Switch Part ONE FINAL

No more he thought, no more of these attacks on human and mutant kind for fuxxn'
sakes... It's ruining the damn fuxxn' planet and we're just -- we're not getting
along like we should. Something needs to be done about this; something needs to
get better around here.. Someone needs to fix this problem, a problem that's
becoming bigger and bigger by the moment -- Maybe I'll just have to do it myself -
fix this problem for good on my own.

That was before he was driven mad by his psychic powers, now in his late forties
Hideto Matsumoto: a former famed rocker struggles to see the light in day or even
the sunshine through the rain. In fact, it's been at least five years since he's
officially been outside of his militant base. Which is no surprise to some, since
he's been leading as a leader behind a desk for that long anyways.

Originally a huge supporter of the pacifistic movement of the late 1990's, this
man had helped many to revive the thought of safety within the mutant community in
Japan, and throughout Asia. With his family close by, and his friends even closer
things became like an addictive drug - one he didn't care to share with anyone
else. This became increasingly hard, putting him in a place he never thought he
could reach. Atop a pedestal called "Ambassador to the United Nations" from
Japan's highest level of mutant population.

Successfully finishing an international tour with Yoshiki and a few others,

promptly naming it "X-Japan feat. Violet UK: A World Tour" after legal battles
with 20th Century Fox and Marvel Comics over the usage of "X2". It was a tour for
United Nations relief, not just for mutant relations and education for mutants,
but to put an end to hunger and idiocy across the world - something many artists
before him had tried and failed at.

But unfortunately now at 47, with a demeaning view upon the world outside and
inside, he sits behind his mahogany desk just beyond Northern California where he
begins his daily quest at his Militant base contemplating World Domination. His
ways around this 'World Domination' are unlike most villains in the books, comics
and movies. This man appears quite normal, appears to be very sane - thus has used
his advantage with the government to cause a rift. A rift that confuses them about
the relationship with other countries and their mutant populous, making it several
times harder to advance to a world of peace.

Since his psychic powers went berserk eight years ago, and after setting up a
successful relationship with the UN and the world's ambassadors to the world
mutant populace, and going into varied stressful business ventures across several
categories, He's been quite unlike himself. He started to buy up competition
businesses against friends and family. Through this time he had been warned by a
fellow mutant inside the underground forces, vying for bail after being involved
in a scandal that brought the man's demise to a start. They said, "If you keep on
going against the will of destiny, and unravelling time with your own fingers, you
quite frankly will go insane."

It's now the year 2013, ten years on from his apparent descent into darkness. His
plans being today with on going into meet with his elder cousin and now complete
mortal enemy: Saitoh Yashida. Constant battles have pulled them apart and thrown
them to opposite ends of the playing field, Saitoh taking place as hide's
successor in the UN. While hide tears apart everything he once loved - And
constantly still does. Now he sits in his office, biding his time until he leaves
for his meeting, contemplating what to do. Battling his inner demons and
constantly reminding himself how wrong his past was. When how the truth is -- and
how it presents itself - is that his telepathy is controlling him and he's in a
vortex of confusion.

A knock on the door is heard beyond the oaken structure - the person behind it
attempting not to make himself completely known. This isn't easy with a powerful
psychic behind door number four, or even one. A tainted friendship beyond repair,
this orange haired man sighed once more trying to gather strength to try to
convince hide of his wrongdoing.

"Come in," he said, motioning for the orange haired man to enter the room and sit
down. "Sit Kiyoshi, relax."

"Hai." Kiyoshi was always in Reverence and Admiration for his best friend, but as
of late this was all turning into a bout of confusion, hurt and worry as he
finally put four and four together and got eight. It became increasingly true what
evil lurked within the tortured man's mind, and it wasn't anything he'd ever
experienced before. It used to be a quite normal friendship, with formal
commandments from the leader - but during the last decade it's become more like an
abusive pet owner and their gunpowder fed dog.

"What's on your mind Kiyoshi?" hide said raspy-like, clearing his throat and
groaning as he watched the stocks in one of his businesses slide. Taking his eyes
off the computer screen he took his glances over and looked Kiyoshi straight in
his eyes. He knew for a fact that this man had nothing to do with his stocks
sliding, but he wasn't going to let the man get away with interrupting a good
afternoon or even a good morning.

"It's.. It's just" Kiyoshi stopped a moment and frowned, "Goddamnit hide, your the
telepath, you tell me --you tell me what's going on in there."

"Your frustrated, you need guidance/and or sex, you miss your child .. And your
ex-girlfriend just died of cancer, and your not allowed to go to the funeral
because of work restrictions; you've fallen in love with me once again.. And you
don't want to be fired. All very admire able Kiyo.. But I've heard it all before."
hide said, not even bothering to read Kiyoshi's mind, seeming that he was
interested, yet not with a sneering bit of apathetic ness. This wasn't anything
new; he'd given the same bullshit story to Kiyoshi for the last five years. You'd
almost wonder if there was a nice streak even left in this man.

"That.." Kiyoshi growled, "That isn't it." he wasn't expecting hide to just RAMBLE
something off again at him; he didn't expect his best friend to be this apathetic.
Wondering exactly what drove hide to this, and how it became a detrimental cause
to his mental health - was something kiyoshi had been thinking about. The idea
burned his blood for hours of each day.

"Look, I have a meeting to attend to, go look up our local psychic if you want
your palm read. You know the rules on power usage inside my office.. If your moods
fuck up my stocks one more time.. YOU WILL be fired." hide growled, standing up,
grabbing a jacket that wasn't anything like who he once was. A once talented,
bright and flamboyant man - has turned into a dark and un-colourful grouch from
behind the lazy-boy-chaired desk with non-chalant ideals and world domination
plans.

"hide!! I mean it. STOP being so unlike yourself it isn't funny." Kiyoshi screamed
in retortion.
"What in earth are you saying? Dye my hair again, put in my skull earring back in?
Wear any of my rings again? So what, so I can begin to play god again for your
little minions at the United Nations again? So I can get involved in a driving
addictive like a drug type job that tears me to bits? No, I'll stay where I am
thank you.. Evil as fuck and plainer than Yoshiki on a Sunday afternoon." hide
growled, walking out and scratching his head. You could now see the contrast to
now and the past -- with only a light two-inch dusting of hair colored mousy dark
brown compared to the old mullet with pink and black.

Using his telekinesis, he ripped the photo of him and his band off the shelf and
shoved it in a drawer. "Stop trying to force the past on me. That's gone."

Kiyoshi watched hide's response in fear and concern for the man he'd known for so
long. He wanted to speak out again, in retortion to the attitude the other man was
putting forth against him. There was nothing more between them it seemed, unless
someone could get inside this man's head and fix the problems that have become
eminent over the coming years.

Walking out and downstairs to the limousine hide gave the driver the information
and sighed, lighting a cigarette, entering the car and sitting down. He nodded to
the driver and shut the driver to passenger window, beginning a long and eventful
drive.

