When he awoke next time, he was in the hospital.

Banba had been sleeping on his back on top of a hospital bed.

That's right, he remembered. He had gone to Jiro's bar when he had drugged him. His head was still in a fog.

After going through great pains to escape, he ended up in the hospital again. Banba clicked his tongue in irritation.

Just then-

“What the h.e.l.l were you thinking!?”

Someone had shouted over him.

“The doctors had to rest.i.tch your injuries because you overdid it.”

Lin and s.h.i.+gematsu stood beside his bed. Their fury was visible on their faces.

That was to be expected though, as Banba had vanished without a word - let alone in an unstable condition. The two of them had to have been running around the city in search of him. Banba had caused them a lot of worry and panic. And yet Banba did not have a ounce of remorse.

Unfortunately, both his hands were cuffed to the bed, preventing him from moving. Banba glared at the two men. “You didn't have to go this far.”

Lin sighed. “We had to. We can't let you run off again.”

“Can ya call the doctor for me?” Banba snorted and said sarcastically, “my wrists hurt from rubbin' against these handcuffs, so I need them to look at it.”

“Banba.”

s.h.i.+gematsu cut in.

“Do you understand what you did?”

Banba replied in a low voice when s.h.i.+gematsu questioned him sternly. “I fully know what I done.”

Of course he knew. He was just trying to accomplish his goal. He did not want anyone to get in his way.

“Jiro said you asked him to help you in taking your revenge. Is that true?” Lin chimed in. “What did you mean with that? Didn't Bessho get killed by the guy from Murder Inc?”

“Apparently he's still alive. But he'll be killed soon.” Banba tightened his fists and said in a near whisper. “I have to kill him while I have the chance.”

s.h.i.+gematsu was stunned. “What are you talking about? You can't fight in your condition.”

“I'm fine enough to kill one man.” Banba commented before glancing to his handcuffs. “Take these off.”

“No.” s.h.i.+gematsu rejected.

Lin sighed beside him. “How about you think about it for a second? No one wants you dead.”

Banba's wounds were not fully closed; it had nothing but the st.i.tches holding the skin together. If Banba overdid it, his life would be in danger. He had to take it easy. Banba understood what they were saying. If their situations were reversed, he would do the same.

However-

“This is my issue. Don't b.u.t.t in.”

He had to find Bessho as fast as possible before he got killed by someone else first. He did not have the time to leisurely rest.

“We have to.” s.h.i.+gematsu stated.

Banba glared up at him. “I'm gonna kill Besso regardless what anyone says.”

“We won't let you.” s.h.i.+gematsu did not back down. “Please, just take care of yourself.”

“Just behave and rest up.”

The two left with those final words.

Once the door had clicked shut, Banba swore under his breath.

“...I don't understand what's going on, but gosh does he make things so hard for us.”

s.h.i.+gematsu sighed after they walked out of the hospital room.

Lin nodded. “I didn't expect him to run from the hospital with those injuries.”

Even with painkillers, walking around would have greatly hurt. Lin could not believe he moved around like he did in his condition. While Banba caused nothing but trouble for the hospital staff, Lin also was impressed how well he pulled his escape off.

“But what should we do?” Lin looked up at s.h.i.+gematsu. “This is him we're talking about; he won't ever give up easily.”

Banba's face from a moment ago arose in his mind. His eyes were serious. Lin felt the strong will to accomplish his revenge. Banba's eyes read that he would do anything to fulfill his goal regardless what would happen to his body, or worse, his life. Lin knew he had to be racking his brain right now in his bed, trying to come up with a plan to escape the hospital once more.

“Yeah, I know.” s.h.i.+gematsu nodded. “That's why I called my men out here. They'll be here soon. I'm going to have them stand watch so Banba can't escape.”

“I'm sorry for making you waste precious tax money for this.”

“It's alright. I'm not using tax money.” s.h.i.+gematsu smiled wryly. “I hired guys who're off-duty. I'm paying out of pocket for them, and I promised I'd buy whatever they want.”

Banba was currently handcuffed to the bed. In the off-chance he managed to get the key and take them off, he would not be able to escape through the window as he was put on the second floor. s.h.i.+gematsu would have detectives beneath him stationed outside the room 24-7. They had close to nothing to worry about for Banba's escape.

However, there was one thing that bothered Lin.

Banba looked like he thoroughly gave up when they had visited a day prior. He almost seemed like an animal with its fangs extracted. But he was different this time around. His eyes glistened with the desire for revenge.

