New Chapter! This is actually pretty quick (For me at least) between chapters). Thank you for all the lovely comments and support.

Karma trusted the phrase 'desperate times call for desperate measures' and that was exactly the situation he was in right now.

He was crouched outside the Asano house, watching intently with narrowed mercury eyes. He was hyper aware of the hunting knife pressed against his leg. He had tried to think of other options, really he had. But Gakushuu was right, going to the police would be futile, it would just cause Nagisa pain without getting any it hadn't happened wasn't an option. Nagisa still wasn't safe, the Chairman could do it again. What if Gakushuu really did decided he'd had enough and ran away? So there was only one thing left that Karma could do to punish Gakuhou Asano and keep Nagisa safe.

He had to kill him.

Karma, of course, had never killed anyone before. But he was sure that he could, after all, isn't killing someone to protect the one you love natural? Ordinary people can become soldiers and kill people, surely Karma could do the same. That's all he was, really, a solider carrying out his mission. Or a surgeon cutting out the cancer before it infected the rest of the body. What he was about to do was a logical conclusion that anyone would come to. Karma just had the conviction to do it.

With itching hands, he waited until all the lights had been switched off, then silently started creeping towards the house.

He already pretty much knew the layout of the home- one silver lining from that creepy sleepover he'd been forced to attend.

Holding his breath, he reached the basement window. This was it, no going back now. His heart hammering in his chest, he smashed the glass with the back of his foot. This was the window furthest away from the bedrooms. The one least likely to alert the sleeping residents. He tried to muffle the sound the best he could, but in the sound of shattering glass still pierced the silence of the night jarringly. Karma waited a few seconds, but no lights came on, he heard no movement from inside the house. With nearly-shaking hands, he put his arm through the broken glass and pulled the window open, then slipped through it into the basement. It was near pitch-black, and Karma wished he'd brought a torch, he could just about make out the stairs leading to the rest of the house, slowly, trying not to trip over anything, he crept towards it.

He tried to hold his breath as he climbed up the stairs. This would be easy, he could make it look like a home invasion gone wrong. If all goes to plan, he'd get off scott-free, if not.. jail time for murder was a small price to pay to keep Nagisa safe.

He went up the stone steps painfully slow in order to avoid making any noise. He crept upwards on his hands and knees, his heart beating so hard he felt sure the inhabitants of the house could hear it. He pushed open the basement door just a slither and peered into the kitchen.

Gakuhou Asano was right in front of him.

Karma almost gasped out loud- mere feet away from him, his target was sat at the kitchen table, facing away from him. His form was illuminated by the artificial light emanating from his laptop screen.

Karma suddenly wanted to throw up. Seeing Gakuhou so close, close enough he could hear him breath, felt surreal. Karma suddenly fully understood that he was about to kill another human. He wanted to leave.

But he couldn't. He was a solider.

Pushing his apprehension to the back of his mind, Karma crept forward swiftly, moving as quickly and as quietly as he could, pulling his knife out as he moved.

This was it.

All too quickly, he was right behind the man, he pulled the knife back and went to plunge it right into his neck.

Then suddenly, the Chairman turned around, mouth parted in shock, his eyes locking with Karma's.

There was a scuffle as Karma attempted to stab him and the Chairman grabbed his wrist. Karma felt his knife slice into the other's flesh before it was forced from his hand, and suddenly there was blood everywhere.

"Fucking bastard!" Karma hissed, noticing the palm of his own hand had been cut also.

The Chairman was strong. Stupidly strong, even after being sliced by a knife. Karma fought desperately against him, but soon felt himself being overpowered, a punch to the gut left him wheezing. The next thing he knew, he was being pulled over the kitchen counter.

And that was when Gakushuu walked in.

Both Karma and the Chairman froze for a second, as did Gakushuu, all three of them staring at each other in silence. It was the Chairman who broke it.

"Asano. Call the police." He said simply, sounding far too emotionless for the current situation. He maintained his iron-tight grip on Karma, who continued to struggle. He had been pulled into the disadvantageous position were his back was lying against the counter and his feet dangling above the floor leaving him unable to find purchase, with the Chairman looming directly over him. Having the Chairman so close, touching him, made him feel physically disgusted.

Asano might of replied, but Karma didn't hear because he was too busy thrashing around and attempting to escape- why hadn't he beenfaster! The Chairman could be dead now! He attempted in vain to wrench an arm free or to kick him, and when he was unable to, he started spitting. "Let me go- I'll fucking kill you- "

"Asano. I said call the police NOW." The Chairman shouted, a glob of saliva dripping down his chin.

"Oh yes Asano. Please do. We can have a nice long chat with the police about what you're Dads been up to." Karma said through gritted teeth, his voice pure venom. The Chairmans eyes widened in shock.

