I'm a hero after all (Alltake)
13
Takemichi was minding his own business.
He was sitting in his room, actually, reviewing his notebook and mentally preparing for August 3rd. He had lists. Strategies. Contingency plans. He was ready.
Then his window slid open.
"Takemitchy!"
Mikey climbed through like it was the most normal thing in the world.
Takemichi stared. "My door was right there."
"Too far."
"How did you even get up here?"
"I'm agile." Mikey dusted himself off and grabbed Takemichi's wrist. "Come on! We're having a meeting!"
"I'm not in Toman!"
"You're my wife-friend! That's basically an honorary member!"
"THAT'S STILL NOT HOW IT WORKS!"
But Mikey was already dragging him toward the window, and Takemichi's protests were lost to the wind.
The hideout was a small, dingy room in an old building — the kind of place that smelled like cigarettes and cheap instant ramen. A table sat in the center, surrounded by mismatched chairs.
Around it sat the key players.
Draken, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
Pah-chin, hunched forward, fists clenched on the table.
Peh-yan, leaning back in his chair, looking more relaxed than the situation warranted.
And Mikey, who had just deposited Takemichi in the remaining seat like a cat presenting a gift.
"Takemitchy's here! We can start!"
Pah-chin's head snapped up. His eyes narrowed.
"Him? Why is HE here?"
"Because I invited him!" Mikey said cheerfully.
"This isn't a game, Mikey." Pah-chin's voice was rough. "We're planning a war. We don't need civilians getting in the way."
Takemichi shrunk slightly in his seat.
Peh-yan, however, tilted his head, studying Takemichi with sudden interest.
"Wait," Peh-yan said slowly. "Chill out Pah it's not like we havent met him before and you were cool with him before this."
Takemichi blinked. "oh?"
"You're hard to forget." Peh-yan's expression shifted to something almost like respect. "You took on Kiyomasa's whole operation. Got it shut down. Saved your friend."
Pah-chin stared at his vice-captain. "That was before I knew about his participation in Kiyomasa’s downfall and now your siding with him now?"
"Kiyomasa was breaking the rule anyway and it's not his fault." Peh-yan shrugged. "He's not as useless as he looks."
"Thanks?" Takemichi offered weakly.
Pah-chin's jaw tightened, but some of the hostility faded from his eyes. "Fine. He can stay. But if he gets in the way — "
"He won't." Mikey's voice was light, but something in his tone made it clear the discussion was over. "Takemitchy's with me. That's all you need to know."
Pah-chin looked like he wanted to argue, but Draken caught his eye and shook his head slightly.
Silence.
Then Mikey clapped his hands. "Great! Now that everyone's friends, let's talk about Moebius!"
Mitsuya had arrived at some point — Takemichi wasn't sure when, but suddenly he was there, spreading papers across the table.
"Moebius operates primarily in Shinjuku," Mitsuya began, pointing at a crude map. "Their leader, Nobutaka Osanai, is a third-year in high school. Trained boxer. Big, strong, aggressive."
"Can you take him?" Peh-yan asked Mikey.
Mikey grinned. "Easily."
"Then what's the problem?" Pah-chin demanded.
"The problem," Mitsuya said calmly, "is that Osanai isn't the real threat. It's his numbers. Moebius has been around longer than us. They have connections, resources, and loyalty from their territory. If we just charge in, we'll be outnumbered and outmaneuvered."
"So what do we do?" Pah-chin's fists clenched tighter.
"We split their attention." Draken spoke for the first time, voice steady. "Hit them from multiple angles. Make them choose where to defend."
"A diversion," Mitsuya agreed. "While the main force engages Osanai, smaller teams target their supply lines and backup routes."
Pah-chin frowned. "That sounds complicated."
"It's war," Draken said flatly. "It's supposed to be complicated."
Mikey, who had been doodling on the edge of the map, looked up. "Pah. You trust me?"
Pah-chin met his eyes. "With my life."
"Then trust this." Mikey smiled — not his usual carefree grin, but something sharper. "We're going to win. We're going to crush them. And your friend's going to get justice."
Pah-chin's eyes glistened. He nodded once, roughly.
Takemichi watched the exchange, heart aching.
They have no idea what's coming, he thought. *They have no idea about Kisaki. About the trap. About — *
"Takemitchy!" Mikey's voice cut through his spiral. "You're thinking too loud. What's wrong?"
