Toya
We arrive at the camp and Rei is still upset. She doesn't show it but she's really regretting bringing the kids here.
Kaiya arrives with her father and smiles seeing her friend, she immediately walks away with him, and Rei doesn't even say anything about her ignoring the triplets.
Rei and Kaiya have been fighting a lot lately, I don't know about what though.
I stand in front of Rei and she looks away, "It's not too late to change our minds."
"What will they do cooped up in the house all day?" She protests reacting by flipping her hands in the air carelessly, before huffing in frustration.
I lean in and look her in the eyes, "Okay, I didn't want to tell you, but I promise I asked someone to watch out for the kids, so just know they'll be safe."
She smiles at me, there's the smile I love. Damn idiot stressed me out for weeks.
A bus arrives and it's all the children from the centre. This has Riden written all over it. Rei looks at him and he winks back at her, tch, I don't think he needs that eye anymore, I'll help him get rid of it one of these days.
"Figured there was safety in numbers." He says and Rei gives me a hug before running into his arms and hugging him too. That makes my chest burn so bad I want to burn something.
"Daddy, you're burning. Stop that." Astrid says taking a step away. The boys didn't feel anything, but I guess as someone with a low temperature it would be expected of her to feel it when the temperature around her space increases.
"Sorry princess. I won't do that again."
I look at Rei with Riden and I can't help it, my blood just boils all the time. I hate his guts all over again, and I was starting to think we were friends, I wish I could kill him, but it would be useless, Kaiya can still bring him back.
I would also be wasting the chance to bring my mother back.
~
Kai
"I was so anxious I couldn't even eat or sleep. It was really bothering me. Well, I should get going, you have a flight to catch." She walks away and gets in the car with Toya.
I drive to my fathers house, I haven't been here since he died. The compound reminded me so much of him I couldn't even stand to be in here.
I make a call to Kendo who arrives after an hour.
"What do you need boss?"
"We're moving out. I located the Ryoshi stronghold. We simply check it out then we'll wipe them out at another time. I plan to bring things to the way they were. I need these people out of the way.
"The underground is falling apart. No underground means no Hanafuda, by the way, be careful who you trust from now on, not even our old friends can be trusted now."
"Alright. Should I organise troops?"
"No, just me and you, let's go."
We get in the car and catch a plane to east japan. I haven't seen lake Biwa since Kaiya's second birthday. I should bring her back here soon. I doubt she remembers it, but how could I forget. It was the day I was so careless she went missing and I nearly lost my mind looking for her.
Found her by the car. She was always so good with memory, that's how I knew she took after her mother in power.
A disappointment of a mother she turned out to be. I try to get Kaiya to talk about her, but she deflects by talking about Rei. I need her to open up a little to me, I hate feeling like she's drifting away. It's like we've never been close before.
She's a totally different person now. I hate it. I was not prepared for this. Not at all. Why'd she have to go and grow up, I wanted her to stay my little girl a little while longer, now she's texting boys, giving her mother attitude, and borderline making me wish I could lock her up somewhere forever, this is too much for me.
Kaiya please, slow it down, you'll have your chance to leave and see the world, but I don't want you running from me. We're drifting apart, it feels like a nightmare that haunts me in my dreams, only, I am awake the whole time.
We arrive in Honshu and I get a room to spend the night. Early morning I get a call from Kaiya smiling at me.
"Hey dad, first day was kind of boring. I called a bunch of times and you didn't answer I was a bit worried. You okay?"
"Yes, I'm traveling actually, since you get to travel I decided I would do the same."
"Oh yeah, good for you. You won't believe who's here dad."
"Who?"
"Mom, the other one, the one I don't like. She's a camp advisor. I nearly lost it seeing her again," she turns around and turns back to me, "Gotta go, bye. Love you dad."
"I love you too."
I hang up and my hands are glued to the phone, ever since her mother left there are words I have never heard Kaiya say ever.
I love you.
I can't believe that after so long she would say it. It's not a complete I love you, but it's a start. Its better then nothing.
My door opens and Kendo looks at me, "You were right, I have been talking to some of the guys and most of them are starting to talk about how things are better this way. Only the desperate ones want things to go back to the way things were."
"it's fine, it's the desperate ones I need. Leave those who even hinted that they don't want to come back to the Hanfuda alone. If they start talking to the wrong people, wipe them out."
"Cool, we'll head out in the evening. Just came to check on you, called Rei yet?" He asks the question but does not stick around for an answer, what is he scheming?
I call Rei and she picks up the phone at the last second, "Hey you."
"Rei, you won't believe it. Kaiya said I love you to me."
She gasps dramatically mocking me, "She says that all the time."
"Not to me, she hasn't said that to me since her mother left. I think she blamed me for it, I really don't know."
"Really? Why didn't you tell me about it?"
"Because I didn't want you talking to her about it. I was waiting for this moment, I wanted her to say it because she meant it, and because she has forgiven me. That's why it means so much to me."
"Oh." That's all she says, I can't see her face and that's a little frustrating, but I have some business to take care off, so I'll hang up.
