Kyon -- Big Damn Hero: Out of the Frying Pan....

Disclaimer: The novel series of Suzumiya Haruhi that began with 'The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi' is the creation of Nagaru Tanigawa. No disrespect is intended by the posting of this fanfiction, as I do not own the characters or settings involved. I'm merely dabbling with another set of paints. TVtropes (the website) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License, and so is every part of this fic that isn't the property of someone else. For example: Additional characters are borrowed from Higurashi, which is the creation of Ryukishi07, and Half Life 2, which is the property of Valve.

"Chapter Five: Owning Up"

"No one is perfect. No one at all! If you think you're an exception, put this book down and read something else! When you make a mistake -- and you will -- don't bother trying to deny it or smooth it over. Just admit it and do your best to fix it. After all, if you're leading by example, how would you like the people who look up to you to behave?"

"Methods of Victory" -- 'T.H.'

It really did say something that the sudden transition to another quasi-reality didn't much rattle him anymore, Kyon thought morosely. Specifically, that he had been irresponsible and let things go too far....

Well -- enough was enough. He didn't want to see anyone unhappy, and as far as things had gotten, sorting them out would be messy.... Terribly messy! He didn't fault Haruhi -- really, he'd enjoyed a lot of it ... which probably should have been warning enough that he should have protested more strongly with the way things were shaping up.

Feeling a bit shaky, while Haruhi groaned and covered her eyes with her hands, he went over to the tea set. Probably it was a pointless gesture, but it had to be better than nothing.... As he expected, it was warm, and the teapot was still full.

He poured a cup for each of them, though he didn't feel like he was in any kind of mood to enjoy it himself. When he cautiously looked back at the table, Haruhi had her head bowed, hands covering her face.

Cautiously setting a cup before each of them, he took his seat at the edge of the table next to her.

Not sure where else to begin, and reflecting that before this all began, he'd almost never had a reason to apologize to Haruhi, he offered, "Um ... I'm sorry about this...." He paused, considering, then winced and asked, "Did it ... hurt?"

"Not as much as the first time," she groaned, lowering her hands before blinking and suddenly looking to one side. "Um-- It's fine, really...."

She sighed and ran her hands through her hair, smoothing it into place before settling back into her seat. "I'll need you to tell Yuki-chan what really happens here, since I'm pretty sure it freaks her out when we do this," she warned.

"Er, yeah," he said, frowning. Well ... presumably Haruhi would want to keep in touch with the side of her that had unlimited access to her own powers, even once the whole ... situation was resolved. That made sense.

She looked away sharply, one hand rising to massage her forehead as she lifted her teacup. "I don't like seeing you this worried," she admitted. Taking a sip of her beverage instead of her usual enthusiastic downing of the hot liquid, she sighed and said, "You've probably got the wrong idea about this, huh?"

"I'm frustrated with Tsu-chan, and I dealt with it wrong," she said with careful deliberation, her voice trembling. "But that's ... because I don't want you to worry! And ... I was being stupid and bottling things up -- and not relying on Tsu-chan when I should have. So ... you got a little further with her than me ... and then I let myself get jealous.

"So -- great, it blew up in my face when I tried to be all heroic! I guess ... that's why I trust you with that role, you know? There's something that's actually really good about being resigned to accepting the call instead of being gung-ho and seeking it out.

"I just ... didn't really get over not doing a great job when your sister was in danger-- All of this is just...." She sighed, rising from her seat and walking behind him.

Kyon remained nervously still, a bit surprised when she leaned against him, her arms around his neck, her chin resting on one of his shoulders. "Um," he managed. "What?"

"It's hard, but if it were easy, it wouldn't be worth doing," she mumbled. "Didn't I say that before? Look ... I know I didn't handle this perfectly. I'm sorry about that ... I was just trying to keep you from getting stressed, so I didn't handle it right...."

"E...even so," he managed to get out, before he was startled by her breath against his ear. "U...uh...."

"You can't back out now," she chided him gently. "You promised me until your birthday, remember?"

He tried to counter that he didn't remember that at all, but then realized he'd kind of, sort of....

He broke off as she released him with a thoughtful noise, smirking as her hair ribbon undid itself -- then her hair redid itself into a short ponytail and the same ribbon retied itself. "I'm not giving up," she said resolutely. "I know I have to apologize to Tsu-chan ... and I will-- But unless you've got a problem with it, we can make up some lost ground right here."

Her eyes gleamed with the final offer, and he felt like a rabbit dazed by a cobra's swaying motion, unable to flee in time.

Well, maybe, just maybe, he was worrying about things too much? Even if he was resigned to the special hell....

While she had hoped to patch things up from how poorly she'd handled them before, Haruhi vanishing into some weird flash of light -- again -- was not what the Tsuruya heiress had expected!

Without anything else to do, she waited anxiously in the same room it had happened last time. She wanted to try and make peace with Haruhi somehow, not trigger what Kyon had explained was an emergency failsafe for dire situations! How bad were things, if he'd resorted to that without hesitation?

She bit her lip and turned on one toe, pacing back across the room again in an effort to distract herself. She loved having friends! She had so precious few -- how could she have been so careless as to risk the friendships she had by overstepping her bounds the way she had? She couldn't help but chide herself for her foolishness, especially as she was left alone ... through her own fault, of course.

A squeak of alarm escaped her discipline as the flash replayed, Kyon and Haruhi standing in the living room once more. She dashed the handful of steps to Kyon's side, but restrained herself from grabbing him; she'd upset Haruhi enough on that count!

"You're--" She cut herself off before adding the word 'back.' Kyon had mentioned Haruhi kept herself from remembering what happened when the failsafe was triggered.

Okay, she told herself. Keep calm.... Haruhi looked more dazed and flustered than anything else, and so did Kyon. Right, she knew how to handle this.

"Ah, I'll give you some privacy," she said quickly, bowing her head and backing away.

"Ah...." Tsuruya found herself momentarily at a loss for words. She shook her head and offered, "So you can have some time alone?"

Haruhi winced at that, looking away, while Kyon shook his head, dispelling the daze that seemed to have settled over him.

Gaining steam, Tsuruya nodded decisively. "I was selfish," she clarified. "So, this is how I wish to begin apologizing!"

Tsuruya felt a bubble of panic rise in her stomach. Not good enough? "W...well, anything you want, then," she tried hurriedly, wringing her hands. "I really do want to apologize!"

Had things ... gone too far? Was no apology adequate? What was she going to do! "I-- I have to make it up to you!" she managed, her voice trembling.

