"This is the stupidest plan I have ever heard."
"I agree."
Justin rolled his eyes. "Com'on, don't you guys trust me?"
"No," Jane and Ichigo said simultaneously.
"Wow, thanks a lot."
Jane sighed as she pulled her hat lower. "Look, it's just that if what Angel had told me about her brother is true, then it's most likely that he has all his men looking out for this orange head here."
Ichigo quickly slapped her pointing finger away from his face. "I agree," he said, reluctantly, "Isn't there another way to go through this?"
Justin shook his head. "Look, if you want to get Angel without her brother coming after you, then you have to make this as clean as possible. Go to Zack and try to reason with him."
"Impossible," Ichigo waved his hand left and right, "That Satan's incarnate will have me shot before I can even say a word."
"Bushū-sama isn't that harsh," Justin said, "You just have to get on his good side."
"Does that guy even have a 'good' side?" Jane asked, to which Justin replied with an awkward laugh.
"Even if he does, he already has a bad opinion of me," Ichigo told them.
Justin rolled his eyes as if it was the obvious thing in the world. "Che, of course he does. Or did you forget you're shacking up with his little sister?"
Jane gasped as she stared at Ichigo. "You two already slept together?!"
"Jeez, say it a little louder next time why don't you?" Ichigo groaned.
Justin shook his head as they got off the train and made their way out the station. The three of them, after meeting up at the Bieber residence, quickly got on the train that would take them to the Bushū Mansion that Angel was staying at. But Justin told them to wear black clothes and hats to cover up their face—and in Ichigo's case, his outrageous hair—since Zack might have already investigated all the people that were associated with Angel while she was in Tokyo.
When they stepped out of the station, Justin quickly called for a cab and the three got in. He quickly told the cab driver the street number before driving away.
"So, how can we get in?" Jane asked.
"Easy," Justin answered, "You two will just pretend to be my bodyguards."
Ichigo snorted. "How would that work?"
"Because I'm also from a pretty rich family," Justin told them, "My great-uncle, with whom I'm staying with right now, has a big business and partners with Bushū-sama. That's how Angel and I met. And since my great-uncle is a bit paranoid, he always assigns bodyguards for his family members. Although I don't need them now, I still let him do as he pleases just to calm him down since he's really old now."
The two remained quiet as they thought over his plan. "This better work," Jane told him, "Or else I'm going to beat you up."
Justin chuckled. "Got it."
Ichigo finally relaxed his tense body, even if only a little, as he sat back and looked out the window. January was almost over and the last month of winter would be on them. Then, there would only be a month before Angel was supposed to graduate.
Which reminded him that Angel needed to get back to school as soon as possible before it start affecting her from graduating.
Flashback
"Ne, Ichigo?"
"Hmm?" he groaned as he lifted his tired head off the pillow. "What? What is it?"
Angel frowned. "I need your help."
The boyfriend merely looked up to peer at the time before groaning again. "Angel, it's two in the morning. Can't we talk about whatever it is later?"
"No," she quickly replied.
Ichigo sighed as he buried his head into his pillow. "Why?" he asked, his voice slightly muffled by his pillow.
"Because I'm having a hard time figuring out which college to go to."
Ichigo sighed. "Why are you bothered by this now? I thought you already had everything planned out."
"Well, I did, or at least I thought I did," she mumbled, "But a lot of things changed since last year."
"Like what?"
"…Like being here with you," she lightly responded.
Ichigo finally looked back up at her to see a small blush across her cheek. A smile tugged on his lips as he reached out and placed a hand on her warm cheek. "You look too cute when you blush."
It only reddened the blush.
"And I'll help you with pick out a school after I get some sleep." And he quickly buried himself under the cover.
Angel just stared at the big lump under the comforter that was being so sweet a moment ago, now snoring away. A big vein popped on her forehead as she grabbed one of Ichigo's big textbook and slammed it down on the top part of the lump. "BASTARD!" she screeched.
End of Flashback
Ichigo lightly smiled at how he had to stay up well until the next day to help Angel with writing her college applications to colleges in and near Tokyo. That way she wouldn't have to leave the apartment.
"We're here," Justin announced as he paid their cab driver and stepped out.
