[NOTE: This chapter is not for everyone. This could trigger some readers. Reader discretion is heavily advised.]

The superior officer of the police, second-in-command, "Shidare, Ryugen" is talking to a guard, "Hey, where are the others?" The guard replies, "Sir, they will be arriving shortly." Ryugen is not happy with that reply and speaks with frustration, "How long has it been since I told you all to get ready? HUH? Do you know how fucking important this shit is? He would likely kill us if we don't do as he says." The guard becomes wary after hearing Ryugen's words while having a worried look on his face. The guard speaks up, "I am sorry, sir. Would you like me to go check on them?" Ryugen instantly replies with a yes.

The guard salutes Ryugen and walks away. As the guard is walking away he has a lot of question running through his mind, "What could have happened that Sir Ryugen went from being an arrogant commander to being this worried to death? Who could this guy be? I have never seen Sir Ryugen being this scared." Sweat drips from the guard's face as he walks closer and closer to the barracks. He walks in and is stopped in his tracks. He couldn't believe his eyes. How did this happen? Why everyone is asleep even after Sir Ryugen called them? Even when he came to personally wake everyone up?

The guard yells out, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? EVERYONE WAKE UP! RIGHT NOW!" Some of the sleeping guards shoot up, sitting upright, and some others wake up and start rubbing their eyes. "What ha… happened?" one of the sleeping guards asks. "Sir Ryugen had called for all of you to get ready. Why are you all still sleeping? This situation could turn deadly if we don’t get prepared." The guard says. "Wait, what?", "Are you kidding?", "You're joking, right?" were the words that rang out in the room. "NO, I AM NOT JOKING! WE NEED TO HURRY UP! COME ON!" The guard says, commanding them all to get on their feet and get ready with their equipment.

Karasu is in the resting area, talking to Hiroshi's sisters, Mitsumi and Misaki. Misaki is excited talking about all the things that Hiroshi has told them about him. "He told us that you are a great guy and all the times when you guys played together, when you were little. I wish I could play like that too." Misaki says. "Oh, is that so? That's sweet. We can play… Some day in the future… But today is not the day, sweetie. I am sorry." Karasu says. "Brother (Onii-san), you don’t need to worry about it. It's fine. We can't play anyway. This is a police station not a playground." Mitsumi says.

[Currently they are using, "Onii-san" to refer to Karasu as he is a bit more distant to them and they don't know him very well. Also, they are using "Onii-chan" to refer to Hiroshi as they know him from their birth and are closer to him. But instead of using 2 different forms of it, I am just using "Brother" as it's easier to understand, with an indication as to which version they are using of "Big Brother" they are using.]

She seems to know and understands the situation even though she's just 8. How much of Hiroshi's actions did she witness? How much did Misaki see? "What the hell really happened today?" Karasu thinks to himself. Misaki asks him, "What are you going to do? Will you go back home?" Karasu tells her that he is here to meet their brother. Misaki gets a little sad at the mention of her brother. She looks down at the ground, "Brother (Onii-chan) did something he shouldn't have… right?" Tears stream down her face and she clenches onto her dress... She looks up at Karasu with more tears flowing down her face, "I know brother (Onii-chan) is in trouble… Brother (Onii-chan) told me that he did what he did because dad hurt me… but I don't understand. I don't understand what happened. I got hurt, but that has happened before too… why was today different?"

Misaki starts crying profusely and tears stream down her face. Karasu hugs her and says, "Don't worry, Misaki. Your brother will be fine, I promise. I never break my promises. I will do anything I can to protect your brother." He looks at Mitsumi who is also starting to cry but she's trying to hold back on her tears. Karasu pats her on the head and tells her that it's fine to cry. "I just hope… nothing bad happens… Brother (Onii-chan) was only trying to protect her. I don't know what dad was doing, but I know he was going to hurt Misaki more... I couldn't anything except watch…" Mitsumi says.

