We brought the enemy to Jia's office. He didn't do much or try anything. Once there, Jia met him face to face. I could see Toki standing behind him, eyeing the new problem with a hungry face. I couldn't see what was so attractive about this guy standing not too far beside me. He looked like another version of Tsubasa, taller, slimmer...nothing else. Nonetheless Toki was so glad to see him. Jia had his hands behind his back as he said,

"And you are...?"

"None of your concern."

"Actually it is my concern because I believe you're trying to come in my city, cause me some trouble. I think I should know who you are."

The enemy beside me stood up straight as he said,

"Utsukushii Kiyohara."

Jia nodded as he said,

"What do you want in my city?"

Kiyohara didn't say anything. Jia then said,

"Don't test me boy."

Kiyohara looked unmoved as he said,

"You wanna kill me, then kill me."

Jia was about to when Toki stopped him and pulled him about two steps back and said something to Jia in a whispered tone. Jia looked over at Kiyohara as he then looked back down at the floor as Toki gestured to something, cigarette in hand. Jia then nodded as he turned and went to the elevator. Toki then smirked as he turned back to us. I knew that look, all too well and somehow the look got to Kiyohara. He took a step back as Jun grabbed his arm and said,

"Should have said something...."

Toki walked up to him as he said,

"Nice....very nice."

Kiyohara then said,

"If you dare touch me-"

"You'll what? Press charges? Call for help? Tell your big bad aniki on me? I hope you do."

He smirked as Kiyohara said,

"What kind of act is this?"

"A sexual one stupid."

He grabbed his arm and started pulling him away. Of course he struggled. Toki didn't put up with struggle, he turned, punched him once and then picked him up the rest of the way and took him to the back offices. Jun and I looked at each other as he said,

"I don't agree with his methods...but it gets the job done."

I shrugged, not caring either way as I went to wait.

I couldn't sit and wait though. I went for a walk, getting a drink on the way. I chewed on the end of my growing thumbnail softly, wanting a cigarette and knowing how bad it was for me. I hated smoking. I hated mostly for what it made me remember so I often tried not to. But every now and then the need would rise. It's why I started chewing on my thumbnail...it's why it grew out in the first place. Anyway I went back to headquarters after about half an hour, my drink in hand being some fruit juice thing as I saw Jun and Aoki now standing outside in the lobby. I joined them as I said,

"Anything happen?"

Aoki exhaled a cloud of smoke as he took his cigarette from his mouth and said,

"Kiyohara is talking with Jia upstairs."

"He's willing to talk?"

"After the shit he was just put through yeah I'm guessing he is." Said Aoki.

Jun didn't say anything and just stood beside Aoki. I then sad to Jun,

"Where is Toki anyway?"

"He brought Kiyohara upstairs."

I nodded as I said,

"And now?"

"Now we wait."

I hated waiting. But there wasn't much of a choice. I sat by Aoki, inhaling his second hand smoke as I chewed on my thumbnail. Jun saw me as he smacked my hand from my mouth as he said,

"That's disgusting."

"I can't help it."

He shook his head as Jo then showed up. He was smoking as well as he said,

"Jia said to come upstairs."

We got up and went to our oyabun's office.

Toki had done his job well enough. Kiyohara spoke of his partner and their intentions and why they were there. He was a mess, too tired to argue any further, too in pain to raise his voice. He couldn't even sit down but instead, stood in front of Jia's desk, his mouth broken apart, blood coating his mouth like a fine sheen. There was a trail from where he bleed down his chin, smeared as he tried to wipe it off. His nose bled, his left eye was a shade of red and he couldn't open it much. He spoke to Jia in a broken whisper, so much so that Jia had to stand in front of him. Kiyohara looked exhausted for a half hour of treatment but he didn't hang his head. He looked up at Jia and spoke though it was clear he was in pain.

"This city has been left alone for four or so years."

"So? It doesn't mean I'm gone Kiyohara."

Jia smoked as he then leaned against his desk. He eventually sat on top of it as Kiyohara said,

"My partner doesn't care. You think I'm a big catch...wait until you find my partner."

Jia smirked, exhaling his smoke as he said,

"That's why we have you."

"I don't know where he is."

Jia raised an eyebrow, unbelieving as he said,

"Oh...you don't?"

He looked at Toki who stood beside Jia's desk as he said,

"You think you ready go again?"

Kiyohara stepped back as he said,

"I don't know! I swear I don't know!"

Jia then stood up as he said,

"Then what else can you tell me so you could be of some use to me?"

"Nothing..."

Jia then shrugged as he said,

"Okay. Then you can go."