Jane and Ichigo quickly followed him and stepped onto an unfamiliar street. "So, where exactly is the Bushū house?" Jane asked.
"Down at the end of this street," Justin told her, "I just wanted to get off early so not to bring any suspicion. The guards don't like it when an unfamiliar person or car comes near the place. And I usually walk here anyways so they won't say anything if I just walk up."
"Sounds good," Ichigo stepped forward. "Let's get this over with."
"Just a sec," Jane stopped him and stepped in front of him. "I want to do this before we go any further."
The scowl deepened as Ichigo saw what Jane pulled out of a bag she had brought with her. "You have got to be shitting me."
"Nope," she grinned as she pulled off his hat and placed a long wig over his orange hair. "There."
When Ichigo saw the black strands falling down his face his scowl deepened in pure frustration. "Is this really necessary?!"
Justin just laughed as he pointed a finger at him. "This is priceless! I need a picture to show it to the others later!" he said as he pulled out his cell phone.
"Put that thing away!" Ichigo shoved the phone away from his face, but it was too late. Justin got the picture. "Oi!"
"Haha! I can't wait to show Angel this!" Justin exclaimed as he saved the picture into his phone.
"Let me see!" Jane ran over and both of them peered down at the picture of a scowling Walker Ichigo wearing a long, bowl-cut, black wig that fully covered his orange hair. Sadly it was doing absolutely nothing to help his image. "HAHAHA!"
Ichigo glared at the two as they kept laughing their heads off. "I'm going to kill you two."
"Complain after we get Angel out," Justin snickered as he returned his phone back into his pants. He looked up and peered at the mansion that was clearly visible from where they were standing. "I still have homework to do for my new school so let's get this over with quickly."
Ichigo and Jane followed slightly behind him as Justin started to lead them to the chilly mansion.
"Just remain quiet and act like you're constipated. They won't suspect a thing that way," Justin informed them as they neared their destination.
The two nodded as they stood before the huge gates.
"Who's there?"
Ichigo looked up to see two men, dressed in the black suit he knew so well, approaching them from the other side of the gate.
"I'm here to talk to Angel again," Justin told them, "I heard she's still starving herself."
Ichigo clenched his fists to stop himself from saying anything.
One of the bodyguards looked at the two people standing next to Justin. "And them?"
"New bodyguards," Justin pointed back with his thumb, "The old man just won't get rid of them until he's dead."
The two men eyed Ichigo and Jane skeptically, not really sure whether or not to trust these new recruits. "How long will you be staying here today?"
Justin shrugged. "Maybe an hour or two. I just need to check up on her, that's all."
The men finally nodded as one of them pulled out a remote and opened the gates. Justin nodded his thanks and quickly made his way down the long path to the mansion. Ichigo risked taking a small glance back to notice the gates already closed and the two men staring after them cautiously.
Things might get ugly, he dreaded as he remained a foot behind Justin.
When the reached the grand front doors, another two bodyguards reached over and opened the doors for them, but they're eyes were just as cautious and cold as their employee.
Once they passed the doors, and heard it being closed behind them, Justin whispered to the two so only they could hear. "These bodyguards were hand-picked by Bushū-sama so they're dangerous. Don't do anything that might cause attention or stray too far from me."
The two gave a small nod just before a butler came up to them and bowed. "Tan-sama, good to see you again."
"Ah," Justin raised a hand in a greeting gesture, "I'm here for the usual business. Has there been any improvement?"
The old butler shook his head. "When our maids go to pick up the tray of food, barely a bite is taken from her bread. Angel-sama is surviving merely on water and she has grown incredibly thin."
A sharp feeling ran across Ichigo's chest.
"Guess I have no choice but to force it down her throat," Justin growled as he made his way pass the old butler who bowed and walked the opposite way. But before they could even move a feet from where they were just standing, ten men in black suits surrounded them, catching them by surprise. "What's the meaning of this?" Justin glared.
"Excuse me, Tan-sama," one man stepped out and eyed the three people as their stances became defensive. "But we must ask for your men to give us their ID's. We have never seen them before and we never got the message of new bodyguards being assigned to you."
"Why should my family affair be known to even you guys?" Justin asked.
"Because whoever enters this place must be given a thorough background check in case Bushū-sama is threatened."
