Jia was tired. He was very tired. Upon having his business stopped and his every move watched and worrying about everyone else's moves being watched, Jia was tired. Jia finally had Gabriel and Tai go to Kemuri and make an appointment with the man. But the two business heads could not get Kemuri's attention. Jia was frustrated and was not sure how else to get Kemuri to meet with him unless he committed some crime. But Jia committing a crime would bring unnecessary attention to him and decided to do the next best thing.

"Aya...would you go?"

Pretty Aya glanced up from some papers he was working on as he said,

"Of course."

Jia sighed as he said,

"I figured if anyone could get his attention you could."

Aya nodded as he said,

"No disguise this time huh?"

"No. Natural beauty needs to be shown in this case."

Aya smiled slightly as Jia thanked him and then left. Aya started going back to work as I looked at him, sitting across from him at the board room table. I had my own papers in front of me since I had to start faking knowledge of my supposed job as I said,

"When are you going?"

"Probably tonight."

"You're just going to the Diet building?"

"Yes. Easiest way is the most direct way."

"You want some company?"

Aya looked up completely, resting his delicate chin on his slender hand as he said,

"You offering to come with me?"

"Sure. I figure I should learn something. Besides, if the cops see me going to the Diet, they might lay off a little."

Aya smiled slightly, his hair falling around his face as he said,

"Good point."

He smiled as he said,

"You're sweet."

"Nah.."

I looked down and away and started to read again but I looked back up to see Aya still looking at me. I smirked slightly as I said,

"What?"

"Nothing...just thinking."

"About?"

"You. You remind me of a much younger Aoki."

"Aoki doesn't look that old."

"No, I mean to say I imagine you would look like Aoki when he was your age. When he had both eyes and maybe a little shorter. You are shorter then him."

"I know. But...I was told I don't look like him."

He laughed softly as he said,

"Take it from someone who knows him closely, you do look like him. Except.."

"What?"

"Except your eyes are softer."

He smiled as he finally looked away and started to work again as I went back to work. Flirt...I swear he was trying to get me in trouble.

That evening, Aya buttoned up his coat, fixed his hair and left with me as we drove to the Diet building. I, myself, had never been to the Diet building, hardly looked at it when I was just walking about the streets. Aya on the other hand, spent much of his starting career as a yakuza in this building. I parked in the front as I said,

"You know where Kemuri is?"

"I should. I doubt the Diet has changed much since I left."

As we got out of the car, I remembered Akio telling me about when Aya was in the Diet. He had no choice but to pass himself off as a fifty year old man. He wore a costume that hid all that beauty...and I could not imagine it. But Aya acted the part and brought down the Diet from the inside. Anyway we went inside, being stopped by a few security guards who Aya quickly sweet talked past, telling them we were Kemuri's assistants and here to drop off some paper work and then leave right away. The guards nodded and let us past as Aya then said,

"Kemuri's office should be up this hall. The new Dietmen don't get higher offices until much later in their terms."

"Oh..."

We went down the hall, me following Aya until he stopped and looked at the door. He then knocked once, opening it afterwards as we went in, seeing Kemuri at his desk, still working away. He looked up once he saw us as he said,

"Who are you two?"

We walked in as Aya closed the door behind me and said,

"Dietman Kemuri I assume. Nice to meet you."

"Who are you two and why did you come here?"

"Dietman Kemuri, relax. We came here with one intention."

"Which is?"

"To make an appointment with our employer."

"Appointment?"

"Yes."

"Who is your employer?"

"You will soon find out."

Kemuri stood up as he said,

"Oh...I see. Yakuza scum."

Aya didn't loose his grace as he said,

"Something like that."

"Want me to meet your oyabun huh?"

"He wishes an audience with you before this goes out of hand anymore."

"Running scared huh?"

"Hardly."

"Then why an audience with me?"

"I don't know. It's his choice."

Kemuri seemed to think for a moment before he said,

"All right. I'll meet with your employer. Where and when?"

"You know of the Dragon Leaf?"

"Hai."

"There. Eleven in the evening."

Kemuri nodded as he said,

"You plan to kill me there?"

"Dietman, if my employer wanted you dead, he would have done so right now."

We then left his office.

The next evening, Jia had an appointment to keep. He was having a hard time doing so because, one he had not shown up all day and two, Toki wasn't here either. Akio and Tai sighed that whole morning as Tai said,

"Toki probably made Jia stay home."

"Wouldn't be the first time." Said Akio.

Tai sighed, waving it off as he said,

"All Jia has to do today is get to the Dragon Leaf at eleven. It's not much. So he shouldn't have to be here anyway."

Akio sighed, pulling back his newly cropped hair so it hung a little past his chin again, still a beautiful chocolate brown color. He sat back in his current chair as we stood around in the board room. Aya and Tai had been discussing the situation when Akio asked about Jia's absence. Then I asked, unknowing it was already brought up. Tai then said,

"We should have him picked up and brought to the Dragon Leaf tonight. Jo, would you mind?"

"No, it's okay. It was my job anyway."

"Good. I'll call ahead so Jia could have some time getting himself together."

I nodded as Akio then said,

"Yeah better call ahead an hour Tai. You know how it is."

Tai sighed, shaking his head as they went back to work. Aya got up and left with me as we walked towards the elevator. He smoothed his hair back as he said,

"You've been so involved in this lately."

"I feel I should learn that not all our enemies are the same."

"Trying to learn something new right?"

"Yeah. I keep remembering that I shouldn't want to be just a killer."

He nodded as we reached the elevator. He pressed the button to call it up as he smiled and said,

"You going to pick up Jia tonight?"