"What are you inferring, Akabane- "

"I know. I know all of it. I know what you did to Nagisa- I know what you do to your own son, you sick fuck." Karma hissed, eyes burning with hatred. He didn't have any sort of plan, he felt like a cornered animal, doing whatever he could to harm his attacker physically or mentally. "So please. Call the police, and I'll be happy to spill my guts to them and anyone else."

"What have you told him?" The Chairman shouted- actually shouted- at Asano, who was looking on, horrified.

"Nothing." Asano said quickly. "He's just jumping to conclusions, he has no proof of anything-!"

"I have your suicide note." Karma replied, coldly, he couldn't help but feel a small sliver of satisfaction at the look of confusion on the Chairmans face.

"Asano, what suicide note?"

"Oh, he didn't tell you what he was doing last night- "

"Akabane shut up!" Asano roared.

"He wasn't just doing it just for show either, he really would of thrown himself off that bridge if I hadn't pulled him off- "

"Shut up!" Asano shouted again, storming over, looking as if he wanted to smother Karma. It wasn't him who Karma wanted to upset, it was the Chairman. He wanted to make him understand some way, some how what an awful human being he was, that he'd driven his own son to attempt suicide.

"So go on. Call the police. I have even more to tell them." Karma threatened. He very much doubted he could get the Chairman convicted of anything, but this was all he had left.

The Chairman didn't speak for a moment, he was looking between his son and Karma, clearly shocked by what Karma had just told him on multiple levels.

"I'm not calling the police. A dangerous home-invader broke into my house and tried to kill me- no, tried to kill my son- whatever happened next was self-defense." He said, in a cold, deliberate voice. Karma's blood ran cold. He was suddenly very aware of the knife, lying inches away from the Chairman's hand on the kitchen counter-top.

"What are you trying to say ?-" Asano questioned. Before either of the two high-schoolers could react, the Chairman grabbed the knife, Karma winced, surprised when he didn't feel it plunge into his chest. Then he heard Asano cry out in pain.

"Dad! What the hell- " Asano was holding his upper arm, a dark red stain growing beneath his fingers.

"Take the knife." The Chairman commanded. Asano did that without question, probably glad to have it out of his maniac father's hands. The blade had a mixture of Karma, the Chairman and now Asano's blood on it.

"Of course," The Chairman continued. "Being so brutally attacked by a man trying to kill him, my son had to retaliate in self-defence- he didn't realize it was one of his fellow students."

"What?" Asano gasped.

"Come on. Do you need me to spell it out for you?" The Chairman mocked. "Just make sure you aim perfectly for his heart. It can't be ruled self-defence if you have to stab him twice."

Karma knew exactly what this mad man intend to do. Terror ran through him, his struggling increased even more, his whole body was starting to ache from being in such an uncomfortable position. He'd made the stupid mistake of underestimating the depths of this man's evil.

"Asano, I know what this bastards done to you. You should hate him more than anyone. Don't let him play you like a puppet." Karma said, trying to catch the others eye. "You can be more than just his victim mph-"

Karma was cut off when a hand went over his mouth, the Chairman had moved so his knee was on one of Karma's wrists, pressing it painfully against the hard surface.

"Do it!" The Chairman demanded. Asano still didn't move.

"I- I don't think this is the best course of action. We could get in trouble. It's too risky."

"I'm friends with the chief of police. My lawyers are world-class. You know this."

"So let him go to the police. We both know a scribbled note won't be enough to convict you of anything- " Asano argued. The Chairman shook his head

"And risk our reputation? Think about it. Do you really want everyone in the school to find out? What would they think of their fearless leader then?"

Asano looked down at the floor at that, face burning red, the thought alone looked intolerable to him. He still made no move to stab Karma, much to the others relief.

"You know when I crashed the car- this is why. All we can do is hurt other people. Even bastards like Akabane don't deserve this." Gakushuu hissed. "I'm sick of your twisted games as I'm sick of living like this."

"Things have been.. turbulent.. lately." The Chairman said, fixing his son a sincere look. "I really don't want you to be hurting yourself anymore. I've realised I may of been keeping the leash too tight. You aren't a child anymore, you're nearly a man and I should start to respect you as such. I want to give you more freedom. Let's put this nasty business from the past few weeks behind us. Starting with getting rid of Akabane- this all began because he hit you in class, right? He's the one who started this all."

Asano looked more surprised by that little heartwarming speech than he did about any of the other crazy shit that had happened in the past five minutes. To Karma's horror, he actually looked.. moved.. by it.

"All I've ever wanted is for you to treat me like a human being- don't use me, don't torture me, let me have proper relationships with other people." Asano said, the knife was still held loosely in his hand, blood flowing freely from his arm. Karma was sure if he could free a hand he could grab the weapon off him. He paused. "That's a lie. What I've really wanted is more than that. I wanted a normal Dad who loved me and was proud of me and never wanted to hurt me."