"Hey, you couldn't have done anything. It was out of your control kiddo." Karasu says. "No… I could have… I could've stopped brother (Onii-chan) before he went too far. But I was… frozen in place. It always happens. When something bad is happening I just… freeze up. (More tears flow down her face) I couldn't do anything… ever… I just stand and watch… every time… It's always the same…"

"Listen, honey, you are a child. You shouldn't have to worry about this stuff in the first. All these things happening are already bad enough. Don't be harsh on yourself over that. I will be talking to your brother, and I will do all I can to fix this. I can't stand to watch this." Karasu says. Mitsumi wipes her tears and tries to put on a smile but it falls apart in seconds. "This is just bad. This is much worse than I thought. What do I do?" Karasu thinks to himself. "Thank you for your help. Even if you can't help, I am grateful…" Mitsumi says. "Those should not be the words of an 8 year old. I can never forgive their parents… I need your help Hiroshi." Karasu speaks to himself as he looks at Mitsumi, trying so hard to pretend like everything's fine. "Everything is not fine.", "Just stop pretending." are the things Karasu wants to say, but he doesn't know if he should. He has never been good with emotional stuff and this time it's not just emotional.

Karasu sits Misaki down on the nearby bench, and talks to Mitsumi, "Listen to me, okay? You both are the only ones who know what really happened, and I don't. I will need to talk to your brother and understand the situation before I can make a big decision. But remember, you can rely on me. I promise I will there for you both. I am not helping you because I am human, no. That's not it. I am here to help because I love my friend, and by extension I love both of you, and I can't stand seeing you both like this. You both are not at fault and don't need to suffer the consequences of someone else's actions."

As Karasu is done saying this, he stands up and notices a female guard watching them from afar. She was holding a gun and a mask over her eyes. She was standing at the door looking at them intently, as if… she was waiting for something or someone. Was she just staring at them? Did she have something to say? "Hey, miss. Do you need something?" Karasu asks her. "Um… uh… You are the one wanting to meet Mr. Yamada, right?" she asks. "Yes. I am." Karasu answers. "Oh, that's great. The preparations are done. You can visit him now. I will escort you." She says. "Ok, just a moment." Karasu replies.

Karasu holds Misaki and Mitsumi's hands, and brings them to a bed. "Ok, now, as you can see it's getting really late. So you both go ahead and sleep. Wait… (He turns to look at the clock again) Holy shit! I can't believe the time's 5 AM. Time really flies. Mitsumi, you also go to sleep. It's too late, and I know you are both tired. Sleep tight." Karasu says to both of them, before leaving. He walks to the doorway and waves his farewell. He follows the guard as she escorts him to the room where Hiroshi is.

Mitsumi is disheartened at the situation. She can do nothing but feel sad. She wishes she could do something. Misaki notices this and tries to take Mitsumi's mind of this and says, "Hey sister, we can trust Brother (Onii-san). He will handle it. Let's sleep now. I am getting sleepy, and I can't sleep without snuggling with you." Mitsumi gives Misaki a smile and jumps into bed with her little sister.

Karasu strolls behind the female guard, and they turn onto a corridor filled with more guards like her, both male and female. Some appear to be mutants too. Karasu grows bored of walking and decides to play a game with the guards. He gradually releases the aura he had been concealing, causing it to swell and overtake the mutant guards' senses with fear.

Karasu finds the situation amusing, but he has no intention of harming them. He wonders why the guards are trembling. Shouldn't they be ready to face powerful mutants when they joined the police force? Disappointed, Karasu tells his escort, "Your people need better preparation. Can they handle me if I go berserk?" The guard seems confused and asks Karasu to rephrase his sentence, and he responds, "Your people are weak. They can't even handle my aura. I'm not even fighting and some of them are scared to death." Karasu points to the guards who have wet themselves. "I'm embarrassed for them and your superior, Ryugen. He couldn't handle my aura either. He just broke down, yelling at me to 'Stay the fuck away'," Karasu adds.

"This was just a fraction of my strength. If there are people out there who are as strong as or stronger than me, you all are nothing more than dead meat. Train yourself, and be prepared to die. I hope the next time we meet; I won't have to see this kind of reaction. You volunteered, didn't you? Then why are you so scared? Your fear should have been trained out of you. Remember this day and strive to be better. This is a request." Karasu says, addressing the guards.

Some of the guards feel ashamed, while others are annoyed by Karasu's words. They talk among themselves, saying, "How dare he belittle us! We have volunteered to put our lives on the line! What has he done?" Karasu takes a deep breath and says, "I'm not saying this out of disgust or disrespect, but rather out of disappointment, as a civilian. I would have been so happy, if you guys were to stand your ground, and even point your guns at me," before resuming his walk with his escort.