Takemichi blinked. Everyone was looking at him.
"I... nothing. Just nervous."
"About what?"
About you dying. About Draken dying. About all of you falling apart.
"About August 3rd," he said instead. "It feels... important."
Draken studied him for a long moment. "It is important. It's the first real test of what Toman can do."
"And we're going to pass," Mikey added firmly. "Because we're Toman. We don't lose."
Takemichi nodded, but the weight in his chest didn't lift.
After the meeting, Takemichi walked with Draken.
Neither spoke for a while. The evening air was cool, carrying the sounds of distant traffic and the occasional shout.
Finally, Draken broke the silence.
"You're scared."
It wasn't a question.
Takemichi glanced at him. "Shouldn't I be?"
"Maybe." Draken's expression was hard to read. "But fear doesn't help anyone. Focus on what you can control."
"And what's that?"
"Yourself. Your actions. Your choices." Draken stopped walking, turning to face him. "Mikey trusts you. That's not nothing. He doesn't trust many people."
Takemichi's throat tightened. "I know."
"Then act like it." Draken's voice was firm but not unkind. "Whatever you're carrying, put it aside on August 3rd. Be there for him. For all of us."
Takemichi met his eyes — those sharp, knowing eyes that had seen too much for someone so young.
"I will," he promised. "I'll be there."
Draken nodded once and walked away.
Takemichi watched him go, heart heavy.
I'll be there, he thought. And I'll make sure you survive.
No matter what.
A day before the main battle
August 2rd - Musashi Festival
The day came faster than Takemichi expected.
One moment he was planning, preparing, dreading and tomorrow is when everything will happen.
They had known Moebius would attack. What they hadn't known was where.
The warehouse district. Away from the festival, away from civilians, away from witnesses.
Mikey, Draken, Pah-chin, Peh-yan, and Takemichi had separated from the main force to scout the area. A routine check. Nothing dangerous.
They rounded a corner and walked straight into a trap.
Moebius members surrounded them — at least thirty, maybe more. At their center stood Nobutaka Osanai, towering and grinning.
"Well, well." Osanai's voice was a lazy drawl. "The famous Tokyo Manji Gang. You're even smaller than I expected."
Pah-chin lunged forward. "YOU — !"
Draken caught his arm. "Wait."
"Wait?! He's right there! The one who — "
"I know." Draken's voice was ice. "But charging in blindly is exactly what they want."
Osanai laughed. "Smart one, aren't you? Too bad smart doesn't matter when you're outnumbered." He gestured, and the circle tightened. "Any last words, brats?"
Mikey stepped forward.
He was smiling.
"Yeah," he said cheerfully. "You're going to regret this."
It was chaos.
Moebius attacked all at once — a wave of bodies and violence. But Toman didn't back down.
Draken moved like a force of nature, fists and feet finding targets with brutal efficiency. Peh-yan fought beside him, silent and deadly.
Mikey was everywhere at once — appearing, striking, disappearing — his kicks sending Moebius members flying.
And Pah-chin?
Pah-chin was a man possessed.
He tore through Moebius ranks, searching, hunting, craving one target. When he finally found Osanai, the two clashed like titans.
"You!" Pah-chin roared. "You hurt my friend! You hurt his family!"
Osanai grinned, blood on his lips. "And I'd do it again. Your friend screamed like a little girl. His girlfriend — "
Pah-chin's fist connected with his jaw.
The fight between them was ugly. Osanai was a trained boxer — faster, more technical, more experienced. He dodged and countered, landing blow after blow. Pah-chin's face quickly became a mask of blood.
But Pah-chin didn't fall.
He couldn't fall.
Not until justice is served.
"Pah isn't losing," Draken said, taking down another Moebius member. "He hasn't given up yet."
Osanai sneered, blood dripping from his split lip. "Don't get cocky, kid. I'll kill you all."
He lunged —
And Mikey appeared between them.
One kick. That's all it took.
Osanai's eyes went wide as Mikey's foot connected with his head. He crumpled like a puppet with cut strings.
Silence.
The remaining Moebius members stared in disbelief.
Then, in the distance: police sirens.
"Shit," Peh-yan muttered. "Someone called the cops."
"Move!" Draken shouted. "Everyone out, now!"
Moebius fled first, dragging their unconscious leader with them. Toman members scattered, disappearing into the alleys.
But as Mikey turned to follow —
Osanai's eyes snapped open.