"But you aren't normal. You're an Asano. We're better than normal." The Chairman said, hand still clamped tightly over Karma's mouth. "I never want to hurt you. I just wanted you to be strong. Everything I did, I did out of love. But now isn't the time for that conversation. Stab Akabane. Then we can move on."

Asano stood still, knife still held loosely between his fingers, his face a picture of indecision. Karma's heart beat rapidly in his chest. He couldn't believe he might never see Nagisa again, there was so much more he wanted to do with him.

"Fine, I suppose if you want a job done properly, do it yourself. This would of been less messy if a minor did it, but you leave me no choice." The Chairman said coldly. "Seeing my son injured by the home-invader, paternal instinct took over- "

The hand was removed from Karma's mouth and he reached for the knife.

"You think you'll get away with this! You'll rot in prison you murdering, rapist piece of shit!" Karma shouted at the top of his lungs, hoping someone could hear him, hoping there was some way out of this impossible situation.

"I need you to give me the knife." The Chairman promoted again, more sharply this time. Gakushuu looked at his father then at Karma, he no longer looked distressed, he had that same unhinged look in his eyes as the time he'd dared Karma to break his arm. It was unsettling. His hold on the knife was no longer loose, instead, he had a strong, resolute grip on it. Karma once again attempted to catch his eye.

"Asano. Please. I know you hate me, but- I know you're better than this." Karma begged.

"You've brought this upon yourself." Gakushuu said, before lunging forwards. Karma once again winced, expecting the knife to be drove through his heart but for a second time, no contact was made.

He heard the sick, squelching sound of a knife penetrating flesh, and looked up to see Gakushuu holding the knife, driving it right into the Chairmans back.

The Chairman's eyes were wide and bulging. There was a look of pure shock on his face.

"Gakushuu..?" He gasped, his grip on Karma loosening as he slid off the counter top onto the floor.

Karma lay there, breathing heavily, adrenaline coursing through his veins leaving him shaking so hard he couldn't stand. The knife clattered from Gakushuu's hands into the floor. He stood there looking pale and clammy, his shirt soaked red. Karma was unsure if it was from shock or blood-loss. Probably both.

The sound of the Chairman gasping and choking on the floor permeated the air. Neither made a move to help him. Slowly, Karma pulled himself onto trembling legs.

"You should do something to stop the bleeding. You're going to pass out." He said to Gakushuu who didn't reply.

"Are you going to call an ambulance? Or are you going to leave him? What's the plan here?" Karma asked, talking loudly, trying to drown out the sounds coming from the floor."

Still no reply.

"I could help you.. hide the body? You know. When he actually dies." Karma offered. Gakushuu still didn't respond. All Karma could hear was the damn Chairmans dying breaths. It was making him feel ill.

"Well. Say something!" Karma shouted. Gakushuu snapped out of whatever trance he was in and looked at Karma with a dull expression.

"Someone's probably already called the police after all that shouting. You should go." He said, simply.

"What about you?" Karma asked. In that moment, Gakushuu looked incredibly frail; white from blood loss, his shirt completely red, dark circles under his eyes, bruises still evident on his face, he seemed smaller somehow than Karma remembered. He seemed vulnerable.

"I'll deal with it. Just go." He said. Then after a pause. "Nagisa needs you."

Karma chanced a proper look at the Chairman. He was white, almost grey in pallor, curled over, shivering as the blood seeped from the wound on his back. His eyes were bulging and terrified as the life drained from his body. His fingers were weakly curled around Gakushuu's ankle, and Karma could just about hear him begging in feeble gasps "Ga- Kushuu- help- "

Knowing he would never be able to forget that image for as long as he lived, Karma walked slowly out of the kitchen, he half expected Gakushuu to call him back and ask for his help after all, but he never did.

The End.

Just kidding. But we are close to the end now. I re-wrote this chapter lots of times, I kind of new I wanted the Chairman to be stabbed, but I wasn't sure if I wanted Karma or Gakushuu to do it. Originally it was Karma, but I kind of felt that robbed Gakushuu of his own chance for retribution and it felt more fitting to have Gakushuu to be the one to actually do the deed. Plus, it's kind of been building to it, with Gakushuu carrying out increasingly violent/impulsive acts throughout the story (Although, most of them against himself). But Karma totally would of killed the Chairman had he been given the chance.

Thank you for all the reviews! I love reading them :) and I'm super happy so many of you have stuck around, especially since we're reaching the climax of the story soon (although, with the way I stretch out chapters, it may be a while). Please comment and let me know what you think!

Thanks!