"I would kill him, if I could." Some guard says under their breath. Karasu hears this and instantly turns around. He walks up to the person who said it, gets close to his face, and asks, "Can you really?" Karasu starts speaking louder and announces to everyone in the hall, "How about this? We can have a friendly match once I am done meeting that bastard Hiroshi. That would be good for all of us. You will get to witness what a mutant like me CAN do, and you will also get experience in how to deal with people like me. I have some experience which I believe will be beneficial to all of you. Does everyone agree?"

"Sorry sir, we cannot agree to it without permission from Sir Shidare." The escort says. "Oh, don't worry about that. I can convince him." Karasu says, "Let's go now." Karasu continues. Karasu and his escort continue walking as she guides him through the place. "Hey, what's your name?" Karasu asks the guard who's escorting him. "Um… Hajime Mei." "Nice to meet you, Mei. I am Kurokawa Karasu." Karasu says, formally introducing himself to her. "Yes sir. Though, I must ask. I am very confused as to why you use decided to scare the other guards." Mei asks. "I hate the cops. I have hated them for many years. Many years ago they lost my trust in them, and today, they made me disappointed. You guys just can't give me a break." Karasu say surprising Mei a bit as this kind of a response is not what she expected.

"The mutant guards are there because they have experience in fighting other mutants, right?" Karasu asks Mei. Mei affirms his statement. Karasu sighs and continues, "How did the cops end up like this? Weren't they supposed to be brave? Is it not a requirement to be brave, especially if you are a volunteer?" Mei doesn't say anything as she feels ashamed because of his words. Mei wants to defend her colleagues and says, "We are brave… we all are… They just didn’t expect you to do that, that's why they got scared." Karasu nods his head in dismissal. He puts his hand on her shoulder which startles. Karasu turns her around and holds by both her shoulders and says, "Listen, miss. You are all part of a special police segment, made specifically to deal with mutants that are being a nuisance and couldn't be contained by the normal force. When you deal with mutants NEVER expect that you could predict what they would do."

Karasu keeps intently staring into her eyes waiting for her response. She is unable to say anything. Karasu decides to continue, "You all should be prepared to die at any moment and be strong enough to deal with any mutant, as a team if not as an individual. If this kind of attitude remains, you all will die in vain. If a non-hostile mutant can make you all scared to death, or if you can't react to something without being warned about it, you are not prepared enough. Open your eyes, and look at reality. If the world isn't safe for you don't think that it's safe for the general populous. If you can't protect yourself, how can you say that you will protect the typical civilian? It doesn't make sense. DO. YOU. UNDERSTAND?"

Mei starts nodding her head. "Yes sir. Got it, I understand. I will tell them." She says. After this Karasu releases her from his grasp and says, "Good. Now, let's continue." And they continue walking. They start climbing the stairs to the second floor, and they hear footsteps running about. "Hey, be quick! Get him inside!" some man says. As Karasu and Mei walk up the stairs they see many more guards lining the halls and they are welcomed by Ryugen.

Karasu and Mei stop in front of a red door with "Caution" and "Danger" signs on it. This is where Hiroshi has been brought for their meeting. "Oh, hey Mei! You both came earlier than we expected." He says. "No, we didn't. I messed with your guards on the way here, but you were still not done with your preparations. How can you all be this irresponsible?" Karasu says as he walks closer and closer to Ryugen. Ryugen steps back further and further away from Karasu. "Stay where you fucking are." Karasu tells Ryugen.

Ryugen stops where he is and gulps down his saliva. The other guards are surprised seeing their interaction. Ryugen has always been someone who bosses others around, but today is different. "Why is acting so obedient?", "What's happening?", "Who is this guy?", "Is he Sir Ryugen's boss?" the guards talk among themselves. Karasu likes to talk when everyone is silent, but the guards are blabbering on and on. "Everybody… Shut up and let me talk, will you?" Karasu says. The room falls silent and Karasu looks back at Ryugen.

"Now, before I go in, I believe I should inform you, that today many of your officers might end of quite injured. So, now, I am giving you another responsibility. Go and prepare the medical team. And that needs to be done within the next hour." Karasu says and starts walking to the door. Ryugen stops him. "Wait, wait, wait… What did they do? Why do you want to hurt them? I can take care of them in your stead if you want me to…" Ryugen says, showing concern for his subordinates, which takes aback Karasu and he raises an eyebrow. "Don't worry. I don't intend on killing them or anything. We will be having a friendly match. I want to give them a taste of what real mutants can do. If they have bad intentions, that is. Your officers are less than ill-equipped to deal with a mutant like me. You should come to watch as well. You can witness me fight and be more afraid." Karasu says.