"Psch," Justin scoffed. "I've been coming to this place since I was a little kid. Don't you guys trust me?"
"You, yes," he answered before pointing at the other two, "Them, no." As if suddenly been giving a signal, the ten started to charge forward.
"Fuck this!" Jane threw off her hat and quickly took her stance to throw a kick at the closet man coming at her.
"I knew this wouldn't work!" Ichigo shouted as he threw off his wig and joined in on the fight.
"It's him!" one of the bodyguards shouted, "Walker Ichigo! Do not let him get near Angel-sama!"
Ichigo grunted as he felt someone grab his arm before he could attack, and he couldn't block a punch that landed on his face.
"Ichigo!" Jane shouted as she ran over and kicked his captor off of him.
"Behind you!" Justin shouted this time as he grabbed the arm reaching towards Jane , and swung the man to the other corner of the room. "This way!" he shouted at the two as they quickly ran down a random path, fighting off anyone in their way.
Justin quickly turned into a corner and opened a door that led them to another sitting room with a bar. He quickly ran towards it and jumped over the counter while Jane and Ichigo slid behind it from the side.
They pressed their bodies up against the table and tried to calm their rapid breathings as they kept hidden from the shouts and running outside the room.
"Man, there's too many of them," Ichigo wiped off his brow, "How are we suppose to get anywhere with them chasing after us at every corner."
"Good job dumbass," Jane smacked the back of Justin head, "You said there wouldn't be a problem but look at the situation now. We're pretty much being hunted down."
"Yeah, who would have thought they would get suspicious of even me," Justin groaned as he rubbed his sore head.
Ichigo sighed as he leaned his head against the cool wooden table. "What do we do now?"
"Ask the smart ass here," Jane pointed a finger at the red head who looked angry enough to bite it off.
"Listen to me and listen well!" Justin whispered, "Bushū-sama has built this place to be a fucking maze. Unless you've been here for five years, you won't know your way around."
"How is that even possible?!" Jane gapped at him.
Justin shrugged. "I dunno. But this is what you do: split up. Then, go up to the third flood through any of the stairs and just run to the darkest part of the mansion which would be the center of the very back. Just keep running and we will end up at the same place since they all connect somehow." He paused to see the two nodded their heads in understanding. "Keep running until the middle of the hall where there will be a large portrait of Juvia-sama, who looks just like Angel. In front of her picture are two more hallways, one skewing to the left, and the other the other way. Whatever you do, take the r—"
"There they are!"
"Fuck!" Jane cursed as the three quickly jumped out of their hiding place and running off to different directions.
"Remember!" Justin shouted just before heading for a closed door.
Ichigo cursed as he quickly ran the opposite way and down a random hall. Old men and women alike screeched and cursed when he pushed passed them, going anywhere and almost everywhere to look for a flight of stairs.
Left.
Right.
Corner.
Door.
"There he is!" they would always shout when the got near him.
"Fuck," Ichigo cursed as he swung a right hook at one man and kicked another off to the side to make room enough to squeeze through. "Maybe dad really did teach me something," he mumbled to himself when he saw what he was looking for.
Stairs.
"There!"
Dammit!
Ichigo jumped up just in time to avoid a man who tried to dive at him. "Get him!" someone yelled and Ichigo looked up to see another three men running down the stairs.
"This is taking too long!" Ichigo growled as he ducked to avoid a punch and quickly rebounded with a fist to the guts. The man quickly fell and Ichigo swung to catch the second man. But just as he made contact, he screamed out loud when he felt a wooden staff being broken into two pieces after it collided against his back.
"Take him now!" Someone screamed as two more men appeared to remaking the three-to-one ratio. Ichigo held onto the wall as the three charged toward him.
With a painful grunt, Ichigo quickly dashed forward and kicked the guy with the bat and ripped the weapon out of his grasp just in time to use it to swing against the other two opponents.
"ARGH!" Ichigo grunted as he swung and heard a satisfying sound of the two men getting knocked down. He reached over and held onto his rib, still injured from the last encounter with Zack's men. "I'll kill him," he groaned as he tossed the bat aside and started to ascend the stairs.
Noises were coming from every inch of the mansion—which now seemed like a palace—as Ichigo tried to find the dark path Justin talked about…
But the entire fucking place was dark!
