Tsuzuku made himself sit still, didn't jerk his hand away as the man 
touched him. The man's fingertips where hot as he pressed them firmly 
into his flesh. Tsuzuku's skin crawled and he bit down hard on his 
lower lip as a the nausea surged and jerked his hand away as he felt 
as if somehow this man had started to slide under his skin.

	Hajime was almost on his feet at Tsuzuku's reaction, forced himself 
to sit back down. This time the frame of a cot bent under his 
frustrated fingers.

	*Do it!* Doc pleaded in his mind as he heard Hajime move behind him, 
reached for the oxygen mask in the case knowing that Travis was 
hovering at the controls that would flood the room with gas. *I want 
you out!*

	He heard the rustle of bedding as Hajime sat back down, then the 
distressed creak of metal. He locked eyes with Tsuzuku, waited a few 
seconds, cursed his lover for not seeing sense, held out his hand 
again demanding Tsuzuku's own.

	Tsuzuku looked to Hajime as he rubbed at his wrist, saw the anxious 
indecision in his brother's eyes. Hajime would risk it all to defend 
him. He couldn't allow that. He placed his hand back into the gray 
haired man's offered one.

	Doc looked into this beautiful boy's frightened eyes, recognized the 
bravery it took for him to willingly allow what he perceived as a 
violation of his mind and body and relented his determination to keep 
them as nothing but lab specimens with a sigh.

	"Do you speak English?" He asked, trying to moderate the growling 
whisper of his voice into something less harsh.

	Tsuzuku frowned, shook his head.

	"I do." Hajime said behind him.

	"Would you translate for me, then?"

	Tsuzuku waited, keeping his eyes on the man in front of him as Hajime 
and the man spoke for a minute in English.

	"Tsuzuku, this is Doc." Hajime informed him. "He says he didn't mean 
to startle you. What he wants to do will take thirty seconds, no 
more." Hajime paused as he listened to Doc some more. "He suggests 
that you count your heartbeats if the sensation bothers you."

	Tsuzuku nodded, took a breath in anticipation as Doc's fingers closed 
once again against his wrist. He gritted his teeth as the sensation of 
someone else being inside his body began again.

	"Next semester, Tsuzuku, you will take the advanced English Language 
course at the collage." Hajime informed him, trying to give him a 
distraction as he detected the frantic gleam start in his eyes as his 
brother tried not to squirm. *What exactly was Doc doing?* "Plus the 
cram class at night." He narrowed his eyes, willed his vision to shift 
as he tried to 'see' what Doc was up to. His effort was rewarded 
by...nothing. He blinked in surprise, focused on the numb blank spot 
in his head. It was like it was there, yet wasn't there. 

	"Hai, Elder Brother." Tsuzuku acknowledged through clenched teeth. He 
couldn't stand this...invasion for another second. If this person 
didn't stop now, he was going to scream, or be sick again. Maybe both.

	Hajime snapped back into awareness at Tsuzuku's distress filled 
answer. He'd have to figure what this was all about later. Right now, 
Tsuzuku needed him.

	Doc lifted his fingers, breaking the meld. He forced himself to smile 
reassuringly at Tsuzuku who simply closed his eyes in relief. A relief 
he shared. The whole time he was in Tsuzuku he had the impression of 
something white hot hovering just behind him, furious as it pushed 
against the barriers that were keeping it contained.

	"He's all right. It's just taking longer for the drugs to clear your 
systems that we anticipated." He told Hajime as he rummaged around in 
his box. "I'm going to put a patch behind his ear to help with the 
nausea, check the dart wound and then he should lay down for about 
twenty minutes."

	Doc got the patch ready as Hajime relayed his words to Tsuzuku. 
Tsuzuku tipped his head, offering his neck docilely even though his 
eye's were full of barely subdued anger, twitched a little at Doc's 
gentle touch as he ran his fingers over the pad to make sure it was 
secure. Doc frowned to himself as he pulled the band aid off of the 
dart puncture, hid it quickly under his professional mask as he 
squeezed some antibiotic cream onto the pad of a fresh strip and put 
it in place.

	When they had run the trials on '21 H&S', as he had christened the 
combo of drugs, neither Lee, Tamanji or Jonah's healing systems had 
crashed like this. They had slowed down some, but the wounds had been 
completely gone within twenty minutes. It was going on eighteen hours 
for the Ryudo's and they showed no signs of regaining their 
regenerative abilities still. It had to be the scrambler. Those had 
been late in delivery and they'd just run a separate trial. Yet 
neither Hajime or Tsuzuku were anywhere close to being as mentally 
effected by the collars as Tamanji or Lee had been. He snapped the 
catches closed on his box, went to Amaru. He could feel Tsuzuku's 
eye's bore into his back as he started his link-up. He was almost 
shuddering as he broke the link.