Karasu sees that many of the guards seem uneasy. He decides to say something but isn't sure what to say exactly. He still speaks up, "You guys don't have to worry. I don’t' hate any of you. I am just disappointed, at least at your colleagues down in that hallway." Some of the guards start talking and speculating about what could have happened down there.

Karasu then leaves the hall and opens door to Hiroshi's room. "Be prepared." Karasu announces before walking in. Once Karasu walks in Ryugen walks to door and says, "We will be locking the door. (Gulp) If you need anything just let us know…" Karasu signals Ryugen to walk away and he does after locking the door and shutting the metal window.

The room is padded with soundproof material for the privacy of the individuals. This is a common thing and today Karasu is the one experiencing it. He now stands in front of his friend, Hiroshi, who is handcuffed to the table. Hiroshi seems to be really out of it. Not caring what's going on. It's as if he is just going through the motions for the sake of it. He has his head down blankly staring at the table in front of him. It pains Karasu to see his happy go lucky friend just so… dull. "Hey bro, how're you doing?" Karasu says trying to appear cheerful.

Hiroshi shows no response and keeps staring at the table. Karasu waits for a response and speaks again, "Bro, can you hear me? Hello?" He says with concern while waving to Hiroshi. With a frustrated sigh, Karasu proceeds to walk over to Hiroshi and picks him up. "WAKE UP SLEEPY DICKHEAD!" Karasu yells at Hiroshi. No response. He starts shaking Hiroshi violently and yells, "Are you going to fucking respond you dumbass? Are you dead or something? I know you are alive. Wake the fuck up." His voice filled with concern, confusion and anger. No response still. Karasu puts Hiroshi down, and slaps him. This shocks Hiroshi and he snaps out, looking around in confusion.

Hiroshi initially seems a bit furious for being slapped like that, but then he sees his friend. Hiroshi calms down and says, "Oh, you. Hi. Why are you here?"

Karasu: "Why I am here? Obviously because of what you did! You stupid, bitch." He then starts walking over to the chair on the other side of the table.

Hiroshi: "For what I did…? OH! You mean my parents! Okay, okay. That makes sense."

Karasu: "Now, are you going to tell me WHY you did all that? And also, did you use your powers?"

Hiroshi: "No, I didn't use my powers. I wanted to, but I would have been put on death row instantly. I wanted to talk to you before I die. To give you one last message before I leave."

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Karasu (feeling an amalgamation of concern and disgust): "The fuck do you mean? Huh? I am not going to let this be your last time, just so you know."

Hiroshi: "I knew you would say something like that. Look man, I don't care what happens from here on out. If I die, I die."

Karasu (grabs onto Hiroshi by his collar and pulls him in): "Don't you fucking dare say that. I am NOT letting that happen."

Hiroshi (raises his hand to wipe off Karasu's spit): "Whoa! Bro, chill! It's fine. I did what I had to. Just stop worrying about it."

Karasu (lets go off Hiroshi's collar and sits back down): "Didn't I fucking tell you to not take any extreme actions? Didn't I tell you to let me know if things got bad? DIDN'T I? HUH?"

Hiroshi: "Okay, okay! Calm down there. Calm down. I know you told me not to, I know. It's just that… I had no choice man. (Slowing down his words) I had to do it. I just had to."

Karasu (getting frustrated): "Then, why don't you fucking tell me? Why did you do all that, even when having full knowledge that you would likely be put on death row?"

Hiroshi: "A lot happened after you dropped me off. It will take some time to tell you everything."

Karasu (showing his annoyance and confusion): "Do I look like I care how long it takes?"

Hiroshi (looking at Karasu): "Hmm, it doesn't look like it."

Karasu: "It doesn't look like it because I don't. Stop messing around and tell me everything, from the moment I walked away."

