I hid myself from Akio as much as I could that morning, but the second I stepped out from the bathroom that morning after getting dressed, Akio looked up at me as he dropped his bag on the bed and said,

"Shit...what happened to you?"

My face was black and purple. I had taken the blunt of Toki's hits against my face and eye and my lip was broken somewhere among that fight. Not even mentioning how my body felt. I shook it off as Akio walked over to me and said,

"Sit. I'll be back."

I sat down with my comb as I started taking the knots from my hair since it was still wet. A moment later Jun came in with Akio as he said,

"Ah fuck....Joryu, what happened?"

I shook my head again as Jun lifted my chin up to look at him. He turned my head as he said,

"You got fucked up."

"Yeah..."

"Who did this? Oh wait...let me guess. Toki."

"How'd you...?"

"Please. I've seen the way he was stalking you like prey. Wouldn't go down easy huh?"

"No."

I felt embarrassed all the sudden. Jun then knelt down, checking my face as he then pulled up my sleeves to my wrists and said,

"How much pain are you in?"

"Nothing too badly."

"Achy?"

I nodded.

"It's natural. Well....look on the bright side. He's fucked too. Wait till Jia gets a sight of this...if he hasn't already."

Akio then cleared his throat and said,

"And Aoki."

I shook my head as I said,

"Aoki wouldn't care."

Jun stood up as he said,

"Well, we'll see about that."

As Jun then went to the door to open it, I could hear Jia yelling. I faintly wondered what he was yelling about as Akio sighed and said,

"Ne, let's go before he kills Toki."

They both then left the room.

When we had to get to the airport that same morning, I got to see what damage I had inflicted on Toki. His own lip was swollen, his cheek carrying dark purple and blue bruises and red marks from where I hit him but not quite bruised were left around his eye. Jia was pissed at him. And Aoki as I suspected said nothing to either one of us, his concern still focused on Aya. Mikkie stood beside me once we were at the airport. He tucked my hair back behind my ear as he said,

"You left more then a mark on him Joryu."

"I know. I wouldn't make it easy for him."

"That's good."

I didn't feel like a victim which was good...I just felt angry it had to happen to me. I sighed as I said,

"Mikkie..?"

He looked back at me as he tucked a loose strand behind his ear.

"What?"

"How old where you...when...that happened?"

He put his arm down as he said,

"About your age."

"Oh."

When the plane started to board, we all got on. I was exhausted and hurt now...not a very good combination. I slept most of the way back to New York, waking up every now and then when I thought I heard someone talking to me but it just turned out to be my mp3 player. When we finally got back to New York, we took separate cabs back into the city. I went with someone else for a change being Akio and Jun.

The next morning, I walked into the building for work, still in pain, the swelling having gone down some as I started to go to the elevator. Once I got in and got to the floor I was going to, I went to Jia's office just to let him know I was here. I was about to leave after excusing myself when Jia notioned me back inside. I closed the door behind me as I said,

"Hai?"

"Joryu, I apologize for Toki's behavior."

I shook my head as I said,

"It's okay. I mean it's not okay...but...whatever."

"Joryu, I've had to deal with him doing something like this before. And...back then I wasn't happy with him doing it. I'm sorry he had to chase you."

"It doesn't matter Jia. But...thank you."

"If I can do anything for you...just let me know."

"Is there anything else you need me for today?"

"Not for now. You can downstairs and wait."

I nodded as I then bowed my head and then left.

I waited in the lobby, watching everyone come in from time to time, Jia having his meetings, Toki did not appear once. He wasn't in Jia's office when I went to see him that morning. After Akio came in, we went to get some coffee. He said nothing else about the situation in California as we walked to get something to drink. He did however say,

"You know...the situations cooled down a lot. You could probably go back home."

"You think?"

"Sure. Jia's got no use for us if we're just doing nothing. And especially for you since you're not even one of the top heads."

"I hope so. I really want to go home."

"Miss Miya?"

"Of course. I haven't even had the chance to call him since all this has been going on."

"How come?"

"Time difference screws me up. Plus, I haven't had the time before."

"Well, if nothing comes up, you should ask Jia to let you go back home."

I nodded, thinking about that as we got to a small cafe and ordered some coffee. We then walked back to the building and Akio went to work. I thought about going back home. I had come home with a gun shot wound before and now my face was completely fucked up. It would take longer then I wanted it to for it to heal so Miya wouldn't see it...but...I couldn't wait anymore. I wanted to go home. I stayed in the lobby for the most part of the day, bored until Jun asked if I was up for walking around with him. He had to do his rounds and I had to do something. So I went with him. We walked for a while and unlike Akio, he wasn't very talkative. I didn't care though. It wasn't my major concern to talk to anyone right now. I bought some more CDs so I could have something for mp3 player later and then we headed back to the building. There I sat back down in the lobby, looking over the way too expensive CD's I just bought, opening them, wondering which songs were good. I took in Ai'iro recommendation for L'arc~en~ciel and picked up J's CD, the former bassist of Luna Sea. I was leaning back, looking through the booklet and reading the lyrics as my mp3 player played X-Japan's Tears when I looked up to see Aoki coming in. He went straight to elevator and then went upstairs. I stayed where I was, having no need to go anywhere. A little while later, everyone who was upstairs was now in the lobby, Jia pulling up his coat as he was on his cell phone, Tai and Gabriel beside him checking their guns as Aoki pushed up his glasses then lit a cigarette, Akio waiting for orders I pulled the earphone out of my ear as I went over to the forming crowd as Jun, Mikkie and Aya rushed out past us along with a few heads in my rank. I heard Jia yelling on his phone, basically bitching at Toki to get from wherever he was and come here. It was a serious manner that Jia was dealing with and he needed Toki but, as always Toki was being stubborn and difficult and was giving Jia a hard time. Jia finally got mad, told him off and hung up on him as he took out his gun and said,

"Fuck him, I'm doing this alone."

Everyone around him started pleading with him not to do anything alone, that they would go with him. Even me. Jia was too pissed off to listen to anything until Tai calmed him down. I then said,

"Jia, I'll go with you. Don't go by yourself."

He looked kind of surprised to hear me say that. Hell, I was surprised to hear me say that. But Jia nodded and said,

"Aka-chan...I don't think you're ready for this."

Habit....still calling me Aka-chan. I sighed and said,

"I think I already through hell and back Jia."

He knew what I meant. He nodded as he said,

"Okay. Fine, let's go."

He began assigning everyone as I left my CD's on the lobby couch. I took out my gun, checking the clip to make sure I had enough ammunition left as I then followed Jia outside. As we walked to the car I was about to drive, I asked,

"Jia, what's going on?"

"I did a stupid thing."

"What's that?"

"I underestimated Choong Jae. I thought I grew out of that habit a long time ago, but apparently not."

"Is Choong Jae here?"

"In a way. Sung Hyun had more connections then I could ever begin to think he did. Choong Jae activated some of them and now I'm about to start a full scale war in New York."

He got in the back seat as he called Tsubasa to let him know of the situation, then Yuki. Afterwards he sighed and said,

"Let's go into Chinatown."

"Hai."

I started driving as I watched from the sides the rest of the 36 Moons spread out going into cars, some going to the subway, others hailing cabs as I drove us into Chinatown.