old man and a middle-aged woman in kendo gear. Another had a woman about Sayoko’s age talking to a young girl with long black hair. The third featured a jowly man with thinning hair and a rumpled suit grabbing Sage in a hug. They were all obviously Sage’s family, but they didn’t look like him at all. They had dark hair (not counting Grandfather Date, whose hair was snow white), dark eyes, and were sturdily built. The exact opposite of Sage in every way. “I mean, when was the last time you saw them in person?”

“Not counting my father? Almost two years at this point.” Sage strode out of the bathroom, clad in a navy-blue suit and a cream silk tie.

“Seriously?!” As much as he complained about Sayoko, he’d be miserable if they were separated for that long. “You have a car. You could drive to Miyagi for a weekend.”

Sage shook his head. “My family is busy with work. My sisters are busy with school. I’ve been busy with work and school. I talk to them on the phone and Father visits me whenever he’s in Tokyo, so we’re all still a part of each other’s lives. And besides…”

“Besides,” Cye prompted.

“I love my family, but it’s easier to deal with them when we’re not in the same city.”

There was a story there, and Cye desperately wanted to know more, but now was not the time to press. He smiled and placed a hand on Sage’s arm. “Okay. I’m ready to meet Professor Koji whenever you are.”

Cye had just waved goodbye to Sage (who had to work) when Mia jogged up to him. “Hi, Cye.” She smiled at him eagerly. “Sorry if I seem a little overly excited. Usually, the only other person close to my age that visits is Sage.”

“I know that feeling,” Cye commiserated as they approached the house. “And I was going to say that you are free to invite me at any time if you wish, but now that I’m getting a good look at your house, I am terrified that I’m going to get lost in it.”

“Oh, it’s not that large,” Mia said with a wave of her hand.

“Mia, it’s larger than my school.” He stilled when he saw the lake. “Please tell me that you let people swim in the lake.”

“Sure!” Mia guided him to the front door. “Grandfather and I will also take a boat out sometimes when it’s warmer. When it freezes over, I go ice skating.”

“I haven’t ice skated in years. I’d love to give it another go.” Cye huffed guiltily. “Sorry. I get distracted by large bodies of water. But tell me about you, Mia. What exactly do you work on here?”

“My grandfather and I research local legends. He hired Sage to run errands for him. I handle the more technical things.” She punched in the code for the front doors.

“You’re good with computers? Sayoko would love you. Unless she’s still really into this feud thing that our families apparently have going on.” He sighed heavily as he stepped inside. “And you know that she probably is.”

“Maybe,” Mia conceded. “But she might surprise you one day.”

… And there was a story there, but again, this was not the time to press. Not when Cye was this close to learning about his father. “Should I wait in the foyer for your grandfather, Mia?”

“No, we’ll just go to the library. That’s where he goes after work.” Mia motioned to the stairs. “It’s on the second story, next to some of the guest rooms.”

They were halfway up the stairs when Mia paused. “May I ask a difficult question?”

Cye frowned at both how the question was phrased and the anxiety he felt from Mia. “I suppose.”

“Your father. He was killed, right?”

“I don’t really remember and no one in my family will tell me, but… I think he was, yes.” The nightmares about storms, desperation to save someone, wicked laughter, and images of his father in samurai armor. It was hard not to come to that conclusion.

Mia gazed at him sadly. “My parents were killed, too. By those that would hurt you for, um, what you and Sage can do.”

Cye blinked in surprise but then smiled. “I guess with all those legends you research, you and your grandfather would know about psychics and empaths. Not to mention there’s one on your payroll.” His smile faded. “I’m sorry about your parents. If there’s anything I can do—”

“It’s fine,” Mia reassured him quietly. “But thanks. Sage and Ryo were right. You’re really kind and easy to talk to.”

Cye hid his face in his hands. “First, you’re embarrassing me. Second, no, I’m quite evil. Third… thanks.”