"Talk to you later."
"Night." Toya says hanging up.
I wake up in the evening and we drive to Takashima, they Ryoshi are meeting somewhere around here, eventually we find out they are located at Shirahige shrine.
We walk into the shrine and I can see the Ryoshi sympathisers have already arrived.
Kendo looks around and crosses his arms. We join the Ryoshi sympathesiers and a woman looks at me directly, she's giving me that angry look. That all too familiar glare, must have killed her loved one, or something like that.
"What are you doing here? Your father was a Yakuza leader. I remember growing up in fear because your family."
Everyone looks at me and I cross my arms, "I guess you're just a discrimination club after all, here I was thinking that anyone who agrees with your cause would be accepted."
"I will never accept you, you cannot be trusted." Her tone is so bitter, she should know she's starting to have prominent frown lines, they do not flatter her at all.
"I'll be taking my leave now." I stand up and walk away. I have all the recording I need.
Kendo follows behind me. This is just perfect, I have an interview with Japans largest magazine. Yomiuri Shimbun. I will form a crack and break their foundation. They will regret this.
Kendo drives me to the news station and waits outside. I sit in the chair and the interviewer sits down getting ready to ask me some actions.
She's mostly more interested in my daughter. That's fine. I'll add a second free interview. I have done my research about the Ryoshi, everything about them was mostly clean, until 2 years ago, they needed funds to push their agenda, so I found out they've got some illegal cash in the works.
Though, I can't expose them for that, I'll give it time. Someone else will always get the job done for you. I know they are interfering in a lot of people's affairs.
Toya disbanded the Domei before they found out who runs it, so he's in the clear. I took his advice and now my men are working in construction and office. Didn't realise how much more productive that is, but the money is slow.
Many of them are complaining about the pay, but it's either that or prison.
"Mr Riden? Are you still with me? You seem a little far from here."
I look at her, "Sorry, I was just at a shrine and I found some Ryoshi people there, a woman singled me out and I just have been touched by what she said. The Ryoshi are saying their responsible for the disbanding of many Yakuza organisations.
"They should equally be held accountable for the increase in crime. I was actually there because I mean, they sound like they're doing society a favour and now I don't think so. I mean, maybe my opinion is biased because I was offended by what she said, but I don't think I agree with their ideals.
"They just came into the picture and didn't even follow correct protocol. The Ryoshi started out as an illegal vigilante organisation, and for them to threaten organizations that the goverment couldn't even deal with so easily. I smell something bad.
"What do these people know that would threaten so many organizations? I mean, the woman knew my father was a yakuza, something that the people shouldn't know. She didn't even bother asking what my life was like growing up in a family like that.
"Whatever the Ryoshi say they stand for, it's a lie. They're just a hate group. Anyone who hates the yakuza just joins the club to talk about it and spread lies, I mean, what if my daughter is now attacked by Ryoshi sympathisers because they think they have the right to.
"Mob justice has never worked before, it won't start today. Their no different from those Anti-Meta's groups treating children like trash because they fear us. I honestly hate the unrest hovering over our country, this is not the time for clubs like the Ryoshi to be getting so much attention.
"As a man in business, I can certainly say that all this unrest will hit the economy in such a way that it will deteriorate. Crime will go up by more then 100%. People will lose their jobs, death tolls will sky rocket. Suicide rates will rocket. All hell will break loose."
She looks at me with her mouth wide open, "Okay, so does that have anything to do with your companies stocks going up?"
"Yes, I am well aware of what's coming. So I decided to take care of my people. I need to make sure they have security of jobs, but the pay is not what I would want to give them. I would suggest that society starts preparing for the worst if they won't put a stop to Ryoshi and stop the protesting."
"What are your views on the police department and their handling of protests."
"Well, I'm a meta, as such, I would never agree with how cool the police department is with all this violence. Meta's are being treated as the enemy, but check around you, they are the ones saving people and deterring crime. 90% of criminal acts are committed by non-meta's, so the police are a biased incompetent work force."
"Wow, well, uhm. Our time is up, thank you for having this meeting with us. Have a nice day."
Quick and professional. That's why their the only paper I ever bother with.
"Thank you to you too."
I leave the building and the woman from earlier is no longer looking at me like garbage, serves her right. I smile her way and get in my car.
Kendo and I drive back to the lake. We get on the boat and we enjoy the open water, this feels so perfect. Once we reach our destination I dive to the underwater factory.
This is my main base of operation. Here we manufacture the upgrade drug.
It's a drug that makes a persons power temporarily power up. It may be early but soon these will hit the market. I have been working on this for three years, I won't have this Ryoshi group get in the way of the drugs debute.
The good thing about it is that with a sample of Rei's blood in the mixture it actually makes the power boost slightly permanent every time you use it, but that ones more expansive. Rei was under the impression the drug is for hospitals.
I already distributed that drug to hospitals. 30% of my people work in factories manufacturing that drug. It's honestly a simple pill with a meta gene inside it. It's designed to make peoples meta abilities that are dormant rise to the surface.
