[How many times can we fall?]

[toremainbehind]

[It's been a week since they've managed to escape.

Neither of them knew who tipped someone off about their location, who helped them escape while everything became hacked and otherwise useless in keeping them contained. It had been their downfall to let Izumo stay in the frontline, his skills almost legendary now with how effective of an assassin he has become over time. Their downfall led to their deaths, and Izumo has ran away with Eric while the remnants of that group tried to go after them.

They didn't know where to go - who to turn to.

For them, this open world was a mystery, even if Izumo has more experience than Eric when it came to the outside world. There's no one they could trust, and little to no money to their name since their captors often took the money Izumo's earned for his kills. But Izumo is adaptable, taking odd jobs here and there in order to earn enough money to save up and find a place to stay.

It's only been a couple of days ago when Izumo first ran into the leader of HOMRA, the Red King and him having traded blows before it came to a tie. They went their separate ways shortly after when an informant came running towards them, Izumo having escaped before he could be questioned.

Now, he had taken Eric to a refuge in a motel. It's small and not one of the best, but it's the best Izumo could afford on such short notice when it became obvious to him when Eric has to rest again.

His right shoulder blade itched from the burns he received from Mikoto, but he ignores it in favor of in-between watching Eric sleep and looking out the window from his perch on the windowsill.]

Comments

[redstray]

[ he gives a small pout ]

Only if you get out of here sooner.

[toremainbehind]

As long as I rest properly, I'll be out here soon enough. Now, behave for Totsuka and Fujishima.

[redstray]

I will...

[ The next day, visiting hours open and Eric does not show right away. One hour passes, two, and no sign of anyone in Homra. Not a few hours later in the early afternoon does anyone come to visit him.

Eric looked tired with a small bandage on his hand. Fujishima looked even more so and Totsuka still smiled, but there was tiredness around his eyes as well.]

S-sorry for being late, Izumo. How are you?

[toremainbehind]

[Izumo doesn't say anything for a moment as he eyes the trio.

He looks at Fujishima, who immediately looks away from his gaze, and then at Totsuka, who gives him what could appear to be a guilty smile.

Shifting his gaze back at Eric, he blinked slowly.]

I'm fine. What the hell happened to you three?

[redstray]

[ Eric shuffled his feet a bit. ]

Some people, attacked the bar last night, with rocks through the windows... Fujishima was staying on the couch and tried to chase them but they slipped away. Everyone's been looking to see who did it all day...

[toremainbehind]

[His eye twitches at hearing someone attacked his bar - his home.]

There weren't any clues?

[redstray]

[ He shakes his head ]

We couldn't find any...but Mikoto thinks it might be the guys that attacked you. They're targeting all of Homra now.

[toremainbehind]

Hm, is that so.

[Izumo adopts a contemplative look, his eyebrows furrowing.

If those guys are targeting Homra, then it won't be long before they realize he's alive and in the hospital.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Totsuka shake his head, mouthing something at him.]

It's possible they might want to finish the job.

[redstray]

N-no. Would they even come here?

[ They couldn't stay to protect him, he was on his own when the hours were over. If they tried to get in here even now how could they stop them? ]

[toremainbehind]

[Izumo gives Eric a reassuring smile, hoping it might ease his worries.]

I doubt they'll risk attacking in a public place, and there are a lot of security around. They won't take the risk if it means getting caught.

[redstray]

When you get back, we'll protect you.

[ He's full of stubborn determination, to keep his brother safe. ]

A lot of the others are going to be staying over, with shifts, to keep an eye out if they try it again.

[toremainbehind]

I'll be depending on you guys then.

[It's something if Izumo says that since he's not the type of person to ever worry about himself or have others worry about him.]

[redstray]

[ He should be used to having at least one worried person since they were sitting right in front of him. ]

The bar...is going to need new windows...

[toremainbehind]

[One person is enough; he's used to Eric worrying about him.

But at the mention of the broken windows, he just looks crestfallen, remembering how hard he worked just to get it specially imported.] Seems like I'll need to find some new windows then; maybe I'll make it shatter-proof or something.

[redstray]

[ He looks down a bit, feeling bad that the windows were broken. Izumo had loved them and talked about the for days as they came in. ]

We put in paper and tape where the holes were. Keeps out the wind but...We'll make sure hey won't hurt them anymore.

[toremainbehind]

Mm, I'll trust you guys to get on it.

[He gives a smile, though Totsuka is quick to gently usher the two out of the room, saying Mikoto finally found a lead about the ones who attacked them.]

[redstray]

[ Eric tries to protest but lets himself be moved out of the room with Fujishima. The red head smiled at him, asking if he wanted to go down and explore the hospital to find a place to eat. He nodded in response, giving one last look to his brother's room before following after the other. ]

[toremainbehind]

[When Eric leaves, Izumo simply smiles, waving until he and Fujishima were out of sight.

Once they were left alone, Totsuka explained the whole situation to him, and Izumo's not at all happy to hear what he's hearing. Despite being currently bedridden, Izumo's still second-in-command; he still kept tabs on everyone and everything.

What he doesn't expect to hear is how the group is beginning to target Eric specifically after they discovered they're brothers.

It makes Izumo's blood boil, but he only nods when Totsuka warns him to be careful.

Whenever Eric and Fujishima return, they'll find both Totsuka and Izumo missing.]

[redstray]

[ Eric and Fujishima managed to find a cafe where they got some food and Fujishima smiled as he watched Eric eat the majority of it. After they finished, they walked back towards Izumo's room, with a couple of snacks for the two that were there.

Eric's stomach dropped as he saw not only Totsuka missing but his brother wasn't in the bed.