Kento caught a glimpse of himself in the store window. Sunglasses, black leather jacket, torn jeans. He doubted anyone he knew would recognize him right now, and that was a relief.

He hadn’t lied to Cye. He’d meant to clean. He’d meant to be good. But what was the point when it was all over? Pa would either realize he was a total screw-up or somehow convince himself that Kento was ready to run the business. He would tell Kento either that he needed to come back to Yokohama to learn how to run a restaurant, or just hand him the deed to the main restaurant and tell him to get started. He was going to take Kento from Tokyo, Uncle Shuu, and all his friends. There was no way Pa would ever let him see them again, not when he would have so many responsibilities. People to fire. Creeps to wine and dine. Meals to ruin.

Kento stopped, gloved hands pushing up his sunglasses just enough to try to stop himself from crying. He should have gone with Cye and Sage. Cye understood him. Sage did too, in his own way. They would have helped him out, figured out some way for him to escape this… but…

Did he really want to escape?

Pa had given him an out. He’d refused, because what was the point. He couldn’t do anything but hit people. Cye was begging him to listen to his heart for once and tell Pa he didn’t want to inherit the restaurant, but he’d refused then as well. Because what exactly could he do with his life? Rowen was just being nice about the judo sensei thing. He was probably going to flunk his exams because he skipped studying today, too. He wasn’t good. He wasn’t pure.

He deserved to be where he was.

All that was left was to find someone worse than him to beat up so he could forget all of it.

“Ah, you must be Shin’s boy.” Professor Koji motioned to a plush armchair. “Please sit down and I’ll share my memories with you.”

Cye bowed quickly before sitting down. “Thank you, sir. I must admit, I’m thrilled to meet someone who knew my father. My family hasn’t told me much about him, so I’m eager to learn what I can.”

“Of course,” Professor Koji said with a nod. “Of course, please keep in mind that I won’t share anything I suspect your sister would dislike. She’s already mad at me enough as it is.”

Cye groaned. Mia, perched on a table, did her best not to laugh.

“You know what? Let’s start there. Why does Sayoko hate you so much, Professor Koji?”

“Ah, that. After your father died, we disagreed about you and how much we should tell you about his death and your abilities. She understandably wasn’t thrilled about an old man telling her how to raise her brother. That was the end of our families’ friendship.” He smiled at Mia. “At least, until my headstrong granddaughter befriended Sayoko’s little brother.”

“Hmm. Well, I think you and Sayoko should tell me everything about anything I want to know about, all the time, but no one ever listens to me.” Cye leaned forward in his seat. “So, what was my father like?”

“Shin?” Professor Koji steepled his fingers. “Gregarious. Robust. Brave to a fault.”

Cye looked down at his hands. “Those are three things I’m not.”

“Hey!” Mia’s voice was uncharacteristically sharp. “You’re risking your sister’s wrath to learn about your father. That’s brave. You’ve been quite friendly with my grandfather and me. Not to mention your father looked less than robust when he was your age.”

“True.” Cye stroked his chin. “I wonder if that means I’ll be super buff when I’m older as well.”

Professor Koji shrugged. “If you start lifting weights every day starting on your sixteenth birthday, sure.”

Cye made a face. “I’m suddenly okay with my build as it is.”

“Shin also had the gentlest heart I’ve ever seen in another person. He wanted to save as many people as he could. With his abilities, he did his best, but he exhausted himself easily.”

“Now that last part does sound like me. How did he cope with it?”

“The same as you. He trained until he could use his abilities regularly.”

Cye took a breath. The more he knew, the more his father’s life sounded like Cye’s own. He wasn’t quite sure how he felt about that. “New question. I can ease emotional pain and sense people. However, I’ve been wondering lately if there’s anything else my father could do.”

“That’s something you’ll need to discuss with your sister.”

“But she doesn’t talk to me!”

Professor Koji eyed him levelly. “Another way that you’re like Shin is that you dislike conflict. That’s admirable. But unfortunately, you cannot work your way around every problem. Sometimes you have no choice but to confront it.”