- Flash forward a few years -

"Something isn't right here Saitou, these lines in the sand aren't marked with a
stick, or even someone's foot. Someone's been here, and used their telekinesis to
begin their attack. I can sense where he's gone." Yoshiki said with worry in his
voice, he knew who it was and how much damage the man was possibly causing.

"Look, we can't keep running after hide - he's bound to come -

"SAITOU!!!!!" Yoshiki screamed as he watched a hand move toward the back of

Saitou's neck, creating a powerful psychic blade that ran through the man's mind.

"That my dear - is how you kill the weak." the unidentified man came forward with
a physically glowing hand, his eyes glazed over like cataracts almost. It was as
if he was viewing the world with his powers, and not his own eyes.

"hi-hide...to... why .." ... Yoshiki said in a quivering voice, the man that had
for years been his best friend was doing things completely against his nature. He
had spent years trying to figure out how to quench the demon within. This was
definitely the end of the line for the good side if something wasn't done soon.

"Because, he was annoying me.. heh, what do you do when someone annoys you? You
tell them to stop, complain a shit load, fucking kill the asshole! Look I shed no
blood, so you could in theory revive him.. if you had the mental capacity - but I
doubt you do. You're too closed minded to even pull off a stunt like that - and
you're too valuable for me to kill." hide snarled back with an evil smirk towards
Yoshiki, his intentions were of the purest form of evil you could find.

He wasn't doing much to help the war that was going on - in fact he started it.
World war three, the last of the three major wars within a 100 year period nearly,
the one war to obliterate life on earth per se.
"That's not a reason to kill your own family." Yoshiki cried out, he was furious
and confused by now. He'd been working so fucking hard at trying to help his best
friend out and in the end his efforts have turned on him.

"Au Contraire my dear friend... there are many reasons to kill your family.
Especially if they are inferior to your cause." he said tapping Yoshiki on the
nose and telekinetically rising himself off the ground and taking Saitou with him.

- End Flash Forward -

"Hideto-san, Daijoubu?" Ikuchi the driver asked as he rolled down the window and
noticed the facial expressions of pain gracing his passenger's face.

"Hai I'm ok Ikuchi, just keep driving." he responded. Rolling down his window, he
watched the scenery pass by him. All of this used to mean something to him, but
now all of it means absolutely nothing to him. As most of his days were spent in
solitary confinement, planning his world domination.. and it was more like the
cold war beginning all over again rather than a simple pinprick of the Korean War.

"What's so wrong with being the way I am now?" hide questioned himself for all of
about thirty seconds, slouching in the car seat - he nearly shed a tear for the
crap he's been pulling. Things he's been doing for a few years now, that he swore
to himself he'd never do.

- Flashback: 1979 -

"Saitou .." hide pouted as he watched his older cousin steal his schoolbooks and
hide them under the bed. "I DON'T HAVE the energy or time to do that right now."
he whined as his cousin begged for sexual experiments. They were so called
misguided teenagers lead by the sheer driving force of puberty.

"But... I'm going to be gone up to Hokkaido for two weeks for holiday with my mom!
I want one more night hide.. Just one more... please?" Saitou begged lightly,
trying not to force his younger cousin into anything.

"Can you at least help me with my homework?" hide asked in return, he was stuck on
an English-language assignment he was given so he could go on exchange to the
United States.

"I'm NO good at English and you know that to-chan! .. I know how to swear in
English and that's it. Your dad's the one to ask about that!" Saitou was right,
hide was excelling well at this English stuff-and Saitou never touched it with a
ten-foot pole.

"No help no sex." hide grinned.

"... you drive a hard bargain." Saitou responded.

"You got it buddy." hide smiled.

- end Flashback -

He then began to pull himself back together, the flashbacks becoming something he
wasn't pleased with. He was entirely sure he had barriers set up inside his mind
to keep things like this from happening. Something so small was starting to tear
at his insides like a bleeding stomach ulcer. He sighed, taking deep breaths and
lighting a cigarette to calm his ever so ragged nerves.
Upon arriving he became much more calm and collected. Once the vehicle had began
it's full stop, he started climbing out of the black limousine in his black suit,
he looked around and placed a hand through his short dark brown hair gelled up to
the max. Plain as day yes, unfashionable? .. no.. after all this was still hide..
even if he was plain as day and evil as fuck, there was still a twinge of colour
to him in some places. Keeping a bright red handkerchief in his upper suit pocket
with a pin saying the promptly famous "FUXX YOU" on it.

".. Saitoh is waiting for you Hideto-san." the security guard at the front door
responded as he opened the door.

Smirking, hide walked through the double doors to the office complex, which held
administrative offices for Saitoh's rebellious, and UN backed forces. Left,
right.. and to the front he walked forward with a lift to his step. He knew he
would get somewhere today, what or how or where he didn't know.

"You're in for a royal surprise cous-cous.. cause hideto's coming to town, and he
knows who's been naughty or nice.. and you've been way too nice for my liking." he
sing-songed his way through the hallway and made it to his cousin's office.
Opening the door slightly, then kicking it open and standing there in the doorway,
leaning against the frame and staring at Saitoh in the eyes. ".. Boo."

"Hideto.. or should I drive you up a wall and remind you who you really are
underneath that brown mat? .. pinkuu supaidaa?" Saitoh rolled his eyes and faced
his cousin, "I'm not in any mood to negotiate my own death.. so let's keep it
slight and sweet.. Quit your antics, or I'm going to have to bring you down."

"I'm not scared of you.. just cause your two years older, doesn't mean squat."
hide so promptly interrupted, " Besides, you can't bring me down.. I've got my
resources higher than the Tokyo tower."

".. and mine are higher than mount Fuji." Saitoh promptly added.

hide frowned, sitting in the chair in front of Saitoh's desk to face the blonde
completely and utterly straight. ".. Yer shittin' me."

" Not since the day we first fucked.. now shut face and listen, cause I'm not
repeating this again to you." he was angry as hell when his cousin wouldn't
listen, angrier now that his own cousin turned against him. ".. Either you buck
up, get some help.. I can let you stay here and I can GIVE YOU help to fight your
inner demons.. OR.. I'm going to lash out with world war four here, and let's
see... SCREAM bloody murder? Then let's see, the UN will have your head, the USA
will have your nuts.. fried breaded and called Wisconsin cheese curds. I'm not one
for pacifism here, but I've kept your legacy as clean as I can.. don't make me
stain it."

"Pah.. you can't do anything like that to me, I've got the current prime minister
in my bedroom 9-5 on Saturdays. Lucky for me, they changed the law on 'How old you
must be' to like 30 something.. cause he's only 37, and rocking him like a horse
on carriage." hide licked his lips, with a massive mean streak across his face.
Ignoring the no smoking sign on any part of the building, he took a Cuban cigar
from his pocket, biting off the tip he licked the sides seductively and put one
end in the mouth and lit the other. ".. Are you just jealous?"
"..." Saitoh didn't reply, he knew if he replied to anything with unprofessional
terms his cousin would lash back with even harder and more vindictive terms. "
Look, stay away from my students or come here and get help... tis black and white.
I WILL kill you to get you to stop harming my countrymen and my students."