	"Is Amaru all right?" Hajime asked as Doc put his little brother's 
hand back down.

	"He lost a lot of blood, but he's all right. It would have been 
better if I could have gotten some stitches into him." He grumbled as 
he rose slowly from Amaru's cot and came towards him. "When he wakes 
up, make him eat. Your turn, Hajime."

	Hajime shrugged, noticed the tiredness that had started to show on 
Doc's face and in his movements. He offered his wrist, wanting to 
experience Doc's power first hand.

	"Let's see your back first." Doc asked as he sat next to him on the 
cot, putting off melding with this one for as long as possible. He 
needed a minute to catch his mental breath.

	Hajime pulled his shirt over his head, turned so his back was to him. 
Tsuzuku asked something as he changed the bandages.

	"Tsuzuku wants to know why I've got three holes in my back and am not 
unconscious." Hajime relayed.

	"You were lucky and our people are well trained. You got hit with low 
doses. Two were for Amaru. If they'd been any higher, you'd be on 
total life-support right now."

	"Really." Hajime stated in a cynical voice as he shrugged his shirt 
back on, turned and offered his wrist again. If that had happened, he 
wouldn't have been captured, he would have changed. He was almost 
thankful that it hadn't happened that way. He probably would have 
taken Amaru and Tsuzuku with him and the potential consequences of 
that was terrifying.

	Doc locked eyes with him. Hajime could see the unease 
and...fear?...that lurked behind them. He realized that Doc understood 
exactly what they were capable of. And that that knowledge terrified 
him. As well it should. It frightened Hajime as well.

	Doc looked at his offered wrist, shook his head with a tight smile. 
He wasn't up to this again right now and Hajime was recovering well. 
"I don't think it will be necessary, Hajime. Again, I advise you all 
to eat." He picked up his box, headed for the door, his creeping 
exhaustion from the use of his gift making his knees feel rubbery. *Or 
is it from my fear?* He wondered as he waited for the doors to open.


	Hajime waited for Doc to get all the way through the outer doors 
before he went back to Tsuzuku. His brother had scooted back so he 
could lean against the wall and had drawn his legs up and was resting 
his chin on his crossed arms which were supported by his knees.

	"Feeling any better?" Hajime asked as he settled next to him.

	"Yes." Tsuzuku admitted in a grudging voice.

	"What did he do, Tsuzuku-kun?"

	Tsuzuku shuddered. "He was in me, Hajime! In my body!" Tsuzuku 
crossed his arms, hid his face by dropping his chin so his forehead 
rested on his arms. He would not let Hajime see the offended and 
frustrated tears that threatened.

	Hajime did something he hadn't done since they where little boys. He 
reached over and put his arm across his brothers shoulders and pulled 
him tight to his side in a fierce hug. He didn't say anything, didn't 
know what to say. Tsuzuku had always been a private person, even as a 
child, keeping his feelings out of sight behind a wall of gentle humor 
with his friends and family and a razor wit with his acquaintances. To 
him, this experience must have been like being raped. Tsuzuku leaned 
into him. *Gods! Was he crying?* 

	Hajime waited, all of his indecision, frustration and anger 
crystallizing into a determined icy focus. Whatever it took. He would 
get them out of this. Whatever it took.

	Tsuzuku shifted, drew away a little. Hajime moved his arm, changed 
the subject. "Who was that girl, Tsuzuku-kun?"

	Tsuzuku turned his head towards him. His eyes where dry but Hajime 
saw the wetness on his sleeve. "I don't know. She looked just like 
Jasmine but with black hair and eyes."

	He saw Hajime frown, realized his brother was trying to place the 
name. "The girl who gave me that scarf, Hajime-kun."

	"Wonderful." Hajime scowled. "A sister, you think?"

	Tsuzuku nodded. Now that he thought about it, there was no doubt in 
his mind. Jasmine's little sister Elenora would look just like Tamanji 
in five years.	

	"Elder brother, there was something you were going to tell me about 
that scarf." Tsuzuku asked quietly, trying to bring together the 
connections between the girls at the college and the one here.

	"Hai. These are not the circumstances I would have chosen to tell you 
about the birds and the bees as they pertain to Ryudo's, though." He 
gave his brother a little smile, trying to lightened their moods as he 
leaned back close.

	Tsuzuku raised his eyebrows, gave him a tentative smile back.

	"Why didn't you ever ask, Tsuzuku?" Hajime wondered.

	Tsuzuku blushed. "Ah, so it is a family problem. You and Owaru also?"

