Realistic or Modern Fixers: Japan Edition

[Sir Damien]

Doc

There had been so much he wanted to say to her, but did they have enough time? He particularly didn’t want to talk about it in front of the others, the wounds were still so fresh and sensitive. Akari was moving to hug Emi and comfort her after everything came out in the open and all Asa could do was sigh and try to think of a way to help Akari out of this fucking mess. Even as they walked towards the exit he couldn’t help but mull it over in his head, his arm wrapping around her shoulder to hold her close. “Thanks Zuki.”

Thankfully the girl volunteered to cover for her, and he knew that would buy them some time to think of a more solid plan. Getting her out would involve offing Hitoshi, or getting rid of him some way. How were they going to pull this off… “Home, huh? I haven’t been there since you left that night. No better time than the present though, I suppose. Let’s get you home.” Asa smiled down at her before pulling out his phone to call them a car. There was no way in hell he was getting in the car with candy after the day they had, plus she was sure she wanted some more time with Crow.

—

They returned to the apartment and thanks to the maid service that cleaned once a week the penthouse was still impeccably clean. Still, his heart hurt walking through the doors. Not too far away was where he begged Akari to stay only to have her abandon him. Focusing on the past wasn’t fixing anything though; Akari was here, home with him once more. Hopefully for good. He welcomed her home before he walked to the bedroom to shove the engagement ring that sat on the dresser inside a drawer. That was a topic for another time.

He woke to find yet another text from Crow telling everyone to meet at the house as soon as they could. The man was a pain, but Asa was grateful he was able to get Akari there. Things weren’t exactly fixed all of the way, but it was a start. Step one was having her home. “Do you want to pick up something to eat on the way? A coffee or anything?” Asa finished getting ready for the day as he buttoned the last button on his shirts, giving a small yawn as he smoothed over his hair. Being back here with her was so surreal, but the fact that his phone was blowing up with texts from the date he blew off made it real. Really fucking awkward. The women were a means to pass time, he didn’t sleep with them he just drank and went out to eat with them. Why did it seem like an awkward conversation to have with her though?

 

[Colt Voltage]

Crow

At least Candy didn’t hate him, that was the only thing reassuring him that this was a good idea. Honestly Crow didn’t know how Emi would react. Cry? Yell? He didn’t expect to be smacked as hard as he did, and he certainly didn’t expect for her to send her heel into the screen of his phone! Her words really stung and he knew he deserved it, she was talking out of hurt and pain but it was the only way Crow knew how to make them come to their senses. He could only anticipate Kage punching him later…shooting him? But it seemed to do the trick! Instead of wanting to leave Akari was sticking around to comfort Emi, and it seemed she was making up with Asa…that was all good things.

“Ice? Yeah my face is stinging a little, but I deserved it. Told you it wasn’t going to be pretty.” As the walked towards the bar he gave her a small sad smile. “At least they see how bad of guy he is.” As he took a seat he gave a heavy sigh, looking down at his smashed phone. Getting another would be easy but it was just the fact she felt so angry at him. “Thanks Candy.” His green eyes looked up at her with a small smile on his face as she iced his cheek. “Even if she doesn’t forgive me I deserve it. I just want them safe and away from that guy, and like you said i don’t think she would have stayed away. And my mom is a psychopath. She seems to enjoy when people are in pain like that, the only reason she had me was because she wanted a prodigy. Her and my dad were both genius’s, that was the whole reason she married him.” Crow found out a lot in his stay…things that would have to wait until later to talk about.

“You’re my partner, Candy. I want to go back to the bar with you, but if I do that it’ll look suspicious that I’m not coming back to her house. I have to go soon, but you’re my partner. I’ll text you as soon as I fix up my new phone, alright? And I’ll make it so we can see each each other tomorrow.” Crow gave her a hopeful smile, hoping she wouldn’t hate him for his decision.

—

After watching Candy drive off he wandered off to a nearby phone shop to call his ride. It was late when he got back so he just retired to his room, fixed up a new phone, and crashed for a quick nap. He was up soon after texting candy and working on plans; how they should go about their missions, and how they could fit in their secret meetings. There was so much more he wanted to share, but he was always in a timer when he was out. If he was gone too long then it would look suspicious and that was the last thing they needed right now.

At a somewhat decent time in the morning he sent a text to everyone to meet up. Crow gave his mother the excuse he needed to go back home to get to the motherboard, that he needed a file off of it to bring to hers. She seemed to go with it so Crow borrowed a car to take it to his house. That was a surprise he wanted to share with Candy, he had been working on getting his license!

Once at the house he was overwhelmed with nostalgia. This had been his home for so long, being gone for months was surreal. Was everyone going to show up? He could only hope. With a deep breath he walked inside and looked around to see only Emi on the couch. “H-Hey Em, I’m really sorry about last night again. Do you want to hit me again? Maybe a boss for the day card? Can I buy you another cat? Whatever I can do to be your friend again let me know.”

 

[ZombieBaee]

Sherlock

It was surreal walking back into their apartment, it was a place she once called home and while it felt really great to be back, it also felt really cold in a way. Asa hadn't been here since she left so it felt like a time capsule almost. All of her things were still there, untouched. It just felt strange to be able to pull on some of her old pajamas and climb into her bed, it felt like it all belonged to someone else almost. Thanks to her unrest Akari had one hell of a time trying to fall asleep that night. It was clear her and Asa had a lot of talking to do, trust to rebuild and things to work on. There was no way for them to just jump back to normal after the way she left things, so she just hoped that one day they could be as strong as they once were.

"Hmm?" Akari rubbed her eyes and looked over at Asa as he got dressed from where she sat on the bed. She was so god damn tired from the lack of sleep that she was struggling this morning as they readied themselves to go meet the others at the house. "Oh yeah, coffee would be amazing." She stood up from the bed and smoothed out the crinkle in her skirt from sitting on the bed while she waited for Asa. Today was a stark difference from yesterday as far as Akari's outfit went, it felt nice to be in clothes that were hers again, things she actually liked. She wore a black pencil skirt that went to her mid-calf with a dark green and black plaid blouse on top, her blonde locks in a bun on the top of her head. If someone were looking at the couple without knowing them, they might even think they looked like a power couple. But behind closed doors it seemed Asa had been drinking himself into a stupor and Akari was a whole fucking mess and a half.