This was all because he knew that Bessho was alive. There was no way Banba would have learned of this fact since he had been cooped up in a hospital room. So someone else must have told Banba about Bessho.

“Who would tell him of-”

Someone came to mind mid-thought. There was no one else but one man who would do this.

Lin immediately made a call.

The bar Babylon located in Nakasu was run by one of his teammates. He had arrived before the bar opened up, but the owner gladly let him in.

“Why h.e.l.lo, Enokidchan. Welcome.”

“Hey. Has Banbsan arrived?” Enokida asked as he went to sit down at the counter. “We had planned to meet up here.”

“I'm sorry.”

Jiro gave him a pitiful look.

“Banbchan came here earlier, but I brought him back to the hospital.”

Enokida was able to get the general picture. Guess we decided on the wrong place. Enokida shrugged. “So Lin-kun got to you first.”

Banba wanted to ask for the avengers help once he learned Bessho was alive. He was certain Jiro would help him, but it seemed he had misjudged.

“I got a phone call from Lin-chan before Banbchan showed up. He told me Banbchan had run away and asked me to catch him if I found him. I wanted to help with his revenge if it was within my ability. But he had to rest. Besides, if you've seen Banbchan in his condition…”

Blood was apparently seeping through Banba's clothes. His wounds had opened up due to moving around.

“I can't let someone that hurt tag along. This is revenge; I have my own life to look after.”

So Banba must be back in a hospital bed right now. Enokida would be wasting time here then. He had no business if he was not going to be here.

Just as Enokida stood up to leave, his smartphone vibrated - an incoming call. He took out his cell phone and looked at the screen. It was from Lin. Speaking of the devil.

He accepted the call and answered, “h.e.l.lo?”

‘Hey, poisonous mushroom.'

A displeased voice replied.

“That's a mean way to start off a conversation.” Enokida smiled wryly.

‘You did it, didn't you?'

“I don't know what you're referring to, but it was probably me.”

Enokida had an idea based off Lin's irritation.

‘You instigated Banba, didn't you?'

“Ohh, you mean that.”

Enokida laughed, but Lin was furious. He shouted at him over the phone. ‘Stop kidding around! Banba opened his wounds because of you, I'm thoroughly p.i.s.sed off in this hospital, and s.h.i.+gematsu had to spend his own money for this. You caused a lot of h.e.l.l for us to deal with!'

“I'm sorry; truly, I am.”

After listening to Lin's yelling for his insincere apology, Enokida asked, “so how is Banbsan right now?”

‘Does it matter? Maybe he'll stay in bed out of spite. He's cuffed to the bed so he won't escape anyway. He's stuck in his hospital room. Now don't you dare get Banba any more stupid ideas.' And the call ended there.

“...Now then,” Enokida whispered to himself with a grin. “What will you do? Banbsan.”

How would the strongest killer-of-killers in f.u.kuoka manage to get out of this situation? Enokida had to be a spector in this.

Behind the counter, Jiro was busy with work, getting ready to open the bar.

“That reminds me,” Enokida took notice. “I haven't seen Misaki in today.”

He did not see the girl, who was always at Jiro's side.

“Why yes,” Jiro answered as he washed his hands. “Misaki went to see Banbchan.”

Banba heavily sighed on top of his hospital bed. No matter how hard he tried, he could not remove the handcuffs. But even if he succeeded by some stroke of luck and got both his hands free, s.h.i.+gematsu had two detectives outside his room to prevent him from escaping. Banba would not be able to force his way out of here easily. He felt like he was being kept prisoner.

If there was only one person on watch, he may have been able to take him out. He could have used the opportunity to go to the bathroom or the smoking area to escape.

And then there was the j.a.panese sword Masataka had left for him in the closet. If worse came to worst, he could use that to threaten or knock them out - as bad as he would feel for resorting to dirty tactics on s.h.i.+gematsu's men.

However, it would be much more difficult with two people present. He would not be able to get in their blind spots, and even with a weapon he would not be able to win against two detectives with experience from active duty as injured as he was right now.

“...d.a.m.n you, s.h.i.+gematsu-san,” Banba cursed with a click of his tongue. “You didn't have to go this far.”

He had been thorough. He had no intention of letting him leave this room.

Banba had thought of escaping from the window, but he knew he probably could not bare the pain of getting onto the window sill, let alone the landing. Besides, he was on the second floor. It would be near impossible to land safely from this height. Attempting to may only end up with him breaking bones and being stuck in the hospital's care again.

