Haruhi had the brilliant idea of walking to the apartment building from class, which, although it wasn't as cold, was still not pleasant – especially for poor Mikuru's skimpy nurse outfit.

Haruhi had the lead, of course, and she demanded that Not-Yuki stay up front with her.  I guess she was worried about her sneaking off or something.

Ironic, because that was exactly what I was planning on doing.

Mikuru stayed up front as well, being the mascot and all.  Koizumi stayed a bit back, but close enough to maintain conversation with Haruhi if necessary.

I stayed some distance back, looking for the right opportunity to separate.  I knew that at least two group members were keeping close eyes on me, for entirely opposite reasons.  As we approached the apartment building, though, I figured that there might be a chance to sneak off.

The group approached the front of the apartment building, and Haruhi grabbed Not-Yuki by the arm.  "Let us in."

Not-Yuki looked up at Haruhi and pulled her arm away.  "This is unwise.  He is..."

"Shut up, you!"  Haruhi looked positively livid.  "Why are you being so hesitant to let us see him, huh?  Is there something you're not telling us?"

"..."

Haruhi glared at Not-Yuki and raised her voice, uncaring of who would overhear.  "Is that a fact?  Well, you listen to me, girlie, because I..."

That was my chance.  While their attentions, especially Not-Yuki's, were focused on each other, I slipped away from the group and crept behind some landscaping, trying very hard not to make any noise or draw any attention.  I approached the front door of the apartments, looking back at the group each step of the way to see if anyone cared that I was gone.

To my relief, Haruhi was still screaming at Not-Yuki, who continued to give brilliant ellipsis-based responses.  Koizumi was watching them, intrigued, but thankfully not looking my way, or looking for me.  

Mikuru, however, was looking around nervously, not wanting to get involved, and saw me.  She almost let out a gasp, but I put my finger to my lips, pantomiming a "sh".  She looked confused, but nodded in understanding.  

My attention was so focused on them that someone accidentally bumped into me as they were leaving the building.  "Excuse me," I muttered, hoping that whoever it was would hear me, but the rest of the Brigade wouldn't.  I didn't even look at the person who I bumped into, because I was too busy running up to the door, stopping it from closing with my foot and slipping inside.  It was a trick I picked up from Haruhi when we came here to investigate Ryoko Asakura's "trip to Canada".

Once inside, I called the elevator to bring me up to her floor.  As I waited, I sent a quick text to Koizumi before going up, both to try to buy me some time and to keep my mind off of what I was about to face.

Because if I was right about what was happening to Darian, I didn't really want to think about what kind of shape he I'd find him in.

*** ??? ***

Itsuki Koizumi enjoyed watching Haruhi Suzumiya arguing with Yuki Nagato – or, more accurately, arguing with herself, as Nagato was not one to argue, or say much, actually.  The "argument" was starting to wind down when he felt a buzzing in his pocket.  He pulled out his cell to see a cryptic text from Kyon:

"Stall them"

He turned to see why he would send such a text when he noticed that Kyon was nowhere to be found.  

Suzumiya stood to her full height and resumed her commanding posture.  "Okay, girl, if you say there's nothing going on, then open that door and let's see  for ourselves!"

Koizumi cleared his throat.  "Um, Brigade Leader, if I may..."

Suzumiya appeared irritated at his interruption.  "What now, Koizumi?"

Koizumi paused for a half-second to parse his thoughts. "Well, we must remember that if this flu is a bad as everyone believes it to be, so bad that it's held Darian up for this long, maybe it isn't such a good idea to..."

"Who died and made you doctor, huh?"  Suzumiya stormed up to to Koizumi, then pointed to Nagato, "Are you taking her side?  Huh?!"

Koizumi grinned, not losing one inch of his composure.  "Not at all.  I just thought that..."

All of a sudden, Suzumiya spun on her heels and pointed to Nagato, "Stay right here, you!" even though she had made no effort to move.  She turned back to Koizumi and resumed er previous not-as-angry voice, "Now, you were saying?"

As Koizumi continued his extemporaneous line of debate, he hoped that Kyon had a good reason for having him do this.

** Kyon **

The trip up the elevator gave me time to organize my thoughts.  I knew I had to be in and out quickly, because I wasn't sure how long Koizumi would be able to stall them, assuming he even got my text at all.  So I decided to get into her apartment, somehow (although explaining why her door was broken down from the outside would take a little doing), and get Darian out before the rest of the Brigade came up.

