Nishiki was down. It was what the two wanted. I didn't have much time to dwell on it since in a matter of moments, Akio and I stood among some of the top heads in the waiting room. Jia was there as well, Toki beside him as he smoked. Toki didn't care and sat underneath the "No Smoking" sign and continued to smoke as Jia said,

"Okay, now we have a problem. These two got what they wanted. But there's still the question as to why they want Nishiki and who are they tied to as well. If not us or the Teo Chiu, who are they working for?"

Tai sighed, tucking back his hair as he said,

"I'll go look. The lower heads are being completely useless right now."

"Tai I'm not sure I want you going out there." Said Jia.

Tai shook it off as he said,

"It's okay Jia. Really. I'll be fine."

"Fine as long as you and Gabriel go."

"He has work to do here Jia. If anything he could relay the information I get back to you."

"Good point. But don't go by yourself."

Tai nodded as he began to leave the waiting room. I watched him leave as I then turned my attention to Gabriel was who sitting on one of the chairs and didn't even seem to notice the conversation that just took place. He sat with his legs crossed, his hands on his lap as looked out to the side. Once Tai was gone, I realized something had happened between those two and whatever happy relationship they had was done. Anyway, Tai left and Jia continued to wait on news about Nishiki. No one was sure if he was alive or dead yet, so we all had to wait. Jia paced slightly as he said,

"This is like waiting for Takuro all over again."

I looked over at Jia as I said,

"Takuro?"

"An associate of mine in New York. He was shot and killed but it took a while to find out if he died or not."

"Oh..."

Jia sighed, pulling his hair back as Toki finally said,

"Li! Will you stop? You're makin me dizzy."

Jia stopped for a moment as Aoki came in, Aya close behind and they had the doctor. The doctor came in as he said,

"I have some news on Mr. Nishiki."

"Is he alive?"

"He's alive but in very, very critical condition. Nishiki is not a young man...this has done serious damage to his body."

Jia nodded as he said,

"So we have to wait until when?"

"Well, he won't be up and about anytime soon so yes. If he can survive the night there's good hope but there's not much else we can do."

Jia nodded as the doctor excused himself and left as Jia then turned to the rest of us as he said,

"Okay...here's what-"

He paused to see Gabriel still staring off into space. Jia snapped his fingers as he said,

"Gaijin!"

Gabriel turned and looked at us as Jia gave a gesture to some space in front of him as he said, very sarcastically,

"Would you be so kind as to grace me with your blue eyed presence?"

Gabriel got up as he put his hands behind his back and said,

"Gomen..."

Jia cleared his throat as he finally put out his cigarette and said,

"Okay, we have a problem. Whoever these two are, they want Nishiki and not me dead. But why Nishiki I don't know. Plus, I keep hearing they are tied to someone big, but if not me or the Teo Chiu then...someone else. So, I want no more time wasted and I want everyone to go out and look for these two. Jo, since you spoke with one already, it should be easier for you to find them so you and Jun go. Aoki, Aya you two back them up, Gabriel you stay at the office with me in case anything should happen. Toki, you stay with me and Mikkie, you could you handle yourself okay. You'll be fine alone."

Jun nodded, his brown and now red streaked hair bounced as Jia then nodded and said,

"Okay. Nishiki's people are already guarding the hospital from the basement to the roof so I'm not worried about it. So let's just get to finding these two shall we?"

Jia dismissed us as we went out into the city and got to work.

Jun then looked at me once we were outside and he said,

"You spoke to one them?"

"Hai. I didn't know he was our enemy. AT ALL."

I had a feeling he was going back to my younger days when I stupidly talked to Stephen not even connecting he was Kenimin's kid until much later. This time, I thought I was just hitting on a pretty little perfect uke. Which he seemed to be and no one could blame me for that. Jun then said,

"Oh. I was gonna say."

"Yeah I know what you were gonna say."