“Maybe,” he admitted glumly. “Okay. Last question.” Cye took a breath to calm himself. “Was my father murdered?”

Professor Koji suddenly looked quite old as he sat in his chair.

“Grandfather,” Mia said. “He should know.”

“Yes.” Professor Koji’s eyes were shadowed. “He was. And that’s all I can say.”

“That’s all you need to say, sir. Thank you.”

There had to be one person in a city as freaking gigantic as Tokyo that deserved a beating. A bully, a murderer, a thief, somebody. But no, all Kento had seen so far were tired students and a few families. Kento almost smiled as he passed a kid excitedly pointing out skateboards to his father.

I don’t get it. Kento pounded his fist into his left hand. Why is it punks are practically begging me to kill them when I’m trying to be good at school or whatever, but when I’m willing to sink to their level, they’ve vanished?

Maybe they were scared of his ‘new’ outfit.

He almost smiled at that as well.

“Ah, yes,” a deep voice said joyfully. “If there’s one thing I love, it’s to torture people with my venom.”

This was too good to be true. Kento stalked over to the sound’s source. It was an alley that everyone else on the street was ignoring, which Kento supposed explained why no one else noticed this guy who sounded like a lousy toku villain. Kento wondered if maybe he’d just stumbled on a wanna-be actor who couldn’t find a better place to read his lines.

Nope, he realized as he saw a demonic armored figure, rubbing his hands together in sadistic glee. “What a pleasure it will be when I can finally kill that boy slowly as my venom drains the life from him.”

Okay, Kento had found a would-be murderer. Cool. He was going to enjoy this. Quietly, he pulled the pipe he’d hidden in his zipped-up jacket out. Now he just had to wait for the right moment to strike.

The demon tapped his chin thoughtfully. “His overprotective sister thinks he’s safe at home. I’m sure his sweetheart is thinking the same thing. But he’s so trusting and kind, I’m sure he’ll let me in the apartment. All I have to do is ask nicely.”

… Wait. He wanted to kill someone who was trusting and had a sister who was… no, this was just some weird coincidence.

“I wonder who he’ll beg to save him in his final moments? His sister? His sweetheart? His Mummy? His butler? ... His dead Daddy?”

God. This wasn’t a coincidence. This demon was going to kill Cye.

Terror warped into a white-hot inferno of fury as Kento charged.

A few minutes earlier.

“Sorry I’m late,” Sage said to Rowen. Ryo and Luna were a meter ahead of them. All four of them were fully armored. “Traffic was heavy on the ride home.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Rowen replied. “I’m glad Mia’s driving Cye home. It’s going to be a long night.”

Sage placed his hand on his sword hilt. “What do you mean?”

“Well, we spotted Sekhmet,” Luna whispered from her spot. “But so far, all he’s done is talk about how awesome venom is.” Her eyes twinkled mischievously. “Switch ‘venom’ with ‘wisdom,’ and he’s you, Sage.”

Sage scoffed. “A gentleman mentions how wisdom has changed his life a few times and you all act like it’s the one thing I do.”

Ryo held up a hand. “He’s saying other stuff now.” Ryo’s breath caught in his chest as Sekhmet very loudly detailed his plans to kill someone with an overprotective sister… and a sweetheart…. and a butler… “Is he talking about killing Cye?!”

“He is,” Sage said, sword in hand. “We won’t let him.” Rowen grabbed an arrow. Luna’s grip tightened around her daggers. Ryo unsheathed his katanas.

… And they all froze as a young man in black threw himself at Sekhmet, slamming into the Warlord’s body so hard that Sekhmet went flying. Sekhmet cried out, bricks crumbling as he collided with the alley wall. Sekhmet coughed as he struggled to his feet. He took out his sword, channeling red mist—but the young man was still moving, using his shorter size to his advantage as he ducked in and hit Sekhmet in the gut with a pipe. Even with his Armor, Sekhmet gasped and collapsed, his sword falling to the ground, just out of reach. The young man tossed the pipe, now twisted like an old paper clip, away.