When the car door opened to her floor, I ran down the hall to her door, prepared to bust it down.  On a hunch, I decided to try the knob first and, to my surprise, I found it unlocked.  I guessed that she was so confident that nobody would find her out that she didn't bother.

The apartment was just as I remembered it.  The last time I was here, I was about ready to deck Darian for daring to kiss Yuki Nagato.

Now, based on what I was able to piece together, I was here to save his bacon.

I made my way through the living area to the bedroom and saw the door closed.  That same bedroom where I and Mikuru spent three years in temporal stasis was now more than likely Darian's bedroom.  I went up to the door before any speculation about what the past week held for him, and opened it cautiously, afraid of what I might find.

The first thing I heard was Darian's pained cries for mercy.  I could barely see him with the scant light that came in from outside, so I turned on the interior light...

..and saw something that I will never be able to shake from my memory:

Darian Hunter, naked, bound to the headboard of his bed, looking even more frail than usual, if such a thing were possible.  His hair was matted from sweat, he appeared to have bruises on the outside of his thighs and scratchmarks on the insides.  But what saddened  me the most was his face – his eyes.  He had the look of someone who had given up, someone completely broken.

I mean, I knew that something bad was happening, but seeing it live and in color... it took some doing to convince myself that I was actually seeing what I was seeing – and even more doing to keep myself from retching.

I ran to his bedside and looked around him.  His wrists were bound by a pair of zip-ties fashioned into handcuffs behind the headboard, and that looked to be the only restraint on him.  I looked around the room, hoping to find something to free him  and, whether by luck or monumental hubris, found a pair of scissors casually discarded on the floor near the dresser.  I picked them up and started to work at his bonds.

I had to nudge him aside to get access to his wrists, which shook him from his near-catatonia.  "W-what's going on?"  His voice was so weak, so beaten.

I put on my best confident and reassuring voice as I cut at the ties.  "Relax.  I'm getting you out of here."

His voice brightened, if a little.  "K-kyon?"  Then, just as suddenly, he became panicked.  "No!  It's a trick!  It's gotta be!  Another trick.  You're not real!  You're just another mind game..."

He was starting to sound hysterical, panicked.  I needed him calm if we were going to get out with our skins, so I did what I thought would work:

I slapped him.  

Hard.

After he stopped babbling, I shook his shoulders.  "Darian, snap out of it!"

He looked at me for a few seconds, then leaned forward, his arms free, and hugged me as tightly as he could – which wasn't very – and started to cry.  I knew we didn't have a lot of time, but I gave him a moment and hugged him back to try to comfort him.  "It's okay.  It's over.  You're safe now.  Let's get you out of here, okay?"

He pulled away from me and nodded.

I knew that people would ask questions if I walked out with a naked boy on my arm, so I went to his closet, searched past his uniforms, and found a silly-looking set of robes with strange markings.  Seeing no better option, I pulled it off the hanger and draped it over him, then put him over my shoulder.  He was surprisingly light.

I made my way out to the hallway and to the elevators.  To my horror, the car I took was on the way down to the lobby.  I pushed the down button and saw the other car was several floors up.  I waited impatiently, hoping the other one would not catch up.  It stopped on several floors, causing me to panic a little, as the other car started on its way up,  likely carrying the Brigade – and, therefore, Not-Yuki.

"Come on... come on..." I muttered to myself in impatience and self-preservation. Finally, when the other car was just two floors away, my door finally opened.  Heedless of anything, I jumped in and hit the ground floor button.  Once the doors closed, a gasp registered from behind me  I turned and saw an old lady giving us a confused look.

Wanting as little questions as possible, I nodded toward Darian and said, "Oh, my friend here had too much to drink, and I'm bringing him home."

The old lady nodded.  "That's very kind of you, young man.  Do you have a car."

I pulled out my phone.  "Calling a cab now."  I left it at that, hoping she didn't realize that both of us were obviously underage, and sent another quick text to Koizumi.

After a long and uncomfortable elevator ride, I mumbled something that sounded line "Good day" to the nice lady who rode the elevator with us and stepped out and made my way to the road, a semi-conscious Darian in tow, hoping against hope that there would be a cab waiting when I got down there..

** ??? **

The door to the elevator opened just as Koizumi's phone buzzed again.  He opened it to see another cryptic text from Kyon.  "Need a cab. Now!"

Suzumiya turned and looked at him.  "Who keeps texting you?  Do you have a girlfriend we don't know about?  You'd better be careful; Mikuru here might get jealous..."