I didn't mean for it to sound as angry as it did, but nonetheless, I didn't take it back either. Jun didn't say anything that. The lower heads along with the rest of us had been broken up into sections of the city and made to search it out, no place was to be left unturned. While we walked, taking calls every now and then, I checked my watch and the looked around for a moment when I saw a sleek Benz pull up to the side of the street across from where we were. I saw Jun had already noticed as suddenly I saw my perfect uke step out. He stood to his full height which wasn't much, his black, blonde hair spilling forward around his eyes and top of his cheekbones. He adjusted his coat as a moment later, someone else joined him. And it was like mirror images. My perfect uke had a reflection who was just like him only he had blonde hair, black streaks that spilled forward as he tipped his head down and then put his fedora on, tilting it to the side as the two began going inside a restaurant. I then said,

"They are twins."

"Yeah, so we found them. Now to do something about it."

Jun dialed Jia's number as he said,

"Jia, we found them both. Going into the Goemon in the Ueno District."

We continued watching from across the street as the twins went inside and left our line of vision. Jun then said,

"What should we do Jia? We found them but you didn't give orders as to what to do after."

Jun was quiet, listening to Jia's orders as he said,

"Hai."

He hung up as he took the ear piece from his ear and let it fall to the side of his coat as he said,

"Jia said to wait and make sure they don't leave."

"That's all?"

"That's all."

It's all we could do now was wait outside in the cold. I had a cigarette, moving around to stay warm every now and then as I had my hands in my pockets, my hands held by leather and cashmere as stuffed them in the pockets of my coat. I left my cigarette hanging on my lips as I inhaled and exhaled from the side of my mouth, a trick I picked up from watching Toki do it for so long. I was about to ask what was taking them so long when a cab pulled up in front of us. Jun and I stepped forward from the shadows and watched as Jia got out, cigarette in hand from one side, Toki from the other door of the cab. The cab then pulled away as Jia said,

"Over there right?"

"Hai."

Jia nodded as he started to cross the street, the three of us following him. As we walked, Toki told me that they called Aoki, Aya and Jun to come as back up. Mikkie was also called and on his way as Tai was going back to the office. Jia walked into the restaurant, taking off his gloves as he exhaled the last of his smoke and threw the cigarette out. The host looked at him, bowing his head as he said,

"Can I help you sir?"

Jia glared at him as the host promptly backed away and we went inside. Jia caught hold of the twins, the two sitting down at the far end of the restaurant, close to each other side by side, opposites of each other, yet not. Toshihiro had the black hair, blonde highlights, softer eyes and wore a silk gray shirt under his black suit, his hands clasped together on the table while Yasuhiro sat beside him, in a gray suit, black shirt underneath, blonde hair with black streaks flowing through the front like Toshihiro had with the blonde, his eyes were harder, his hands clenched slightly, his fedora sitting not too far beside his hands. They both looked up as they saw Jia approaching them. Toshihiro recognized me right away as his eyes looked up at me surprised. Jia pulled up a chair as he sat down, the three of us standing beside him as Yasuhiro said,

"What do you want."

Jia had his cigarette lit by Toki as he inhaled then exhaled as he spoke.

"I should ask you that. You two realize who you're talking to."

Toshihiro spoke softly as he said,

"Jia Li. Oyabun of the 36 Moons."

His older brother looked at him, wondering how he knew that. Toshihiro pointed at Jia's hand as he said,

"The all seeing eye and the ank on your hand. It means eternal. It's also a well known mark that no one else has and has been a cause of conversation among other yakuza."

Jia nodded, looking at his own hand as he said,

"Good eye."

Yasuhiro then looked at Jia as he said,

"We've done nothing to the 36 Moons."

"No, you just fucked with my closest allie and I'd like to know why before I send you back from wherever you two came from in pieces."

Toshihiro and Yasuhiro looked at each other as Yasuhiro looked at Jia and said,

"You have to understand one thing."

"What's that?"

"We're not alone."

"You must have gotten paid and paid well for this job. Whoever employed you wants one of two things, my allie destroyed to get to me easier, or just wants to get to me in the easiest way."

The twins looked at each other as Toshihiro then said,

"Jia-sama with all due respect, we can't tell you the name of our employer."