"Try it. I dare you." hide replied snark, and black and white to the point..
almost like an erection really. "If you do, and succeed, you have my admiration..
fully.."

"Your not evil here cous.. your just sick, and twisted by an uncontrollable
force." Saitoh responded lightly, telling hide the absolute truth he didn't want
to hear again and again.

hide groaned, "You make my life a living hell.. good thing I'm controlling hell
otherwise I'd have a helluva-time scheduling my next bloodbath." he snarled,
"Look, now if you plan on acting as my first victim.. I don't mind waiting around,
but you called me here for a reason."

"Hmm.. " Saitoh had a few sticks up his sleeves indefinitely, but this was an
interesting log to pull out the proverbial shoot. "Yes, I have a colleague of mine
I want you to meet." reunite would be the better word in this case, because at the
door stood a familiar blonde, to contrast the dark brown hair on hide's head.

"Here.. I thought I was going to see a pink mop, followed by the usual 'Yochan!'
.. I guess times have really changed." Yoshiki groaned as he studied the man he
once knew as one of the most bouncy man in music history. "Let's have coffee,
catch up.. "

".. What's the catch?" hide smirked, not even facing Yoshiki at this point.

"The catch? .. keep your hands out of my crotch." Yoshiki sneered lightly, "I
don't let filthy scum go near my private areas, clean up your act and the
restriction is lifted."

"Your crotch.. my restriction? HAH... hahaha. HAHHAHAHAHA... You make me laugh

Yoshiki." hide maniacally laughed, standing to look Yoshiki straight in the eyes.
" You have a deal, since this other idiot over here doesn't know what he wants
every time I'm here.. I might as well spend some time away and gather my wits with
a cup of coffee."

"oh, and Yoshiki.. do what I ask this time all right? .. I'm not some fascist
dictator, but I did ask a favour and I expect it done." Saitoh waved on, knowing
what devious plan he had in store to fix the little brown haired bastard and his
insanity-driven madness. Maybe his ways were more evil than hide's as it was, but
the intention behind them was more than pure. Saitoh's theory wasn't "Pacifism,
duck and run" it was "Fuck em', duck n' run" .. but lately he's had to adopt
hide's former pacifistic views and run through different channels to get things
done. He gave Yoshiki full reign to do whatever he needed to do to try and squelch
the demon within hide's mind, returning the calm before the storm per se. Wether
or not they could prevent a storm from happening after succeeding, is another
issue-the storm that could create a major war.

".. Hai Saitoh-san, I'll get it done." Yoshiki nodded, and walked with his arms
crossed over his chest as he walked side by side with hide. His face was always
turned at an angle away from hide's gold-specked brown hazel eyes, for fear he'd
see what he didn't want to see.. the truth. That his best friend, brother and band
mate was a victim of his own demise.. in many different ways than expected.
hide walked close to Yoshiki, eyeing the man's reactions according to the way he
walked, he could sense fear and regret within the man's soul. Something he
wouldn't mind eating up like ice cream on a hot summer day if he got the chance,
but no.. today is not the day to start the war. Another day perhaps, when the
chances of survival are greater.

" Yoshiki, how have the other band members been? " hide nonchalantly asked,
knowing that Yoshiki knew this wasn't a question about the band, or the friends..
it was indecisive vindictive taunts.

" Why don't you just call them up and ask? I've given up on you, I can't stand to
see you like this.. nobody can." Yoshiki concerned, replied with a breath of air
in his voice. " You're not the man we all once knew, and it concerns all of us,
your family.. the band.. everyone you once knew."

" Si mi compadre.. clear as the English fucking grammar you speak." hide smirked,
" You want me to get help, you want me to lay down my plans for world
destruction.. and become a mess of a pink ball of yarn?"

" To put it that bluntly, yes. " the blonde man responded, looking at the floors
of the halls as they walked on.

" No .. way. You, Saitoh and the others can go get fucked on a telephone line for
all I care, I'm not going to change.. I'm not going to be anyone's pawn anymore."
-- "Furthermore, quit sticking your nose in my head.. I'm still working on getting
rid of that damn mutual rapport we created years ago."
".. I'll never let you discard that." Yoshiki closed his eyes and walked further
on, "Are you coming for coffee or what?"

".. Coffee? .. Sure. I have nothing better in my schedule the rest of the day, I
considered a strip club, but they don't open until late.. and besides.. after all
I have the prime minister to come home to." he was lying through his teeth, he had
an empty room in the complex.. or what he called empty.. full of x-Japan and
spread beaver memorabilia.. eventually he'll cop to it and enter that room. It was
a way out he created before he was completely "insane" as his friends call it.

" Then quit the antics and follow me. " Yoshiki commanded.

".. Heil Hitler, Sieg Heil!" hide retorted jokingly as he walked further on, his
humour was a bit darker these days, but to some it was mask of something even
darker.

Yoshiki ignored the comment made by his former friend and walked forward further,
".. You realize people don't recognize you anymore.. ?"

"I enjoy this.. it's quiet and peaceful finally. I'm not picking up random
'IWANNAFUCKhide!!' from all the fans. I like not being known now.. really it's
refreshing." hide was of course lying, on the surface he felt that way.. but
somewhere beneath was still the same old pink and black haired mop-head that got
into this mess in the first place.

"Sou ka.." Yoshiki shook his head as he walked on, waiting for the dark brown
haired man to follow. " I never remembered to ask you until now, but what made you
let your hair grow to its natural colour, and covering what grey was showing?"

".. We all have to grow up some time." hide smirked.

Yoshiki internally burst out laughing, hide.. grown up? It was hide that was
always pointing out the interesting toys, cigarette lighters and everything that
they sold at the concerts. hide being the first to point out the UN edition
plushies that came out, he grinned and laughed.. knowing the first time he got his
hands on one, he sent it to UNICEF to give to a needy child. Selfless at times,
self-centered at others, Yoshiki noticed his friend would've been the first to
dare the group to play on the swing set in public.

" I see, so no more dying your hair wild colours, emphasizing your wondrous eyes
with kohl black eye shadow and such? " Yoshiki sighed, the response was eminent..
no. This new.. Hideto, wouldn't let an inch of colour near him even if it was his
own blood.

" No , sorry.. this past many keep on speaking of.. is in the past, it's behind
me. I'm nobody's fucking pawn, not even my own. I'm not playing god to little
fascist nations with their panties in a bunch, saving little children from aids.
They're little more than just a stain on the map, I'm in talks with former
communist leaders to make a better world.. albeit torture and famine and death are
in the way.. but you know, that's something you always have to deal with." hide
smirked, following Yoshiki down the stairs to the office built coffee shop.

