"I didn't expect you to call me again," Yamato said, standing outside of Yuuhime's house.

"Nor did I," Yuuhime replied coldly. "But my feelings towards you are nothing compared to my feelings towards my husband."

Yamato didn't react as Yuuhime shoved past him. He himself walked in, basically swapping places with her.

"Oh, one more thing." Yuuhime said sarcastically. Yamato looked back at her.

"If one hair on either of my boy's heads are hurt, I will kill you."

"That's not Union policy, sister."

"I'd gladly take the life sentence just to rid the world of you...brother."

And with that, she was gone. Yamato turned around to see Ace and Amon staring at him down the hallway.

"Hello, boys." Yamato said. "I suppose I'll be spending more time with you?"

Promptly, hard plastic toys were thrown his way.

***

A bar was a strange place to hold a meeting between the Epser Union and the Shadow Degree, but it was in at least a space where no fighting was to occur. Besides, the Degree refused to have it anywhere. To Raven, Xuan was an invaluable piece of the Union.

Besides, he meant a lot to a lot of people as a friend, a father, a lover, a fighter.

He was still human.

Raven stared daggers at Sander across the table. He stared back, almost as if he wanted to flip the table and attack right then. Fortunately, he stayed still.

"How has the Union been, Raven?" Sander asked almost condescendingly.

"Cut the crap and get to the reason we're all here right now." Raven hissed.

"Ah, yes," Sander smiled, "this little elephant in the room."

Raven narrowed her eyes. She knew Yuuhime was doing everything in her power to stay down. She was the only one that came in with her, though reinforcements were awaiting outside. The front they gave the Degree was all that mattered.

"What is your demands?" Raven asked.

"Full control of the underground miracle. The Esper Union will never set foot inside unless with the Shadow Degree's full consent."

"Half and half."

"We are not taking anything less than full."

"There is no reason for you to be there, everything there is seen and researched."

"We both know that's not true."

As Sander said this, a scientist looking Esper pushed a vile of black saliva onto the table, the same saliva from the underground miracle. Raven held back a scowl, but she felt the ever increasing anger from Yuuhime beside her.

"If that isn't a viable option, then there is a work around." Sander suddenly said. Raven stared at him, awaiting the work around.

"An Esper for an Esper." As he said this, his finger pointed at the three Espers across from him. "Give us one of your own for him."

***

Yamato had finally got the kids to sleep. At least, in their beds. What a relief! Those plastic toys didn't mess around, as now he had bruises on his arms and face.

"First order of business..." he muttered.

Food. He'd just make some tonight and say it was leftovers from his parents. He guessed these kids were at least eight or nine, so they'd most likely eat it if he could somewhat mimic Yuuhime's handwriting.

Questions. Ace and Amon would no doubt ask questions. About what, he didn't know, but he knew he needed a more 'kid friendly' story about his past that would make them trust him more. A lie? Perhaps, but he did hope that he wouldn't end up spilling his emotions out to a nine year old again.

Entertainment. He wasn't quite sure how to keep the kids at least focused on something else rather than their parents. That would reduce questions, as well. Whatever he figured out, he hoped would keep working periodically.

The Shadow Degree. What if they came during the night and stole the kids? Of course he thought of this. He had his subordinates all around, all eyes of eagles if something were to come up at all times of day.

He checked his mental list one more time as he placed the last bit of fake leftovers in the fridge and sat on the couch.

The couch would be where he would sleep. He didn't dare touch any other beds, and besides, he was used to sleeping on couches. He practiced if he ever got himself a pretty lady or man.

Laying down, he pulled out his communicator one last time and started scrolling through this photos.

Why he did, he didn't know. They were all documents and work related. In fact, that's what the past eleven years were. Maybe the occasional food photo, he was trying to prove to himself he was a good chef.

Then, a picture that wasn't supposed to be there appeared.

It was old, it had to be over thirty years old, maybe even forty. It was a picture of a picture, the physical thing he recalled being burnt around the edges.

A woman's smiling face graced the picture. Beside her, a man close to her cheek with a wide grin, looking down at a baby in the woman's arms. A boy who couldn't have been older than four stared up at the baby, wide eyed and smiling.

Of course, this was a family portrait. Not just any family portrait, his family portrait.

He thought he finished it off in his fireplace years ago.

Of course his heart got in the way again.

Smirking, he chuckled to himself. A softy he was not!

Soft reminders of what he was fighting for, though, were greatly appreciated.

Staring at the picture more and more, he was reminded of the sour reality. His parents were dead. Tang Xuan hated him. Tang Yun hated him. His nephews hated him. Yuuhime hated him.

And yet, all he could think about was how much he loved them and how much he deserved their hate.

Huh. What a strange world.

"Alright," Yamato grumbled to himself, "enough self pity."

He laid down his communicator and closed his eyes, slowly drifting to sleep.

***

Yuuhime's head was slammed into the table, a loud crack from her shoulder blade screaming to her ear. She yelled, twisting around to fight back only to be splashed in the face with a purple dust. It made her feel dizzy, and she could feel her many arms squirming around uselessly. She tried to light lighting off, but couldn't seem to muster even a small shock.

She heard a struggle above her, but she couldn't look up fast enough to see it as she was dragged away. Trying to fight back only resulted in another face full of purple dust. She coughed it up, feeling it get into her eyes like sand on a windy beach.