"Someone is really trying to get a hold of you Asa." Akari smiled softly as she made her way over to where he stood, gently taking her hands and smoothing over his shirt as well after he finished buttoning it up. "Is Crow being an idiot or what? Maybe we should get going so we don't keep the others waiting yeah?"

Akari moved out of the room and grabbed her purse to head towards the front door. "I also need to ask him about a new phone, don't let me forget ok? And for coffee I would love to run by that place by the station-" She paused after she said it, her face suddenly falling. "That might not be a good idea, would it? I mean... You know what you pick! Whatever is fine with me!" Akari didn't want to run in to anyone who knew her, that coffee shop was a place she missed a lot. It was a lot of memories with Asa, they stopped there every day when he took her to work. But it was also a place a lot of her old coworkers frequented and she wasn't exactly sure how she would be received over there now.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Candy

Candy hated the idea of Crow going back to that woman’s home but she understood that it was what had to happen for now. Most everyone went back to pretending like it was business as usual. However for Candy she couldn’t bring herself to go back to her bar and apartment once Asa and Akari left to go back to the apartment the two of them once shared. See, ever since her and Crow had been attacked and kidnapped, Candy had a pretty giant fear of being alone and going near her apartment. That was now TWICE that someone had broken into her home, once right when this all started and now this shit with Lee… When Asa started hanging around Candy had gained the courage to finally go upstairs, until then she had been sleeping in the back of the bar in the office for a few days. Up there what she found was terrifying… Lee had been LIVING THERE. Sleeping just down the hall from her for who knows how long… watching her… waiting. It gave her the fucking creeps. So the idea of going back there alone after everyone left the arcade was a total no go, so instead she went back to Crows house with Kage and Emi.

Candy had taken to her old room easily, sleeping like a baby that night after staying up late texting Crow. Then in the morning she woke to the sound of another text from him, this time letting everyone know to meet at the house. After that she got up and got a quick shower before getting ready for the day. Her long green hair got put into a French braid and she wore a simple bright purple t shirt with some oversized black sweats with paint stains all over them from various past projects, she was just thankful she had left a lot of clothes here. Once she was all ready she made her way downstairs to hear the familiar sound of Crows voice.

Candy made her way towards them and found Crow talking to Emi, causing Candy to hold back and simply lean against the wall while she watched the two of them silently. She was proud of him for actually apologizing, even if he was offering slightly ridiculous things to do so. “Emi if I were you I would tell him you want all of the above.” She spoke up from where she was leaning with a small smirk playing on her lips. “I mean I feel like you could honestly take it all and more. Though I personally would appreciate it if you didn’t hit him again, I have come to kind of like his face.”

 

[KAYDEN]

Daisuke Tanaka

“Yeah well, there’s a reason you can’t remember a lot of the last year Zuki. Don’t forget that.” Daisuke tried his best to give her a smile when she said not to worry but it was hard. Now that she was back around and not running from him screaming, he didn’t want to let her leave again. But he had too, in a strange way it was safer for everyone that way even though it sucked. So all he could do was watch as she left and made sure she drove away safely before getting back home himself.

Back at the house Daisuke made sure to fill in Esme and Pepe about everything that had happened and of course, as per usual, the two were fully on board to help however they could. Esme was looking to escape her father as well after learning all she had learned about him and the Suits through her friendship with the Fixers. Daisuke once thought all that woman cared about was a certain “quality of life” but she proved him wrong, plus meeting Pepe clearly had changed her a lot, for the better. It was nice to have and ally in her, especially considering for the time being they still had to pretend to me married despite the two of them being married to other people.

The next morning Daisuke actually got up and got ready for the day for once, like he used to. He styled his hair like he used to despite it being longer now, he dressed in a nice navy suit with brown leather accessories and a ivory button down under it. He felt like a person again in a way. Plus it didn’t hurt that for once in a very long time, he was insanely excited to start his day. He was going to be seeing Zuki again later, meeting up with her in order to go over their plan and such. Well that least that WAS the plan, until Daisuke received a very familiar phone call.

The strange trio of Esme, Pepe and Daisuke got into a car and made their way towards the station. It wasn’t long ago that he was here picking her up, sending Esme in instead of himself due to fear of being seen but at this point Ivan believed Esme and Daisuke were married so he could be a little less cautious. So this time he left the two in the car and made his way inside himself.

“Don’t give the cops grief Zuki, you know they’re just going their job. You should just count your blessings that they still remember who to call when you get arrested since Akari isn’t here to text me anymore.” Daisuke shook his head from where he stood in the waiting area, his arms crossed over his chest like he was disappointed despite the smirk playing on his lips. “I mean really woman, they should start charging you rent around this place.” He made his way over to her and reached out to ruffle her hair a bit, “But honestly are you okay? They told me it was just some questioning, no charges or anything. And I know they know better than to treat you badly with me on your side but still. Last time we were here you got accused of fucking murder so if we could try to stay out of here it would be really great for my blood pressure.”

 

[EclipseRosee]

Kage;Shadow

“You didn’t fail me. Don’t say that.” Kage smoothed over Emi’s hair and pressed his forehead to hers, closing his eyes for a bit while he listened to her. “Don’t be sorry. Don’t feel like a failure. Don’t think I’m mad. I love you, I just want you to be okay. I just want us to go forward ok? I want us to keep each other safe and sane and happy. Let’s just do that yeah?” He opened his eyes and pulled away after planting a quick kiss on her forehead. “Right, let’s get you home.”

-

After a long night of talking about everything the two of them fell asleep besides each other on the couch in his room. Kage had nightmares about the horrors Emi explained to him, about the things he failed to keep her safe from. He didn’t know about them so he couldn’t have done anything but it didn’t make him feel like any less of a failure as a man. Emi went through so much shit this last 8 months and Kage hadn’t don’t anything… he felt awful.

When he woke up she was already gone and for a moment he panicked. Kage quickly pulled in a hoodie over the tank top and sweats he had fallen asleep in and ran downstairs only to be comforted by the fact that he could see her standing in the kitchen looking unimpressed. Last time she left she had done so without a word… so while he trusted her, he couldn’t help but be scared. After confirming she was still in the house he quickly went upstairs to brush his teeth and shower before coming back downstairs.