Sekhmet was doing his best not to throw up as the young man grabbed him by his helmet, slamming his head to the ground two times. On the third time, Sekhmet squirmed free, but the young man tackled him to the ground and then started punching him repeatedly in the face. Hitting a Warlord’s Armor should have broken every bone in the young man’s hand, but instead, all they heard was the sickening crunch of metal as he kept punching. Even with the Armor protecting him, they could see blood on Sekhmet’s face and the young man’s hands. After a few moments, Sekhmet managed to push him off, fumbling for his sword. The young man scrambled to his feet, grabbed the sword first, and snapped it in two over his thigh. He wielded the half that still had the handle, clearly out for blood.

“Who is that?” Rowen breathed.

“Hi, I’m the sweetheart!” Kento roared as he took the broken sword and plunged it into Sekhmet’s chest armor. Sekhmet screamed in agony, but it wasn’t enough to kill him. At least, not yet.

Kento grinned wildly. “Let’s see how much you like slow deaths when you’re on the receiving end, demon.”

“Okay, new plan,” Ryo said quickly. “Stop Sekhmet. Also save Kento from Sekhmet.” He was thankful that no one said that if anyone needed saving right now, it was Sekhmet.

“Cale was right,” the demon snarled, “You are a monster!”

“What’s wrong,” Kento snarled back, driving the sword in just a little bit more. Soon, it would pierce his flesh. “You were just going on and on about how you love torture. Can’t take what you dish out?”

With his remaining strength, the demon pushed him away. Somehow, he managed to grab the other half of his sword. “I never should have listened to Dais. I’m leaving before I lose any more of my dignity.”

“You little—get back here!” Kento chased after the demon even as he vanished into nothing—then joy filled him as the green demon appeared before him again. He raised his fist, ready to land a devastating blow to the demon’s head.

Kento, it’s me!

The blow connected against Sage’s skull.

Kento must have blacked out after that, because the next thing he knew, he was being held by someone with zero circulation in their body. No, wait. That was metal. He forced his eyes open, and Ryo was looking down at him in concern. Luna was next to him, mask down as she did her best to smile and tell him things would be all right.

Okay, he knew Luna wore armor and fought demons. Ryo… that was new knowledge. But okay.

But where was Sage?

“Oh my God, Sage,” Kento ignored the exhaustion as he sat up. “I-I was fighting, and the next thing I knew he was where the demon was.”

“I’m fine.” Yet Sage was even paler than usual as Rowen helped him sit up. “The helmet took most of the blow.” He gazed at Kento almost sadly. “Kento, what happened? This isn’t like you at all.”

“It is,” Kento insisted, pushing away from Ryo, wishing desperately for something to hide behind. “I have a temper. I don’t know my own strength. All I’m good for is punching stuff.”

“Kento.” Ryo reverted to his sub-armor, reaching out to Kento as much as he dared. “You do have a temper. But this is the first time you’ve dressed like a biker and beat up a Warlord.”

“It’s not the first time. I used to do this a lot when I was twelve,” he confessed flatly. “When I was so mad that I couldn’t take it anymore, I would wander Yokohama and I’d beat up any bad people I met.”

Ryo blinked in confusion. Luna rubbed the back of her neck. Rowen’s eyes were huge. They all knew that Kento was a little rowdy. That he had a temper. But he also laughed it off and was everybody’s buddy. This... this shouldn’t have been a part of his psyche at all, yet here he was, hands covered in Sekhmet’s blood and eyes red from crying.

Sage nodded. “I also engaged in similar behavior at that age. Even a little younger, honestly.”

“Wait.” That revelation brought Kento back to himself, more or less. “I need you to explain that, Sage.”