Kyon's momentary calm vanished; he looked like he was starting to feel as anxious as Tsuruya. Not good! Haruhi merely stared like she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Tsuruya dropped to her knees, resisting the urge to grasp at Haruhi's hands; was this something that not even a clan distinction could overcome? "Please," she croaked out, before her voice was too unsteady, her eyes blurred with unshed tears. She couldn't lose the only friends she had like this! And she couldn't see Haruhi even letting her be friends with them if she'd made such a mistake--

But those thoughts were banished as she was surprised to find Haruhi dropping to her knees in front of her, grabbing her tightly in a hug. "You can't apologize because this is my fault," Haruhi clarified. "I.... I was being kind of.... No, I was being really selfish," she mumbled with a sigh.

Tsuruya managed the presence of mind to hug Haruhi back. She ... wasn't going to lose the people who were most precious to her?

"This ... really lets me know how nasty I'd been," Haruhi groused. "I just wanted to ... try and ... handle this on my own. Talk about being taught a lesson on that front...."

"Both of you, really," he said, shifting from foot to foot nervously. "I mean-- Haruhi wanted me to not worry, so tried not saying anything to me. And, um...."

"And Tsu-chan wanted to make you feel better because you've been working hard, and she likes you as much as I do," Haruhi completed. "So ... I shouldn't have been so jealous. I'm ... really sorry you took it so hard, Tsu-chan; this isn't what I meant to happen at all...."

"E...everything's okay now?" Tsuruya whispered nervously, afraid of dispelling the moment.

"More than that," Haruhi clarified. "So ... sorry I was jealous. Next time, just ... well, at some point we'll need to take turns, because there's only one of Kyon.... But next time, if you can, invite me too, huh?"

"Of course!" Haruhi said insistently, pushing herself out of the embrace so she could look Tsuruya in the eyes. "Kyon, come on, give Tsu-chan your handkerchief and help us get to the couch, huh?"

"Right," he said without hesitation, handing the cloth over. Haruhi snagged it before Tsuruya could reach for it, then turned her attention to the heiress, carefully dabbing her tears away.

Both girls accepted a hand from Kyon, who pulled them to their feet. Shaking his head slightly, he cautiously asked, "Um, what next, then? Would you two like some time to ... talk things out?"

Haruhi rolled her eyes, not releasing Kyon's hand. Tsuruya decided to follow the other girl's example, wondering where things were going as they were led to the couch. After a moment of deliberation, Haruhi gestured for Kyon to sit in the middle, and then gently pushed Tsuruya to sit at one side of him. Settling down on the other side, she didn't hesitate to lean against the somewhat wary, uncertain boy.

Well! A hug from Kyon would be equally reassuring, wouldn't it? Tsuruya leaned against him tentatively, reassured when he encircled her with one arm, mirroring the gesture for Haruhi.

Tsuruya practically shook with relief, but instead settled for letting the tension fade with a huge sigh. That was no fun at all! Still -- things had gotten better! Much better! She couldn't think of them improving much beyond this point, really!

"Hey, Kyon," Haruhi said quietly, her face a bit red. "So ... look here for a second, huh?"

He turned his face cautiously -- just in time to let himself get captured in a deep, searching kiss from the girl with the golden ribbons. Oh, that worked! Haruhi seemed happy, and happy with Tsuruya again, too! And Tsuruya got to be there with them!

Haruhi broke the kiss, her face a bit flushed, then ordered, "Now, for Tsu-chan."

After the merest moment of hesitation, Kyon nodded, turning to face the heiress-- And that was just as much fun as it had always been, and better because it wasn't being hidden from Haruhi. Kyon's kiss seemed more cautious than the last she shared with him -- well, maybe he was still worried about upsetting Haruhi. She couldn't fault him for that!

But when she released him and he sagged back between her and Haruhi, grinning weakly, Haruhi managed to surprise her again.

"Tsu-chan ... I'm sorry about how I behaved; we're in this together, and you're really ... probably more patient than I deserve," she managed, her face reddening. "And ... I want to try and be at least as patient as that in response; I don't think anyone should be 'in charge,' but I think it's up to the two of us to try and help keep things fair.... I can't imagine putting that weight on Kyon."

He nodded quietly, eyes flicking to the floor. "I ... couldn't make those kind of choices," he agreed. "I mean ... if I have to--"

"But you don't," Haruhi overrode him insistently, shifting position to kneel at Kyon's side at the couch, still very near. "And I like that about you, especially when you can be nice to everyone and just do your best. And ... Tsu-chan, you didn't do anything wrong, but you're still trying your best to make sure everyone else is happy, too -- even me when I'm being unreasonable."

Tsuruya tried to bow her face to hide her own forming blush, but Haruhi reached out and touched her hand to the heiress's cheek, tilting it back up, making her look the other girl in the eyes. "And ... that's why I think this really can work ... and why I like you too," she eked out, her gaze flickering away, looking like she was trying to muster the courage for something.

Not that she minded being close to both Haruhi and Kyon.... She pursed her lips to form a question, but didn't manage to get it out; prompted by the action, Haruhi leaned forward and kissed Tsuruya just as deeply as she'd kissed Kyon before.

That was far less expected! Haruhi didn't just forgive her, but really accepted her? At first, she was too surprised to do more than accept it, but before Haruhi could draw away, she remembered to return it-- And why not? Even if things were centered around Kyon, there was no reason they couldn't get along just as closely ... in the grand scheme of things, wasn't that okay, too?

Aside from that, it wasn't like Haruhi was a bad kisser by any means, even if they'd both evidently practiced with just Kyon before.

That seemed even more than fine to the heiress! Things really could work out between them after all! As much as she was enjoying things, some part of her mind filed away Kyon's faintly awed mutter of, "At least I won't be going there alone...."

As much fun as she'd had watching Haruhi and her friends dress up and dance at the train station, Yanagimoto was still irritated about Kunikida seeing the mysterious 'Sasaki' there. Of course, that wasn't the only thing weighing on her, but she'd been distracted by Taniguchi and her homework -- only when Monday came around and she spotted Sakanaka's downcast expression in the shoe lockers did it strike her.

If Haruhi was distracting Sasaki from Kunikida, that really left Sakanaka's situation to Yanagimoto, didn't it? Well ... that ended up working out, anyway. Sidling up to the other girl, Yanagimoto called, "Good morning, Sakanaka!"

"Ah, Yanagimoto-san," the other girl answered, roused from her distraction and mustering a weak smile. "Good morning; how are you today?"