Asahina blushed a deep crimson and started to flop-sweat.  Koizumi maintained his perfect grin.  "I doubt that quite seriously, Brigade Leader, but that's beside the issue.  I just have some family problems that have crept up on me.  Excuse me, but I have to take care of this."  With that, he walked further down the hallway away from Nagato's door.  Suzumiya shrugged and led the other two girls toward the apartment.

Koizumi called, and spoke in a surreptitious voice, recalling his conversation with Darian some weeks ago concerning Nagato's listening ability.  "I need a cab.  Kyon will be out front of Nagato's apartment building waiting."

Suddenly, Suzumiya's voice echoed throughout the hallway.  "WHERE THE HELL IS HE?!?!?!"

In a flash, Koizumi understood.  "...and unless I miss my guess, he will have Darian Hunter with him.  ...The sooner, the better.  ...Good."  And, nonchalant as anything, Koizumi closed and pocketed his phone just as Suzumiya stormed out of the apartment, followed by Asahina and Nagato.  Asahina appeared worried.  Nagato had no visible expression.  Under normal circumstances, that would not be unexpected, but given what he knew of Nagato's... development, he was a little surprised at her lack of emotion.

Koizumi grinned and walked up to Suzumiya.  "What's going on, Brigade Leader?"

Suzumiya nodded toward Nagato.  "Genius here couldn't keep a leash on Darian, and now he's gone!"

Koizumi nodded.  "Where do you think he went?"

Suzumiya shook her head.  "I have no idea!"

Koizumi cleared his throat.  "Well, Brigade Leader, if he's still suffering at least some of his flu symptoms, wouldn't it be dangerous to have him running around?"

She nodded.  "My thoughts exactly!  You take Mikuru and search to the north.  I'll take the south."  She turned with a start to Nagato.  "You stay here in case he comes back."  After a pause in which Nagato said nothing, Suzumiya added, "No arguments, girlie!  This whole thing is your fault, so I don't want to hear your crap!"  With that, she turned to Koizumi and Asahina.  "Come on, troops!  We've got a man missing, and we need to bring him home!"

** Kyon **

Minutes passes as I paced along the roadside, a mostly-unconscious Darian Hunter on my shoulder.  I knew that the group would soon realize that the apartment was empty and come down looking for him.  I muttered, "Come on.... come ON!" to myself as though that would get them there any faster.

Sure enough, though, a familiar black cab rounded the corner and pulled up beside me.  I opened the door myself, not wanting to wait for it to open for me, and shoved Darian into the back.  I pushed him in the rest of the way first and jumped in behind him.

"Hello, Master Kyon," the voice from the speaker intoned.  "I-is that Master Hunter?"

I slammed the door hard mid-sentence and barked, "Take us to your headquarters.  Now!"

A slight hesitation came from the speaker.  "But Master Kyon..."

I growled at the driver, "We don't have time to debate!  Drive!"

The driver made no further response except to step on the gas.

As we drove, I kept watch over Darian.  He made no sound except an occasional pitiful squeak, as though he were in disbelief that he was actually safe.

After a few more blocks, the driver, who had been silent up to then, asked, "What exactly is going on, Master Kyon?"

I sighed.  "No offense, but I only want to explain that once.  Speaking of which, after you drop me off, I need you to go back and pick up Itsuki Koizumi and Mikuru Asahina.  But only them!  If anyone else is with them, do not approach!  Do you understand?"

The voice crackled back, "Understood."

"Good.  I'll call them after we arrive and let them know to expect you."

The driver went as fast as legally possible, and I think even bypassed legality on a couple occasions, and pulled up in front of what appeared to be an abandoned building.  "Go in the front door.  You will meet a chaperone who will take you where you need to go.  I called ahead and told them of Master Hunter's condition."

I nodded.  "Thanks."  I pulled Darian out of the back, and eased him to the door as the driver pulled out to pick up Koizumi and Mikuru.  As expected, someone was at the door not moments after I opened it.  He shouldered Darian for me and led me down a hallway and into a room with nothing but bare, white walls.

Apparently, my assessment was wrong, because, after offloading Darian to me again, went up to the far wall and focused his eye on a small dot in the center.  After a second, an unseen, seamless door opened beside him.  He urged us inside and we traveled down.

"If you're going to make your call," the unnamed Organization man said, apropos of nothing, "do it now while you still have a cell signal."

I nodded and pulled out my phone, only to have it ring in my hand.

** ??? **

Suzumiya hit the ground running, making a beeline toward the south.  Koizumi and Asahina watched her run off, then headed north.  Once they were far enough away, Koizumi pulled out his phone, selected Kyon's last message and dialed.