"Then tell me this, why did he pick you two?"

"We're the best."

Jia looked at them both as he then said,

"Oh?"

Yasuhiro looked at Jia and said,

"You underestimate us?"

"I learned a long time ago not to. But at least tell me why Nishiki and not me. What are your purposes?"

Toshihiro looked at Jia as he said,

"We cannot say. We have been contracted to silence."

Jia then picked up an ash tray from the table as he tapped his cigarette against it and said,

"Well...then gentlemen, we have a problem. You see, I don't like people coming into my city, because yes this is my city and starting problems close to me. Now you either tell why you're after me. Or..."

Jia snapped his fingers and we each revealed we were armed. Toki actually getting out his 9, holding it close to his mouth as he smirked. The twins looked at us as Jia said,

"We're not afraid to let off a couple of round here, ending this quickly."

Toshihiro looked at his brother as Yasuhiro said,

"Our employer wants your closest people out of the way."

"Why?"

"To get you to collapse. Our employer states you would be nothing without your associates."

"Does that include my top heads?"

"Eventually. We were not contracted to that yet."

Jia nodded as he said,

"Who else has he contracted for you two aside from Nishiki."

"We can't say."

They said it in unison as Yasuhiro stood up and said,

"You cannot get anything else from Jia. We are not after you. Please be advised that."

He picked up his fedora as Toshihiro stood up as well, buttoning his coat as Jia said,

"No, you're not after me now but with time you will be. There is no reason for me not to hold back anything."

Toshihiro then said,

"Perhaps. You're right Jia-sama. But...you never know what's left with us."

Jia looked at them both as Yasuhiro got his fedora on, buttoning his coat as he then left with his twin. Jia stood up as well and we followed him out.

Once outside the restaurant, as the twins began getting in their car, Jia said,

"Tell me one more thing."

The older one turned as Toshihiro was already sitting inside the car.

"Nani?"

"What happens if just one of you is taken care of?"

The two looked at each other as I saw Jia nudge Toki and Toki, who still had his gun in his hand, raised it and took a clean shot at Yasuhiro. The older twin collapsed to the ground as a stream of blood trickled from his coat and gathered at his feet. Toshihiro's eyes got wide as he then screamed, watching his brother fall to the ground. Jia then put his hands in his pockets as he said,

"There's one. Now I can find out for myself what happens."

Toshihiro got out of the car and fell to his knees at his brother's side. He looked at Jia as he went into his coat and withdrew his gun as he aimed. Toki and Akio grabbed Jia as they pulled him out of the way as Aya, Aoki and myself ran in the other direction. Toshihiro got up as he circled to shoot at any one of us that he could find but we had ducked down, hearing Jia tell us not to shoot him. Aoki sighed, his breath coming out in a cloud as I stayed crouched down behind a car, Aya covered by Aoki's frame as he said,

"Jia has to be insane. Why shouldn't we shoot at the psycho trying to kill us."

Aya looked up as he said,

"We need at least one of them to tell us what's going on Aoki."

I nodded as I said,

"If they're both dead then we have a problem coming from an unknown direction."

Aoki held onto Aya, protecting him from everything as we heard the shooting stop. I peeked over carefully trying to see what was going on as I saw Toshihiro stopped firing and was on is cell phone, probably calling an ambulance. I told Aoki and Aya as we then sneaked away and we hailed a cab as we got in, seeing Toki, Jia and Akio were running off towards the subway. Once they were safe, we drove off. Aya called Jia to let him know we were on our way back to his building and Jia said he would meet us there.

About twenty minutes later, were back at Jia's building, standing the lobby. We all stood trying to get warm again as Jia said,

"Okay, I fired back. I got one of them pissed off at me so let's see what goes on from here. If I gotta find out who's after me through someone else, if I gotta pull the information out of him by anger so be it."

Tai then said,

"Jia..."

We saw Tai coming from the elevator, his white full length leather coat on his cell phone in his hands as he said,

"I just got word about Nishiki."

"And?"

"He died a few hours ago."