He wasn't unconscious. He had been waiting. Playing possum.
In his hand, a broken bottle glinted.
He lunged at Mikey's back.
Time slowed.
Takemichi saw it happen — the bottle arcing toward Mikey, Mikey's unaware back, the murderous intent in Osanai's eyes.
He didn't think.
He moved.
His body slammed into Mikey, shoving him aside, and the bottle that should have pierced the invincible leader's spine instead sliced across Takemichi's arm.
Pain. Bright and burning.
But Takemichi stayed standing.
"TAKEMICHI!" Mikey's voice, distant and sharp.
Osanai snarled, raising the bottle again
And that's when the knife appeared.
In Pah-chin's hand.aimed at Osanai.
Hidden by Pah-chin's other hand, pulled from his waistband, gleaming in the dim light.
He swung at Osanai planning to stab him.
Takemichi moved again.
This time, there was no shoving aside. No dodging. Just Takemichi's body, placed squarely between the blade and its target.
The knife sank into his side.
Takemichi gasped — a soft, surprised sound — and crumpled.
"NO!"
Mikey caught him before he hit the ground, eyes wide with horror. "Takemitchy! TAKEMITCHY!..PAH-CHIN WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"
Blood. So much blood. Spreading across Takemichi's shirt, staining Mikey's hands.
Osanai stared, stunned by Pah-chin's action. The knife Pah-chin was holding clattered to the ground.
Draken was there a second later, pressing his jacket against the wound. "We need a hospital. NOW."
"The cops — " Peh-yan started.
"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE COPS!" Draken roared.
Pah-chin stood frozen, staring at Takemichi's pale face. "I...I didn’t mean that."
Peh-yan grabbed his arm. "We have to go. Now. Draken's right — hospital first, everything else later."
Mikey lifted Takemichi like he weighed nothing, cradling him against his chest. "Stay with me," he whispered. "Takemitchy, stay with me. Please."
Takemichi's eyes fluttered. "M-Mikey..."
"Don't talk. Save your strength."
"Did... did I save you?"
Mikey's throat tightened. "Yeah. Yeah, you did. You idiot. You stupid, brave idiot."
Takemichi smiled — weak and bloody and somehow still bright. "Good... that's... good..."
His eyes closed.
All that Takemichi could hear was that Pah-chin was going to turn himself in before everything turned black.
The waiting room was cold.
Mikey sat in a plastic chair, staring at his hands. They were still stained with Takemichi's blood. He hadn't washed them. Couldn't move.
Draken stood by the window, watching nothing. Peh-yan sat beside Mikey, silent.Osanai paced, guilt written across his face.
"He did it for me," Mikey said suddenly. "He jumped in front of a knife. For me."
No one knew what to say.
"He barely knows me. We've only been friends for like a month. And he..." Mikey's voice cracked. "He almost died. For me."
Draken turned from the window. "He's not dead."
"Yet."
"He's not going to die."
"You don't know that."
Draken crossed the room and crouched in front of Mikey, forcing him to meet his eyes. "Listen to me. That kid is tougher than he looks. He's been through worse and survived. He's going to make it."
Mikey's eyes were wet. "How do you know?"
"Because he has people waiting for him." Draken's voice was firm. "Hina. The Mizo Five. You. He's not going to leave you that easily."
Mikey's lip trembled.
Then the doctor appeared.
"Family of Hanagaki Takemichi?"
Mikey was on his feet instantly. "How is he? Is he okay? Can I see him?"
The doctor blinked at the sudden onslaught. "He's stable. The knife missed any major organs by centimeters. He lost a lot of blood, but we've transfused him and closed the wound. He'll recover."
Mikey's knees buckled.
Draken caught him.
"He needs rest," the doctor continued. "Visiting hours are limited, but given the circumstances... one or two of you can see him briefly."
Mikey was already moving.
Takemichi looked small in the hospital bed.
Pale. Bandaged. Surrounded by beeping machines and IV lines.
But alive.
Mikey sat in the chair beside him, reached out, and took his hand.
"You're an idiot," he whispered. "You know that? A complete idiot."
Takemichi didn't respond. He was deeply asleep, lost in whatever healing dreams occupied him.
"I didn't ask you to do that." Mikey's voice cracked. "I didn't want you to get hurt for me. That's not... that's not what I meant when I said I wanted you by my side. Pah-chin is an idiot he shouldn't have done that."