"I'm doing alright," she replied. Pointing out that she spent the weekend with her boyfriend wasn't going to make Sakanaka feel better about her situation. Though.... Well, there was one possibility, wasn't there? "So-- I spotted Asahina Mikuru-san this weekend in a cafe with her boyfriend."

Sakanaka nodded, falling into step at Yanagimoto's side as they walked toward their classroom before slowing down and giving the other girl a quizzical look. "But she's.... That is, he's...." She made a vague gesture, not wanting to say it aloud.

The gymnast nodded, glancing around. "It's that 'Shutaro' boy that she said she was dating, you know? He seems to be alright from what I could see -- Shutaro-san looks, hmm.... I'd say he might be a cousin of Kyon-kun's?"

"Not that similar, no." After both girls checked to make sure no one was within hearing range, Yanagimoto dropped her voice to a whisper, explaining, "He didn't look like Kyon-kun, but from what I could tell, he spoke, acted, and sounded like him. Strange, huh?"

"That's not the strangest thing we've seen from our friends in the Brigade, though," Sakanaka mused thoughtfully.

Sakanaka looked thoughtful, admitting, "It ... may sound silly, but when I thought my dog was, um ... haunted, Nagato-san performed a strange ritual with Kyon-kun's cat to restore his spirits and good cheer."

Yanagimoto blinked, and if she'd been walking, probably would have stumbled to a halt in surprise. Strange ritual? But then ... speaking of things that Yuki had done, she remarked, "You know, I saw Nagato-san throw Yamane-san across the entire clubroom, and then hold the door shut against Okabe-sensei and two other teachers with a single hand?"

The chorus girl looked shocked. "But ... she's so tiny!" she exclaimed, before wincing at the glances she drew from nearby classmates.

Another girl who sat near Yanagimoto -- Yura -- drew nearer the pair, adjusting her glasses and asking, "Are you talking about Suzumiya-san's girlfriend?"

"S...something like that," Yanagimoto said quickly, before Sakanaka could speak. "But Suzumiya's our friend; I'm just saying that she's a positive influence on the poor girl, you know?"

"Er, yes," Sakanaka added belatedly, giving Yanagimoto a meaningful glance. They really needed to talk about this later! "I saw it, but she's so small she's, er, lacking for confidence. Um, I hope Suzumiya-san can help her with that, is all!"

Yura looked surprised at the announcement, then shrugged, deciding it wasn't worth pursuing.

Exchanging another glance, the gymnast and singer agreed, "We should talk at lunch," before stepping into the classroom. She hadn't made the proposal yet, but running their own investigation while Haruhi was busy with Kunikida's uncle seemed entirely reasonable -- and would undoubtedly help keep Sakanaka's mind off that front.

And, anyway, they were Haruhi's friends, right? No matter what they discovered, they wouldn't tell anyone who wasn't one of her friends ... after the confidence she had extended to them, it was only fair. Though, while she was thinking about things before they could meet at lunch, hadn't Taniguchi mentioned a few strange things happening during the filming of Haruhi's movie? She'd have to press him for details at some point -- easily arranged during any of their dates or study sessions.

There was a lead already! This investigation might be off to a better start than the one on Kunikida's 'uncle'!

After a surprisingly uneventful day of school -- something Kyon was surprised to find he was actually looking forward to -- he enjoyed the standard walk home, the members of the Brigade splitting off one at a time as they headed to the train station at the bottom of the hill. It was very slightly out of the way for Tsuruya, but she didn't mind the extra distance in the least, especially since Mikuru was staying with her.

And wasn't that something else. Kyon had tried very, very hard not to think about the events of the previous night; as scary as things had gotten, ending up with a double armful of two of his girlfriends making out was ... something he really couldn't complain about.

Certainly, it was a nice change from how intense things had gotten. Actually, it was very intense, just in a different way--

Okay, he realized, stepping off the train. He needed to curtail those thoughts before they got out of hand. Especially in public.

As though to underscore that thought, he found himself exiting the gate into a small cluster of the Tsuruya-gumi, three of the men who were with him the last time he'd had to watch over Sasaki. "Aniki," the lead figure said, inclining his head a short distance. His name was Akira, right? Sasaki had surprised him by memorizing his name; one of his eyes was still blackened and healing, but the dark glasses he wore and what Kyon suspected was a thin layer of makeup largely concealed it.

The split lip was healing, but still somewhat obvious. Kyon would have thought he deserved more rest, but suspected the enforcer was trying to prove himself after what he saw as a failure.

"What's going on, Akira-san?" he asked, glancing across the other men. Even if he was invited to call the men by first names, and they called him 'Aniki,' he felt he had to be polite to them.

"We've spotted Sumiyoshi-rengo in the area," Akira answered curtly, the others scanning around for eavesdroppers or onlookers. "We're here to escort you to safety."

"What do we know about them?" Knowing what they were up to would really help knowing how to respond.

"There are at least eight, but we're leaving them alone until they act," the enforcer answered helpfully. Well, that meant they were still following the orders of the kumichou. "My guess is they're going to try and attack you."

Kyon pursed his lips at the sidewalk exit of the train station, thinking. "One of them is watching us now?" he asked, carefully not looking around for a watcher.

Akira gave a small nod in reply. "We'd like to escort you personally to ensure your safety."

And possibly pick a fight against them for some measure of vengeance that didn't violate the kumichou's orders, Kyon realized.

His regular watchers were in place, too, he had no doubt; a chance to gather their forces and strike back at the irritant.... He could easily see that being a common sentiment among the ranks. He didn't particularly want to start a brawl, though after everything Yuki had taught him, he was confident he could hold his own ... unless they met up with Wataru.

That wasn't likely, though. Except, thinking about things, he wouldn't at all be surprised to find out that this meant the Tsuruya-gumi enforcers were gathered not far out of his sight, waiting for the opportunity.

"Okay," he said decisively, nodding. "I think this is a feint. Akira-san, I want all of the men gathered here -- including my normal watchers -- to immediately reinforce the guard on Sasaki. Tsuruya-hime is home by now, right?"

"Er, yes, Aniki," Akira replied, his guilty shifting betraying that Kyon had been right about the extra forces.

"Then this is unfortunately a good opportunity for them to go after her while we're distracted," Kyon said with a shrug, shaking his head minutely.

So ... Mikuru would be with Tsuruya. Koizumi was headed to the hospital to visit Kyouko, which would be adequately defended. Kanae had been under the radar so far, and probably wasn't in any danger ... the same for Haruhi.