Kage returned to find Candy leaning against a wall and he approached to see Crow talking to Emi. “Honestly I’d pay to see her hit him again, I missed the first one.” Kage whispered over to Candy with a wink, watching the scene before him with mild interest before Candy spoke up and ruined their discreetness. “Eh his face isn’t that great, fuck him up.”

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Luna

Zuki had been arrested before, right? Everything seemed so very familiar a she was being escorted out. From the discharge process, the chipping paint on the walls, the familiar faces that she passed. Goosebumps formed on her when she heard the overly familiar voice, her dark eyes looking up so she could see Daisuke. The floodgates to her amnesiac mind opened up and while not all of her memories returned, seeing Daisuke in such a familiar place brought back his memories. Her heart began to break as she recalled the day she left him and how much it had to hurt him. He wore the wedding ring she gave him, there were just so many emotions washing over her as she stared at him. If she blinked or took her eyes off of him she was afraid she'd forget him again, and he was the only thing that had ever made sense in her life. Zuki didn't want to lose him again.

"I hear meditation is good for blood pressure, you know I don't plan on staying out of trouble. That's my middle name, I think that's what keeps you coming back for more." A small smirk formed on her pretty lips as she reached down and gave the hand where he wore his ring a small squeeze. "You look great, Daisuke. Thanks for coming to get me." As much as she wanted to hug him and apologies for her absence that would only complicate things, so she simply dropped his hand and hoped he could read between the lines that she remembered at least something. "We have to go, right? Mind giving me a ride?"

Black boots led her outside after Daisuke to his car, though once she was inside she couldn't help but raise her brows at the cheerful blonde and large man in the back seat? "Oh Zuki it's so good to see you again! Daisuke has been a complete mess without you, I'm so glad you're back! I'm telling you pretending to be married to him is EXHAUSTING and I'm so glad you're back. He's been a complete hermit since you've left, today's the first day he's been himself in months." The girl was acting like they were friends? "Hey Daisuke who's the girl?" Introducing your wife to your pretend wife, what an interesting conversation.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Sunny

Kage said he wanted to go forward, and to be honest that was all Emi wanted too. Over the past few months it felt like she was circling the drain and she couldn't see a way out; they were finally able to talk about everything and finally the huge weight was off of her shoulders. Now that it was all out in the open she could finally try to move on, and if Crow hadn't shared that tape she wasn't sure if she would have ever had the strength to do it by herself. So really, she owed Crow a thank you. So when Crow showed up and started apologizing and offering her random things she couldn't help but shake her head, giving him a small giggle as Candy and Kage appeared and chimed in. "We're okay Crow, let's just call a truce and be friends again. If it wasn't for you then I wouldn't have been able to bring it up myself. Oh, but I will take you up on that boss for the day offer! That sounds fun. And I don't think Gus would do well with other cats, he's pretty happy by himself. Look! He's gotten fatter while we were gone, Kage fed him way too many snacks."

Her phone buzzed in her hand and she looked down to see that the food had been delivered, along with another bombardment of text messages. Quickly Emi walked to the door and picked up the bags on the doorstep. "I got breakfast, I can go grocery shopping later. Do you think everyone is going to come back and stay here? Wouldn't it be safer for Akari to stay here?" As she spoke to the others she moved to the table and sat down the bags. There were donuts, croissants, breakfast sandwiches, and all kinds of pastries. There was juice and coffee, it wasn't perfect but it would do. "Oh, for the love of-" Emi pulled out her buzzing phone before walking off into the kitchen to try to be discrete.

"The calls and texts are exhausting, can you please chill out? I'm fine, I'm not coming back-" As per usual Hitoshi cut Emi off, his voice so loud she had to hold the phone away from her ear. Demands, threats, he was saying whatever he had to in order to scare her into coming home. "I'm not coming back. You knew what Hiro was doing, and yet you still were pushing for a marriage. No- don't threaten Akari. I- fine." Zuki was covering for Akari, but if he figured out where she was their plans for justice could be ruined. So...she did what she had to do. Buy them time. "I'll come by later to talk, but I won't stay long. I'm not staying there." With that said she hung up with a heavy sigh. "Fuck."

 

[Sir Damien]

Doc

Power couple, ha. Asa would have loved to use that term to describe themselves if he wasn't a raging alcoholic and if Akari wasn't on a seemingly suicide mission up until yesterday. "Crow is always an idiot, we don't need a couple texts to confirm that." Though the words were spoken with his usual serious tone he couldn't help but feel his face flush as she smoothed out his shirt. "Actually, it's-" But before he could spit it out she was moving out of the door to finish getting ready. "Fuck, Asa, get it together." He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration before taking a deep calming breath. Quickly he shot the annoying woman a text message and told her that he wasn't interested any longer, and that she should lose his number. With that sent he blocked the woman's number, something he did after almost every dinner date. The women were just people he met at the bar, pretty girls that oggled over him and how well he dressed. They were just people to fill the void in his heart that never seemed to do the job.

"New phone babe, got it." Quickly he slipped the phone into his pocket before he gave her a small smile. Though, the smile quickly fell when she spoke about the coffee shop near the station. Her face had turned so sad suddenly and it made his stomach flip. "Hey, it's alright. I think Emi said she'd have coffee for us actually...we'll go there another time." Asa walked to her with a warm smile, his hands smoothing over her hair gently with both hands. As he cradled her head he planted a warm kiss on her forehead. "We'll get this done, get you out of this mess, and get back to living our life. Just think of this as a little bump in the road, alright? We'll get coffee every day after that."

As he smiled down at her he pat her on the head. "Let's head out." Thankfully his apartment wasn't too far away from Crow's, the drive went quick but he couldn't help but stress the whole time. They were going to have to kill Hitoshi to get Akari out of this. How would they even get to him? Akari worked for him, maybe she could sneak Asa in? Poison, slitting his throat, there were a plethora of things they could do to kill him. He didn't want Akari to be the one to do this though, she wasn't a killer. Justice was her thing, she was a fucking cop for crying out loud. "Quick like a bandaid, let's get this over with." Asa quickly moved around to her side of the car to hold open her door before leading her inside, giving a small wave to everyone. "Ah, hey, coffee. Great." He walked over and poured two cups, handing one to Akari. "Are Daisuke and Zuki joining us or are they off on their own?"

