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The Paladin	By : Tcharlatan Category: > Toshiya/Die Views: 957 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: This is a work of pure fiction. I do not personally know any of the members of Dir en grey, and do not profit from this work.

Chapter List
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June 15^th - 4:30 pm
“Why can’t we go in now?” Kyo asked, again.
He sat in the back of the sleek black sedan, hands pressed against the window as he stared at the building across the street. It was almost as if he thought if he stared hard enough, long enough, that maybe he would somehow be able to see through the brick wall. His heart pounded with fright and painful hope; knowing that Kaoru was in that building was a brutal temptation. Knowing that Hideki was in there with him chilled his blood and made his stomach quiver with panic.
“Kyo, I’ve already told you half a dozen times. I know it’s hard, but we have to wait until five. If we’re early, all bets are off,” Die responded from the driver’s seat, his voice heavy with resignation.
He shouldn’t have brought the blonde for this. Three years later, Hideki’s treatment still gave Kyo nightmares from time to time; seeing him in person could only make things worse. But under Kaoru’s command, he and Kyo were equals, so if the younger man demanded to go somewhere or do something, Die had no authority to stop him. And nothing short of pure physical force could have made the blonde stay home.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Die? Surely there’s another way, something else he would want in exchange…? Now that we know where he is, can’t we just take him?” Toshiya murmured gently, one hand on his lover’s arm.
“Aa, I’m sure… He’s already accepted this deal; trying to change the terms now will only set him off, and we’ll lose Kaoru. And now that we’ve made contact, Kao will never leave his sight. We’ll never get a chance to take him before Hideki can… kill him.”
Toshiya winced and chewed at his lip. He felt naked without his weapons, he was worried about Shinya back in the tower under Akio’s watch, he was anxious about the terms of this “deal.” For so long, all he had wanted was a way to get Kaoru home, but now that it was happening, the circumstances were just so painful…
“Please remember your place in all of this, Toshimasa.” Die’s voice was stern, carrying all the force of his authority over Toshiya. “I’m trusting you with that which is most dear to me, do you understand? Kaoru’s safety is the more important than anything else. Just… just keep your mouth shut and when we have Kao, get him home. Once this is done, I don’t want you to ever contact Hideki or seek him out. I will deal with him.”
Toshiya nodded resolutely. “Of course, Die. I won’t let you down.”
Die stared at the long knife that rested across his knees. It was sheathed now, but he knew every millimeter of that curved blade, sharpened today to a perfect smooth edge and mirror-bright surface. He ran loving fingers over the glossy ivory hilt, the sinuous curves of the pouncing tiger as familiar to him as his own hands. So many had fallen to this curious knife, each of them in defense of Kaoru’s name and person. Whatever use it would see today at Hideki’s behest, would be for Kaoru as well.
“It’s time,” The redhead announced, sliding gracefully out of the car.
Die lead the three of them into the abandoned warehouse, Toshiya on his right, Kyo protectively half-hidden behind him on the left. The door they passed through was heavy steel, just as worn down as the rest of the building, but its frame was glossy and new. No doubt concealing the scanners Hideki had mentioned. The building possessed no windows to let in the warm afternoon sun, and so they crossed into a sudden shock of cold and darkness. Under a bare, white light bulb hanging at the end of a long wire, Hideki sat patiently at a low, round table. His hands rested on the tabletop, a pistol under one of them, his face hidden behind the impassable hannya mask, wild features cast in ominous shadows. Behind him, propped up against an eroding brick wall, Kaoru sat deathly still with his head slumped listlessly to one side, bloody lips parted. The three newcomers all watched him with bated breath, relief flooding them as the thin chest slowly – oh so slowly – expanded and contracted.
“Right on time, Andou. Just as I expected,” Hideki’s low voice came from the frozen grin of the mask as the three younger men passed into the circle of the light. “But I didn’t expect to see you, sunshine. Are you trying to change the terms of our deal? I could be tempted…”
Kyo shuddered at the old nickname and looked away.
“No,” Die replied firmly, settling on the other side of the table and setting his knife on the top. “The terms are as stated before.”
At the sound of Die’s voice, Kaoru stirred a bit, head lifting just a shade, lips curling into an almost imperceptible smile and moving in a soundless murmur. “Die… my Daisuke…”
Hideki reached up one hand to remove his mask, setting it on the table with a soft click. “Remove your glasses, please.”
It took Die a moment to recover enough composure to oblige. At some point during the past two years, Hideki had acquired horrific acid burns across his face. A sickening web of deep red and purple welts spanned over his cheekbones in a wide horizontal band, the flesh stiff and shiny and horribly pocked. Once Die took off his sunglasses, it was impossible to miss the disgust in his eyes.
“An accident with one of the earlier trials of the toxin I use in my needles,” Hideki explained congenially. “That one was a messy batch; melted people from the inside out over the period of a couple hours. The current version just makes them feel as though that’s what’s happening. It’s really quite lovely.”
The disfigured man clearly relished the shudder he could practically feel running through Kaoru’s body behind him, and the seething hatred that filled Die’s eyes when the redhead saw his boss’s reaction. Kyo bit back a soft, pained sound and moved as if to go to Kaoru, but Toshiya’s strong hand on his shoulder held him back.
“You asked for proof of my sincerity. Name your price,” Die demanded. His fingers itched to crush the man’s thick neck, until that mangled face went deep red and blotchy, tongue lolling out in a desperate attempt for air as the life was choked out of him.
“You owe me an apology, Andou. If you perform yubitsume for me, I will consider our deal sealed.”
Toshiya and Kyo both stiffened with shocked horror, and Kaoru’s head stirred again, thin lips pulled back in a weak snarl. No one but the Head of the Niikura family had the right to demand Die perform such a ritual, particularly not scum like Hideki. Die had never in his life committed an offense worthy of such shame and even if he ever did, the debt would be paid to Kaoru alone.
“Don’t you dare, Daisuke…” Kaoru tried to say, struggling to make himself heard or even seen. But his voice was gone, and his movements were almost imperceptible.
Under the blindfold, Kaoru couldn’t see the small white cloth that Die pulled out of his suit jacket, couldn’t see large hands set the fabric on the table and smooth out the creases. He couldn’t see his best friend’s left hand press down on the cloth, fingers spread wide, nor the right hand that drew an all-too-familiar knife from its sheath. He couldn’t see the eager gleam in Hideki’s eyes, the resolute determination in Die’s, or the offended horror in Toshiya and Kyo’s.
But he could hear just fine. He could hear Hideki’s breath of anticipation, hear Toshiya’s faint whisper, hear Kyo’s helpless growl. He heard the sickening crunch of flesh and bone as the knife came down on the first knuckle of Die’s pinky finger, severing it completely. The smell of fresh blood hit his nose, and his stomach quivered with rage.
Die kept his breathing slow and steady as he folded the now-bloody cloth around the detached portion of his finger and bowed as he presented it with both hands to the man across from him. There was no hesitation in his movements. He would suffer any pain, any humiliation, any disgrace for Kaoru’s sake. From the corner of his eye, he caught the furious, soundless protest crossing his boss’s lips.
‘I’m sorry, Kaoru, please forgive me. I don’t want to do this for him, but if it means keeping you safe…’
- 14
- 15
- 16
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The Paladin