Several weeks before

"Ichiro Sir, there is a call for you."

Tabasu held the phone respectfully, his thumb covered the mouth piece. He bowed respectfully and waited for the boss to take the phone from him. The boss eventually does, but Tabasu has no idea what or who he was talking to. He was just a mere henchmen, he didn't have to know. It was not his business to know either.

Tabasu stood outside the boss's room and waited patiently.

An hour later, the boss emerged from the room, Tabasu thought he saw a dark grimace on his face but the expression changed quickly.

"please tell Aki, that there is a change of plans. We are going to deliver a shipment."

Tabasu stared at his boss for a second, " Boss, we havent had a shipment in 4 years, a sudden one like this is kind of suspicious…"

His voice falttered when he noticed the glare his boss was giving him. "I apologize, Sir." Tabasu muttered.

Ichiro shook his head slightly, "I understand where your concern is coming from however, if we do not take it, our group will not survive much longer."

Tabasu nodded his head slightly, he didn't like this but the boss was right; because of the crack down by decency squads over the year; many of their members have been captured and put behind bars. The demand of shipment dropped significantly and hence their income began to dwindle. Many of their group members have began to raise protest and have started to revolt. However, there are also other members who are loyal towards Ichiro to the death. Ichiro would not take the risk of disppointing those people who have faith in him.

"I understand" Tabasu finally replied, his answer seem to please Ichiro, who in turn gave him a pat on the back.

"Hey, leave him alone!" shouted a voice who were approaching them.

The boys that were crushing his skull, scurried away.

Tabasu breathed in deeply, and was thankful that he wasn't as dead as he thought.

He peered up and realized another boy was looking down at him.

"Stand up and fight for yourself." He told Tabasu.

"I…"

"Don't be a whimp!" the boy told him, and pulled him up by the scruff of his neck.

"Alright…" Tabasu replied.

It seemed that the answer pleased the boy.

"My name is Ichiro." He told Tabasu.

"And my name is Aki!" piped in another voice, a girl's voice.

Tabasu stared at the new arrival, she is pretty and those eyes are beautiful…

"Why are you staring at her like that?" Ichiro boomed.

Tabasu blinked rapidly, "Er, no. I didn't!"

Ichiro tackled Tabasu to the ground.

"You swear you didn't?" Ichiro shouted, kicking sand onto the other's face.

Tabasu spat the sand out of his mouth. "I.. I.."

"Brother! Leave him alone, will you!?" Aki shouted over their scuffling.

She went over and gave a good bite on Ichiro arm.

"AHHHHH!"

The scream ended the fight, Aki apologized non stop and so did Ichiro towards Tabasu.

Even if they had a rocky start, Tabasu followed Ichiro and Aki as friends ever since that day.

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"I have to get rid of those kids, this power plant isn't extremely huge. Where can they be?" Tabasu pushed a door open and approached the cargo lift at the west wing.

Just as he did, he had a funny feeling that he was being watched. Sure enough he spot a clump of pink hair laying behind some crates nearby. Tabasu recognize that hair anywhere, especially when it looked like a certain body part. It was that girl that they found and subsequently escaped.

"Hey…" he cooed and approached the figure. He gestured for his other hench men to spread out and move in in a circling position.

Tabasu moved three steps to his right and the full view of the figure shocked him.

It was indeed the girl, but she had been beaten, brutally. In fact, to his horror, she might not even be breathing.

Tabasu approached the girl, dropping all pretense of intimidation, "Hey! Little girl!"

He put his fingers near to her nose, and to his relief; she was breathing, although it was faint.

"Go and get some help" he told his henchmen in a hushed urgent tone.

His henchmen muttered a quick 'Okay' before dashing away from the group however he didn't make it far when a gun shot was heard.

Tabasu spun around quickly, only to see a shadow ducking behind the pillar and that henchmen, fallen and dead nearby. The exit wound on the henchmen plainly states that he was shot at point blank in the head.

His henchmen began to form a defensive wall around Tabasu.

"Ta Sir! What is going on!?" His henchmen erupted into panic shouts, as they tried to get their head around the fate of their dead comrade.

Tabasu made a quick decision, and in a swift motion, carried the girl on his back.

"I'm not sure what is happening, but we have to get out of here."

One of the henchmen punched the button next to him, "Tabasu! Take the lift!"

Tabasu turned to look around at that henchmen, only to see his head blown off by a bullet. His blood splattered across the wall.

"NO!" Tabasu screamed, he noticed the shadow duck behind another pillar. "SHIT!" Tabasu screamed.

From the side of his eyes, he noticed the lift numbers blink from 4 to 3.

The shadow stepped out from his hiding place, "This is end for all of you." He announced calmly.

Tabasu had only a second to notice that his enemy had raised his gun towards them, and another second to see one of his henchmen fall to the ground and then another.

The lift numbers flicked from 3 to 2

"He grabbed hold on the girl's arms around his neck and made a crazy dash towards the lift.

Tabasu felt the bullets fly past him, one nearly grazed his shoulders; Tabasu had never ran as fast as this before.

"Where do you think, you can run to?" shouted the shadow.

The numbers flicked from 2 to 1

They were nearly there, as the lift doors began to open. Tabasu rushed into the gap and flung himself to the sides in order to escape from the rain of bullets.

"Come on! Come on!" Tabasu yelled as he pressed the close button. "Please!"

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