"Hai Shikuni, I'd .. like a double shot espresso chai latte, " he paused for hide
to make his own choice as he arrived through the doors.

" Throw me your strongest, blackest coffee. No sugar. " hide responded.

" That'll be 15.60 in ACD, or 1590 in Yen" Shikuni, the hostess/cashier responded,
eyeing the familiar dark brown haired man next to Yoshiki. " Yoshiki-san, who is..
?" she responded, pointing to hide.

hide looked the girl in the eyes, "Hideto, your worst nightmare.. CHILD."

".." Yoshiki hardly went in public with hide anymore, for probably this very
reason, he sensed an intense force of evil that churned within.. but it wasn't
anything new.. hide was always a fence rider, which was what made him such a
valuable ally in the United Nations twelve years ago. The evil he felt was a mass
confusion, fear and loathing about everything around him.. he could tell his
telepathy was more like schizophrenia, then a gift.

".. Eep. Gomen Nasai, Hideto-san." Shikuni responded quickly, getting to the order
as fast as she could.

" Was that necessary?" Yoshiki asked, glaring at hide with concern.

"No, but it was fun." hide smiled.

".. and you said you never changed. Well ok , you have.. then you would've flirted
with her, now you scare her half to death." Yoshiki held his thumb and index
finger on the bridge of his nose nursing a migraine from his own telepathy. " Sit,
and chat with Me.."

" About what, politics, world views.. music what? " hide blank faced sat there
looking the other way out the window, thinking of all the things he could do to
ruin the place, or rather his telepathy helped him see the destruction and death
as if it were yesterday. A blind man with 20/20 vision, blind to see the light of
day.

" Your own life, what you've been up to.. you've holed yourself up for so long."--
"I mean, frankly I don't know what you've been up to since I've last seen you, and
I really only see you once a year since the last twelve years." which was correct,
it was 2012 right on hide's birthday he last saw him. Now it was 2013, mid
November, under the newly developed urban dome blocks with no pollution
whatsoever.

".. I live outside the dome blocks as you know, preferring to kill my lungs even
more with the dirt and grime naturally in the air.. I haven't worn moisturizer of
that sort for years, as where I live.. you have to BATHE in it for it to work. "
hide replied.

".. Hideto, you ALWAYS bathed in moisturizer, or rather.. it seemed like it."
Yoshiki rolled his eyes, it was almost like the pot calling the kettle black.

" Alright, I just .. haven't cared much to mess with that, and somehow I've still
managed to look 30 something." he lied, he regularly got airbrush foundation in
the morning before going out for meetings .. just to keep his appearance up for
'idiot fools'. Sighing, he caressed his finger across the table as he waited for
the coffee to be delivered to their table. " And what have YOU been up to,
Yoshiki?"

"... Music. You know it's what I'll always do." Yoshiki replied blankly, staring
at hide that in turn was tapping his foot rapidly. " It's what you once did.. if
you can be bothered to remember that."

hide shrugged, and sneered at Yoshiki.. he hated being reminded of his now past,
one that holds true to what his heart really desires. "You know fucking well, that
my desire has nothing left in that field."

"Your heart is clouded by a black mass, you've been disillusioned.. You know I
know your secret, you know you cannot hide from me, Hideto. Why you're keeping
your little evil game up I'm not entirely sure." Yoshiki responded carefully,
clearly and softly. "You, are like family to me. I don't feel the need to just cut
you off at the legs and leave you to die."

".. Why don't you?" hide smirked, "It might help your position."

Yoshiki sighed, sitting backward and sliding a hand through his short but greying
blonde hair. ".. It won't, you know what hide? .. I was there for you when you
needed me most, and here you are pushing me aside. I don't like this, nor do I
feel this is very fair. I can feel you from the inside, I can feel you screaming
for help.. You've been corrupted by something you never thought COULD corrupt
you."

"And what is that 'Yo-chan'?" hide taunted, giving an inch, but taking a mile.

" Don't give me that shit hide, I know your playing my 'game' as you call it. I'd
feel it if you were really calling me that." Yoshiki looked out the window, and
proceeded to continue. "As I was saying, you corrupted yourself by not looking
after your mental health.. AS USUAL. You're the one person who was being so
selfless at the time, which he neglected to even eat for three days so he could
fly to a UN meeting. Where did that go?"
".. Down the toilet. Like everything else.. look, there is no black cloud, no
cancerous growth within my mental ability." hide retorted, " If you can so feel me
from the inside as you claim, then why don't you do so? Prove to me what your
saying."

".. If you are truly willing, I will do so." Yoshiki nodded, "Follow me, and bring
your things we may be a while."

"Ooh, scary." hide taunted, but continued to follow according to Yoshiki's needs.
He was intrigued to know that the man that was his best friend for years wanted to
prove him something. That someone wanted to question the insanity and darkness
that was touted to be within hide's heart.

Yoshiki stood up and motioned for hide to follow him toward the men's room in the
back of the coffee shop. He knew something would either go entirely correct, or
entirely wrong, or an odd mixture of both. The only one of the two friends that
was ever in the most control of their ability was hide. Yoshiki was still just a
plain amateur when it came to dealing with it.

Opening the door, Yoshiki grabbed hide by the collar and quickly hid him inside
one of the stalls. "Don't move."

"I never knew you were still into Me." hide smirked and waited for Yoshiki's next
command.

".. And DON'T distract me either Hideto.." Yoshiki said, in the heat of having a
hard time concentrating he sat hide on the toilet in front of them and made sure
nobody was around. Positioning himself, he knelt in front of the dark mousy brown
haired man in front of him. Moving his hands forward to meet the temples of the
other man's head, he closed his own eyes.

Truth be told, hide didn't know whether he did this for a way out, or if still
what Yoshiki claimed earlier intrigued him. He didn't trust Yoshiki in the same
way he did over ten years ago, but somehow instinct told him to shut his raunchy
little mouth and pay attention to what was around him.

" Keep breathing, and just pay attention to what you see in your head, don't pay
attention to what you physically see." Yoshiki groaned a little, it pained him to
try to break barriers that hide himself had learned to put up to keep 'former'
friends and family away. Images formed from clouds within hide's mind, and one by
one he began to see things he'd stored away in hopes to never find again.

- Flashback: July 1997 -

' hide, that was J on the phone, he was asking me what was with you last night'
Sugizo asked contently as he watched over his friend in the hotel room, currently
suffering from telepathic spasms.
'Tell J that I.. Tell him to just fuxxn' get over here and I'll attempt to explain
It.' hide grunted a bit, the pain was more than a migraine, it was more than a
broken leg. It was like a disease, coming down with a fever dangerous enough to
kill those weak enough, headaches the size of Mount Everest.

'Hai,' Sugizo walked carefully back over to the phone and cleared his throat,
'Yea, I just talked to him about your question.. He's more than willing to have
you come upstairs.. I was just a little worried you'd overreact.'