The orange head stopped in his steps as he breathlessly peered left and right, trying to find any hall that might seem darker than the other.
This? No…that…but that one… "…FUCK IT!" Ichigo yelled as he chose a random hall and started to run down it.
"I heard a noise up here!"
Ichigo growled when he heard voices getting nearer. But he kept running. Despite his legs and his injured body screaming at him to stop and recover, Ichigo kept running.
Shut up, he mentally yelled at his own body, I need to get to Angel!
Finally, after what felt like hours of fighting and getting beaten up, Ichigo skidded to a halt when he came across a giant picture of a woman who looked like Angel, except older and more mature. He stood in front of the portrait, staring up at the woman who Angel saw as her most important person.
"Bushū Juvia ," he huffed out as he stared at her picture, "Please let me get back Angel." He bowed his head before turning around to face the two halls that Justin told him about…
"Whatever you do, take the—"
Ichigo's eyes widened when he remembered Justin never got to finish his words. He looked back and forth between the two, completely in loss at when he had to do.
Left?
Right?
Ichigo bit his lips as he tried to whack up his brain to remember if Justin had even said a single syllable of a certain direction but nothing was coming to mind!
"There he is!
Ichigo looked to the side where he heard voices and footsteps nearing him. "Fuck it!" he shouted and ran into one of the halls. He ran and ran as he passed by door after door, window after window, and eerie feeling after eerie feeling.
Finally, at the end of the hall Ichigo came to a halt when large French doors stared at him. He knew it had to be here since these doors were more elegant than any other doors he had seen in this place…or in anywhere else for that matter.
Ichigo took in a deep breath as he grabbed the doorknob and slowly turned it.
The door opened and he gasped when he looked inside.
Angel was lying on her bed, still silently facing the window.
Several days have passed and she still hadn't recovered from what happened to Ichigo and between her and Justin. Everything was going downwards when she should have been celebrating about the near of the school year.
At the sudden realization, Angel buried her face into her pillow and released a long sigh. She was so sick and tired of crying out her eyes that she was looking for different methods to voice her pain.
CRASH!
CLANK!
BANG!
"GET THEM!"
"THIS WAY!"
"AHHH!"
Angel's head jerked up when she heard the ruckus coming from beyond her door. She remained quiet as she strained her ears to listen. And she gasped when the noise just became louder and even crazier.
"What the—"
The door suddenly swung open and Angel sat up straight in her bed when she saw someone entering her room.
"ANGEL!"
The said woman could only gasp when the unexpected person ran straight at her for a giant, bone crushing hug. "J-Jane?!"
The young woman nodded as she pulled back to do a quick check on her friend. "Are you okay? Did anyone hurt you? Did you eat anything? You're a fucking twig! I'm going to buy you your favorite meals when we get home! Are you cold? Do you need anything—"
"Jane!" Angel stopped her frantic friend, "I-I'm fine. Just…surprised you're here."
Jane nodded as she leaned forward to gently hug her friend this time. "I know. I'm so sorry for what's been happening."
"But how did you get here?… Wait a second," Angel's eyes widened when she noticed the guilty look on her friend's face. "You know?!"
Jane gave her a weak chuckle. "Well, I wouldn't be here causing such a ruckus if I didn't, right?"
Angel groaned as she fell back on her bed. "Who told you?"
"Who else but the orange sherbet himself," she scoffed as she looked down at her thin friend, "He's here to get you back."
At those words Jane jumped up and gapped at her friend with her big eyes. "I-Ichigo…he's here?"
Jane nodded as she hugged her friend again. "Yeah, we're here to take you back home." At her comforting words and gesture, Angel hugged her friend with a vice-like grip as her eyes started to well up with another round of tears. Jane smiled as she felt the dampness on her shirt.
At that moment, the bedroom to Jane's door started to squeak open again. Angel quickly pulled away from her friend and looked up expectantly. "Ichi—"
But instead of seeing the orange hair that she's been longing for for so long, a blazing hair of red entered her room.
"Justin?"
The said man looked up and offered a small smile. "Hey," he replied before being followed by a long silence.
When she noticed that neither of them were going to say anything, Jane nudged her petite friend and said, "Justin was the one who helped us get here. You should thank him."