'If I can get my communicator...' she slithered her hands into her pocket slowly, feeling for her it as she fought for consciousness.

Ultimately, she finally slumped over, her communicator slipping out of her hands as the towering man above her stood up and stared down Raven.

"Chu Yao." Raven said coldly, as she threw a shadow guard off her back. "It's you."

"Stop the attack." Chu Yao said cooly, every member of the Decree quickly obeying. "You, make sure Raven won't try anything."

As he said this, he pointed at Yuuhime. Te shadow guard he pointed at pointed her gun at Yuuhime.

"Why are you here? This has nothing to do with you." Raven asked, clenching her fists.

"You do not know anything."

"I know enough."

"Sir Chu Yao," Sander butt in, "I believe I was getting somewhere with..."

"There is no point in hiding our true intentions from the Esper Union," Chu Yao said. "I believe Raven knew the tricks we were playing."

Raven silently watched, awaiting the reinforcements she called just moments before Chu Yao entered. She knew he was there, he wasn't trying to hide it at all.

"You don't have to hide your communicator, Raven," Chu Yao said loudly, "the power is off, I made sure of it personally."

"What do you want with her?" Raven asked, referring to Yuuhime, who was still unconscious and covered in purple dust.

"You know, I know you do."

"I suppose you're right. But Tang Xuan and her have no data compared to someone like me on the underground miracle."

"Oh, that's not what we want." Chu Yao casually said.

The shadow guards he commanded to lay off tensed up, murmuring. Sander glanced at Chu Yao, raising an eyebrow.

"No, Raven. The Shadow Decree has always been after the answer to artificial Espers."

"Yes..."

"Raven. Image the possibilities."

Raven would have snapped right then if not for Yuuhime's dire situation.

"Raven. Imagine if the world were full of genetically bred super Espers."

"You're a sick bastard, you know? That's not possible."

"I'm thinking of everyone. You don't seem to do that, though."

"I refuse to let you do anything of the sort to any child."

Why wouldn't she just listen to him?!

"I will stop you." Raven said boldly. "Even if it was just one child you planned this on."

"One child means nothing in the face of the world!" Chu Yao snapped. Raven scowled, her eye glinting with hatred.

"...I do hope you change your mind, Raven." Chu Yao said quietly as smoke burst into the room. Raven rushed forward, only to find Chu Yao and in extension everyone else to be gone.

Cursing, she ran outside to the reinforcements.

"We lost her," she reported, "but their plan is much worse then we thought."

***

It felt like Yamato's face was melting. He lay still in a pile of wood, listening to the crackling of the fire around him.

He felt something grab his sleeve and pull.

"Yamato..."

"Yamato!..."

"...save us..."

"We're melting..."

And then he was falling. He fall was short, as he face planted onto the ground. Rubbing his nose, he looked up to see Anon staring down at him, his sheep plush in front of his face.

"Miss Raven is here." Amon said with a strange voice, pretending to be the sheep.

Yamato got up, stretching as he got up and saw Raven welcome herself in.

Oh boy, what an awkward conversation he was about to have. He'd tricked Raven before, because he was just so smart, but that must not of felt good to her ego, if she even had one.

"Go get Ace," she kindly told Amon, who nodded and set off. She then turned her attention back to Yamato, examining his garb.

"I do hope me being here won't make anything difficult." Yamato said politely. Raven responded with silence, watching as Ace and Amon came waddling in.

"It's too early." Ace grumbled. He had gotten this from his father, who was not a morning person in the slightest. Raven had always chuckled at this when she had a few moments to spend with him in the mornings.

She wished she could keep his innocence just a little longer, but they deserved to know the truth.

"Boys," Raven said softly, "and...weird uncles..."

Ace and Amon giggled, and Yamato scoffed.

"If you're here to insult me you can leave." Yamato said, half joking.

"You better not leave." Raven said quickly.

"Why!" Ace whined. "I don't like him or his stupid food."

"Sit down, you two," Raven said. "There's something important I need to tell you."

The twins did as they were told, slipping into the bed and looking up at Raven. Yamato also stared at Raven, his blood red eyes narrowing to slits.

"Your mother and father kidnapped," Raven slowly explained, "they've been kidnapped by the Shadow Decree."

Ace and Amon stared at her with wide eyes.

"Did I hear that right?" Yamato said stiffly, adjusting at his hearing aid. "You just said-"

"Yes. You heard me right. Yuuhime was taken last night, I spent the rest of the night looking for her."

"Ah."

"You are not to leave," she commanded. "You are to stay here and watch these boys."

"Haha. Ahahah! You're so funny!" Yamato laughed, giving a deathly stare, "You think I'm staying here?"

"No one else can. I'm not risking these boys lives."

"I'll stay with them, then. They will be by my side."

"Do you understand, Ace, Amon?"

Ace shook his head. "Mama and dad aren't gone..."

"Well, they are!" Yamato said snappily. "But don't worry, their 'napper's heads will be on my walls and their bodies crushed into lunch meat and their bones turned into your toys when I'm done with them."

Amon began to cry at his graphic depiction, and Ace sniffled only a little bit.

"Mama! Papa!" Amon sobbed. Raven picked him up and rocked him, shushing him gently while giving Yamato a stink eye.

"Oh, I won't do that then." Yamato said, now curious what a human head on a game plaque would look like.