Hiroshi: "Ok. Strap in, I guess. So, you left at 6 PM. I walk into the house and go upstairs. In the living room downstairs dad was watching the TV and mom was also sitting with him. Upstairs I first went to my room and put my bag, changed my clothes, and then started doing the homework. Once I was done, I go to the other room where my sisters were. They were… just having fun, playing. That's nothing out of the ordinary. They see me and invited me to play, but I declined. I said that I will just stay in the room and sat down near the balcony. Nothing happened for about an hour. I was just watching the birds go about their day."

Karasu: "Uh, huh. Continue. I am listening."

Hiroshi: "After that hour, I went downstairs to drink some water. Everything seemed nice today. Almost… too nice… No yelling, nothing, just calm. I was done drinking the water, and then my dad called for Misaki to come downstairs. I heard her footsteps running down the stairs. She walked into the living room and dad told her to grab him some water, which was weird. He could have asked me, but he didn’t. She ran up to where I was standing grabbed a glass, filled it with water and started walking back……"

Hiroshi goes silent and isn't saying anything.

Karasu: "Hey, what happened? Are you good? Even if you don't want to, I need you to tell me everything. Please, man."

Hiroshi (snapping out of it): "Yeah, yeah… I just… Anyways. As Misaki was walking back she tripped. Like, okay, that happened. It's fine, right? Spoilers, it wasn't. That asshole of a father got furious, got up from his seat and walked to her. She said she was sorry. But this guy… he just slapped her. And that made me furious, but that has happened in the past too, so I didn't do anything. I wanted to interfere but not right. I would if it got any worse."

Karasu (confused): "Okay wait… So your father hit her for what? For dropping the glass?"

Hiroshi: "Yeah, it broke. It was bad… but, it got worse… He picked her up and threw onto the broken glass. She landed on her back and got hurt. She started crying and was bleeding from her back. I was right about to snap but… It got worse. He picked her up again and threw her onto the couch. I picked up a knife was ready to do anything to him if he went any further. And as you have likely guessed he did in fact go MUCH further."

Karasu: "Wait… that… What the fuck kind of a father is that?"

Hiroshi: "I don't know. An abusive one, for sure. Let's continue. So, this guy was so fucking confident that I won't say anything that started taking off his belt, and pulled his pants down."

Hiroshi starts getting angrier and angrier as he recalls the events. He slams his hand down on the table with great force and groans in frustration.

Hiroshi: "And then, I had intervene. I couldn't let this bullshit happen. I speak up and ask him as to what the fuck he thinks he's doing. He warns me to watch my damn language. It made me even more furious. I ask him again what he thinks he is doing as I tighten my grip on the knife. He says 'What does it look like I am doing? You can see exactly what is happening.' My blood was boiling. I couldn't fucking stand it. As soon as he turned around, I started walking up behind him. He started choking Misaki, like, bitch, what the fuck are you doing to your own daughter?? Are you crazy?"

Karasu: "Okay… I get why you killed your dad. I would've done the same to protect my sister. But why did you kill your mom?"

Hiroshi (chuckling): "Oh! Don't worry about that bitch! I am getting there. Anyways, I grab this asshole by his throat from behind and slice through his throat. Then, I let go of him. He started gurgling on his own blood and flailed around. Then, he just comes charging at me. He throws a punch and I dodge it. (Hiroshi motions and shows the punch) He throws another punch and this time, I used the knife to just… cut through his hand. From his fingers to his wrist. I would have cut further, if I could. I WAS SO FUCKING FURIOUS AT THAT TIME! HOW DARE YOU TRY TO ASSAULT YOUR CHILD?! HOW FUCKING DARE YOU!"

Karasu gets up from his chair and goes to Hiroshi. Karasu puts his hand on Hiroshi's back and pats him. Hiroshi doesn't angry often but when he does, it's hard to stop him.

Hiroshi (a lone tear runs down his face): "I'm fine. Wait… have you seen where they are? I totally forgot about them!"

Karasu (reassuringly): "Don't worry. I have talked with them. Misaki was acting quite cheerful actually. It felt… odd, to say the least."

Hiroshi (relaxed, a smile appears on his face): "Oh, that's good. And, Misaki, well, she acts cheerful even when she's in pain. It's… weird. Maybe she just developed it… Now, go back to your seat. We are not done talking, are we? So, after he died, my mom… (Scoffs) yeah she was horrified. She looked at me and yelled 'What the fuck do you think you are doing?' I don't understand if she's just blind or she was willfully turning a blind eye to what was happening to her 5y/o daughter. She started using her power, to fling things at me and of course, I dodged them. I ran over and stabbed her. Aaaaand… We are done. That's how I killed my parents."

