Jun and I took it upon ourselves to call the Itto Ketsuen, wondering where the hell they were that they didn't already have Sozaburo nailed down, location wise. I got in touch with Karasu after a small run around only when he answered, it wasn't him. I didn't recognize the voice though they claimed to be Karasu. I didn't know him so well that I could deny that to the end, but I knew well enough that Karasu did not sound like that. Not wanting to risk insulting an oyabun of an allied syndicate, I asked him where he was. It was then he hung up, refusing to say another word and I knew then it wasn't Karasu. How disorganized was the Itto Ketsuen that they lost both the oyabun and saiko-kimon? I called Jia to let him know that Karasu was also missing and he told me to deal with one problem at a time. The Yuuki twins met us at Victoria Point and let us know that Kaoru's people had Sozaburo in a hotel. They both pointed to the establishment, as Yasuhiro said,

"They have him there, but the entire area is surrounded. It's why we didn't go in ourselves."

Jo nodded, grabbing his hair and tying it all back in a simple twist and snapping the elastic band around it before reaching into his pockets and taking out his .38 as he went ahead. The Yuuki twins back him up as Jun and I went around the back. We went in discreetly, slowly following the Yuuki twins and Jo as they traveled not too far in front of us. Keeping a low profile and our faces hidden from anyone that might recognize us, we made it past all of Kaoru's guards, even up to the floor that Sozaburo was being held on. We all casually walked towards a hotel room door and Jun made it seem as if he was searching for his keys to open it when Jo turned, aimed and fired all in a blink of an eye. One of the guards, so stunned by his partner's sudden death only froze as Jo aimed at him next and fired. We all rushed to the door and searched the now dead guards as we tried to figure out a way to get that door open. Toshihiro stood up and aimed at the door as we all ducked, covering our heads as we heard the lock snap open. Jo reached up and pushed the door back as he went in first, me following as we saw Sozaburo struggling with someone. He was sitting on the couch, but almost curled up as he had his hands tied behind him, the guard over him as Sozaburo had his foot between them, as he struggled to keep the guy off him. There was two other guards, knocked on the floor. Jo walked over to the last one as he pulled him off Sozaburo and threw him against the floor, Jun pulled the clip back on his gun, shooting him as he stepped over him as Sozaburo relaxed, leaning against the sofa as his reddish blonde hair fell over his eyes. He looked exhausted, but angry all at once.

"What took you all so long?"

Jo sighed, reaching into his coat to take out his blade as he said,

"We didn't even know you were gone."

He sat Sozaburo up as he reached behind him and cut the ropes off his wrists as he said,

"Karasu is missing too."

"Why him?"

"Why not him?"

"I don't know...Karasu could always take care of himself. For anyone to try and take him is almost unheard of."

Once his hands were free, he rubbed his wrists which were bright red as Yasuhiro gestured to the three on the floor and said,

"What happened here?"

Sozaburo looked up as he said,

"I just look pretty. Don't mistake me for some frail little thing."

The twins nodded as Jo said,

"Let's go, this is bound to draw some attention."

We gathered Sozaburo up and soon left. He had no idea why they took Karasu and the Yuuki twins weren't even aware that he had been taken as well.

Once we got to Jia's building, Jun had a chance to examine Sozaburo's raw and tender wrists. As he wrapped them in gauze, Sozaburo spoke to Jia about the situation.

"I'll spare of the details of how and when they caught me since it's unnecessary. I will however let you know that they took my partner and I don't even know why. Whatever Karasu knows, is the same thing I know. He's none the wiser of anything else. If they had me, it was like having Karasu anyway. So basically it was pointless to take him."

He flinched as Jun finished one wrist and looked at the other. Jia then said,

"It's amazing how you just walked out of that with nothing but rope burns."

"I will not be taken as some victim just because I have a pretty face. I hate when people make that assumption."

Jia nodded as he said,

"We just need to find Karasu. I'm almost tempted to send you back to New York."

"I won't go anyway. Not without Karasu."