“I went through what you’re going through, Kento. I didn’t dress so tackily and I wasn’t wandering Yokohama, of course.” He closed his eyes for a moment as if making a decision. “You know I’m a Ronin Warrior now, so I guess there’s no harm in telling you I’m psychic as well. My grandfather was traveling the world to hone his skills when I was born, so no one in my immediate family could help me learn to control my abilities. They didn’t even realize what was happening to me until I was six. My grandfather returned home and started training me the instant he realized I was psychic, but I had already internalized some things. School certainly didn’t help. Sometimes it seemed like the only time I could be myself was when I was chasing down some scoundrel with a sword.”

“You’re talking like you’re not even tempted to do that anymore, Sage,” Kento whispered. “How did you quit?”

“My grandfather discovered where I was going at night, gave me the sternest scolding of my life, and told me I could either play hero or give up kendo forever. I chose kendo.” Sage shrugged. “I’m not in the mood to scold you, and I don’t have the authority to tell you that you have to quit judo if you do this again. But the next time you feel like your life is out of control, please, talk to me. I concede that I am not the most loquacious individual, but I know what you’re going through. I want to help.”

“He’s better at this than he’s letting on,” Rowen added. “I wasn’t in the best place mentally after a bad fight with my parents. Sage made sure I had the time and space to cool my head and look at things objectively.”

Sage relaxed ever so slightly in Rowen’s arms. “And if you don’t want to talk to me, that’s fine. Any one of us would be happy to help you through this. Especially Cye.”

“God, Cye. I need to check on him.” Kento stood up, shaking. Without hesitation, Ryo placed a hand on Kento’s back to steady him. “That Warlord was talking about killing him, I need to go and protect him.”

“Relax, Kento,” Ryo whispered. “Cye is Ms. Sayoko’s little brother. You and I both know that she probably has all sorts of schemes in place to keep him safe. And Luna and I will go with you, just in case.”

Sage tried to stand up. “I’ll go too—” He groaned as he stumbled.

“You need to come with me so you can get patched up,” Rowen said firmly as he caught Sage before he hit the ground. “I know you’re worried about Cye and Mia, but they can take care of themselves. And the others are more than capable of protecting them. Besides, we need to alert Ms. Sayoko that there might be a threat to Cye’s life.”

“Very well.” Sage leaned on Rowen heavily. “Good luck, Kento.”

“It’s going to be a long drive home,” Mia said as she started the car. “Feel free to sleep until we get there.”

“I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to sleep again,” Cye admitted quietly. Every fear he had was now a reality. His father had been murdered. Judging from his sister’s behavior, the murderer had never been found. That meant Mum, Sayoko, and Mortimer were all in danger. To say nothing of his friends: Mia had lost both her parents to mysterious foes. He was willing to wager that the same had happened to Ryo’s mother and Luna’s brother. His abilities were worthless against a threat like this. He needed to be able to do more.

Mia pulled the car out of the garage. “So… are you going to discuss this with your sister?”

“I don’t know. Probably not right away. Sayoko is still grieving for Dad. And she’s in the middle of this huge project she can’t talk about. I don’t want to stress her out even further. That said, I don’t think I have much choice but to talk to her.” If he could do anything else to protect his friends, she would know. “I just need the right time.”

“What about after exams? She should be done with her project then, right? And you’ll have some free time.”

“That’s a good idea.” Cye grinned at her. “It also gives me time to figure out what’s going on with Kento.”

“What’s wrong with Kento?”

“He is… having a conflict with his family. I’ve been doing my best to be a supportive not-boyfriend during it all, but if he obeys his father, I’m terrified it’ll destroy him. The problem is, Kento’s a good boy that just wants to obey his father.”

“I get it,” Mia said. “You can’t tell him what to do, but I’m sure he’d want to know that you’re scared for him.”

“You’re right.” Mia parked in front of his apartment complex. “You know, you’re kind and easy to talk to as well, Mia.”

“Hunh. I always saw myself as more of a reserved intellectual than the type someone can turn to for support.”