Kiyohara looked confused as Jia turned to me and said,

"Take him out of here. Get rid of him."

I nodded as I took Kiyohara out of Jia's office. I walked him down the hall and he went without a fight. He knew what was waiting for him. I took him to the back office of the same floor Jia's office was on. I walked him in as I closed the door behind me. I then took out my gun and raised it, waiting for him to turn around. Once he did, I fire, turning my face slightly as I felt his blood speckle on my skin. I heard him drop to the floor and I turned and left the room and went to clean up.

After I washed my face clean, I let Aoki know. Then he and I picked him up and carried him out somewhere. Jia let us know to leave his body in the open. It would lure his partner out. So Aoki and I did just that. After we came from dumping the body in Central Park, we returned to Jia's building. Jia let Tai know what had happened and that there was definitely something else going on in his city. But until the newest enemy emerged, we had to wait. Tai looked at Jia as he said,

"Takeo called you while Kiyohara was alive."

"What did he say?"

"Said he needed to speak to you."

Jia nodded, getting up as he said,

"Someone get me Jo. Mikkie come on."

Jia never liked taking Toki, Aoki or Akio to Takeo's place. It was too much of a distraction. So usually I went. Once we got Jo, we took the car and went to Jackson Heights Queens. Jia was welcomed in by Sashi, Takeo's butler and friend. Once inside, the girls and boys crawling around on the floor stopped and perked up at the newest presences. Takeo was laying on his sofa, one of his pretty toys laying over him, another one sitting beside him as she had her head on his cushion near Takeo's head. The pimp looked up as he pushed off his pet and sat up. As he did his hair fell from his face, revealing his discolored eye as he then got to his feet and said,

"Jia, I didn't think you'd show up so quickly. When I called Tai said you were in a meeting."

"I was. But I know how you are with phones."

"Of course. Have a seat."

Jia sat down as Jo and I stood beside him. I noticed Jo had a hard time keeping his eyes from wandering everywhere. Takeo and him had become something of associates so that meant some of Takeo's pets knew him. A few girls, some boys all crawled over to Jo and sat at his feet as Jia leaned back and said,

"So, what have you heard."

"I'm going to assume you found Kiyohara already."

"I did and got rid of him. But he's got a partner that he says should be some problem for me."

"And that he will be Jia. I got word that Kiyohara's partner is out to make trouble for you and to make matters worse, is in association with your enemy."

"Fuck...they don't ease off do they?"

"Never. People like that never forgive or forget. You did waste four of their best and got one of them to turn on them."

"I know. But it's been so long."

"Vengeance and hatred never have expiration dates."

Jia nodded as he said,

"But the Teo Chiu wouldn't dare come into the States."

"No, but they would train and send someone here after you. Well provided, with enough strength to back them up? Of course they would."

Jia leaned his head back as he sighed in frustration as he said,

"I don't have enough means to go into Bangkok right now and get into the Teo Chiu."

"It would be a bit too much Jia. Even for you."

"If I was to find this guy and then kill him, the Teo Chiu would have enough anger to try something a little more drastic."

Takeo nodded as he leaned down and stroked one of his boys. The boy I recognized to be Ryuhei. He was apparently still working for Takeo. The young whore turned his face to Takeo's touch as the pimp said,

"Did you get a name?"

"No. I was hoping you could help out with that."

"For a price Jia."

"As always you greedy son of a bitch."

Takeo laughed as he said,

"Tell me my information isn't worth every cent."

Jia laughed as he said,

"You know it is. Usual price."

"Can't argue with that."

"So what's his name?"

"Utsukushii."

"What? But that was Kiyohara's name."

"Brothers Jia. Relation does run deep."

"No wonder they looked similar." I commented.

Jia looked up at me as he then sighed and said,

"So...this other Utsukushii should arise soon then."

"How soon do you plan Jia?" Asked Takeo.

"Oh....pretty soon. Considering that his body was just dumped in public to be announced tomorrow."

Takeo laughed slightly as he said,

"Damn...that will be soon enough."

Jia nodded as Takeo then said,

"If I hear anything from the second Utsukushii I will let you know right away."

Jia nodded as he got up and said,

"I'll have someone send your money soon."

"Thanks."

They shook hands as Jia, Jo and myself left.