They got in the hospital and took them out, his brother wasn't here his brother was missing. What if he was dead? No no no nononono.

Fujishima came over and grabbed hold of him, calming him down. They'll find him, find both of them, but Eric needed to be calm. He nodded as Fujishima tried to call Totsuka's phone. ]

[toremainbehind]

[Unfortunately for them, Totsuka never picked up his phone.

Izumo knows he'll get yelled at by Eric once his brother discovers what they've been up to. It's not only stupid, it was suicidal given how Izumo's injuries haven't completely healed yet.

His body ached, his muscles screaming at him to take it easy, but Izumo has gone through worse, so he ignores it all.

After all, he's not any different from any of them - he wants revenge, too, after all.

Already, his mind is starting to lock into place, only thinking killkillkill repetitively in his head like a broken record. It's not long before he and Totsuka meets up with Mikoto at the rendezvous, none of them wasting time to get the show done and over with.]

[redstray]

[ As soon as Fujishima hangs up the phone, it rings back showing Kamamoto. As he tried his best to get Eric to calm down, he answered it and listened, if only sighing at what he was hearing. Eric wasn't going to be happy, and for once Fujishima felt like hitting his brother himself, if only to let him feel a little of what Eric was feeling right now.

As he explained what was going on to the other, he watched as Eric's face went from shock, to anger and worry. Calming him down was not going to work, so he merely told the other that they could head back to the bar and wait for them to return. He's glad that the other agrees without a fight.

They walked back, since Totsuka took the car they had been brought in. It wasn't until they were a quarter of the way there that they were stopped by five guys. He protectively placed Eric behind him, asking calmly to be let through.

They stated their clan name and he frowned. Kamamoto only mentioned one clan was going against them, not two. Was there an alliance they didn't know about? This was bad.

'Hand over the blond kid and no one will get hurt.'

Fujishima refused.

He heard his name being yelled at, he felt sticky warm stuff on his head, he didn't feel himself hitting the ground. This was trouble. He felt himself take out his phone and hit a number, any number. He heard a reply that sounded like Kamamoto and he uttered out a help before he slipped away into unconsciousness. ]

[toremainbehind]

[It didn't take long before Izumo gets wind of Eric's kidnapping, and it's not long before he goes to get his brother himself.

Mikoto and Totsuka tags along with him before the latter is waved away with the excuse that he'd be better off taking care of Fujishima.

Two clans against one.

Izumo didn't like how the odds were against them, not at all.

So, when he finally finds their whereabouts, they tell him to stay put, or else his brother will die.

Izumo's gaze lands on Eric, seeing his unconscious brother bounded, and there's a fury inside of him that keeps on building. He stays put, however, aware of Mikoto's presence coming up behind him as they both wait for the two clans.

'Die.'

A single gunshot rang through - a single prompt that has Izumo moving, instincts kicking in, and he allows himself to slip into that familiar mindset of simply killing again.]

[redstray]

[ Eric went from being beside Fujishima to being shoved into a van and he struggled. He kicked, punched, anything but he was overpowered too easily and he began to panic.

He heard laughter and boasting. They tied him and talked, making fun of his brother, his clan. He hears the click of a lighter and he freezes up.

'Your clan likes fire, huh? Let's give you a present worthy of your title.'

He feels his sweater being lifted and then searing heat being pressed onto his skin and he screamed, flailing trying anything to escape but he was held tight.

As it continued he grew numb, hiding inside himself as he used to. Hide from the pain, from the world. His hands tied, his body on fire, he foggily looked up at a new shadow. He saw a glint of steel before it too began to press into him and his burnt skin. He blacked out, welcoming the nothingness.

When he comes too he has a collar again, he was chained, his hands behind his back, and a blindfold place on him. He was in pain. His lower back seared in pain from the burns and knife cuts. He wondered what they did to him, feeling that part of his sweater sticking to what he thought was blood.

It felt like forever but he heard nothing. No one spoke, no movement, nothing. His senses tried to pick up the tiniest thing but to no avail. He felt other cuts as well, his back the worst but they were everywhere, it hurt to move he didn't dare try.

Then footsteps, clinking of metal, and breath that smelt foul reached him.

'You're brother is coming. Lucky us. But for you, not so much.'

Something goes to his face and he struggles to inhale but in the end, he slips away from consciousness, heavily drugged. ]

[toremainbehind]

[The smell of burnt flesh hung in the air, a rotting sound that made Izumo's stomach curl once he realize exactly what the smell was.

Eric's been burned...

The thought of it stuck to his mind, refusing to move as he allows everything to sink in.

They hurt his brother.

They burned him.

Just the sight of the collar alone has him gritting his teeth. He's weaponless, and even Mikoto isn't too keen on making the first move either.

But it's okay.

They thought they could manipulate Izumo with his brother, that they can use Eric against him, but they're wrong - so, so terribly wrong, and they're about to find out just what kind of killer Izumo can be.

It's not long before screams fill the air, blood painting the walls and floors, and not a single one of them was able to escape. Anyone who's tried found themselves on the floor, covered in gasoline as Izumo finds enjoyment in burning them all into ash while Mikoto decides to let Izumo have his fun and helps Eric out of his binds and away from the carnage.]

[redstray]

[ He couldn't focus, the world fading in and out, muffled noises filtering into his head. He was in so much pain...when was the last time his body hurt so much?

He felt pressure on his body, no more pain that's too much too much! He couldn't even tell if his body was struggling or not but he didn't want to be touched. No more, no more.

He opened his mouth to try and speak but mumbled gibberish softly cooed out before everything felt too heavy, the world too dark. He saw red and wanted to touch it. But his eyes closed before he lifted his heavy hand. ]