Karasu: "And then? What about Misaki's injuries?"

Hiroshi: "You should ask her instead… I really don't want to think about it."

Hiroshi gets a smile on his face as he thinks about his parents' death. Karasu nods in affirmation and says, "Well done, by the way. I am proud of you bro."

Hiroshi's smile widens as he looks at Karasu and says, "I love you bro!"

Karasu: "Now, that's… gay! …Anyways… I must ask. Why did you never tell me about your sisters?"

Hiroshi (confused): "What? No way. I didn't tell you I had 2 adorable sisters?"

Karasu: "No. You never did. I was surprised that you hid something so mundane and simple from me."

Hiroshi (disappointed in himself): "I… actually didn't hide it from you…"

Karasu: "Then what? You never told me, so it's the only conclusion for me to draw."

Hiroshi: "I… forgot…"

Karasu (shocked and confused): "WHAT! How in holy hell do you forget about your own sisters?!"

Hiroshi: "I… just thought… that I told you, and never bothered to ask."

Karasu: "Yeah, exactly! You never told me, and never even bothered. Well… They didn't matter much before, but now… they matter a lot. If you ever told me before, it wouldn't have really changed things between us."

Hiroshi: "Yeah… I just forgot. You know I am forgetful. Anyways, what did you guys talk about?"

Karasu: "I didn't really do much talking. Instead, they just told me about the many things you have told them about me."

Hiroshi (acting smug and proud): "You should thank me that I have only told them about the good things. I just left out the bad ones."

Karasu: "What do you mean by 'the bad ones'? I don't get it."

Hiroshi: "Oh, you know… the fact that you have subdued and sometimes even killed criminals in the many altercations."

Karasu (surprised): "Wait, what the fuck you mean? How can even be sure that I killed or subdued any criminals?"

Hiroshi (laughs): "Good lord! You expect me to not know you just from the way you stand?"

Karasu (wide-eyes and concerned): "Excuse me?? Are you kidding me? How the hell can you identify someone by the way they stand?"

Hiroshi: "Let me tell you a secret! Come closer. (Karasu gets closer to Hiroshi and lends his ear) You are just very unique. You stand in a peculiar and distinct way, as if you are very prideful after defeating someone. (They both return to their normal position) Pushed out chest, hands to the sides, looking up at the sky, many times you even have blood of your opponent. Sometimes you even suck on a lollipop, right? Pull it out of your pocket and shove it into your mouth through you mask, right? That's a secret you don't want people to know, right?"

Karasu (a bit embarrassed): "Ok come on. You can't blackmail me with that stupid stuff. No one would care. And I just… like lollipops."

Hiroshi: "Yeah? Why?"

Karasu: "Well, they are just… cool? When you defeat someone and they look up they will devastated to find you just standing, unscathed, sucking on a lollipop, nonchalantly just staring at them… you know… it's a… psychological tactic! Just rubbing in their defeat, you know. Making them question their ability."

Hiroshi (little surprised): "That… is just harsh."

Karasu (nonchalantly): "Who cares? I know I don't."

Hiroshi: "You're just cruel bro."

Karasu: "So are they. The people I do that to are usually simply violent criminals. They kill people, so what I do, is pretty tame compared to what they do."

Hiroshi: "Makes sense. I remember that one video, where you fought some guy and he was lying on the ground, blood slowly flowing out of his mouth and stuff. And you! You were just standing; clad in your black clothes, the rain pouring down, vapors rising off of you and stuff. It looked so cool. You then pull out a lollipop and put it in your mouth. You stood there for a bit and then left. So MANY people were cheering for you. It made me happy… but worried too. You're too reckless."

Karasu: "I don't understand what you are talking about… I don't think I remember…"

Hiroshi: "Oh come on! You should remember this one. It was just 2 years ago."

Karasu thinks for a bit trying to remember which incident Hiroshi might be talking about and then says, "No… not coming to my mind. (He stops, his eyes widen) Wait…"

Hiroshi: "Do you remember now? Huh? (His smile widens)"

Karasu (confused and annoyed): "Weren't we talking about your sisters?"

Hiroshi: "What...? Why? Let's finish this then we can go there."