('Well, for fucks sakes, why didn't you just give the phone to hide then? You're
as overprotective of hide as Yoshiki! [@_@] fucking hell sugi, just let me
upstairs and I can see for myself what's going on!!')

hide furrowed his eyebrows as he curled back under a pile of blankets four feet
thick, and five feet tall. Shivering madly, he awaited the pain to subside and the
world to finally stop spinning. 'Neh.. sugi-chan, can you get me some aspirin?'

- END FLASHBACK 7-97 -

"Keep your eyes on your psychic images, not your physical ones." Yoshiki reminded
as he watched hide's eyes flutter a bit. ".. I know this is painful, and you're
probably going to attack me later.. but you understand that someone needs to do
this."

- Flashback: May 1977 -

'NYAR!' hide leapt about twelve feet across the snow, only to land on his older
cousin's foot instead of the whole of him. '.. Saitoh, you're an asshole.' He
complained, whining like the teenager he was. '.. We're playing football.. LET ME
TACKLE YOU!'

'You're too tiny Hideto.. you'll get hurt tackling me' Saitoh taunted lightly and
laughed patting hide on the head. 'Besides, your mom's calling us to get out of
the snow and go clean up.

'You and your stupid American sports.' hide complained wildly.

' Meh.. you and your stupid American sports' Saitoh taunted lightly, poking hide
lightly in the side.

' NYEH! YOU ARE SO MEAN!' hide complained, following Saitoh inside for dinner.

- End Flash back 5-77 -

"WHAT in fuxxn' sam hell's name are you planning here Yoshiki? MY DEMISE?" hide
growled, feeling overly flushed already.

"No, I've seen that already.. I'm rectifying the problem.. hopefully." Yoshiki
replied lightly, holding hide's head tightly. Feeling the overly warm skin next to
his hands, he began to worry that maybe this wasn't the best thing.

hide squirmed slightly, his feverish skin began to sweat.. heavily, making it
harder for Yoshiki to keep hold of his head properly. Breathing a little heavier
he cringed, uncomfortable from the pain shooting up his spine. He tried to keep
from screaming, telling himself it wasn't the side effects of his powers, but that
it was Yoshiki's fault.
" LET go." hide screamed, trying to push Yoshiki off lightly, only to fail when he
lost strength in his own arms. "not again.. no.. not now." He whispered, trying to
tell himself he'd be ok. " It hasn't happened in ten years. WHY NOW?" he screamed
again.

" Shush hide." Yoshiki placed a hand on hide's forehead, "You've always had more
power, and with more power comes more responsibility.. and the downside to this
has always been its' side effects on you." Yoshiki softly spoke, " Your having
reactions to the barriers being taken down, the ones that held back your power.
One cannot live properly if not living to full potential."

"I did that so I wouldn't be in so much FUXXN' PAIN" hide growled, trying to move
as his shoulder began to spasm slightly. "I can't control any part of me. You
reawakened the one thing I could never control.. my telekinesis." He tried to stay
focused, but the pain was beginning to cloud his vision physically.

Yoshiki didn't like what he had to do, but he took advantage of the situation and
shut hide's eyes and dug further inside. "Shush. It's going to be ok." He softly
spread his fingers from hide's eyelids to firmly hold the other man's face.

- Flashback: November 2002 -

'hide! DON'T do this, you're spiralling downward.. you're taking yourself to the
one place you never WANTED to go to.' J screamed at hide from the other end of the
room, throwing his jacket down to the ground and snarling. 'You told all of us
when you got into this big political adventure, and started playing hero.. that
you'd NEVER give in to the darkness that everyone's got in his or her heart. You
promised us, you'd never give in to the critics. FOR FUCKS SAKES where is the man
we all know?'

'J.. shut up.' hide moved a hand to motion he'd had enough.

'No.' J replied.

'Shut up.. I don't have the strength or any more fuxxn' energy to deal with the
likes of you.' hide bluntly put it as he turned over in bed, dealing with a high
fever and spinal pain. 'Leave me be.'

'I can't give up on you. NONE of us can.' J yelled, sitting on the bed next to
hide and worrying. 'hide-nii...'

'Don't hide-nii me...' hide complained.

'Fuck you. Alright? If you want me to give up on you this quickly, then I'll do
so, but hear me out.. If you EVER need me again, you'll be lucky if I even cross
your path.. Because I'm in no fucking mood to put up with your evil-go-lucky
attitude.' J snarled childishly.

'Fine.. go.' Hide motioned for J to go as a tear ran down his face from his right
eye, he didn't know wether to say ne'ermind and ask for help, or to let him go..
and spiral down in to self-hell and die within the dark? 'j...?'

'hide-nii? ..." J sighed and turned around one last time before leaving, hoping
hide was just pulling one of his usual I'm sorry bits.

'Good luck in the rest of your life, you'll do well.' hide said, with a break in
his voice.

'Ahem.. giving me the final "FUCK YOU" and goodbye? Eh?' J responded, and sighed,
'Well, then.. good fucking luck to you too.. and maybe some day you'll stop being
such a martyrdom asshole and think of everyone you used to think about.. and come
back to being your normal self. Don't say I didn't warn you... I told you last
year you were taking too much shit on... So yea... fuck you too.'

'Sayonara.. j-kun.' hide nonchalantly responded, 'Please turn the lights off as
you leave.'

- End flash back 11-2002 -

"Calm down hide, you're with me. I won't let anything bad happen." Yoshiki softly
commanded.

"Fuxx you. You're only saying that because you know it's your own fault this
hurts." hide said, trying to stay awake.

"If you need to sleep, sleep. Your mind will still do its duty." Yoshiki
responded, passing a hand over hide's short brown hair noticing a slight change on
the right side. Confused as to how a non-shape shifter could change appearance was
a cloudy subject. hide once told him it was entirely possible for a telepath to
change appearance solely by the seat of their pants, and of course magic from the
astral plane. But was this how hide had hid under a disguise these last ten
years... and if so, how did the appearance beneath the guise not change at all?

A small gasp came from hide's lips, his right eye fluttering more than the left,
as if to fight the exhaustion and cause friction between planes of existence. Was
it that hide hid himself on the astral plane, to exist beneath the guise of the
darkest sector of his heart? To re-gather strength, and to come back when he
could? ... he would love to use that excuse.

Quickly growing like a stop motion camera filming a flower blooming in sunrise,
brightly colored hair moved down the right side of hide's face gracing an
underscore of black hair.

"Yochan..." hide softly called out..

"hide?!?" Yoshiki felt something from the call-out this time... something true
and, well maybe not pure... it certainly wasn't the black mass of tar that it was
earlier.

"...help Me." hide coughed a little, groaning a little as his shoulder moved back
into place after the spasms stopped.