He grew frustrated, feeling like every door was closed. He felt so vexed that he wanted to scratch at his head, but the handcuffs prevented him from even doing that, resulting in only more stress.

Just then, the door to his room creaked open.

“Zen-chan.”

It was Misaki.

“I came to visit you.”

She held a small bouquet of flowers. Seeing her like that lessened his fl.u.s.tered mind a little bit.

“Thank you, Misaki.”

Banba smiled brightly.

“I'm surprised they let you in.”

He a.s.sumed the guards would turn everyone away at the door. Perhaps children were an exception.

“Yeah,” Misaki replied. “They said everyone is fine but Enokida.”

Apparently the informant had been blacklisted for trying to help him. This would make it even harder to contact him.

“My bags were checked though.”

“How childish.”

They were very strict if they had to even do a bag search for an elementary school girl. Banba was exasperated with how far they were taking this.

But Misaki was not an ordinary elementary school student. She was someone they had to be vigilant with.

She quietly approached Banba and put her face next to his.

“Come to the coin parking lot behind the hospital at seven tonight,” she whispered in his ear.

“...What?”

Misaki murmured softly, “I'll help you achieve your revenge.”

She then stuffed her small hand into the bouquet and pulled something out.

“Here, a get-well gift.”

It was a hairpin.

Banba immediately pieced what she said together: use this to unlock the handcuffs.

What a smart kid, Banba was impressed. She must have guessed they would check her bag. However, if she wore the pin, they may have noticed it missing when she left. So she instead a.s.sumed they would not check the bouquet and hid the pin in there. As expected of the daughter of an avenger.

“I'll leave this here,” Misaki hid the pretty flower hairpin underneath his pillow.

“Alright, until next time, Zen-chan.”

Misaki waved at Banba and smiled, “see you soon.”

Thanks to his small helper, an open window became available.

They planned to meet at seven o'clock. Banba had to slip out of the room and meet with Misaki before then.

Once six o'clock came around, Banba took action.

“Hey,” he spoke towards the people outside the door. “Hey, mister detectives out there?”

The door promptly opened. A young man looked in dubiously. “...What is it? Do you need to use the restroom?”

“Oh no, not that.” Banba shook his head and made a troubled face. “Could ya at least unlock one of the handcuffs? I want to watch baseball, but I can't work the remote like this.”

The detectives looked at each other. They seemed unsure what to do.

Banba added to push them, “I'd hate to ask you guys every time when I need to use the remote. It's fine if I have at least one hand free, right?”

The detectives nodded, “I guess if that's the case.” They removed the cuff on his left hand before heading back outside.

Now his one hand was free. He had pa.s.sed the first stage. I'm a smooth one, Banba grinned.

He picked up the remote with his left hand and fiddled with it. He turned on the TV, and once he found the right channel he turned up the volume slightly. He then took out the hairpin Misaki placed under his pillow. He bent the straight metallic needle and inserted it into the keyhole on the other handcuff. After moving it around a bit, he finally managed to unlatch the lock. Lock picking was a success. The second stage was clear.

Now that both his hands were free, Banba slowly got out of the bed as to not aggravate his wounds. He moved onto the next stage. He removed the white sheets from the bed and tied one of the ends to the railing of the window, hanging the rest outside.

“It may be too much, but it's sink or swim time…”

Banba hid inside the closet and held his breath.

It was meal time around six. The staff should be bringing dinner to him. The detectives would take it and bring it inside where they will see him missing. Banba kept waiting patiently inside the closet.

There was movement several minutes later. Banba heard the door open a few minutes after six.

“H-hey! He's not here!”

One of the detectives yelled. He was shocked to see that Banba had vanished.

“d.a.m.n, he got us!”

Banba heard the two men pacing around the room, their footsteps like pattering rain.

I hope they don't find me here.

Banba stayed in place, praying.

 “Where did he go?”

“Did he really escape from the window?”

“This is bad. s.h.i.+gematsu-san is going to be furious with us.”

The fl.u.s.tered exchange continued.

“We have to find him! He shouldn't have gotten far!”

The footsteps receded. The two must have left the room.

Banba sighed in relief. The third stage went well. However, the next step would be the most troubling.

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Translation: Kaede726

Reposts are prohibited and should be exclusive to Kaede726 on blogger.

Editor: Voissane

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