Jia nodded as he said,

"I'll need to get in touch with the Yami and Ryuujin no Chi. Also I'll make a quick check on Aoki and then we'll join in with the Itto Ketsuen later on the search for Karasu."

We had our orders and with that, we went on our way.

I stayed with Jia as he took Toki with him to see Aoki. Jun had other matters to attend to such as starting the search for Karasu with the Yuuki twins and the rest of the Itto Ketsuen. We went to the hospital were again, Aya was not around. In fact, I had only seen him there once and that was when we all discovered Aoki had been injured. Anyway, we went to his hospital room where we found he was conscious, though in pain from soreness. Toki was glad his friend was alive and sat beside him as he said,

"You had us worried for a sec."

Aoki nodded, his hair falling around his face as he said,

"I want a cigarette."

Jia shook his head as he said,

"No. You lay here and get better. No smoking until then."

Aoki sighed and turned his head slightly. It was then I realized he wasn't wearing his usual sunglasses and the scar on his face, over his eye that had long since rendered him blind was clearly visible. Toki nudged him as he said,

"You'll be aite. When you better we'll celebrate."

Aoki gave a faint smile as Jia then told us we had to go, he just wanted to make sure Aoki was well enough. Before we left, Aoki said,

"What if I don't get better by the time you're ready to go?"

Jia looked at him as he said,

"We'll take you anyway. What you think I'd leave you in some Hong Kong hospital?"

He smirked as Aoki gave a slight laugh and then we left. On our way out, after Jia checked the lower head standing outside Aoki's door, Toki looked at Jia and said,

"You think Aya came to see him?"

"I really doubt it."

"Thas weird. You think they fought?"

"Why are you asking me? You're the one that hangs out with Aoki the most."

"Yeah but you see Aya more then me."

"No, Aya seemed well enough."

Toki sighed, putting his hands in his pockets as he turned and looked at me. It was then I realized Toki was between both Jia and myself as we stood in the elevator. Once I made that realization, I felt awkward. The feeling on increased when Toki leaned down slightly and pressed his nose to my cheek. I jumped back slightly, giving him a look as he smirked and tried again, kissing my cheek in the process. I could have panicked and turned bright red if my self control didn't hold me down from screaming like a girl as he tried to put his mouth on my ear. He chuckled to himself as he then stopped and I reached up to my hair, untucking it from it's place as Jia only looked ahead, but he had a slight smirk on his face. I felt so out of place and I almost fainted from sheer delight when the doors opened. Jia walked ahead as Toki let go of hand and then followed. I collected myself as I followed them.

Jia stood outside having his cigarette lit as he called Tai, asking him if he had gotten in contact with the Yami or Ryuujin no Chi. Tai let him know that the Yami had been in contact and they were awaiting further orders from Jia himself. As for the Ryuujin no Chi, Kotei had been contacted and told of the situation. The little emperor was also on his way over to Jia's building. Jia said he would be fine on his own but Toki didn't want to part with either one of us. After a bit of complaining on his part and bringing facts to light, Jia gave a heavy sigh, rolled his eyes and said that both of us should accompany him back to headquarters. We took a cab there and dropped Jia off. Before we left, Jia gave us orders to join everyone else on the search for Karasu. He promised us he wouldn't leave his building without someone and then slammed the door and Toki gave directions to drive to the nearest dock since we had to cross over to Kowloon. Toki smoked, yawning slightly as he rubbed his eye and pulled up the leg of his jeans. I looked over at him as I said,

"You're like a child."

"That was random."

"You can't sit still."

"Nah, we went through this already."

I shook my head as he continued smoking. By the time we arrived at the docks, he was done with his cigarette and stepped out of the cab after he paid the fare. I followed as we took the trip over to Kowloon and called Jun as Toki called Akio to find out where everyone was. After agreeing to meet up with everyone in one place, we hung up and Toki looked at me and said,

"Why'd you get so tense?"

"When?"

"In the elevator."

"I didn't."

"Yeah you did."

"I just didn't feel comfortable with you touching me in-"

I stopped myself as he smirked and said,

"What? In front of Li right?"