	Hajime nodded, gave a fond smile that faded quickly as he thought of 
his third brother. *Stay safe, Owaru.* "He's growing up too fast." He 
realized he had just sounded exactly like his grandfather. 
"Grandfather told me that males of our Family will only find release 
for our sexual passions with one particular female. He said we'd be 
drawn to her by her scent, something that only would be detectable to 
that particular male."

	"Oh." Tsuzuku realized it was an inane answer as he blinked a few 
times as it sank in. But what else was there to say? He didn't know 
what to think. He wasn't sure it he liked that idea at all. He had no 
choice in it? Did she? But then again, it was no different from an 
arranged betrothal. He blushed deeper as he remembered that dream.

	"Tsuzuku-kun, it's very possible that she works for these people. 
Keep that in mind." Hajime cautioned and hated having to do it. 
Tsuzuku had been through so much these past weeks, he didn't need this 
hanging over him also.

	"I will, Hajime-kun." He answered in a troubled voice. *Gods, what if 
she did?* What would he do if she did?

	"We don't know that she does, Tsuzuku-kun. Feel up to a cup of 
coffee?" Hajime asked, trying to shift his brother's mood before he 
sunk into a true depression.

	Tsuzuku thought about that for a minute, grabbing for anything that 
would distract him from his present train of thought, decided that 
yes, he was up to a cup of coffee. "Please, Hajime-kun."

	"So, that girl Tamanji is a dragon." Tsuzuku stated as the logic 
unraveled itself in his mind as he took the mug from Hajime.

	Hajime nodded.

	"Can we tell, Hajime? Is there some way?"

	Hajime took a sip of the cooling coffee as he thought about that. "I 
don't know. I've never met another Dragon other than no Gozen and he 
wasn't born a dragon like us. I was certainly clueless as to his other 
nature." He said in a self-recriminating tone. "You would probably 
know better than I. Did you notice anything different or unusual about 
the girls? Other than that scent?"

	Tsuzuku was thinking about that as Amaru sat up, cradled his bandaged 
arm to his chest with a little whimper. Both he and Hajime rushed to 
him as Amaru looked around frantically, his lower lip quivering as he 
tried not to cry.

	"It's O.K. Amaru." Hajime soothed as he sat next to him, pulled him 
gently against him in a gentle hug.

	Tsuzuku sat on his other side, his chest tightening at his little 
brothers distress. He couldn't stand it. He stood and began to pace 
quickly, arms crossed and his eye's gleaming with simmering fury as he 
tried to work off some of his anger while Hajime comforted Amaru and 
explained their situation.

	On the other side of the wall, Tamanji eyes burned as bright as his 
own. She licked her lips and smiled as she watched him move. He 
reminded her of a tiger in a small cage. *Soon, tiger, tiger, burning 
bright...soon...*

**********************

	Amaru perked up a little once they had coaxed him into eating, but he 
was still subdued and silent, favoring his injured arm and resistant 
to both he and Tsuzuku's efforts to draw him out, answering their 
questions with a nod or shake of his head or a few short words. Hajime 
worried on that as he had insisted that Tsuzuku eat a little of the 
toast, fruit and drink a cup of the clear broth and had made himself 
do the same.

	He wished Matsuri was here. She would know what to do, how to reach 
and reassure his littlest brother. Tsuzuku took the trays and put them 
by the door as Hajime moved to sit on Amaru's cot, Amaru sticking to 
his side like glue, and then resumed his pacing. The tension radiated 
off of him and filled the small room. Hajime caught himself just 
before he snarled at his brother to stop. *No more coffee for me* he 
told himself with a rueful smile. If it helped Tsuzuku to pace, then 
he could endure it. Amaru leaned against him with a sigh. He was 
casting about in his memory, trying to think of some of the games he'd 
played when he was younger to help keep Amaru occupied when Travis 
rolled into sight.

	Travis gave a tolerant smile at Tsuzuku's refusal to acknowledge his 
presence as the second born Dragon looked right through him then back 
to the floor and didn't pause in his circuit. "How are you feeling, 
Amaru-san?" He asked in a friendly voice.

	Amaru drew back, trying to get out of sight against Hajime's side. 
Hajime crossed his arms and turned towards Travis, giving Amaru more 
room to hide behind his broad back, his eye's full of calculating 
caution.

	Travis laughed to himself. *Yes, Ryudo-sama, I'm going to work on 
your weakest link. But not for the reasons you think.* "Does your arm 
still hurt?"

	"Leave him alone." Tsuzuku said in a cordial tone but there was a 
hint of a growl under it as he came to a halt in the center of the 
room.

	Travis looked at him, his eyes sad and hurt. "I just came to see if 
perhaps Amaru might like to talk a walk with me. It's a lovely 
afternoon and a walk might just be the thing he needs to clear the 
cobwebs out of his head. What do you think, Amaru-san?"