 

[ZombieBaee]

Sherlock

Babe. Her heart gave a small flutter at the word as she looked up at Asa, his hands smoothed over her hair and a moment later he was placing a sweet kiss against her forehead. It was enough to make Akari nearly tear up. “I don’t deserve you.” She smiled softly up at him, “Bump in the road. Right.” It was hard to think of it that way, it felt more like a giant looming hill than a bump but it wasn’t going to help anyone for her to keep being so scared. It would just take a little time to get back the confidence she once had.

Akari followed Asa out of the house and down to his car, it was a quick drive and shortly the arrived at the very familiar house. There was a weird sense of calm that washed over her just by being here. It was odd to think that just a bit ago she had been coming here for the first time after tragedy struck her and Emi’s home. It felt like it was an eternity ago… so much had changed since then. Back then she HATED being there, but now it just felt like home. The two of them made their way inside and found that most of the others were already present.

Asa brought her over a coffee and she took it with a small smile, taking a sip and looking around the room. "Where's Em?" She turned around a few times to see if she was just overlooking it but it didn't seem like she was there. That is until she heard her friends voice coming from the other room, she must have been on the phone or something. She moved from where she had been standing and into the kitchen to find Emi putting her phone in her pocket, looking upset.

"Hey, what's going on?" Akari and Emi had been friends forever, so even with their slight estrangement recently, she could tell when something was bothering her. Akari leaned against one of the counters in the kitchen and peered over at her friend with a raised brow. "Its Hitoshi isn't it? Don't worry about whatever he says Em, I know its hard but just remember hes not worth it." The irony of what Akari said wasn't lost on her, she meant it though. "He acts this way because deep down he knows he isn't worth shit. If he didn't have money and people to do his fucking bidding he would be nothing. I mean he would be dead now if I hadn't chickened out and back then I wasn't even trying, I was fucking crazed. If I could get to him that easily when I was so disorganized, imagine when we have a plan."

"That-That is one thing I wanted to talk to you about though. All this planning Crow has done and the idea going forward... I want him dead. I did then and I do now, I just got lost along the way. But Emi I think what we do going forward should be up to you. He's your father, I now know hes mine too but not really. Not like he was to you. It doesn't feel right to go forward without you being the one to call the shots when it relates to him."

 

[EclipseRosee]

Shadow;Kage

"Eh, I still think you should have decked him one more time for fun." Kage sighed and watched as Emi and Crow made up, glancing over at Candy where she stood. "For the record I think you should slap him too. Honestly I just want to watch it as his karma for making me deal with that fucking computer of his for the last few months, that thing made me feel stupid." When Emi went to the door to get the food Kage followed, helping her with the bags and bringing them over to the table.

"Maybe, I agree about the safety though. We can bring it up to her and Asa when they get here ok?" Kage began unpacking all of the food and laying it out on the table as they spoke. "I know it would make you feel better about the situation too, to have her here. I know Crow still has to stay at his mom's and Zuki with the Suits but... at least if we could get Asa and Akari back that would be most everyone under one roof." A few moments later Emi was looking down at her phone with a grimace and excusing herself to the other room. Kage could only imagine it wasn't a pleasant conversation. It didn't go unnoticed by him that Hitoshi had been constantly calling and texting her. He knew that blocking the guys number would only enrage him more and cause him to act out but they had to do something to get him to leave Emi alone...

His attention was pulled from trying to listen to Emi's phone call to addressing Asa and Akari as they entered the house. "Daisuke had a pit stop this morning, then he was going to bring Zuki and himself by at some point. There was a small issue this morning and Zuki had a run in with the law but it doesn't seem too serious and Daisuke said he had it under control." Kage nodded and grabbed himself a pastry as Akari mentioned Emi's abscense, only she seemed to answer her own question faster than Kage could and soon the woman was moving to join her friend in the other room.

"Asa I wanted to talk to you and Akari about coming back to the house for now, just until things settle down. I know you're both perfectly capable but if I'm being honest you would be doing me a favor, I think having Akari here under the same roof would make Emi feel a lot better about it all. So think about it yeah?"

 

[KAYDEN]

Daisuke Tanaka

What was this change in attitude? Daisuke couldn't say a single work as he stared down at Zuki in shock, her hand squeezing his and causing his heart to do a little back flip. The way she was speaking was so different from the day before, she sounded more like herself. Well herself when she could remember him at least... was she starting to remember everything again? The thought made Daisuke smile but he was so scared to be hopeful. "You know me, I'm addicted to the excitement for sure." He finally spoke, watching her with a small smile and kind eyes as she moved to head out of the building and out to the car.

In the car poor Zuki was QUICKLY attacked by Esme, despite Daisukes very clear warning to be careful with Zuki since she lost her memory. But careful and mild were not words that were in Esme's vocabulary it seemed. Daisuke told the driver to head to Crow's before even attempting to explain the story behind Esme. "Well you see, Esme is my FAKE wife. For now." During the ride over to Crow's house Daisuke took the time to explain the whole story to Zuki with the occasional UNWATNED help from Esme. It seemed like there were some pieces that Zuki was able to kind of remember but a lot of it was still very fuzzy. Maybe he had gotten a bit overzealous when he thought she remembered him...

"I know that was a lot. But does it make sense? I don't want to overload you or anything. Especially when were about to walk into a house with all the others." Daisuke reached over and smoothed over Zuki's hair as the car came to a stop in front of Crow's giant home. "You've had one hell of a morning so far so if this just took you overboard let me know and we can call it a day and just meet up with the others another time."

