16 Cup-X

Aiko stops outside Kaminari's place waiting for one of his lap dogs to let her in. A man in black walks her to his current location. She looks around the room upon entering.

"Morning." Kaminari greets looking skinnier now, "You know what to do get on with it." He orders dragging his feet.

Aiko crosses her arms, "You know what I want before every session if I skip even one day of not taking the Cup-X I'll end up like you."

"Give her what she wants." Kaminari orders the man in black who rushes off.

Cup-X isn't called a drug for the fun of it, it's highly addictive hence why Ryujin used junkies for his experiments. A person only needs to take a shot of the drug once a month, once a day is just overkill, but it feels nice.

The high lasts for hours and you sleep like a baby when it finally wears off.

A group of men in black bring 4 suitcases full of the Cup-X drug safely packed with extra security on the case.

Aiko takes it and pricks Kaminari's finger seeing potential outcomes and possibilities for his future. She sees a feud between Kaminari and Yuno, some kind of argument, and a sudden time skip to when Kaminari ends up dead.

"Wow, things look good for you sir."

Kaminari dismisses her and she goes back to the dorms taking a shower looking in the mirror when she's done. She notices a nose bleed. This is usually how treatment failure symptoms begin.

Nose bleeds, then internal organs start shutting down, depending on what shuts down first you will live a while longer or be dead in a few days.

She starts to panic and drinks water taking deep breaths, her brain cloudy, her chest so heavy she forgets how to breathe for a moment, feeling air pass through her ears before she gasps for air again.

"I need air."

She opens her door and walks to Yuno's room surprised to find that she moved out, Aiko was supposed to keep an eye on her.

"Aiko! We have a party at my place, you up for some fun?" One of her classmates invites her over and she usually says no, but today she surprises the female and tags along. 

It could be her last so why not?

She walks into the crowded space going straight for the booze counter and filling up her cup taking down it's contents in one go, pouring another glass chugging it down as well before grabbing a bottle going to the stoners corner getting high sitting back in her seat with her hands in her pockets.

"Anybody know where I can find Yuno Lin?"

"Who is that Aiko?"

"First year chick, drives a Volkswagen golf, black hair obviously dyed, 5 foot 5, with blue eyes that sometimes look colourless, like they're as clear as clean water, used to work at the Tachibana hotel."

"Isn't she Tachibana's baby momma?"

"She isn't, Tachibana doesn't have any kids. I just wanted to know where she is you people don't even know who she is, but I'm not surprised she keeps to herself, rarely sticking around to make friends."

Yuno wakes up and sneezes taking a shower. Tori has been very cheery having some alone time doing things just the two of them like they used too, and that's all he needed to lift away the tense energy that's been surrounding him.

Tachibana has rarely been around traveling from here to there making sure that the rebuilt city re-opening party goes well.

Yuno receives a voice message from a drunk Aiko asking to meet up. Yuno's reply is to switch off her phone. As long as Aiko is still in league with Kaminari, Yuno wants nothing to do with her.

Aiko goes back to her place drunk, high, and out of her mind because she is still worried, confused, paranoid, and the feeling has amplified. She makes a call to the only other person who won't turn her away.

Ryujin answers the phone and agrees to meet Aiko tomorrow to run tests.

"Tomorrow is too far away I need to know now."

"Can you get here right now?"

"Probably not, but I'm going to anyway."

Ryujin knows Tachibana won't be around Yuno for the next 2 days he also knows he's taking a risk considering that Ake practically kidnapped Yuno and she's still recovering and all, but Aiko is a good person and he cares deeply about her.

Yuno receives a call from Ryujin who cuts straight to the point explaining that all she has to do is extract the egg.

"Miss Lin she's one of the people who were completely compatible with their ability and the previous host, if it wasn't for Kaminari over using her ability she wouldn't be in her situation.

"She didn't have a choice when it came to Kaminari, please don't punish her for the unfortunate circumstance she's in."

Yuno groans, "It's late and I have classes tomorrow tell Aiko I'll heal her at school it'll take time just like it did with you, because I honestly have no idea what the egg is? What it looks like? Or how I extracted it?"

"Thank you, Miss Lin."

Ryujin calls Aiko instantly delivering the good news, "If you say a word of this to Kaminari, or anyone else your treatment ends right then and there." His tone is now sharp and cold, expressing seriousness.

"Yes sir." 

~

Yuno calls Ackerman to take Tori to Sensen leaving Tachibana in bed still fast asleep while she is going to school. She will be meeting up with Aiko after classes.

"You still work with Kaminari?"

"I won't pretty soon, I'll make my last prediction come true no matter what it takes."

"What happened in that prediction?"

"Kaminari died."

Yuno nods and fills Aiko's tub with water, "Get naked and go under, hold your breath for as long as you can it forces your body to heal faster." Aiko goes under occasionally coming back for air until Yuno tells her to just sit and relax in the tub.

"It'll be a 3-day process, we'll meet after classes and continue tomorrow, cool?"

"Yeah, I'm cool with it thank you so much."

"Don't thank me yet I told you I don't know what I'm doing."

"I'm still grateful you'd try."

"It's only because Ryujin asked me."

Yuno takes her jacket and leaves, as long as Aiko aligns herself with Kaminari she's a liability but her ability is the source of Kaminari's wealth, and crazy tactics if she loses it maybe he might get knocked down a peg or two.

Yuno goes home and falls asleep. Tachibana noticed the colour of her eyes were a bright blue. He now knows when she's over used her ability and when she hasn't, her eyes change, a tell she probably hasn't realised yet. 

He sits quietly working while Tori walks around the room moving this from that and reaching for anything he can get his hands on. Yuno wakes up and Tachibana didn't leave early today.

"Morning Miss Lin, did you get enough rest?"

"Yup."

He nods and looks her up and down, "You sure about trusting Aiko?"

Yuno shrugs her shoulders, "I don't, but I won't let her die. When we're done we're done for good."

"Why did you keep it from me?"

"I just woke up, what makes you think I wasn't going to tell you? Then again, you always do things solo and I have to nag you for answers, so I hope from now on you'll drop the secrecy and maybe I will too."

"From your choice of words there's more you're not telling me."

"Mhmm." She hums in response walking to the bathroom locking the door healing herself calming the splitting headache that woke her from her sleep. She has another day to power through and work towards a better future for her family.