Karasu (he squinted his eyes and looks at Hiroshi with even more confusion): "You are going to jail. Your parents are dead, which they might as well be…"

Hiroshi: "Oh! I can confirm it. I made sure they were dead. I had had enough."

Karasu (with an angry look, but calm tone): "Do not interrupt me, when I am talking about something serious."

Hiroshi (waving his hands, signaling Karasu to calm down): "Okay, okay. Sorry."

Karasu: "You are going to jail. Your parents are dead, 'cause you killed them. Good on you for protecting Misaki. Your sisters will be alone. Now, what the hell do you expect them to do? How are they going to take care of themselves? You are their brother, you better make the decision."

Hiroshi (getting a bit sadder than before): "I am still divided between 2 options…"

Karasu: "Okay. And they are?"

Hiroshi: "First, one will be them going to an orphanage."

Karasu: "For that one, it makes sense, but I don't think they will be very happy there."

Hiroshi (sadder): "Yeah… I know. That's why I was betting on the second option…"

Karasu: "Okay. What is it?"

Hiroshi: "…You."

Karasu (looking at Hiroshi's face to see if he's serious): "What...? Are you serious? How can I take care of them? You know the situation back at my house. It might not be as bad, but it's not that good either. How could you expect that, man?"

Hiroshi: "I know… But, I just… I just trust you… I trust you that you will be able to do something. No! I know you will be able to do something."

Karasu (standing up): "You trust me a bit too much, don't you think?"

Hiroshi: "You are just the only person I can trust."

Karasu (walking up to Hiroshi): "Why not ask a family member? Someone who has kids of their own? Wouldn't they be better suited for this?"

Hiroshi (hanging down his head): "No… They won't help me… They hate me… they hate my sisters… everyone…"

Karasu: "Why though?"

Hiroshi: "Because of my dad. He was hostile to everyone…"

Karasu: "It's only your father's fault. Why would they hate you? That makes no sense, absolutely no sense. (Sighs)"

Hiroshi (starting to cry): "Look, man… I ask this of you… because I trust you… I couldn't ask anyone else. I don't feel good about putting this burden on you."

Karasu (patting Hiroshi's back): "Don't worry… I will… do something… If I fail, then I will hand them over to an orphanage… Is that okay?"

Hiroshi (his voice is breaking): "Yeah… But I don't think you will need to do that. I know you can handle it."

Karasu: "I hope so. I don't really want to send them off to an orphanage. They might get bullied there, for being Mutants."

Hiroshi: "Karasu… thank you… No… I can't thank you enough for doing this. I had been thinking about if for hours and hours…"

Karasu hugs the crying Hiroshi as he cries in relief. "It will be fine, Hiroshi. I will make sure of it." he says reassuring Hiroshi. "I know, you will. I am sure of it." Hiroshi says as he holds fast on to Karasu's hand and continues to let out the cries that he had been holding back. Karasu and Hiroshi stay like this for what feels like hours. Karasu felt devastated by the state his friend was in but he stays strong, for his friend. For the new responsibility he will be taking on and for their better future.

At 5:30AM they go back to being their typical selves. They smile and chat for a little while longer before Karasu leaves. "I will make sure to come meet you regularly once you get incarcerated." Karasu says as he's walking out. "Got it." Hiroshi says with a happy smile on his face. He got the boulder of responsibility of his shoulder and has passed the torch to Karasu.

Karasu knocks on the door and asks the guard to open it, and he does. Karasu walks out of the room and looking back one more time he says "I will come for you, buddy. Leave it to me." Hiroshi smiles back with joy and the door closes, cutting them off from each other and for an unknown amount of time. Karasu walks away with thoughts about Misaki and Mitsumi rushing into his mind. "I think I should let them know."

He says to himself as he walks down the stairs. The halls that were lined with guards are now mostly empty with a small number of them standing around. All the guards seem to be mutants and when he walks into the same hall where he challenged the guards he remembers about his challenge and wonders if he should go through with it, or hold it off for some other time.

He goes to the resting area where he last saw Hiroshi's sisters and notices that they are sleeping. "Damn. Well, it's fine. I did tell you to sleep." Karasu says, talking to himself while looking at the 2 sleeping girls. They seem to be relaxed but he can't be sure. "Have some good sleep kiddos. Tomorrow's going to be busy… most likely." Karasu says as he walks over to a table that is nearby and sits down on the chair. There are some pieces of paper strewn about. He picks one up and starts writing a letter for the both of them to read.