I didn't say anything as he said,

"He's not stupid, he knows what I'm doin."

"Doesn't that bother you?"

"Not really."

"You're so selfish."

"How can I be selfish if I love you?"

I knew he was being selfish, but explaining to him why he was would take all night. Instead I just tossed my hair over my shoulder and once the ferry docked, we left, hailed a cab and went to meet up with Jun, Akio, Jo, Aya and the Yuuki twins.

We had a small dinner, talking, going over a few things. The Yuuki twins, we found out, were well connected contract killers and even spoke Chinese to some extent. Yasuhiro sat beside his twin, black bangs falling around his eyes as he said,

"We could do some checking in something dirtier."

"Jia has his hands in everything here but the drug ring. What do you define as dirty?" Said Akio.

Yasuhiro set his glass down as Toshihiro set his chopsticks down and looked up. They both then said,

"Porn rings."

The two looked each other, as if surprised they both said it at the same time, as Akio said,

"We'll deal with that."

"We know of one of the biggest bootleggers in Hong Kong." Said Toshihiro.

"That'll be the start then." Said Toki.

After dinner, in which Toki only had three drinks and four cigarettes, we paid our parts and then went where the Yuuki twins led us.

The bootlegger, going by the name of Ai, knew the Yuuki twins. He was obviously scared of them and it was visible as he opened the doors to on of his places of business and saw the twins. He stuttered for a moment, and invited all of us in. Once inside, we saw the masses of females staying there. Many of them were naked except for a pair of panties, a lot of them where dazed, not aware of what was going on as they rubbed their noses over and over again. A few had track marks racing down each arm, evidence of how they made it throughout the day. Ai spoke quickly, his head down as Toshihiro translated for us. The bootlegger explained how he had heard nothing about anything though a few days ago, he was approached by some man to sell his business to him. Ai said he would do no such thing and turned the man away. Later, we figured out it was Kaoru. Ai had nothing to fear now since Kaoru was dead. It was evident that Ai knew nothing. Before we left though, Ai did say something that Toshihiro translated.

"He said he heard of the same guy that offered to buy him out, that he had some business in the New Territories."

Akio looked at Toshihiro as he said,

"You think someone could know something?"

"Worth a try."

We then left.

Three hours later, Toki had one of Kaoru's employees face down on a table, his nine to the back of the employee's head as he made him start talking. The man began to babble incoherently as he tried to calm down. Akio sat beside him as he said,

"What do you know about Karasu?"

"Who?"

He choked a moment later as Toki's grip tightened and the employee gasped out that he knew who Karasu was.

"So where is he?" Asked Akio.

"I....I don't know."

Toki took the safety off the nine as the man's eyes widened and said,

"I swear I don't know! All I know is he was transported to one of the docks warehouses to be killed but I don't know which one! There's dozens of docks in Hong Kong!"

Toki picked him up by his neck and turned him around as he shoved him into a chair. Aya picked up the phone, brought it over and set beside Kaoru's employee as Toki said,

"You call someone who can tell you. Your life depends on it."

He tried for half an hour, all of us waiting in the meantime. Jun, Jo and Aya decided to search the docks meanwhile, in case this ended up going nowhere. By the time an hour had gone by, the employee hung up the phone and softly said,

"I couldn't find out."

Toki shrugged, pulling the safety off again as he aimed, turned his head and fired. With a loud bang, that man's life ended and Toki sighed as he shook his weapon off, blood spraying across the floor as he said,

"Another dead end. Let's hope Baby, Jun and Aya found somethin'."

We packed it up and went off to the docks, calling our associates on the way. I spoke to Jun as he said they were on their way to another dock, the first few being fruitless. I began to think we would never find Karasu alive. I wondered where that would leave the Itto Ketsuen. We approached the dock that our associates were at a little over twenty minutes after I hung up with Jun when Toki's phone rang. He answered as he spoke for a moment and then smiled as he laughed and said,

"Aite...we there now."

He hung up as he looked over at us and said,

"They found Karasu."