"Understood, Aniki," Akira agreed, though he looked dismayed. Worried about Kyon being hurt? Well....

"I'm going to call in another friend," he said quickly. "Akira-san, I'd like you personally to see to having a few extra men watching over Michikyuu Kanae-chan and Haruhi, just in case they try and surprise us. I can trust you with this, right?"

Akira's expression hardened with confident conviction, his dismay fading. "Absolutely, Aniki!" he declared. "Ah, but ... you'll be alright?"

Nodding, the enforcers drew away, Akira not hesitating to grab his phone and begin making calls.

There, Kyon thought, that should keep the injured man out of real danger while giving him a job that not only made him feel important ... it really was. Admittedly, as long as Sasaki wasn't there, Kyon mostly felt sorry for any Sumiyoshi-rengo that actually went after Haruhi, and he expected if Kanae were frightened she'd simply appear at his side -- or Haruhi's.

If he could just get home without anyone being attacked, then his day would have considerably improved from the stress he'd been dealing with lately.

Though he'd had humble beginnings -- and a humble career so far, too -- Tanaka Taro was an ambitious man. He would overcome his woefully generic, bland name! His parents hadn't been impressed with his choices, but wished him the best and reminded him that he was in their prayers anyway.

That was fine by him; he could forge his own path, make his own fortune in the world! He would absolutely achieve greatness!

It didn't go quite as smoothly as he'd hoped, though. It was easy to imagine in his starting days that all he needed to do was attain some measure of success within the Sumiyoshi-rengo. As time wore on and he became more aware of the enemies of the Sumiyoshi-rengo, he found himself achieving some measure of advancement anyway.

Specifically, he was moved away from the easy tasks of protection rackets or price-fixing schemes. He didn't have the head to manage money laundering, but he was able to handle himself in a fight, and he didn't back down from anyone who wasn't a superior. So when the Sumiyoshi-rengo had enemies, more often than not it was his job to fight.

He'd made enforcer rank, though no one reported to him directly. He'd never really stood out from the other enforcers, though, despite his best efforts. He worked as hard as he could and to the best of his abilities ... but where he was an exceptionally skilled thug, he had nothing on the elite soldiers in the Sumiyoshi-rengo forces. Those men were artisans -- masters of their crafts, be they fist or blade -- and he was merely handy with either.

Somehow, he hadn't realized that leaving school with such a limited skill-set would leave him that poorly equipped. Oh, he knew skipping high-school would cost him some opportunities, but what he hadn't considered was that some of his competitors in the Sumiyoshi-rengo world had studied after finishing middle school. Specifically, they studied how to fight more effectively, where Taro himself had just done the best he could by improvising in the field, and so they had risen beyond him.

He liked to think he had potential, but he couldn't afford formal training on the money he made, and his pride wouldn't accept asking one of those legends of the violent arts for help. He was Tanaka Taro, cursed with the most bland, average name, and by the heavens, he was going to overcome that name and prove himself a legend!

When instructions came down the line for him to lead fourteen men -- his juniors -- in an assault on a prominent enemy, he did not hesitate for a moment. And why should he? The man who took down the legendary Kowa-Keigo Kyon would become even more legendary than the lucky high-school student!

And it had to be luck -- Taro could believe that those who had studied were superior in training, but there was just no way that someone the age of Kowa-Keigo Kyon was that much of a prodigy. Well, that luck was going to run out, and an average man -- if an ambitious one -- would claim victory over him!

Sure, it might technically come at the expense of a few of those junior Sumiyoshi-rengo to find out what kind of openings there were in the boy's defenses, but that didn't really matter in the least. Taro would be getting credit for some measure of the victory, and since he was leading the operation, he expected it would be sufficient to launch his career from where he'd been stalled for years!

Though, on the topic of luck.... While it wasn't anticipated, their target stopped on the walk home and ordered the men protecting him away. That made things much easier than Taro would have expected; without any bodyguards to fight through, they could focus just on the boy! And he'd double- and tripled-checked photographs; this was the same person as the picture that Taro had been given.

No way was he going after some random boy who just looked like the target ... to say nothing of the fact that he did speak with Yamaguchi-gumi men with some authority.

Emboldened by how easy things seemed, Taro had the other men wait in a warehouse where he expected they could take their time with him, not too far off the boy's typical route home. Then he'd marched out into the path that 'Kowa-Keigo' Kyon (he was just a high-school student, right?) was walking and raised a hand, calling gruffly, "Boy!"

At being called, he paused mid-step and frowned, eying Taro. "Do I know you?" he asked doubtfully, not quite sounding rude, but close to it. Well ... Taro was showing his own pin just as proudly as Kyon was.

"Not personally," Taro said in what he hoped was a conversational tone. "I'd like a few words with you, if you don't mind."

Kyon blinked and stared at him, then wondered, "You want to try and talk things out?"

If that's what it took to get him alone? "Sure," Taro agreed. "I'm trying to put a stop to things."

Kyon allowed a slow nod, then pulled his phone from his pocket. "I need to make a quick call, first," he said, shrugging. His eyes went to his own shoulder -- for some reason -- as he fished a phone from his pocket and said, "Call Yuki-chan."

A moment later, he looked mildly puzzled, tilting his head to one side. "Er, I was expecting, um ... Yuki-chan. Are you two hanging out? Well ... someone from the Sumiyoshi-rengo wants to talk to me--"

"--and I remember what happened last time, so I was trying to tell Yuki-chan.... Really? You'll.... Alright; if she trusts you, then I do, too. Um, thanks, Suou-san." He shook his head, looking faintly amused, then pocketed his phone and nodded to Taro. "Alright," he agreed. "Let's go, then."

Taro couldn't believe his luck! Well -- he'd hoped it would go this smoothly, but actually having it play out as he'd hoped.... Maybe his own luck was shifting!

He managed to keep his expression mostly neutral as he led the boy three blocks over, to where the warehouse -- and the ambush -- were waiting. This was going to be a cakewalk! While the boy had supposedly taken down Sumiyoshi-rengo legends, Taro was becoming increasingly confident that his reputation had been inflated to save face on the part of the top-tier fighters.

So they walked in silence, Taro's confidence growing by the step, until they walked beneath the heavy roll-up door into the shadowy warehouse, where the other men were hiding behind the loose crates and boxes. Taro stopped by the door, while the boy stepped past him. Hitting the release caused the heavy door to crash down noisily, flooding the warehouse with sound as the lights flicked on.