At her words, Angel got off her bed and quickly ran towards her childhood friend. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head into his chest as she started to cry in relief.
Justin's hugged her back. "I'm sorry for having been such a jerk."
Angel shook her head against his jacket as she held on tighter. "Thank you," she whispered.
Seeing enough of the friendly reunion, Justin got up and walked over to place a hand on Angel's shoulder. "Com'on. Get your stuff and let's get out of here. This place is giving me a bad vibe with all these dark halls and crazy men chasing after us."
Justin laughed. "Had enough adventure to hell for one day?" he asked as he pulled away.
His friend scoffed. "More like enough for an entire lifetime. Seriously, how did you even put up with this place? I would have killed myself."
Angel offered a small smile. "It wasn't always like this."
"Well, we should get going before anyone catches us." Justin quickly went over to Angel's closet and started to pack her things for her.
"Justin, you should know better than going through a girl's closet," Jane smirked as she went to join him.
Angel watched on with a smile as her two bickering friends pulled out a bag and started to stuff things into it. It was only then she realized something was completely wrong. "Guys," she called out, earning her the attention of her friends, "Where's Ichigo?"
Ichigo's eyes narrowed into slits as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. "I guess this will have to do for now."
Zack merely stared at him from his seat from behind his large desk. "And to what do I owe this displeasure?"
A low growl came from Ichigo as he stepped forward. "My fucking broken ribs."
"Oh?" Zack raised a brow and slightly smirked. "I don't think that would be the only reason you would be here."
"You bet your popsicle ass it isn't!" Ichigo quickly walked over and slammed his fist down on the desk in front of Zack. "You took Angel away from me, forcefully, and I just came back to take back what's rightfully mine!"
"What's 'yours'?" Zack stood up and glared at the man standing on the opposite side of his red cedar desk. "Since when did my sister become an object that can be easily owned by someone?"
"Since when did Angel become a fucking doll for you to use her as you please?" Ichigo barked back.
The two men remained in a quiet standstill as the room was literally being lighted by the sparks coming from the glares they were sending at each other.
Zack was the first to speak up. "First, you take advantage of my sister who is your student. Second, you break into my home and beat up several of my best bodyguards. And third, you barge in here and expect me get down on my knees and beg for mercy while you take my sister away. I don't think these qualify as a showing of your respect for me or my sister."
Ichigo remained quiet as his fists clenched tighter. He kept chanting in his head not to punch the stone cold prick in front of him or else he would have another reason to call the police.
"If you want to see another day, I suggest you leave immediately or else I won't hesitate to kill you myself."
"Go ahead," Ichigo immediately said after Zack finished his sentence, "I'm already dead without Angel by my side. So I won't leave this hell without taking her back with me."
Another round of silence. Zack stared at Ichigo with his emotionless expression, but something in his eyes made it look like he was somewhat amused.
But not amused enough.
He pressed a button and merely said, "Guards," before more than ten men rushed into the room and apprehended the enraged orange head standing in the middle of the office.
"Let go of me!" Ichigo shouted as he tried to struggle.
"It's useless to struggle," Zack said, "I will not let a Ichigo like you to continue in interfering with our lives. If my threats won't work on you, then I will have the police take care of you."
"Why can't I be with Angel?!" Ichigo shouted, "Because I'm her teacher?!"
Sitting back down, Zack coolly looked at him as if he was an annoying fly that just wouldn't leave his face. "Yes, but that's not all. You are her teacher AND you are inferior."
Ichigo felt all his muscles tensing as he struggled even more. "FUCK YOU AND YOUR STUPID NAME! Angel told me about your fucked up nobles that are trying to brainwash her into a robot like you! But I won't let that happen! I won't let you change the woman I love for some sick game of yours!"
"'Game'?" Zack scoffed, "This was never a 'game.' Angel is to inherit everything from me—my money, my position and my company—so it is only right that I work to make sure she grows into the proper person to do the job. If I don't then everything will come apart."
"But that's what you want! What about what Angel wants?!"
"Angel was raised to want exactly the same thing. Do not think she can easily be changed because of your sudden involvement in her life," Zack told him as he placed his elbows on the desk and lifted his interlinked hands to rest before his mouth. "Angel will follow the path she has been raised to follow."
"Bullshit!"