 

[Colt Voltage]

Crow

"Wait so like, water under the bridge? Hell yeah! And hey hey hey, don't encourage any of them to smack my beautiful facel! Do NOT blame my computer for you being technologically challenged. Trust me that you were not my first choice in tech support, but you were a lovely assistant. You only complained every step of the way." Emi and Kage were off to answer the door and Crow quickly turned to Candy, practically tripping over his own feet as he ran to her. He threw his arms around her and hugged her to him with a big smile plastered on his face. "You stayed the night right? That's comforting to know, I beefed up this place to make sure you could feel protected and safe. I hope you continue to stay here... I'll be back soon enough, I promise. Plus, to sweeten the pot, you can be boss while I'm gone. I need someone other than Shadow running the show, he'd probably shoot Asa if he was left in charge."

Soon Asa and Akari arrived, though Akari seemed to veer straight towards Emi in the kitchen and left them with the unamused looking Asa. "You hungry or thirsty Miss Candy?" As he spoke he moved across the room towards the food, pouring Candy her usual cup of coffee and grabbing them a plate of a variety of things. Once he grabbed himself a cup of coffee he walked over to the couch and sat down everything on the coffee table, plopping down into the plush cushions. The sound of the last car pulling in made it all seem so official again. The Fixers were his first and only group of friends, getting them back together again meant so much to him. He didn't want everyone growing apart and being miserable just because of these pompous bastards.

"Alright guys, I think we should take these guys down one by one. We start small with someone easily available. Esme's dad seems to be at her beckon call so I think we should set a trap. We get him to to say something that exposes his corruption or kill him if things go sour. This one I feel Zuki and Daisuke take the leave, but I believe he's bringing Esme. If she's willing to help maybe we can get him to back down, retire or disappear or something. Then we go for a bigger fish, we could use Emi as bait? I feel like that's the only way to get this guy. Then after we get both of them, we go for the boss. She'll be scared, she'll know something's coming. We get her to admit all of her sins, we'll expose her, and she'll go away the rest of her life. I drain her bank account, we all get a big payout."

The teal haired man took a long drink of his coffee before giving a small exhale. "We all play an integral part of a team, we work best together. That's why we're the Fixers, we fix things that are broken in the system. After this we can retire! We'll let the good guys work this out, we live our lives. But these bastards deserve to pay and I want us all to separate as friends, not by force." Crow gave a gentle smile over at Candy. "Except you, I want you to stay with me. Fixers or not."

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Sunny

If Kage could get Akari to stay at the house then that would take some stress off her shoulders. It was great that she was in contact with the group, and even better she was staying with Asa, but having her under the this security system would be a sigh of relief. They may have gone their separate ways for a while but she would always be her best friend, she never wanted her in a dangerous situation. Her life in the past few months were nothing but dangerous. As Akari appeared in the kitchen and instantly knew what was wrong Emi couldn't help but smile sadly. "But like you said, he's got the money and the people. If he knows somethings up he'll use all of those to hurt you, I don't doubt it for a second. I've got to try and keep the peace to make sure he doesn't suspect anything." Emi slid her phone into the pocket of her hoodie before she made her way to the counter to lean against it next to Akari. She listened to her as she spoke about wanting her dad dead and she couldn't help but feel sad.

Emi had always wanted a dad who was proud of her, but Emi was never good enough for either parent. People had shitty parents though, but her father killed people. He bribed people, he committed crimes, he used people. Everyone was a chess piece for him, Emi and Akari, and both of their mothers were no exception. Hell, Emi losing the baby was just another sacrifice he deemed necessary. "He's an awful person, and he's had so many chances to redeem himself. The things he said...he's a monster. I don't think I've ever wanted someone dead before, but I know I want him to pay for his crimes. I trust you with everything, so if you want to kill him then I support you. He deserves it, he really does." With that said, Emi wrapped her arms around Akari to give her a tight squeeze. "Let's not run off without talking to each other again, okay? I missed you, and I'm glad you're back." Crow's voice started his announcement and Emi gave Akari a bright smile. "Want to go listen to whatever his crazy plan is? I got some breakfast I think you'd like, so if it's miserable at least you can eat your feelings? You look too skinny."

With a playful poke to her friends side she walked back to the living room and grabbed some orange juice before making her way over to sit on the loveseat. "Normally I'd be opposed to being used as bait but, honestly, whatever you need me to do to get these guys. I'm here to do whatever I can to help. I do think I should go back to the house soon to talk to Hitoshi and pretend like nothing is wrong, just to keep up some appearances. We don't want him to do anything to make things harder than necessary." As she spoke she tried to avoid eye contact with Kage, well aware he wouldn't be a fan of the idea. But everyone was going to be doing something uncomfortable for the sake of the mission, it was just a necessary evil.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Luna

The car ride over was proving to be more frustrating than anything. Zuki could recall most things about Daisuke, but things with Esme were confusing. As they tried to explain and tell the story she tried to place Esme in the empty spots of her memory, but they didn't completely connect. He was forced to have a fake wedding with her? That's why he was a target? He also tried to kill Zuki, he was trying to make her target people that weren't bad people. The guy got worse minute by minute, but with everything happening her head was spinning. When Daisuke smoothed her hair over she dragged herself out of her own head and she gave a quick nod. "I'm uh, I'm fine. I'm sure it will all come to me eventually." As if trying to make him feel better she gave him a small smile. "Let's just go inside and get it done. I'm a tough cookie, I can handle this." With a deep breath she jumped out of the car and quickly moved inside of the somewhat familiar looking house. Everyone from last night was in the large living room and the same guy, Crow, was addressing everyone.

These guys were familiar but she didn't remember anything about them, plus Zuki's head was swamped right now. Was she the same old killer Zuki or was she the softer side that Daisuke described? Fuck, even she didn't know anymore. So Zuki wanted to play the quiet card, leaning against the wall as everything was discussed. They spoke about Ivan and the possibilities they were looking at. Exposing him would be interesting, personally she wanted the man dead for taking a hit out on her. But if they could quietly and peacefully get this over with she supposed that would be the way to go. Not ideal, but. She was just here to try and get her full memory back. Plus, it was good to see Akari. For the first time in months the girl looked happy and it was nice to see.

The girl in the obnoxiously bright hoodie chimed in and her idea caused her brows to raise. "I mean I'm going back to the house to keep up appearances, same with bun man. Strap a gun or something to little miss sunshine and she'll be fine if she goes home. What's the worst thing she does? Shoot someone? Sounds like we want them dead already. I don't see a bad side to this. After we take down Ivan he'll be scared, panic, and Akari can swoop in and ice him. Sunshine can keep eyes on him easier than we can." Was she being blunt? Yeah, but beating around the bush wasn't going to get shit done.