"So, this is the supposed 'Kowa-Keigo' Kyon?" Taro asked with the most amused, delighted sneer he could muster. This was going to be so easy! "What a fool! Any words before we teach you the meaning of crossing the Sumiyoshi-rengo, boy?"

The boy in question looked more annoyed than anything else, but his eyes weren't on Taro or any of the other men surrounding him. For whatever reason, he was looking from one shoulder to another, grumbling just barely loud enough for Taro to hear if he was quiet himself.

...that was not the response that Taro was expecting. He'd heard rumors of the boy supposedly having a little girl that was an unstoppable combat machine at his side, and another of him summoning a demon, complete with red flames and all-- Was he just mad?

"I think I know exactly who put you up to the angel and devil costumes, too, but I'm really tired of dealing with--"

"You're supposed to encourage me to be 'nice' or something with that outfit," he lectured the spot over one shoulder. "Aren't you supposed to tell me I shouldn't use violence?"

He turned his attention to his other shoulder just as suddenly, looking confused. "I don't think you're both supposed to tell me to just 'use more force,'" he said firmly. "Even if it would be a great stress relief--"

He cut off again, as the surrounding men, aware that they weren't really being that menacing, started to shift uncomfortably. Taro himself faked a weak cough, trying to get the boy's attention.

"I'm ... kind of flattered for that, then," he muttered, his brow furrowing, though Taro wasn't sure which shoulder he was muttering to. "I guess she would be upset if I were hurt, huh? Well, not just her.... And when you put it that way, I wouldn't really mind burning off some stress like this...."

"So," Taro tried, feeling like his thunder had been stolen, "that's all you have? A silly distraction ploy, pretending to be crazy?"

The boy's eyes snapped to Taro, and one eyebrow rose. "Yeah, sure," he said flippantly. "Saw right through me. So, how do you want to do this -- one at a time, or do I need to beat you all up at once? Really, I could go either way."

Well -- no more time for games or needless confidence, then! He was outnumbered fifteen to one -- what could he really do? "Everyone!" Taro roared, pointing at Kyon. "Get him!"

As scary as things had been lately, Sasaki was starting to experience real fear that she was going to miss too much of her cram school classes to properly keep up. Naturally, she told her security detachment in advance that she intended to leave for cram school early, which led to an uncomfortable ... 'discussion' with her mother. She could not convince the woman she wasn't sneaking around behind her back to date, though!

So that was weighing on her mind. What she had completely forgotten was that Haruhi worked with the same organization Kyon did, so she had a way to find out -- though the girl Sasaki found increasingly more in common with was actually a welcome surprise when she showed up to join the walk to cram school.

"Suzumiya-san!" Sasaki blurted out, unable to bite it back. Was it just her imagination, or was there more security than normal? Surely none of their enemies could get to her through that large a defensive group?

"Hey, Sasaki," Haruhi returned, nodding. She looked a bit uncomfortable, but less so than the last time they talked. "I hope it's not a problem that I walk with you?"

"Company is welcome," she countered in relief. "Ah ... well, while it would probably bore you, the only people I had to join me on this route were Kyon and Kunikida-kun. And ... we share a situation with the one, while the other...."

Haruhi looked more uncomfortable about that, and shifted her shoulders, falling into step at Sasaki's side. "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about," she admitted. "Er, Kunikida, not Kyon."

"I'm sure he's home doing his homework or playing with his sister -- something boring," Haruhi said with a dismissive shake of her head. "Anyway ... one of my friends has a crush on Kunikida, right?"

"Ah," Sasaki managed, wincing. "This is a bit ... awkward then. He seems, um ... to think he has feelings for me."

"I... Yes, he wasn't exactly subtle about it," Sasaki admitted, staring at the street before her. "But ... it would be fake and unkind to him to accept it while in reality.... Well-- I don't think it would be safe for him, either, since I don't believe he has the capability to defend against the ... threats that seem to be interested in me."

Haruhi winced again, looking away at the last part. "Okay," she sighed, shaking her head. "That's perfectly reasonable."

"Still -- if you want my help in trying to guide Kunikida-kun to someone who could properly return his feelings, I'd be more than glad to do that," Sasaki said earnestly. And naturally, she wouldn't mind spending more time with Haruhi, helping her deal with the feelings they both had for Kyon. "Is there anything I can offer?"

"Eh-- Well.... I'd need to introduce you to Sakanaka and see if you could be friends first," Haruhi said slowly. "But before that, I'm actually running a kind of secret investigation on an uncle of Kunikida's, you know? It's not really anything super serious, but it might turn up something interesting ... I was kind of hoping that the two of us could work on it together."

"How does that tie into making Kunikida-kun's relationship with this Sakanaka-san firmer?"

"I don't know how to take care of that, so I guess, really, it's just an excuse to hang out with you and figure that out," Haruhi admitted. "And I know that Kyon is Kunikida's friend, but I'm trying to avoid putting more stress on him, you know?"

That clicked into place for Sasaki -- Haruhi was looking for that shoulder to lean on without it being Kyon's, since he was engaged. "Absolutely," she said, nodding firmly. "When shall we meet for it, then?"

"Are you free on Wednesday?" Haruhi asked hopefully. "I know you have a lot of cram school, so...."

"Absolutely," Sasaki agreed. She'd missed so many days the cram school wouldn't blink at her having her schedule adjusted.

Haruhi managed an earnest smile that reminded Sasaki of the girl she had admired in grade school from far away.... Wasn't this the friendship she'd always wanted, anyway?

"Great!" Haruhi enthused, glancing over to the entrance of the cram school. "Well-- I'll let you get to your class for now, then!"

"Would ... it be alright if I were to call you afterward?" Sasaki asked hopefully. "I-- I really enjoyed yesterday, with the costumes, and watching your movie! If you do something like that again...." She took a moment to gather her courage and managed to blurt out, "I'd really like to do something like that with you, Kyon, and the others again! Even Imouto was so darling in her little outfit!"

Haruhi looked taken aback, but gave that same smile again -- one even more sincere, if that were possible. "I ... think I wouldn't mind that at all," she agreed. "Take care, Sasaki-chan!"

"Ah-- T...thank you, Suzumiya," she returned, a bit off balance by the shift in address. That was wonderful, wasn't it? She really hoped Kyon was having a day this nice, too!

From where he'd landed against a crate, Tanaka Taro had a reasonable view of most of the warehouse. He'd thought that he'd be among the last to actually face off in combat against the boy -- if it were even required -- but Kyon had different ideas.