	Amaru peeked out from around Hajime's back cautiously to study the 
man in the wheel chair. He did want to get out of this little room and 
scary place, even if it was just for a little while.

	"No." Tsuzuku stated.

	"I didn't ask you, Tsuzuku-san. I asked Amaru-san." His tone and 
expression didn't change, but Hajime caught the warning in it. He 
hoped Tsuzuku did also.  "What do you think, Amaru? Would you like to 
go for a walk?"

	Amaru looked up at Hajime. What was he supposed to answer?

	"I give you my word of honor that it is nothing more than a simple 
walk in the sunshine and air, Ryudo-sama." Travis said as he locked 
his eyes with Hajime's.

	Hajime tried to run all of the possible reasons why Travis was doing 
this and the consequences of his answer to Amaru's questioning look. 
Hajime nodded. "If you want to, Amaru-kun."

	He gave a brusque shake of his head at Tsuzuku's startled look.

	Amaru studied the floor for a minute, then looked at Tsuzuku's 
anxious face then back to his eldest brother. "Are you sure it's O.K., 
Hajime-kun?"

	Hajime gave him a reassuring smile. "Go, Amaru-kun. Take your walk. 
And come back." He gave Amaru a hard warning look.

	Amaru nodded his understanding. Hajime had said that if any of them 
tried to escape that these people would take him away from his 
brothers and drug them again. He looked at Travis, smiled tentatively. 
"Hai. I would like to Travis-san."

	"Good. Come to the doors then."

	Amaru did as he was told, Travis following him along the wall. He 
stepped through the first set. Travis was waiting as the outer doors 
slid open. He handed him a blindfold. Amaru took it, looked at Travis 
questioningly as Tsuzuku started for the doors. Hajime caught him by 
the shoulders, pulled him to a halt as Travis totally ignored them, 
smiled at Amaru.

	"Put it on for just a few minutes, Amaru. I need for you to wear it 
while we're walking through the containment area, O.K.?"

	"Tsuzuku, don't!" Hajime hissed in his brothers ear as Travis 
explained the reason for the blindfold. "He's testing us. Don't you 
see, Amaru is out of the influence of the gas now. He figures that if 
we are going to try anything, it will be now or while Amaru is gone. 
Don't give them a reason to put us out. Be patient."

	Tsuzuku's shoulders sagged under his fingers in frustrated 
resignation as Amaru turned to look at them.

	"It's O.K. Amaru-kun. Go on." Hajime reassured him, glared at Travis 
as Amaru turned back and slipped the blindfold over his eyes. *If 
anything happens to him, Travis, all your drugs and toys won't be able 
to stop me. I'll kill you.*

	Travis looked up at him, seemed to read his mind gave a little bow 
and a mocking smile. "We'll be back in a little while. Don't worry, 
Ryudo-sama. I'll keep him safe. Now, Amaru, give me your hand."

	Travis took his hand, put it on the arm of his chair and covered it 
with his own as he led him out. Amaru could hear soft conversations 
and the whir of computers as he walked beside Travis, the man's gentle 
voice warning him of the coming ramp then telling him to stop. He 
heard doors close behind him.

	"O.K. You may take the blindfold off now." Travis told him as Amaru 
felt the slight downward pressure of an elevator moving up. He took 
the blindfold off, handed it back. 

	"Thank-you, Amaru-san. Now, I want you to promise me something before 
we get out."

	"What?" Amaru asked cautiously as he studied Travis out of the corner 
of his eye. He wondered what was wrong with him that kept him in that 
wheelchair.

	"That you won't try to escape. On your honor as a son of an old and 
noble house. Will you do that?"

	"Hai, Travis-san." He wondered why Travis had bothered to ask. He 
wouldn't have tried anyway, not with the threat of being taken away 
from his brothers hanging over him if he did.

	"Good. I trust you, Amaru-san."

	*I don't trust you, Travis-san.* Amaru thought back as the doors to 
the elevator opened.

	They moved out into a wide sun filled hall with a thick blue and 
purple patterned carpet. Amaru stayed right beside Travis's chair as 
they turned left and headed for a set of double doors made mostly of 
frosted and etched glass. Amaru glanced through the open doorways of 
the two rooms they passed, his eyes going wide at the wealth that was 
displayed everywhere.

	Travis stopped a few feet short of the doors. "Would you open them 
for me, Amaru-san?"

	Amaru did, waited for Travis to pass him, then stepped out into the 
warm summer afternoon. He had just pulled them shut behind him when he 
saw the big red haired and bearded man who had shot him lounging 
against the railing a few feet down the porch, blowing smoke rings 
into the still air from the cigarette in his left hand. He froze in 
indecision as the scrambler did it's work, his brain sending 
conflicting signals, not knowing whether to get ready to run or fight.