 

[Sir Damien]

Doc

I don't deserve you. As much as Asa tried to act like things were going to be okay, as much as he tried to be positive for her, those words twisted his stomach. How could he respond to that? He was just treating her like she deserved. She fucking deserved everything good in the world, he put her on a pedestal. He loved her, of course she deserved someone that loved and supported her. He thought about it the whole car ride, but before he could address it when he handed her the coffee she was off looking for Emi. All he could do was let out a heavy sigh and run a hand through his hair. Maybe a good talk with Emi would put her in better spirits? If not, maybe making an actual plan would help. Give her an end in sight to all this chaos so they could live a normal life again. Maybe not their normal, but at least live together again. That's all he wanted was her back and away from the situation she was in.

"Zuki got herself arrested again huh? I suppose it wouldn't be a day in this house if someone wasn't getting themselves in trouble." With a heavy sigh he took a small sip of the piping hot coffee, his brows raising as Shadow addressed him personally. He wanted them to come back to the house, but it was for Emi? Oh, yeah. They were always so awkward that it made him forget that they were a thing. "Normally I'd shoot you down but maybe Akari could relax if she was here with all the security, and having Emi around her would make her feel better I think. I'll be honest, the thought of Crow for an extended period of time again nauseates me. But, I'll talk it over with her." Was Asa aware he was right in front of Crow talking shit about him? Yes, and he really didn't care. Crow dipped out on them without saying anything though, so he deserved to get some shit.

Crow began his spiel, Emi and Akari were soon coming back into the living room, and Zuki was coming in with Daisuke...and Esme and Pepe. Unexpected guests but, everyone including Esme was chiming in. She said she'd help with getting her dad on board, and if exposing him was the way to go then she would do it. Ivan had a conference soon and she said that he was only bringing a couple security guards, that this was the prime time to get him. Meanwhile they could make a plan to get Hitoshi. Would things go smoothly? Hopefully, but most of the time they didn't. So...he'd just hope things could go as planned for once. He just wanted to get this weight off of Akari's shoulders.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Candy

As the house slowly filled with people Candy felt like her heart was becoming more and more full. It was so loud, and she meant that in a good way! The last eight months most of her days were filled with the quiet day crowd at the bar and even when she did stick around to help nights it all just felt like white noise. But this was lively and warm, everyone still seemed hurt and stressed but there was clear evidence that things were slowly getting better. Plus it didn’t hurt that before she knew it Crow was wrapped around her and causing her to let out a happy giggle. “Of course I stayed here.” Candy paused for a moment, her face falling when she thought about her own apartment and the reason she had chosen to avoid it once Asa had returned to his and Akaris place. She had to imagine that Lee wasn’t stupid enough to return after everything that happened but… who knew. She never would have imagined he had been living in her home for god knows how long. Candy shook away the fear and put a bright smile back on her face as she looked up at Crow. “I’m very much looking forward to you coming home Crow.” She quickly planted a kiss on his cheek after they pulled apart from each other.

Crow went to get them some food and Candy claimed her spot on the couch, sitting cross legged in the plush cushions and waiting for Crow to return with food which she openly invited. Everyone gathered and Candy leaned forward to grab her coffee to sip at while everyone listened to Crow explain his thinking. At some point Emi and Akari returned to the room and Zuki had arrived as well. It sounded like for the most part everyone had the same thinking, it was time for this all to be done. One way or another.

“I can’t offer much but I can offer the bar like usual. I think it would be a good idea to try and meet there from now on. I know that the house has new security but I’d rather not have it get tested again.” Candy shivered slightly as she remembered the day Lee broke in. Back then she had been so stupid when she faced him and in hindsight it was eerie. “Plus everyone here has reason to go to the bar and they were frequently there before all this shit went down. So it shouldn’t raise too much suspicion for any of you guys trying to keep the peace.” She glanced over at Crow and reached over to squeeze his hand.

Esme chimed in that she would assist with Ivan, exposing him in order to trap him without having to kill him. That made Candy calm a bit… honestly she was the same she always had been. The less violence the better… only this time it didn’t seem like a likely outcome.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Sherlock

“Oh I’m not scared of that prick. Never have been.” Lie. Akari knew that Emi would know she was lying but maybe if she said it enough she would eventually mean it. What she wouldn’t give to feel the confidence she had as a teenager again, back when they thought Hitoshi was just a shitty dad. Not a shitty dad AND a fucking completely evil son of a bitch. Listening to Emi helped a little, hearing that she felt the same way and had her own hang ups with the situation. Akari only hoped that when the time came again she could actually handle the job this time.

Akari held Emi in a tight hug and let out a curt chuckle, “Yeah yeah. I won’t run if you don’t okay?” She pulled back and smirked down at her friend before letting out a long sigh. She felt a bit better. At least she knew Emi wouldn’t hate her forever if their plan worked out.

The two girls returned to the rest of the group and found that Crow was moving into his speech. Akari moved to Asas side and leaned against him slightly, one of her arms leaving through his and holding onto his bicep while the other cradled her coffee. The plan Crow laid out seemed fairly simple to start with, and they were right when they said Ivan would be the easy target. The man was clearly influential in the Suits but that was about it, he didnt seem to care much beyond his wealth, it wasn’t about power like the others. So if Esme was on their side he would likely crumble fast.

“The worst Emi does with a gun is shoot herself, that might actually be the best too. For the record I am against giving her a gun… no offense Em. But you’re both right. As shitty as it is we need to try and keep both Hitoshi and Crows mother calm until we can strike. They’re the real issues here.” Akari spoke up but paused when the words ice him left Zukis mouth.

Could she? Akari had already been handed the golden opportunity to handle Hitoshi and she couldn’t do it… “I uh-“ She shifted uncomfortably and squeezed Asas arm slightly as she did. Could she really do this?