The next afternoon, I welcomed Ryuujin no Chi along with Yuki, the Itto Ketsuen and the Yami into Jia's office. Each oyabun and their second in command came in and sat down to talk to Jia about the second Utsukushii. The rest of us waited around downstairs. Aoki, Toki and Akio were in the lobby where I was, reading the paper and reading of the body being found where we left it the other night. I did my best to focus on the news and not to Toki's bragging rights of how he nailed the very lovely Utsukushii. Jo eventually came down and sat in the sofa across from me, but he seemed more tired then anything and smoked as he held his cup of coffee. Jun eventually came in as he heard the trio celebrating and rolled his eyes and scoffed, which of course meant in invitation to start an argument. Toki smirked as he said,

"Oh look, it's the all mighty Makino Junpei who thinks he's better then me."

Jun laughed slightly, cocking his head to the side as he said,

"I don't think I'm better then you Toki. I know I am."

"You aint better then shit I walk through everyday."

"Oh you walk through shit? Shows how keen and sharp your senses are."

"It's a figure of speech you dipshit."

"You actually know what a figure of speech is? Now you've really impressed me Toki."

"Shut the fuck up."

"No you shut the fuck up. No one wants to hear about how you did your job and now you have bragging rights of yet another ass you managed to shove your dick through."

"Don't hate because it was Kiyohara and not you."

Jun scoffed again as he said,

"Spare me. If I was remotely interested in fucking males, I could so do better then the dirty, disease ridden likes of you."

At that point, Aoki and Akio tuned and stood up as Aoki said,

"Likes of him...what's that suppost to mean?"

Akio crossed his arms as he glared at Jun. Jun continued, unabashed,

"Yeah you are the likes of him, I won't take it back. I've been saying it for years."

"Hey Jun, fuck you. Don't act like you're any better then us when you're off fucking just as many females and you think no one knows."

Akio said it with anger. He and Aoki then left as Toki smirked and applauded Jun as he said,

"Good job. Nothing like being an antisocial, self righteous, asshole and making enemies of your coworkers."

Toki then left with them. Jun dismissed all three of them with the wave of his hand as he said,

"Fuck them."

He sat down beside me as I continued reading. I didn't say a word on what happened. It was Jun's way. He did think he was better then the three of them but he didn't feel the need to prove it since he already knew. I just continued reading.

Late that afternoon, Jia and his associates came down. They had discussed the problem to it's fullest lengths and each had heard something. Each of their lower heads had all come back with the same thing. Utsukushii was running his lead in with an all powerful invitation.

"A drug ring."

Jia sighed as h said,

"Of course, I'm not a drug pusher..I don't supply it but I won't not allow other people to do it in my clubs. But if Utsukushii has a drug ring..."

"It's a powerful tool Jia. If they have something that you don't, it could easily bring everything else into place." Said Sozaburo.

Yuki nodded as he said,

"It's how you got your start in New York Jia."

Jia nodded as he said,

"I know...I still can't forget that. But at least now I have an idea of what may be going on."

Yuki then tied his still long blonde hair back as he said,

"I'll call if anything Jia. I should be the one to hear about this first since I'm closest to the streets."

Yuki and Estuya then left. The Itto Ketsuen promised they would find something out soon and also left. Kotei, now standing on the edge of his new problem and facing it as an oyabun said,

"Jia...I know of the club scenes better then most."

Jia nodded, letting him continue.

"I could find something our by directly going to the problem."

"It's dangerous." Said Ren.

"No one knows me as an oyabun Ren. I can go in and find out."

Ren sighed, not liking the idea as Jia said,

"I'll send Jo with you. Both of you are young enough to get in un noticed."

Ren then said,

"Jia-sama is this wise?"

"It's the best plan I can think of. Besides, Jo is one of my best. He can snap someone's neck before they come within an inch of your botchan. So relax."

Ren nodded as Jia called Jo over and let them know of the plan.

That night, those two went to the club. The rest of stayed put, waiting for word of the initial enemy. Jun and I sat in the lobby, me, chewing my thumbnail as Jun sipped some coffee. He then said,

"It's a disgusting habit."

"I know. I'll try to stop soon I swear."

I shouldn't have sworn. It was a hard habit to kick. Gabriel and Tai along with Aya and Aoki came back and forth across the lobby. Aoki was on his way to pick up Kotei and Jo from a club Aya was on his way to Jia's office and Tai and Gabriel kept coming back and forth to meet with lower heads who heard of connections that the Utsukushii had from all the dark and dirty corners of New York's boroughs. Around two that morning, Jo came back, Kotei beside him as he said,

"He's set up already Jia. And that empire has started far beyond anyone's imagination."

Jia sighed as he shook his head and said,

"It's about time for a war to start up huh?"

He had his cigarette lit by Jo and then he went on his way to start his new war with his new enemy.

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Definitions

Aniki- Older brother

Sama- A proper term to address someone. Literally means lord.

Botchan- Boy; young man; unworldly man; young master; other person's son. Can also be called "bon"