“Hey, you can be both!” Cye stepped out of the car. “Thanks again for everything.” He gave her a thoughtful look. “You know, our families used to work together to thwart… whatever is going on. I don’t see why that should have stopped. I’ll talk to my sister about that as well after exams.”

“Of course it was Sekhmet,” Sayoko muttered as she typed furiously. “He would enthuse about how fun it is to kill people. Too bad for him he met Cye’s not-boyfriend. And will be meeting his sister in a bit.”

“Ms. Sayoko.” Rowen placed his hand on her shoulder. “That’s not a good idea.”

Sayoko didn’t look at him. “I must have misheard you.” She kept typing.

“You didn’t. You’ve been overworking, you’re burnt out, and hearing that Cye might be in danger has pushed you over the edge.” With his free hand, he pointed to the computer. “You’re making mistakes an undergraduate wouldn’t make. I mean, look here and here.” He pointed at some data that Sage (who was observing them both during it all) doubted he would ever understand. “You’d only get killed if you donned this armor and chased after Sekhmet. I refuse to let that happen.”

Sayoko leaned forward, glared at the display, then sighed heavily. “Sheesh. I’m not usually this sloppy.” She ran a hand through her hair. “Okay, point taken. But I can’t just sit here when my brother’s life is in danger.”

“Oh, if only you had a Ronin Warrior working for you that would help protect your brother.”

Sayoko grinned at him as she began correcting her work. “You are developing quite the snarky streak, Rowen.”

“Well, I hang out with you and Cye. It was bound to happen.” He grinned back. “You need to go home. How about you grab some coffee so you don’t pass out on the drive there? You could even call Cye to let him know you’re on your way. I can upload the data from Luna’s armor to the computer. I’ll join you once I’m done with this work.”

“That’s a good idea,” she admitted with only a little reluctance, grabbing her coat. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

Sage watched her as she left. “She places a lot of trust in you, Rowen.”

“We place a lot of trust in each other.” Rowen stretched his arms and sat in Sayoko’s seat. “Finally, the dream becomes reality.” Luna had been kind enough to give Rowen her shoulder guard (where the camera was located) before she left with Kento and Ryo. A few connected wires and key commands later, the video was slowly uploading to the computer.

“I’ll need to review it to make sure it uploaded correctly,” he explained to Sage. “Although I must admit, I’m not in the mood to watch Kento punch you again. There was something unnerving about that fight in general.”

“He was upset, which led to a loss of control.” Sage’s tone was as blunt as ever, despite his head injury. He didn’t have a concussion, but there was some bruising under his bangs. “It happens.”

“Yeah, but being able to beat a Warlord with his bare hands? Speaking of bare hands, he grabbed a sword and broke it in two. I snuck a look at his hands while you were talking to him. The gloves were ripped up from the blade, but I saw no wounds whatsoever.” Rowen stroked his chin. “This whole misadventure reminds me of that time we ran into Cale in New York. He suffered a head injury similar to yours, but he practically walked it off… with no helmet.”

“I see.” Sage folded his arms across his chest. “Has Kento always been this physically resilient?”

“I’ve only known him for a few months, but… it seems so. The worst I’ve ever seen him hurt was that really brutal judo match where his arm was almost broken. But the thing was, three hours later he was sitting up and eating Cye’s bento as if it had never happened.”

“Interesting. You know, the Armor of Hardrock is infamous for its violent nature. Someone who chose that Armor would have to be able to give and take hits.”

Rowen wanted to protest that Kento was too sensitive to awaken any Armor, much less Hardrock… but he couldn’t ignore the evidence he had witnessed tonight.

The one good thing about Kento (possibly) being Hardrock was that he knew Cye would be safe until they returned home.

Cye was nursing a large mug of lavender tea and wishing his sister was home when he heard someone banging on his door. “Cye?!” It sounded like Kento. “Cye, please let me in!”