He squeezed Takemichi's hand.
"So you have to wake up, okay? You have to wake up so I can yell at you properly. And then... and then maybe hug you. A lot."
Silence.
Mikey pressed his forehead to Takemichi's hand.
"Please wake up," he whispered. "Please."
Draken found them like that — Mikey curled around Takemichi's hand, shoulders shaking.
For a moment, he just watched.
Then he stepped forward.
"Mikey. We need to talk."
Mikey didn't move. "Later."
"Now."
"Ken-chin — "
"NOW."
Something in Draken's voice made Mikey look up.
Draken's expression was torn — anger and grief and something else, something complicated.
"Pah-chin almost killed someone tonight," Draken said quietly. "If Takemichi hadn't stepped in, he would have stabbed Osanai. He would be facing murder charges right now."
"But he didn't."
"Because of Takemichi. Not because of us." Draken's jaw tightened. "We're supposed to protect our friends, Mikey. We're supposed to keep them from making mistakes that ruin their lives. And tonight, we failed."
Mikey's eyes flashed. "I didn't ask him to jump in front of a knife!"
"You didn't have to! That's the point!" Draken's voice rose. "He did it because he cares about you! Because you've made him feel like he matters! And now he's in a hospital bed, fighting for his life, and it's — "
He stopped.
"It's what?" Mikey challenged.
Draken looked away. "It's not fair. He's just a kid. They're all just kids."
Silence stretched between them — the first real crack in years of friendship.
Then, softly: "What do we do now?"
Draken met his eyes. "We wait. We hope. And when he wakes up, we thank him. Properly."
Mikey nodded, turning back to Takemichi.
"Yeah," he whispered. "We thank him."
Hours passed.
Hina arrived, face pale, eyes red. She didn't say anything — just sat on Takemichi's other side and held his other hand.
The Mizo Five crowded into the waiting room, refused to leave, and fell asleep in increasingly uncomfortable positions.
Emma appeared with blankets and snacks, pressing them into everyone's hands before settling beside Hina.
Kazutora showed up at 3 AM, wild-eyed and frantic, and had to be physically restrained from bursting into Takemichi's room. When they finally let him see, he sat in the corner and didn't move for hours.
And through it all, Takemichi slept.
Dreaming of blue skies and happy futures.
Dreaming of a world where everyone survived.
The Next Morning
Takemichi woke to sunlight and pain.
His side throbbed. His arm ached. His mouth felt like cotton.
But he was alive.
He turned his head slightly and found Mikey asleep in the chair beside him, still holding his hand. Hina was curled up on the small couch, blanket pulled tight. In the corner, Kazutora sat with his head against the wall, eyes closed.
Takemichi smiled.
They stayed.
They all stayed.
He squeezed Mikey's hand gently.
Mikey's eyes snapped open instantly. "Takemitchy?"
"Hey," Takemichi rasped.
Mikey stared at him for one frozen moment.
Then he burst into tears.
"You IDIOT!" he sobbed, crushing Takemichi in a hug that definitely hurt but Takemichi didn't care. "You STUPID IDIOT! Don't ever do that again! EVER!"
Takemichi laughed weakly, patting his back. "Can't promise that."
"I'll HOLD YOU DOWN!"
"Mikey-kun, I just woke up."
"I DON'T CARE!"
Hina was awake now too, watching with tear-filled eyes and a wobbly smile. Kazutora had jolted upright and was staring like Takemichi might disappear if he looked away.
Takemichi looked at them — his people, his friends, his reasons for fighting — and felt something warm spread through his chest.
"I'm okay," he said softly. "I'm okay."
And for the first time in a long time, he believed it.
That Night, in His Diary
August 4, 2005
I almost died yesterday.
I jumped in front of a knife for Osanai and saved Mikey. It hurt. A lot. But their alive. That's what matters.
Osanai is alive too. The internal conflict hasn't happened. I changed something.
Everyone came to the hospital. Mikey cried. Hina cried. Kazutora looked like he wanted to commit violence on my behalf. The Mizo Five brought terrible snacks and fell asleep in the waiting room.
I have the best people in my life.
August 2rd is over. Tomorrow is the day
But Kisaki is still out there. The real enemy hasn't even shown himself yet.
I have to keep fighting. Keep saving. Keep protecting.
But for tonight?
For tonight, I'm just grateful to be alive.
— Takemichi
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