"Yeah. I have to get something to eat though."

He nodded as the elevator came up and the doors opened. Aya went in as he said,

"Coming?"

"Yeah."

Aya had been flirting with me lately. Why? I don't know. I didn't mind but I knew that would cause me trouble later. I was little skeptical of being alone with him anywhere, but I doubt Aya would be the one to just jump on me, so I didn't worry too much.

Later that night, after about half an hour of waiting, I went to pick Jia up. Toki answered, surprising me by being dressed and ready, but holding his now large cat Baby Mikkie in his arms. He looked at me as he said,

"Come in."

I walked inside as that dark orange, almost red kitten appeared from the side of the couch as she sat down and looked up at me. I reached down and stroked behind her ears as Toki went to get Jia. Jia came a few moments later as I was kneeling on the floor now, scratching the kitten known as Baby Emy behind her ears. Jia sighed as he said,

"Jo, don't encourage him."

"Sorry." I said with a sheepish smile.

I then started to rise to my full height as I said,

"You have two now huh?"

"Not for long."

Toki smirked as he said,

"He said the same thing about Baby Mikkie."

Toki kissed the top of the yellow cat's head before he set it down on the floor near Baby Emy. He then got out his cigarettes as he said,

"Let's go."

Jia buttoned his coat as he made the final check of everything he usually carried with him before we all left. I drove them both to the Dragon Leaf and then parked the car once I saw Aoki and Aya standing outside. I then got out and went around to open the door for Jia and then he went inside with Toki, Aoki and Aya. I stayed outside, in case anything should happen. I sat inside the car, the keys in the ignition as I waited, having a cigarette. Only after an hour did Jia and everyone else come out. Jia got in the car, Toki following as Aoki and Aya walked towards the subway. I wanted to ask what had happened but I didn't think I should. Jia looked pretty annoyed as he had his cigarette lit by Toki as he then inhaled and then exhaled. He put his head down on Toki's shoulder as he said,

"Jo...?"

"Hai?"

"You've been involved in a couple of my past wars right?"

"Hai."

"But you've never been in one that could have you arrested so easily."

"Battles in New York were not so easy Jia."

"True...but this is a little different. Kemuri is going to have us all arrested."

"He...is?"

"Sure. He knows who we are, who I am worse off."

"But...you told him?"

"Of course."

I was momentarily confused until Jia said,

"You don't think I plan to keep him alive for long do you?"

"No...I didn't think so."

"Exactly. In fact, Kemuri won't make it through tonight."

And as Jia promised, Kemuri didn't make it through the night. While I took Jia home, Aoki and Aya, along with Jun and Mikkie, went to take care of Kemuri. I stood guard with Toki though, just in case as Jia explained to me what had happened.

"You see, I can't continue on the path that Kemuri is going. If he wants to take me down, he can and will because he's putting halts in my businesses, my casinos and so on. With Watashi also out there, running around, trying to arrest us and slow us down, that made shit next to impossible too."

He paused, taking off his coat as Toki took off his coat and then his boots, leaving them in a mess near the couch as he put out his cigarette and looked for his pets. Jia then sighed as he sat down and continued.

"Tai and I figured we had no more time to waste since we could see what these two were planning and what power they held. So I had my meeting with Kemuri, heard what he had to say and if he was reasonable in anyway. He wasn't. So I sent Aya and Aoki on their way to the Dietman's home along with Mikkie and Jun."

"Doesn't the Dietman have a family though?"

"Not my problem."

Jia leaned back in his couch as he said,

"Once this is done, we'll take care of Watashi and then I can go back to New York."

"New York?" I asked.

"Yeah, I have to see how Tsubasa is."

Toki came out a moment later, Baby Mikkie in his arms as he said,

"Gonna see the ningyo's fucked up face huh?"

Jia turned to him and said,

"You know, there's a word for people like you."

"I prolly heard it. Wouldn't be the first time people called a name."

He smirked as he sat down and Baby Mikkie nuzzled Jia's arm. Jia moved his arm away as he said,

"Don't rest that cat on my couch."

"Not like he don't sleep there when you're busy."

Jia glared at him as Toki smiled and continued looking at him. Jia then rolled his eyes, looking away as he said,

"Anyway, once Watashi is taken care of, we can settle back again. I'm starting about thinking about going to California."

"Why Li? It's hot as fuck over there and they so fuckin anal about smokin every Goddamn place!"

"Toki, we have to. I'm not even as far as I would like to be right now. I can't come into Bangkok without proper back up, Nishiki is dead and I still have no one I could trust in Tokyo, New York is probably my only well established piece of land."

"So...you wanna get part of Cali?"

"The Korean owned territory is already afraid of me with past rivals dead and buried. So that should make coming in and taking it over easily. Eirinsu in the Japan owned part won't make any trouble if I go in and check through all of Nagashima's land."

"That was already checked though."

"I know, but I need to establish it myself."

Toki pouted as he slouched back as I said,

"So, after everything is taken care here we're just going to New York and then to Cali?"

"Yeah. Pretty much."

He got up after finishing his cigarette as he put it out and said,

"It's almost dawn Jo. You should go home and get some rest."

I nodded as I bowed my head slightly as I excused myself and went home.

The next afternoon, once I got up, I showered and changed and went to get some lunch. As I did, I noticed the paper reporting Kemuri's death. I bought a copy as I read it as I walked towards a near by sushi place. I read how Dietman Kemuri's body had been found in his car, a single bullet to the back of his ear. His family was not home luckily but his wife had found his body that morning. I then knew that the last thing stopping us would be Watashi. I then folded up the paper, tucked it under my arm and went to get lunch.