"How?" Yoshiki only knew how to remind hide of who he was, not how to fix the
problem. He moved his hand across the side of hide's face, knowing at least half
of the man he was ... was back. For how long? ... that depends on how easy it is
to remove the 'tumour' from the patient.

" I .. I don't know yochan, I...... I only" hide had to stop for breath, "I only
know how you got me this far." He blinked a moment, groaning and throwing his head
back and twitching, his insides being torn almost like hurricane winds against a
small little budding tree by the coastline. "AGGH..." he screamed... if something
wasn't done soon... what little of the old hide that was shown... would be gone
forever.
"hide.. shhh." Yoshiki entered in again, as painful as it was, with each try it
was getting slightly easier than before.. a combination of arising tolerance, and
a chance of fixing the problem once again.

"... I knew I shouldn't of fucking trusted you..." hide's left eye busted open as
the other one lay cringing from the pain, "You're doing exactly as I expected
Yoshiki.. and you're only doing yourself damage."

Yoshiki ignored what seemed to be now proven... as hide's evil alter ego...
something that was stirring beneath the surface waiting to rip the spider's legs
off. He pushed further than before, being ever more careful not to permanently
damage the man's mind.

- Flashback: March 1990 -

' Fuxx .. Yosh.. I only did that last night cause I was drunk alright? Yochan..
shush, SHUT UP.. God, I let you fuck me once and already you're all over me like
we're together. You're my best friend Yoshiki, I don't want to ruin it with a
relationship.' hide said sternly looking into the slightly taller man's eyes and
patting him on the shoulders.

'What if I told you I felt it was meant to be?' Yoshiki replied softly, tilting
his head, showing emotion that burned hide to the core.

'What if I told you that I don't believe in that shit, and that we're only going
to end up the most miserable bastards ever if we get involved in more than we're
in already?' hide smirked, 'Besides.. Sugizo's been checking your ass out a bit
more lately..'

'Sugizo can go fuck some sheep in New Zealand, for all I care right now.. all I
want is you.' Yoshiki demanded.

'Look yochan, we're at the height of our busiest year.. it's almost January.. and
...' hide was interrupted.

'I get it, you're more interested in your career than a relationship right now...'
Yoshiki sighed and sat down next to hide.

'No, I'm more interested in keeping our relationship easy, free.. you know the
kiss rule? KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID! Yep.. that's the way I want our friendship,
simple easy and free as a bird.' hide poked Yoshiki in the arm and smiled,
'besides, if we keep it so simple.. we won't have to worry about who's cheating on
who now will we?' hide laughed, and stood up, moving his long multicoloured blonde
hair over his shoulder and entwining it between his fingers.

'I guess so..' Yoshiki sighed, knowing his friend was more than right.

- END FLASH BACK -

hide snarled, trying to push Yoshiki off, but once again failing as pain shot up
his left arm and through his temple. "Agh!! FUCK that hurt..."

- Flashback Sometime in 1995 -

'the name of God in vain you pushed me I'm insane...dissolution is knocking on my

door can't stop my bitter tears...oh take away my fears body and soul is blown up
into pieces!' Toshi wailed out into the microphone, struggling to hit the notes
after a hard week of battling laryngitis.
'FUCKING.. Toshi, that was horrible!' Yoshiki screamed from behind the control
room. 'From the top one more time.'

'Yochan.. leave him alone, he just got over laryngitis.' hide said, placing a hand
softly on Yoshiki's arm, 'Tosh, let's take five and chug some water .. and give
grumpy a time out.'

'Alright' Toshi nodded, snickering a little that hide was STILL defending people
after Yoshiki's anger started to show. It was like the pot calling the kettle
black some days with those two. 'So where is this.. water?'

'I didn't say I was going to FETCH you some fido, I said GO CHUG some' hide
smirked, throwing a water bottle at Toshi, 'lucky for you, I'm a selfless bastard
today and saved you a bottle.'

- END FLASH BACK -

"STOP THIS NOW." hide commanded, trying to fight off the light against the dark...
the inner demon losing to the outer one. "LEAVE ME BE" he screamed... just like he
had when everyone constantly bugged him about his change in demeanour... and
appearance.

Yoshiki said nothing, and kept on, moving closer to hide's feverish and spasm
wracked body... moving a hand behind and close to the small of the other man's
back. Holding him close enough to prevent him from damaging himself... due to the
uncontrollable epileptic-like spasms. Kissing him on the forehead, he shed a tear
for the pain this was causing the man.

"I can't ... I promised myself I wouldn't leave your side no matter how bad this
got." Yoshiki cried, hugging the man tightly..."hide.. you know I'm not doing this
to hurt you." Yoshiki softly smiled, and held him closer as he dug deeper.

- Flashback mid 80s -

'SAI! Damnit, will you stop fucking with the controls?' hide said smacking
Saitoh's fingers as the blonde man messed around with the control panel at the
recording studio. 'Do I have to send you back for a beating at j's place .. cause
I fuxxn' will this time!'

'Aight Aight.. fine.. I'll leave my little cos' be, obviously you're a bit too
grown up for me by now.' Saitoh said, patting the massive amount of hair on hide's
head.

'You're getting on my nerves, did dad send you here?' hide grumbled, picking his
guitar up and getting ready for practice. 'Because he knows I'm at saver tiger
practice.'

'No, I sent me. I need to see how good my cousin's getting..' Saitoh said ruffling
hide's hair and smiling. 'Besides, I gave you half the money to pay for that
guitar, I need to be reminded that you're as good as you say.'

'Look, there's a live tomorrow night .. don't come by the studio like this again
alright?' hide promptly responded, politely showing Saitoh the door, 'I'll make
sure you get in, they can be a tad picky at the clubs lately. Dress wild, dress
sleek.. and I'll see you at 8.' hide said as he pushed his cousin outside of the
door.
- End Flashback -

hide moved a hand toward Yoshiki's throat, trying to push the blonde haired man
back off from him. "I TOLD YOU TO FUCKING LEAVE ME ALONE!" he yelled, clasping his
fingers across the soft skin of the man in front of him. Holding tighter as if
biting on a towel to rid of pain, he began to create pressure across Yoshiki's
neck, almost as if to choke him. "Stop. NOW. Or Die."

"I'd die for you just for you to see who you are 'hide', you've been gone far too
long.. and I intend to win this battle." Yoshiki said trying to push hide back by
sheer will, and his other somewhat less free arm. "You will let go of me, and you
will let me live.. " he said shutting hide's eyes and grabbing the back of his
head, freely moving the dark haired man's face closer to his own. "... I told you
I love you once, and I still do." Yoshiki closed his own eyes and forced a
passionate kiss upon the man below him, almost as if it were 20 years ago to this
day.

- Flashback October 2003 -

'hide...' Yoshiki blinked as he stood in front of a man he just saw two months ago
at a party.. still the ol' pink haired fluff ball they all knew and loved.. or so
he thought. The man's hair was shorter than the grass on the back pad of hide's
new home just 10 minutes from his old high school.