He put down the mug and ran to the door… but stopped before unlocking it. Something compelled him to make doubly sure it was indeed Kento on the other side. So, he closed his eyes to concentrate. Yep, it felt like Kento. And Kento was terrified for him.

“Hold on, Kento.” He undid the lock, and the next thing he knew, Kento was hugging him desperately. “Woah! Okay, let’s get inside first.” Somehow, he managed to get them in and lock the door. He pulled away slightly. “What happened?”

“Cye, please listen to me. Someone is trying to kill you.”

“Oh.” Cye smiled and stroked Kento’s hair. “Okay.”

“I’m not joking!”

“Neither am I. But for now, please, sit down. I’ll pour you some tea and explain things.”

“How can you be so calm?”

“Oh, I’m as scared as you are,” Cye assured him as he poured the tea into a mug with a cartoon seagull on it. “But this is not the first time this has happened.”

“Excuse me?”

“As you know, I have certain abilities. These abilities could be quite lucrative if I chose to use them in a particular way. I refuse to, but that’s never stopped unsavory types from trying to kidnap me or worse.” He gave Kento the seagull mug. “I’m a little surprised that whoever it is, they made it to Tokyo. Usually, Sayoko stops them before they get this far.”

“Is that why Ms. Sayoko is a Mama Bear?”

“Partly, yes. It’s also why I’m trained in aikido and can use various weapons. You drink the tea. I’m going to call my sister and let her know what’s going on. Then we’ll talk some more, okay?”

The phone call to Sayoko was almost automatic in its simplicity. As he suspected, she already knew about the threat and was working on neutralizing it. In fact, she had just been about to call him to let him know that. Nonetheless, she recommended that he stay home from school tomorrow. That was frustrating (especially with exams coming up), but this meant he could convince Kento to take the day off with him. His poor not-boyfriend needed a mental health day.

“Sayoko will be here within two hours.” Cye sat next to Kento on the couch. “I’m also supposed to stay home tomorrow, just in case.” He paused just long enough so his suggestion would appear spontaneous rather than premeditated. “Hey, why don’t you take a day off as well? I would feel better if you were here to protect me.”

“Of course,” Kento said without a second thought.

“Good.” Cye peeled off Kento’s sliced up gloves, placing them on the coffee table. He then took Kento’s hands and placed them over his heart. “Now tell me everything that happened.”

Kento being in a fight wasn’t surprising. The ruined gloves and bloodstained jacket were obvious clues, not to mention Kento panicking about someone wanting to kill Cye. (He was fairly sure that Kento had beaten the would-be murderer so soundly he would never come back, but he didn’t press that far.) The grief and rage in Kento’s heart were expected. Cye hated it but didn’t let that distract him from healing Kento as best he could.

Except Kento had also confessed that he was supposed to have dinner with his father later this week, and this would start all over again. It had to be Kento’s decision, yes, but he couldn’t stand aside when Kento’s decision appeared to be obeying his father, settling for a life he loathed, and coping with that by getting in fights so bad he might get killed one day.

Mia had suggested that Cye not try to decide for him, but let him know that he was scared for Kento. That was at least a step in the right direction. Then, together, they would figure out what to do.

“Don’t worry, Kento,” he whispered to his not-boyfriend’s sleeping form. After some cajoling and reassuring that Sayoko would be home soon, Kento was getting some much-needed rest. “I won’t let what happened to my father happen to you.”

Final Notes: For anyone wondering how Sage and Rowen got to the Mouri Foundation: turns out Rowen also conveniently got his license overseas! Sage was NOT happy when Rowen obeyed the speed limit and all other traffic laws. Since he didn’t have a concussion, Rowen let Sage drive himself home.

This chapter was admittedly pretty indulgent, I will not lie. I’ve joked to myself as I’ve been writing that I finally have the patience and private computer to write out the Ronin Warriors fic my melodramatic teenage/Toonmai loving self always wanted to but never got around to. You can probably guess what scene I’m talking about. Sorry for all the Kento melodrama! Things will get better for him in the next chapter, I promise.