The Kowa-Keigo had rushed out of the closing circle of attackers faster than they could reach him and performed some stunt that seemed right out of a movie -- running up Taro's body while planting a kick on the man's chin and nailing a perfect flip-- He landed and went into a seamless spin, foot-sweeping the nearest three attackers and then rolling over their forms.

The Kowa-Keigo's greatest statement to his martial superiority wasn't his violence, or his speed ... but his care. Sure, he could have broken bones, as it was said he once had. He could have probably killed, if he wanted to. But no one was left with anything worse than bruises and dislocations. A lot of dislocations; himself, Taro had gotten one arm and one hip dislocated.

But at the end, the Kowa-Keigo had come out completely unscratched, not even perturbed or impressed at knives, or the pair of handguns that had been drawn on him. He just disarmed his opponents with joint-locks or by the simple tactic of flinging other assailants like projectile weapons -- that was one way to knock a gun out of someone's hands....

After that, once he'd had enough, he heaved a sigh, commenting, "I'm not really a violent person by nature.... But since this was so meaningless, I'm not even going to bother turning you in. Just go back home." Then he walked away, lifting the heavy door and stepping out into the streets without even having broken a sweat.

Oh, Tanaka Taro absolutely intended to return. The boy hadn't taken anyone's cell phones, so a team was on the way to drag the injured men to a Sumiyoshi-rengo doctor. Sure, it would be half an hour before anyone arrived, and probably two to three hours before they got treated properly, suffering whatever additional aggravation came from being stuffed into cars that barely had room for them all.

After that, Taro himself was going to be confined to a bed or a desk, not in any fighting condition for the time being.

Well, he knew exactly how to take advantage of that! Following his failure, and during the time he'd need for rehabilitation, he would start by taking night classes for adults. Cram school wasn't limited to high-school children, after all! After that, he'd simply let the power of his awesome, generic name let him fade from the memory of the Sumiyoshi-rengo.

He had a cousin who worked on the docks, loading freight. He'd gotten up to management thanks to his high-school diploma, hadn't he? Now that sounded like a plan! And, hey, since some of the men with him were in similar situations, what was wrong with applying for a job with a crew of men who were willing and capable of a simple little thing like manual labor?

He was nothing if not an ambitious man. From dockworker to management ... he would follow this path and truly achieve greatness in the shipping industry!

Even though Kanae had finally been able to help her sempai a little bit in a fight, she was worried a little bit about the attack by the enemy sliders, where she hadn't been any help at all. Even so, calm days where nothing was wrong were something she could handle! They'd been calm enough that the lunch meetings were canceled, though Tsuruya still found her at the start of lunch.

She took her responsibility seriously, and Kanae was really glad to have such good friends-- Of course, Haruhi was her girlfriend in public, so she'd showed up and the four of them (since her Mikuru-onee had joined in) picked an outside table to enjoy their meals together. The only interruption was when Yanagimoto and Sakanaka dropped in briefly to discuss their investigation -- some plot that Kanae only barely followed about getting Sakanaka a boyfriend.

She didn't know why they didn't just ask her sempai about it, since she was positive someone as romantically confident as him could easily bring someone like Kunikida around.

Well, she was sure that Haruhi and the others had a good reason for it, so she just enjoyed their company, absently wondering if her Mikuru-onee could teach her a little bit about cooking. Her self-appointed older sister reminded her that it was really Yuki's teaching, and that Kanae could get it from her just as easily ... but quickly relented and agreed when Kanae insisted she wanted to keep practicing sliding to help her sempai out.

Beyond that, she was studying gymnastics and acrobatics, so she could escape more easily when sliding or jumping weren't options.

And then, after that, without any attacks or other alarming adventures, it was time for the club meeting! Kanae was lucky; she managed to get to the clubroom before her Mikuru-onee. Well, she knew that the older girl liked to dress up for the boy they were all dating -- that was why Haruhi had made her the Chief of Mascot Services -- but that was fine by her! When the older girl stepped in and found Kanae already changing, Kanae simply asked, "Why can't we both dress up?"

Haruhi certainly approved of the idea, and it didn't look like Kanae's sempai had any complaints! So Kanae got to be a waitress, while Mikuru was a maid.

The only thing that surprised her was Kyon's pocket companion -- Ryouko -- appearing in a white gown with a pair of feathery wings and a halo. "Um, Sempai, why did her costume change?" she couldn't help but wonder.

That drew everyone else's attention to the figure, so Kyon set her on the table where everyone could see her. The tiny blue-haired angel merely smiled, pointing at Haruhi.

"I thought it would be cute," Haruhi said, already floating the PDA that Ryouko was linked over to herself. "I hadn't really played around with your phone in a while -- why, was it a problem?"

"Well," he mused, rubbing his chin, "it was certainly different when I ran into a bunch of Sumiyoshi-rengo yesterday."

There was a subdued 'pop' and Kanae couldn't help but squeak-- Even if this dark-haired girl weren't the same one that had chased her, Suou Kuyou was a little scary to her, especially appearing right next to her sempai like that! Being dressed in a red bodysuit much like her Mikuru-onee's, only ... with a pair of red horns instead of bunny ears, and a spade-tipped tail instead of a puffball....

Kanae's fear melted away and she wanted to giggle at the tiny plastic pitchfork, more suited to a figure Ryouko's size than her own. Oh, but Kuyou was showing off a lot of leg in that outfit! Kanae felt jealous, and judging by her Mikuru-onee's own gaze, she was probably contemplating a maid outfit with a shorter skirt. Hey, that wasn't fair! She had enough other things to show off!

"We've got two points to address here," Haruhi said staring at Kuyou in amusement. "Because that costume wasn't my idea -- even if it was cute. Ryouko-chan, is this your doing?"

"That answers that," Haruhi murmured. "Um ... Kuyou-chan, that's a nice outfit, but it might give the wrong idea." She paused, blinking. "Were you ... chibi-sized when you did it?"

In response, there was another 'pop' and Kuyou was in her smaller form, the pitchfork suddenly seeming the right size for her -- though now the effect was even more adorable.

"I want to hug them!" Kanae exclaimed, before feeling her cheeks redden at her outburst.

"That is cute," Tsuruya mused, though she didn't sound nearly as amused. "What did these Sumiyoshi-rengo folks want? You sent your guard away yesterday?"

"That is a good question," Koizumi agreed, looking worried. "I didn't get a call about this?"

Kanae's shared boyfriend waved a hand, shaking his head. "Sorry, Koizumi; I called Yuki-chan, but Kuyou answered and said she wanted to help."

Yuki blinked, evidently digesting this. "Interesting," she remarked, her attention focusing on the tiny devil figure.