 

[EclipseRosee]

Kage;Shadow

“Fuck you and fuck your computer.” Kage groaned at Crow as he got loud, quickly dismissing the guy and moving onto other things. Asa said he would think about it and talk to Akari but it seemed promising. “I know it’s hard to think about being around Crow for extended periods of time, but remember that for the time being he won’t be here.” Kage shrugged and smirked a bit. “Which means you can fuck with all his shit while he’s gone for fun if you guys come back to the house. Think about it and let me know.” Hanging out with Emi so much had made Kage slowly come out of his shell, that and 8 months alone in this house made him shockingly longing for socialization.

They all got together and went over the plan. Kage agreed with most of it but the ONE thing everyone in the room knew he would shut down.

“I think that is a piss poor plan? Personally? Am I the only one remembering what we all heard from Emi last night?” Kage hated to bring it up in front of everyone again but he fucking meant it. They beat the hell out of her in that fucking house! “Actually she’s quite good with a gun now but still! That’s not the answer here. I’m sure she pissed them both right the fuck off last night by not coming home and now we’re going to send her back and think it won’t get worse? Nah fuck that.”

Kage was rambling and honestly fuming at the situation. He wasn’t mad that it had been suggested he was mad that he couldn’t think of a way for them to get out of it. Obviously killing the fucker was on the docket but until they could get there they had to do something… He paced for a moment while he thought. At first he wondered about sending Emi with Akari and Zuki, but Hitoshi probably wouldn’t run with that even though Zuki was still playing the part of Suit member and covering for Akari.

It was then that Esme chimed in about her father and it gave Kage an idea. “Daisuke didn’t Esme hang around your family all the time growing up? And you guys were close with Emi and them? Do we think Emi could stay with you guys under the rouse that she’s hanging out with friends? Or even have Esme make frequent visits to Hitoshis if she’s willing?”

It would physically kill him to send the woman he loved back into that house without a bit more of a game plan in place. Kage would die if he heard one more bad thing happened to her in those walls that he could have potentially prevented.

 

[KAYDEN]

Daisuke Tanaka

Daisuke could tell that this was all getting to Zuki but as per usual she was trying to be strong and just moving forward without taking a pause. He wanted to stop her and ask her point blank what she was remembering, if anything, but before he had the option she was already off and inside the house. Esme and Pepe followed her soon after and Daisuke found himself to be the one trailing behind it all slowly. He knew that after today things were going to get worse again, they had to before they could get better. All they had to do was survive and stay safe, then they could finally leave all this shit behind them.

Inside the others were already discussing their plan and Daisuke found a spot in the living room against a wall to lean. It sounded like they would go for Ivan first with Daisuke and Zuki leading with Esmes help. Esme was fully down to assist exposing her father, she didn’t like the life he lived now that she knew about it. But Daisuke had already promised her they would try and handle him while keeping him alive, despite knowing Zukis first instinct would be to just end it the easy way.

“Ivan won’t be hard. Like Esme said this rally he is holding will be minimal in security and Esme and I are already expected to be in attendance so we can get you guys in no problem.” Daisuke pushed away from the wall as he listened to the others, nodding at Candy when she spoke up from the couch. “I think that’s a good point too, Ivan knows Esme loves the bar there though he doesn’t know why, but he won’t question us going there. And Hitoshi knows that’s were Emi and Akari used to meet up for drinks. Should be a good spot to meet up from now on.”

Behind him Emi mentioned going back to the house and Daisuke cringed, knowing it would get Kage going. He could understand it though, he felt the same way about Zuki going back to that fucking house. “We can figure out a happy medium of some form. Hell even if Zuki makes more frequent stops for whatever reason over there. It could be on fake Suit business and it would make her look good while also keeping an eye on Em. Plus Zuki is right, if Emi is in the house we have a direct line to what Hitoshi is up to. “

Daisuke sent an apologetic smile over to Kage, again he knew what the man was feeling but if they ever wanted this shit to end they had to do something.

“Esme and I will get everyone invites to the conference in some way or another. I think we just play it like we did back when we faked my death. Crow handle everyone from afar, Shadow and Emi be on stand by in case we need firepower. Asa on deck if we need medical and Akari to step in when one of us inevitably fucks up. Then Zuki and I can handle the big guns, only this time I’ll try to not get shot. Fake or not.”

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Sunny

It wasn’t surprising that Kage instantly rejected her proposal, she couldn’t blame him. She wasn’t strong physically and she couldn’t protect herself no matter how hard she fought back over the last few months, but with a gun she could at least have some upper hand in the fight. They trained for months, and where she lacked in the physical department she actually was a great shot! Not that she wanted to kill anyone, Emi just wanted to keep Hitoshi none the wiser to her plan. Everyone seemed to understand where she was coming from, she just wanted him on board before she went through with it. “I could tell him I’m staying at Esme’s for some girl nights, that I need some space from the house after everything that’s happened? That way I’m not there all the time. And the frequent visits would help! They’re always on their best behavior when others are around.” It was clear that the idea of Emi going back was killing him, and it broke her up inside to see him like that. The last thing she wanted to do was put him through anything else. Going back to that house was the last thing she wanted, but like Crow and Zuki it was a necessary evil.

Soon Emi moved from her spot to where Kage was pacing, her hands gently taking his and giving them a small reassuring squeeze. The idea of going back was terrifying, but she had to put on a brave face for him. “Let’s make a game plan, okay? I’ll spend a few nights there and Zuki can drop by those days, on the days we meet up at the bar I’ll say I’m spending the night with Esme. I’ll go to the bar with them, and I’ll come back here with you afterwards. W-we can make this work. I had an awesome teacher show me how to shoot so I’ll be fine, I promise. I’ll take my old phone and stay in contact with you the whole time, and if anything happens I’ll leave. And once this is all said I’ll be by your side again.” Emi looked up at him with a sweet smile, hoping that the plan would put him at ease even if it was just a little bit.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Luna

The longer Zuki stood in this house the fuzzier her head felt, to the point it was making it hard to pay attention to the conversation at hand. What did they want her to do? Make rounds to Hitoshis house? Meet up at the bar...something about a conference that Ivan would be at. They wanted her to expose him or make him go away quietly versus offing him, honestly it was more of a pain than anything but if that was what they wanted then sure. "Yeah yeah, conference. I'll kick his ass if he doesn't listen, I promise killing him will be my last resort. And I'll go report ot Hitoshi when sunshine is there, hopefully we'll be able to get her out soon." Why was this place hurting her head like this? With a small frustrated huff Zuki walked around the living room as she looked around, pausing as soon as she neared a familiar looking wall. Memories started to overwhelm and she quickly turned away. Daisuke was shot at right there, and she had tackled him to stop him from getting killed. It was Lee who shot at him? Why would he do that?