The moment meta's are the majority in society all this rioting will end. My daughter will live in a safe world.
"How long until Upgrade X is ready?" I ask taking off the diving suit.
"Those ones have been ready for a while, they barely take a week. You'd be surprised just how well a drop of the blood can do, I know you gave us the dosage, but we reduced the dose due to rarity of supply of the serum, it's really strong, that dosage was just too much."
He shows me the complete drug, it's a pretty thick pill. I take it and swallow, I feel electricity, though it's only something I would sense knowing what Rei's power is.
I get a tour of the factory. After an hour I feel like my blood is rushing.
"You're one reckless leader, what if I poisoned you? What if I lied about that one being Upgrade X?"
I smile, "You wouldn't be in charge in my absence if I didn't trust you. Well done, get ready for distribution. I need you to stop doing the sales in person, we're being investigated, I can't have you arrested, you're the only one I trust to handle this operation safely. You know too much."
"Sure boss."
We go through the clients list. I cut out the names I don't trust, "Only supply these people with Upgrade X, I don't trust the others." I check the list for the ordinary upgrade and not a single person on the list can be trusted, "Don't sell to any of these people, take it to the streets, once word spreads about it, we can ask them for up to 400% profit."
"Sure boss. I already have a territory ready, should I give you the sellers list?"
"Yes, I know I'm over taking your work, it's just this is too critical a time. I can't just generalise on who I can and can't trust yet."
"I understand boss," He scratches the back of his neck, "Toya Hiryu really wants the product. He offered a really good price for a really small amount."
He passes along the quote, "Sure, but never sell him the Upgrade X, and don't sell this one under the Hanafuda name. Just don't give the organisation a name. A name is always attached to a person, and I think they're hunting us down, really hunting us down."
"I've been cooped up down here for so long, I really didn't think the situation was that bad."
"Oh, it is." I make a call for Kendo to join us. He arrives with the bags and I have them distributed, "From now on I want you all to work wearing these suits. I have had reports from employees who previously worked here. The drugs are not harmful but they are not harmless either. It's just small colds and light headaches, but I won't take chances with even something as minor as those headaches.
"Most of you have brought up the issue of money being really low, I know, but I can't over pay you like before. That's why I was using backdoor money links to pay you, all those operations need to be halted.
"You'll get a pay raise, I'll just need you to move a little closer to the work place. My team already has an artificial island in the works. It will be close to the facility, so start packing your bags, if you have family, they can move to the island with you.
"It's already passed the two years test, so it's ready to be used. I'm sure you've seen it already, just didn't know it was your future home. It'll be ready for occupancy within a month."
"Really? Wow, you're really patient, I even forgot about that." Kendo says and I shrug my shoulders.
"I'd rather it take time and be a long term investment that will yield results then a fast mess that will blow up in my face. This is the perfect time. No one will question where all the funds are coming from."
"When can I start?" Nero asks.
"The sooner the better, let's just go through the dealers list, we're still working with outsiders right?"
"Yes sir, they're all pretty close friends of mine. I sort of didn't know others with experience at pushing this kind of drug, but these guys are well connected, they are a sure investment, none of them would ever run to the police, they're hiding from them.
"I Wanted man who are really desperate, offered them the job at a super low pay grade, they still said yes, they'll be surprised when the money comes up. I definitely didn't pick just anyone."
"That's why I can sleep with both eyes closed when you're in charge. I'll let the numbers do the talking from now on, good?"
"Yeah, but there's something I've heard that I think you should know, I've heard this in over 3 prefactures. It's about that Rei woman, I noticed that you guys were closed so I thought I should let you know, maybe it's nothing serious, but hearing about it from everywhere had me suspicious, but there are people who know I would tell you if I knew something, so it could be a trap I did not fail to keep that factor in mind."
"What's up?"
"It's Ise, he's been talking a lot about her. In Miyagi when I was there, he was there. Coincidentally so was Toya, the rumour was that she would be coming along, but she didn't show, I over heard him speaking to his father, the Ise want something.
"She's in danger, what's worse though is that the third time I bumped into them, I heard a name. Astrid, don't know who that is, but they were pretty adamant about how important she is because she's close t Rei."
"What did they say about her, and why would they be talking about her on several occasions?"
"It's Tensai, he's the traitor. I told Cat first so he could find out the truth since their so close, and he confirmed it. Tensai has been sharing valuable information with Ise. I managed to lie to him about the serum, but if he keeps poking around like he has we'll be in trouble."
I nod my head, "I'll take care of him. In the meantime, keep what you know to yourself. I will have you relocated soon. If they think you know too much, they'll come after you, moving you when operations are hot will take the target off your back. As for Ise, I'll leave it to the Hiryu's."
"Okay."
I get back to the hotel and call Toya.
"The Ise are targeting Rei and Astrid, do something Asap." I hang up and check my phone. I have so many missed calls from Kaiya. She must be furious with me. That's not good.
Wait, shouldn't access to the outside be cut off?