'.. Hai Yosh?' hide's eyes didn't sparkle the same way, they were clouded and
tired almost straining to put up the appearance that everything was still ok.

'I'm getting very worried about you...' Yoshiki replied, poking slightly at hide's
hair out of concern, and personal habit.

'A-a-a... Don't touch the hair, it's a change.. ' hide didn't want to let on to
anyone what was wrong, but he knew Yoshiki was figuring it out just as fast as J
did the year before. He sighed, and grabbed Yoshiki's hand.. leading him into the
dining room where Saitoh was sitting waiting. 'Sit yosh, I have some explaining to
do.. I might as well let the cat out of the bag now.'

'... hide, what's wrong? I'm ..' he was interrupted immediately as hide sat down,
and calmly poised himself so neither of them would take him the wrong way.

' Hush. You both are family, one by blood, one by the sands of time.. I trust you
both, and I hope I can. Hai, there is something wrong, and I wish to speak about
it while I'm still all right enough to say it." hide's tone was different,
clearer.. not as nasal or raspy.. not the same cutesy pink spider he was months
before.

' to-chan, spill it.. ' Saitoh said, worried that anyone's fears about what was
going on, were true.

hide smiled, his jaw shaking a little as he began to cry slightly.. 'I'm not
dying, if that's what you're asking me, No, I've neglected to take care of myself,
as with anything the age old 'With great power comes great responsibility', comes
into play. This time, responsibility included learning to treat the physical side
effects that came with my abilities. I made a secretive mistake, which nearly
killed me mentally.. almost threw me into a catatonic state physically, and almost
caused me to permanently live on the astral plane.. As I've explained before,
that's that same plane of existence where telepaths can see spirits and such.'

' hide.. I- '

'Yosh, let me finish please.' hide smiled lightly, or at least tried to. 'This is
really hard to explain, not because I don't know how too.. but because I neglected
to get help for it.. and I'm so far into this, it's incurable.' he consciously
rubbed the back of his neck as he felt a shock of pain through the bottom of his
neck through his shoulders. ' I attempted the years I have been heavily involved
with the United Nations, and helping the world as much as I can.. ' coughing, he
got up for a moment and grabbed a small glass of water from the tap, and sat back
down to continue.

' I separated myself, from myself.. if you can understand what that means.. I
neglected to take care of any underlying problems, and just pushed on.. believing
I'd be alright. I have always had issues that needed to be sorted, and believing I
could ignore them was wrong.. and it's reflected upon my family, and my friends..
and I apologize.' hide's eyes slightly fluttered as he tried to ignore the neck
pain coming on. 'I did that believing I could ignore the mental, and physical pain
that has been inflicted from what you could call 'my gift' and 'my wretched
curse.' '

' But why ?.. hide-kun, I've known you since you were in your early twenties, you
could've come to me. This .. this attitude you've got.. your bouts of depression
and anger worry us, it's alright if yo need to see someone. ' Yoshiki vied for
hide for years to see someone, the minute he himself found out he had Bipolar, was
the moment he told hide to see someone just for reassurance, maybe nothing was
wrong.. but something needed sorting out.

' It's a little late for that. My new business building in the middle of the
business district, I've set up a way out if I become sicker than this. There's a
similar room set up in smaller ways, in my house in Yokosuka, my Apartment in
lower Kyoto and the apartment I've had since I've been in the band. IF I get
sicker, I have two sets of keys extra for each place, wherever you are at this
point in time.. please take me to one. If at all possible, take me to every single
one.. remind me of whom I am, because I know I've started to lose this. ' hide
sighed, ' but thank you Yochan, you're caring.. I'm glad you're caring.. '

' To-chan, why the fuck .. why didn't you just tell one of us something was going
on? ' Saitoh complained wildly, taking his glasses off and rubbing his eyes.

' I couldn't at the time, I didn't understand what was and is going on. ' hide
softly replied, looking down for a moment, ' Look, take the keys, both of you,
they're in an envelope with a handwritten letter to myself. Use it when you feel
you need to. I owe you both my life, and many others.. I don't know how to repay
you for all you've done for me as it is..'

' Look hide, I'm your cousin. I grew up with you.. when you were an exchange
student overseas.. I helped you out when my parents and I moved out there. I
helped buy you the guitar you used in your first major band, I helped you put a
down payment on your first major car.. Mind you .. you could afford it, but I
bought that car as a present to you for your 21st birthday..' Saitoh replied,
moving a hand through his hair.. cut similar to the way hide used to cut his.

'I know, and I'm grateful.' hide smiled, his left hand shaking a bit.

' You're an adult hide, like the rest of us.. we can't control you. We won't,
we'll respect your decisions, we don't agree nor do we like it.. but if it has to
be it will.' Yoshiki sighed, he wanted to just hold onto hide and beg him to stop
what he was doing.. but it all went down to a decision they agreed on years ago. A
decision that hasn't helped keep his heart from burning for all these years.

'Just promise me, you both.. you'll do this for me if things get too bad. That you
won't let me forget who I am.. and should be.' hide nervously laughed and tried to
hold his left hand and keep it from shaking, but it was ever apparent that this
wasn't just a shake.

' hide... ' Yoshiki called out lightly.

' Yoch.. Yoshiki, I'm fine.. ' hide bit his lip and tried to smile, waving his
hand lightly at the blonde. He stood up lightly and walked to a desk near the
table they were all at, and placed two envelopes on a table. "Take them, please. I
beg of you.'

' To-chan, this .. this isn't like you, this is why we're all worried.. ' Saitoh
asked with an eyebrow raised, he was confused as how such a thing could change a
man so much in such record time. ' You've put your guitars aside, your music
aside.. and you've taken a new side to life, we'll always be proud of your
successes, but we'll also be hellishly worried if you get in a pinch, or somehow
manage to fail. We're here, if you want we can help you out of this now.. rather
than worry about the later.'

'NO.' hide demanded, slamming a hand on the table. 'Sorry.. it's just, no.. I
can't.'

Yoshiki sighed, almost ready to cry for what was being shown in front of his face,
he couldn't stand to see such a sight go on. Almost ready to nearly give up, he
sighed and looked to Saitoh, and placed a hand on top of his, 'Let's be realistic
here Saitoh, there are just things right now he needs to do on his own.' he was
lying for hide's sake, not wanting to do anything about fixing it now. 'Let's do
what he says, and let him rest for the day..'

'Yosh, if you're doing this because you're trying to stop a fight, you're
foolish.' Saitoh snarled lightly.

Yoshiki looked straight into Saitoh's eyes and glared, using his own telepathy to
remind Saitoh that it wasn't worth it to mess with hide right now. Speaking
outside the mind once again he looked back toward hide, 'we will care constantly,
and be by your side if you need anything. Until then, we will do as you say.'

hide sadly smiled, leaving a telepathic note to Yoshiki how much he needed to do
this on his own, and no matter how much he may fail. 'Arigatou, and sayonara.'