"If you are reading this letter, good job. There's a little request I have to make to you both. Be patient. I have talked to your brother and have come to the decision that I will be taking care of you both. You will have to wait for a day or two while I make the necessary preparations. Your brother is doing and when I left he had a huge smile. I wish you two were there to see his relieved face. He was worried about you both and now he can be worry-free.

* "

Karasu folds the note and leaves it under a bottle of water. He starts walking out of the room leaving the 2 girls to rest and have a good night's sleep. Karasu smiles as he looks back at them and strengthens his resolve to take care of them the best he can. Hiroshi trusts him and he can't let that trust be in vain. He will find a way no matter what.

He walks down multiple hallways after he got lost looking for the station's entrance. Karasu stumbles upon Mei talks to her. "Hey, can you show me which way the exit is?" Karasu asks her. "Uh… are you lost, sir?" Mei asks. Karasu says that he is. She says that she will help him find the way and Karasu thanks her. They start walking and Karasu talks to her on the way. "I thought you would have left and went to sleep." Karasu says. "Actually, I had guard duty today. So, I can't yet go to sleep." Mei replies. "Oh, I see. Well, this was lucky." Karasu says and continues, "There's an important question I would like to ask." "Sure. I can answer it if I can." Mei says. "Those 2 girls, you know… the ones in the resting area… Can you guys take care of them for 1 day?" Karasu hesitantly asks.

Mei says, "You don't have worry. We are allowed to keep them for a week unless someone comes to pick them up, after which we assume that they have been abandoned and start looking for an orphanage." "No. I won't let that happen." Karasu says snapping back to the mention of the word 'orphanage'. "Anyways, it's great to know that they can stay here for a week. Don't worry, I will try my best to come back by tomorrow." Karasu continued.

They both soon enough reach the entrance and Karasu thanks Mei again for her help. They bow to each other and Mei goes back to her job. Karasu starts walking towards the entrance to return home when he's stopped by a woman at the reception, "Sir, your belongings are here." She says. "Oh, right. I forgot my watch." Karasu says and walks over. The receptionist hands him his watch and the key to the bike. Karasu thanks her and leaves. When he walks out of the doors he sees that someone is waiting for him and is waving at him. Karasu walks closer and sees that it's Ryugen. "Hey you got late! I am already done. All preparations are complete. It's Time for you to show us your moves, buddy."

"Yeah… About that." Karasu starts, "I can't." "What?! What do you mean 'you can't'?" Ryugen says raising his voice. Are you kidding me? Are you telling me I did all these preparations for nothing?" Ryugen continues. "No, I didn't. I just have a lot of things to do. I will take Hiroshi's sisters with me but not right now. There are some preparations that I have to make before I can do that." Karasu says. "Okay. And what are they?" Ryugen asks in an interrogative tone.

"As, I said, I don't have time. There's quite a bit of things for me to do. We can do this training match some other day, once I have done something about Hiroshi's sisters, you know. Maybe give them a proper home to live in, stuff like that? Does that make sense?" Karasu says. "Oh. Don't you dare back off from your promise next time. If you do, I will be the one fighting you." Ryugen says. Karasu squints his eyes being quite skeptic of Ryugen's words and says, "You? You were back in the interrogation room before I even touched you. What do you mean you will fight me? I will fold you."

Ryugen is speechless for a moment and then speaks up, "That… that was just a onetime thing. That won't happen again." "Oh, yeah? We'll see about that." Karasu says and starts walking over to his bike. "Well, have a good day. Your day has been bad enough, I can tell." Ryugen says. "It's about to get worse." Karasu says as he peels out of the police station parking lot. Ryugen looks disappointed. Is he disappointed in himself, in his department, or something else entirely? It’s not clear. "Wish I thanked you for showing me the truth." Ryugen says looking at the moon shining down and Karasu's words ring in his brain.

Karasu is speeding down the road to get back home and get some specific things done. He needs to get some money to sustain himself and Hiroshi's sister for at least a month or two, find a house on rent among other things, one of them being the answer as to why his parents hated him his whole life. "This is going to be a long fucking day, huh?" Karasu says to himself.