"It is ... okay," Yuki said quietly, when Kuyou cocked her small head to one side and looked at the quiet girl questioningly. "Next time, inform me as well. I ... appreciate the effort, but accurate social emulation is a difficult process."

The boy in question shook his head and sighed, ignoring the small angel as she ran to one edge of the table and leaped off, her tiny wings working furiously as she bee-lined -- well, angel-lined, Kanae supposed -- between Kanae and Mikuru, toward the refrigerator. "Sorry-- They just wanted to talk for a bit, Tsuruya-hime. I thought it might have been a distraction while they were preparing for something else, so we had a ... very brief exchange before heading our separate ways," he explained.

"Well, that fits," Koizumi mused. "Ah, Tsuruya-san, echoing that, I was working with Mori-san last night, so she mentioned that the increased watch on Suzumiya-san and our other protected targets--"

"You can say Sasaki-chan's name," Haruhi interjected. "I was walking with her, after all."

The esper blinked, working his jaw once, and then looking mystified before shaking his head abruptly. "Er, as you say.... We believe the extra men prevented another attempt on that front last night, so Kyon-kun's deduction seemed reasonable."

"Well, that worked out nicely," he remarked, nodding judiciously. Looking to Haruhi he wondered, "You're ... getting along with Sasaki, then?"

"Yeah ... we have a lot more in common than I thought at first," Haruhi admitted. "We're meeting up tomorrow to hang out for a bit."

"That, pretty much," Haruhi agreed, gesturing to the tiny devil. "Like Tsu-chan suggested, if she's closer to us, it's harder for our enemies to get to her, right?"

"Makes sense," Kanae's sempai admitted. "Well -- thanks for that, Haruhi; I appreciate the effort you put into looking out for her."

Haruhi smirked, regaining some of the confidence she'd been wavering on lately. "If I'm stuck with hero support, I may as well be good at it," she said. "And-- Eh? Haha! Ryouko-chan, that's perfect! Kyon, look!"

They all broke to see where the tiny angel was furiously working her wings, barely holding a milk carton aloft, and struggling with obvious effort to present it to the boy.

"Alright," he grudgingly accepted, taking the carton and inclining his head to her slightly before she came to rest on his shoulder, looking winded but satisfied. "Why are you trying to be nice to me, anyway?"

"Oooh," Kuyou noised quietly, her attention turning to Kanae's sempai. She raised her trident and waved it in a broad gesture, vanishing in a small puff of red smoke as a plate of cookies was jumped in from somewhere. At the same time, Kuyou reappeared on his opposite shoulder.

"So cute!" Kanae found herself saying at the same time as her Mikuru-onee, once more.

Tsuruya burst into outright laughter, and Haruhi didn't hesitate to use the boy's own phone to snap pictures. Kanae wasn't certain, but thought even Yuki was smiling softly at the image; Koizumi looked like he was just as amused.

The only thing that could make the day better was if it was her turn to sneak into her sempai's bed that night ... she was pretty sure it was her and Haruhi -- if she were really lucky, she'd even get to sneak in a kiss or two!

The morning following Ryouko's and Kuyou's little 'angel and devil' cosplay, Haruhi enjoyed waking up next to Kyon -- and Kanae. Even better, they had a little bit of time before Kyon's sister or parents barged in, so got to enjoy a few kisses with him -- though their time was up a bit earlier than Haruhi would have liked.

Still, that gave her enough of a lift to get through the day, recalling that Yuki and Mikuru would have their turn that night. The club meeting wasn't as relaxed as she would have liked; she'd actually managed to forget that Wataru and the Combine were expected to return.

She wanted to help, but recalling what happened last time, she was content to let Kyon agree to handle it with Kuyou, Ryouko, Yuki, and Koizumi's help -- though he was mostly to make the number involved slightly luckier. If the five of them couldn't handle things....

In the meantime, the best assistance she could provide was keeping Sasaki busy and distracted, so she couldn't be used against Kyon or the others -- and that meant her investigation of Kunikida's weird uncle. Like she had told Sasaki, she didn't expect much of anything to come out of it ... but then, keeping herself and the other girl away from danger was for the best, especially while Kyon was busy dealing with Wataru.

She tried not to think about it, but was unable to keep from shivering when she reached the train station. Kyon and the others had gone to Yuki's place, where they could use defenses she'd already established to keep the IDSE from finding much out -- critical if they wanted a bargaining chip to use against it later.

She was a bit surprised to see Sasaki waiting for her, but the other girl read her expression and spoke first. "Hello, Suzumiya-san," she said brightly, smiling. She gestured to her outfit, a modest soft lavender top and brown skirt. "Since I'm not in any clubs, I had time to go home and change, first. Ah ... I hope that's not a problem?"

"It shouldn't be," Haruhi said with a shrug, shaking her head. "Ah, good to see you though, Sasaki-chan."

"And likewise, of course," Sasaki giggled softly. "Well -- how shall we begin our investigation?"

"Seems like Kunikida had dinner with this uncle last night," Haruhi explained. "Well, he's more a close family friend -- like an uncle. Anyway, Yanagimoto happened to see Kunikida with him and took a picture, so we know what the guy looks like. Evidently there's a yatai up the street where he hangs out a lot."

"We have a lead, then!" Sasaki exclaimed, studying the picture when Haruhi fished her phone from her pocket and handed it over.

Of course, all her personal pictures were in a separate subdirectory that required a different password -- just in case.

"Hmm, nothing really remarkable," the other girl mused. "Not to be disparaging, but he doesn't look terribly different from any other salary-man."

"I'd be a bit shocked if he was terribly different," Haruhi admitted. "But that doesn't mean that Kunikida might not be having family trouble." She paused, thinking. It would be trivial for Sasaki to ask, but was that ever a question that could be taken the wrong way -- especially if they were trying to get Kunikida to notice Sakanaka!

"Well," Sasaki remarked, handing the phone back with a warm smile, "how shall we begin our investigation?"

"Let's not rush too much," Haruhi allowed with a shrug. "Like I said ... it's mostly an excuse to hang out, right?"

"I can't complain," Sasaki agreed. The two fell into step, taking a slow, meandering route toward the corner where Yanagimoto mentioned seeing the ramen cart that the 'uncle' frequented. "Hmm.... Would it be ... troublesome to ask how Kyon is doing?"

"Er, he's ... meeting some people tonight," Haruhi said, shifting her shoulders uncomfortably. "From ... far away." She shook her head quickly. "Sorry ... I can't really say more than that."