'Sayonara punk..' Saitoh's eyebrows furrowed, his mouth pouting and on that note,
he stood up and crossed his arms, attempting to keep himself from throwing his arm
blades out and attacking his cousin.

'Sayonara sai-kun.' hide said, a nervous and anxious look upon his face as the two
left his home.

- End Flashback -
hide's left eye closed, and the right one opened once again .. "Yochan... the
key." he uttered, reminding Yoshiki of the key he and Saitoh were given ten years
ago.

Yoshiki nodded, "But.. how will I get you there?" he was unsure of how this would
work, the alter ego nearly winning the game at this point he would literally have
to knock hide out to drive him to his large office building. He searched for a way
to convince him that it was easier than it looked, that he could just take hide
while the alter ego was on the downplay and run.

"Take. the car.. get Saitoh." hide cringed, commanding Yoshiki immediately... if
this wasn't done soon things were about to get really heavily dangerous.

"..hide-kun, just stay with me." Yoshiki bit his upper lip, whilst trying to pick
the other man up in his arms, and using his telekinesis to help soften the burden.
Running through the shop, ignoring the others around him and the staff wondering
what was going on. He dashed toward the stairwell, and ran up to the floor in
which Saitoh's office was on.

".. hurry." hide's right eye fluttered, it was becoming harder and harder to stay
awake and to the point. He wasn't sure how much longer he had before things would
become entirely worse. People were stopping and staring at them as Yoshiki rushed
him up the stairs and across into Saitoh's office.

"I'm trying hide.. I'm trying." Yoshiki said, running down the halls and trying to
frantically find the office where Saitoh was located, hoping he hadn't gone home
for the day. "Please be there," he whispered as he rushed by each door in a
frantic mess. Stopping in front of a door labelled 'UN COMMUNICATIONS: YOKOSUKA
PORT' he sighed for a moment hoping to god the man he was looking for hadn't left
for the day. He knocked frantically - almost giving up until an unlocking noise
had been heard and a familiar face opened the door.

"... hide." Saitou said as he opened the door and noticed a pink haired man in
Yoshiki's arms. He collected himself, he figured this was some sort of trick -
after all it wasn't yesterday he changed for the worse it was years ago.
" ... key." hide uttered as he began to lose control all over again of what was
going on in his own head.

"Key. KEY? ... KEY! ... Shit, I never expected to need that." Saitou frantically
ran inside the office and tore through his desk for the envelope. "Key for the
car, and key for the place. The place.." Crossing over to several different
drawers in the desk, he realized the key wasn't in the desk. He frantically
searched his pockets for his key ring and flipped through to see if it was on
there. Luck was either about to strike, or run out if he didn't act soon - trick
or no trick - he was given the prime opportunity to use the key on his cousin.

"Is it on there?" Yoshiki asked with a nerve struck voice.

"Yes well - it should be. Uhm-give .. give me a minute I'm getting confused as to
which key is my car key, my house key and the key to his thing." Saitou blinked
frantically for a moment. Something was confusing him - he knew what key it was a
minute ago and now he didn't.

".. what you think off the bat I'm going to just sit here and let you three win
and foil my plans?" the brown hair returned, and hide's evil streak came back with
a vengeance. The telepathy forced its way through Saitou's mind like a fast-acting
flesh-eating virus - creating a diversion so strong it would take death or another
strong telepath to break it.
"I can't fucking see what key it is." Saitou exclaimed loudly - he couldn't even
see what was going on with hide.

"That's it.. just fumble around. That's all you ever did - that's all you'll ever
do." the voice was as callus and cold as anyone could have expected, yet worse
when it was scratching across the blackboard in a family member's mind.

" Fumble? ... Always? ..." Saitou's distraction was miscalculated, and his gold-
tinged irises gave way to a flood of gold ink-like influx over each eye. "You're
calling me a failure?"

"Yes. I Am." hide smirked evilly - and brought pain to Yoshiki as he stood on his
own two feet, and Yoshiki's. "You've never been worth anything to anyone in the
whole wide world. Now give me the keys."

"No, those keys are not yours." Saitou exclaimed loudly as the gold gave way to
pure white and his arm-blades slid out quickly and were instantly held up towards
the other man's neck like knives ready to slit a throat.

"Playful. Yet so wrong, maybe instead of waiting for world war three to come to
kill you - maybe I'll just get rid of you both right here and now." hide snarled
as the blades touched his neck lightly. "You're too stupid to even slash my neck
open Sai-kun .. how do you think you'd even know what vein to slash?"

"You think that I'm that inferior to someone like you that I wouldn't know where
to slash? Don't get me wrong, I know all the good places to start poking at to see
how fresh the blood is." Saitou moved the blade closer, almost like he already was
cutting through the flesh - but not quite.

"Inferior is just a keyword in the scrabble game, you're all of the above my
lovely and wonderful cousin." hide darted his eyes towards Saitou's, taunting the
man further and further to breaking points.

"You just want me to kill you, fast and quick so you don't have to be saved from
yourself." Saitou raised an eyebrow.

"Mm.. maybe, maybe I'm just having you on - maybe I don't want to die.. maybe I
want you to wait a few minutes to kill me? Maybe, I'll make your head spin so far
that you'll kill yourself!" he wittingly replied, he was getting tired of Saitou's
games quickly, and was neither here nor there about his cousin's life.

"... You'll have to find a way around my arm blades to-chan, because I can't trust
that you won't kill me first in this situation." Saitou pressed closer to the
skin, not yet breaking it but causing fear and pain to the victim beneath the
blades. His trust in his own family left when hide started this bullshit over a
decade ago, he was always begged by Yoshiki to have a bit more faith in the
broken-hearted man and to keep him at arms-length. "You know damn well I haven't
trusted you in a decade, and it really doesn't matter what you really want now
does it? You'll get it in the end anyways."

".. Saitou a fool you are, you cannot assume the wants or needs of a man like me,
you're too thick-headed and sex-driven to even bother." hide vindictively replied.

Saitou slicked the arm blades back, and took the correct key from the key ring and
placed it with force atop hide's nose. "A fool I am, to assume you'd ever listen
to any of our warnings." he then removed the key from the keying and placed it in
a safe pocket on his shirt.
"We will be going now Hideto, I believe it's in your best interest to come with
us." Yoshiki sternly replied, looking over his former best friend with a sadness
and feeling of regret. "I just regret that this may not cure your problem."

"Always second guessing, but never missing the point. And what makes you think I
would wish to come with -

"Stuff it kid, I'm done listening to your fucking babble, thick-headed or not I'm
in charge of your care, always have and always will be - so shut the fuck up and
come with." Saitou interrupted by striking hide unconscious. His moves were
frightening and filled with frustration. Leaving most to believe and wonder if the
attacked victim was still ok or not.

"SAITOU!! What the ... what was that for?" Yoshiki yelled.

"One must act on