When Daisuke spoke about getting shot, fake or not, it caused a lightbulb to go off in her head. That's how they met everyone, right? "That's right, Emi and Akari popped up while we were in the bar. We ended up paying off the ambulance guys after you got shot in the head...I'd like to avoid you getting shot." That made another memory pop in her head. "Akari, weren't you a cop? I knew there was a reason you never wanted to be the one to pull the trigger. You sure you're going to be able to kill Hitoshi? There's no shame in admitting you won't be able to, killing people changes you and fucks you up inside. What about you Doc? You seem like you have a dark past...that or you're just an asshole. I'm leaning towards the first one though. How about you be the one to kill him?"

Before she could say anything else she glanced down at the buzzing phone in her pocket. Speak of the devil, it was Hitoshi inquiring how Akari's mission was going. "Akari I think it's probably best if you stay here with all this security, there's no way they'll find you here. It'll let me buy you some more time. He doesn't seem like he's in the best of moods."

 

[Sir Damien]

Doc

"Crow the more you open your mouth the more I do want to stay here, just to fuck with your shit." Asa let a small sigh escape his lips as Crow continued to ramble on, though he couldn't help but smile at Akari as she made her way over to him. "Things go okay in there?" Quietly he whispered to her as everyone continued to talk. The conference they'd all attend just to bring down Ivan, even Emi going back to keep Hitoshi none the wiser about what they were up to. Shadow really taught the girl how to use a gun? The idea of Emi with a gun was nearly comical, but as soon as Zuki mentioned Akari icing their target he felt her tense. Even Zuki seemed to notice something, that Akari wasn't the type of person to kill another. She was right...and she was also right about Asa having a dark past.

Asa moved his arm around Akari's shoulder and gave her a small squeeze. "As long as the fucker dies that's all we want, right? It doesn't matter who does it? I'll fucking do it. i've killed before, it won't phase me to do it again. It's the least I can do for you, I don't want that burden on you." He glanced down at Akari with a small smile, something he felt like he hadn't done in a while. The moment was gone as soon as Zuki mentioned Akari staying there...he couldn't help but agree. "Speaking on us staying here, I know you'd like to stay in the apartment but I think for the time being this is the safest place. We can go back and pack up some things then come back. After this is all done we'll go back and move on with our lives. That sound okay? And as far as mission wise, I'll provide prosthetics and any medical attention to anyone inevitably injured. That's pretty much all I'm good for."

 

[Colt Voltage]

Crow

Did he say something to upset her? That wasn't his intention, he was just happy that she was staying somewhere safe! Before he could apologize though she was planting a kiss on his cheek and making his face turn a bright red. They were okay, she still wanted him home with her. Quietly Crow cleared his throat before continuing with the discussion. "I think the bar is a great plan, it's easier accessible and we can stay there for longer without someone suspecting something. That being said I think we should all take our old phones so we can stay in contact with one another." Crow was taking off for his office before returning with a box. Quickly he went around the room and returned everyone's phones that were missing, quickly shooting a warning glare at Asa and Shadow. "If you two 'fuck with my shit' I'll ruin the both of you. Remember that. And listen, so long as something happens to the guy I don't care. After everything he's done to you guys, after everything he's done to others, he needs to pay the price. He's too powerful to expect the law to do anything with him."

Once everyone's phones were returned he made his way back to Candy, wrapping his arm around her while he sat down next to her. "I've been trying to keep an eye on Lee but he's really good at dodging cameras. I've been watching the bar though and he hasn't come near it, if that makes you feel better. I haven't seen him come near the house either." He had spotted him near Emi once on an outing with Hitoshi but that was the only time he spotted the guy, he didn't think it was really worth mentioning. "Daisuke, you and Zuki and Esme are making the calls on Ivan. We trust you and we'll provide all the backup and support you need, but hopefully this goes over smoothly." His phone buzzed in his pocket and made him sigh. Crow didn't even have to look at it to know it was his mother asking how picking up the items were going. "I hate to be the one to call things, but we should end this soon. What day is the conference? We should meet the day prior to go over the mission details."

 

[ZombieBaee]

Sherlock

“Are you really sure about being the one to pull the trigger when it comes to Hitoshi?” Akari asked Asa for what must have been the thousandth time over the past few days. Ever since their short meeting the two of them had moved back into the Fixers house and occasionally met up with the others at the bar to solidify the plan for Ivan. Whenever they weren’t doing that, Akari was fretting over the idea of Hitoshi. Asa had offered, openly, to handle it but it felt wrong putting the burden on him… she wanted the help… needed it even but it made her feel bad. “I know we have a while before we get to that point but…”

Akari trailed off as Asa put the car into park along the street. It was finally the day of the conference and Daisuke had been able to pull all the strings he promised he would. Akari and Asa would be attending as fake employees of the conference center this thing was being held in. It would allow them to go wherever needed without any questions, plus it helped that Crow was able to create working badges and keycards for the two of them after hacking into the center’s security. Ivan was one of the main speakers at this thing, it was a giant symposium on new upcoming tech and it felt better for them to simply blend in then try and seem like actual guests or patrons.

Akari leaned down and reached into her bag to grab out the small ear piece for the both of them as well as the badges that Crow made. She handed Asa his before getting her own situated. “This all feels eerily similar right? In both a good and bad way.” She popped in the ear piece as she looked over at Asa with a soft smile. It really felt great being back with everyone, with him. Plus Zuki seemed to be slowly remembering more so even she was sort of back in commission as far as being a Fixer goes. “It’s kind of bittersweet to think about it all being over soon. I’m excited to put it behind us but… as much as I hate to admit it because of how this all started… it feels really good to be doing this shit again with everyone, with you.”

Akari reached over and squeezed Asas hand for a moment before turning to open her car door and head towards the convention center.