"I understand, unfortunately," Sasaki said, flashing a wry smile. "I shouldn't really press ... but he's ... safe?"

"In the best hands I can imagine for what he's doing," Haruhi agreed, frowning. This was more frustrating than she had thought! Not being able to explain what was really going on, because of Sasaki's fearsome but uncontrolled power....

At least it was only an annoyance like this, not a liability. Well ... this called for a change of subject, and their 'investigation' should provide just that!

"There's the cart," she added, pointing to the yatai at the end of the street. A slightly overweight figure that she suspected was him was sitting on one of the stools, face concealed behind the short hanging curtain.

"Maybe," Haruhi said slowly. "I have a business card for him, so...." She glanced at the card after pulling it from her pocket, then shrugged, drawing close to the cart -- though staying outside of the curtain.

Haruhi didn't bother waiting, deciding to approach the problem like she did most. "Hey, are you Hiko-san?" she called.

The figure inside sputtered, splashing his soup and nearly falling out of his stool in surprise. Both girls eyed him curiously -- not alone, as everyone walking along the street turned to look in surprise.

"S...sorry," the man stuttered, looking confused and amazed as his eyes tracked between the two girls -- especially lingering on Sasaki. "D...do I know you?"

"I'm guessing you know her," Haruhi said wryly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh, dear," Sasaki sighed, blushing and looking embarrassed. "I suppose that Kunikida-kun showed you a picture he took of me?"

The salary-man's eyes widened before comprehension seemed to dawn, and he nodded, heaving a huge sigh. "You ... must know my adoptive nephew pretty well," he mused, wiping himself off with a napkin before shaking his head and stepping out from behind the curtain that would otherwise have hidden his face.

"In that case, it seems I don't have to ask how much he's told you about me," Sasaki mused, smiling weakly.

Haruhi doubted the other girl really felt it -- still, the point was to find out if Kunikida had family troubles and how to help fix them so Sakanaka could start dating him. Since that was the goal, and subtlety was thrown entirely out the window anyway she asked bluntly, "Well, we're worried about Kunikida, because he's a classmate and a good friend -- is there something going on we can help him out with?"

"Ideally, I'd like to be his friend," Sasaki interjected quickly. "He's a nice boy and he means well, but ... ah ... my heart belongs to another."

Wow! And Haruhi had thought she put him in an awkward position with her bluntness!

Hiko gaped at the girls, then raised a hand to cover his eyes, heaving another huge sigh. "Oh...." He shook his head and admitted, "There ... are family troubles.... Really, I hadn't ... expected anything at all like this, but ... if the two of you are willing to help, just maybe I could turn things around?"

Haruhi had to marvel; but this was going astoundingly better than she had expected! Maybe it wasn't so bad doing the 'safe and boring' things while Kyon had exciting adventures? "How can we help?" she pressed, furrowing her brow as she tried to puzzle it out.

Hiko opened his mouth to speak, and then looked embarrassed, coughing. Well, they had attracted quite a crowd of onlookers, hadn't they?

"Um-- I have an office just down the street," he offered with a wince. "If it's not.... I wouldn't want to give the wrong impression, but would you two ... be willing to speak to me there, where ... certain family matters could be kept from getting too public?"

Haruhi snorted and exchanged a glance with Sasaki; two girls following an unrelated salary-man into an office.... Sure, that looked a bit sketchy. But he looked harmless; Haruhi was confident she could take him in a fight, even without her powers. Sasaki didn't look particularly worried either, though she did glance into the crowd -- yeah, Tsuruya's men were watching them still, so it would be fine, wouldn't it?

The harmless-looking salary-man proved himself even less of a threat than she'd expected -- bumbling his way along, nearly tripping over the curb leading to his office, and noisily dropping his keys before the entrance to the run-down two story office building he led them to. He was dressed about right for a manager at a travel agency, Haruhi supposed, looking over the office's signs. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at the clatter raised as he fumbled with his keys, finally unlocking the door and gesturing them in.

A bit annoyed at how long things had taken already, Haruhi marched through without hesitation when he gestured them in. Sasaki seemed a bit more reluctant, but stuck at her side, both of them pausing at the interior area's darkness--

Sasaki muttered an irritated, "Oh ... not again," as a quartet of hulking figures in garish suits stepped out of the shadows, and Hiko slammed the door behind them.

"H...hey!" Haruhi yelped, surprised-- She started to reach for her power before recalling Sasaki's presence at her side. Damn! Hiko had seemed utterly harmless! She whirled to glare at the man as he finished locking the door behind him -- much, much faster than he'd unlocked it.

"Do you know who you're messing with?" Haruhi growled at Hiko, bristling as the thugs approached.

Ignoring her words, Hiko pulled a pair of handcuffs from his pocket and slapped one on Sasaki's wrist before she could pull away-- Haruhi put up more of a fight, but with Sasaki there, what could she really do?

"You're not going to get away with this!" she cried, hating how cliche the line sounded once it escaped. This was so stupid! Sasaki tried to fight, too, but Haruhi stopped struggling quickly enough, remembering a warning that Mori had mentioned giving to the other girl. Fighting back too hard without escaping would just upset them.

"And Kowa-Keigo Kyon won't use all his teeth when we've got both of you as hostages," Hiko returned coldly, finally speaking to her again. He nodded at one of the thugs. "You -- hold her wrist out."

"Don't touch me, you creeps," Haruhi hissed, sticking her arm out on her own. Damn it! Hero support was worlds better than being stuck as a damsel in distress!

The 'salary-man' looked briefly surprised at how quickly she gave up her struggle, but shrugged, slapping the other bracelet of the handcuff around Haruhi's wrist. Sasaki's right hand was secured to Haruhi's left. It was tight enough she didn't see either of them getting out ... he'd checked that much, anyway.

So much for that idea ... well -- fine! She'd figure out a way to escape once the two of them were left alone!

"Anyway, this isn't your fault, Sasaki-chan," Haruhi grumbled. "We'll get out of this somehow!"

"You just keep telling yourself that," Hiko said absently, double-checking their cuffs and then nodding to himself, unfazed by the twin glares he got from Sasaki and Haruhi. Haruhi was actually mildly taken aback -- she didn't know that Sasaki could show such an expression! Well, unfortunate as it was, they had more common ground than she'd thought....

"Alright, boys -- load them up. I want them in the oyabun's hands within three hours, and their protectors are going to storm this building any second -- let's get a move on!"

Kyon: Big Damn Hero

The Laying Low Arc IV

Chapter Fifty Four: Out of the Frying Pan....