Asahina seemed worried.  "W-What's going on, Koizumi?"

Koizumi grinned back.  "That's what I intend to find out."  At that moment, the phone connected.  "Kyon, I hope you have an explanation..."

"Is Yuki with you?"  Kyon interrupted Koizumi's greeting.  His voice sounded desperate.

Koizumi paused, more out of surprise than anything else.  "No.  She is back at her apa..."

"Is Haruhi with her?"  Kyon interrupted again, this time even more worried.

Stunned by the urgency of his question, Koizumi fumbled a bit.  "N-no.  She took off to look for Darian.  I assume he's with you?"

"Yeah, he's with me.  A cab is on its way to pick you up.  I'll explain everything when we're together."  With that vague promise, the phone crackled to silence, Kyon's signal having dropped.

True to his word, not two seconds after the call ended, a black cab pulled up.  Koizumi assisted Asahina inside before taking his own seat.  Once the door closed, the driver took off.

Koizumi rapped on the dividing glass.  "What do you know about all this?"

The driver responded, "Forgive me, Master Koizumi, but Master Kyon said he "only wanted to explain it once".  All I know is that Master Hunter is with him and in a very bad way."

Asahina gasped.  "I-is he okay?"

"He was walking, but he didn't look at all well."

Asahina turned to Koizumi.  "I knew something like this would happen.  I should have..."

Koizumi shook his head.  "No, Miss Asahina.  You did nothing wrong.  Despite your prejudices, the Yuki Nagato we know would never do anything to harm Darian..."  After pausing to think a moment, something struck him  "That's what Kyon was trying to warn me about in the Club room!"

As Koizumi was pulling out his phone, Asahina looked at him, confused.  "What d-what do you mean?"

Koizumi dialed a simple four-digit code.  "What I mean, Miss Asahina, is that it is very likely that we are not dealing with the Yuki Nagato we know."  He waited for an answer, then spoke tersely.  "Spread the word: Operation Big Sister is now in effect."

Asahina blinked.  ""Operation Big Sister"?  What's that?"

Koizumi snapped his phone closed and did his best to maintain his grin.  "All will be made clear once we arrive.  You should prepare yourself: what is happening is not pleasant."

The cab pulled up to the same building that Kyon was previously dropped off at, then sped off after its passengers left.

Koizumi took Asahina by the arm and smiled at her.  "Come, my dear.  This should prove to be interesting."

** Kyon **

I stood at the two-way mirror watching Darian Hunter.  He was curled up in the middle of the floor of his observation room.  The bed that normally against the far wall was removed.

That was at my insistence.  I had a feeling Darian would not want to see another bed for a very long time.

He slept, if poorly, on a plain green blanket, clad in drab gray scrubs.  The robe that I brought him in hung against the back of a chair in a far corner.  Even though they said he hadn't slept in days, it still took a potent sedative to even get him to this level of sleep.

I heard footsteps and a presence make its way beside me.  I paid little attention.  I was focused on Darian.

That, and what the hell to do now.

"The doctor who examined him said he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder."  Koizumi's voice was not laced with a grin.  Not now.

I nodded.  "That makes sense, considering what he's been through"

He patted me on the shoulder.  "Your keen observation and daring rescue probably saved his life."

I shook my head.  "No.  She wouldn't have killed him."

"What makes you so sure?"

I sighed and shrugged.  "She wanted something from him.  I don't know... revenge?"

Koizumi looked in at Darian.  "Quite a long way to go for a pound of flesh."

"I'm guessing she was trying to conflate our Yuki with her: same bedroom, same appearance... when I came upon him, he said that he'd "call her whatever she wanted"... I'm betting she was trying to get him to call her "Yuki"."

Koizumi nodded.  "...something he would never do willingly, once he knew who she really was."

"Yeah.  I knew she was torturing him, even using elements of sexual torture, but I had no idea of the scope."

Koizumi looked at me.  "Why did you think she was using sexual torture on him?"

I sighed and shook my head.  "The first thing she said to me when I tried to visit him on Tuesday was "He has been bedridden for days."  Once I realized what was happening..."

Koizumi nodded.  "It seems our false Yuki exhibits a sense of arrogance.  Not a huge stretch to determine where she learned it..."

The door behind us opened, and the Organization member posing as the Student Council president walked in.

Koizumi met him and exchanged a handshake.  "How did your meeting go?"

A bit of a smirk escaped his lips as he reached into his pocket for a cigarette.  "A good number of the Organization members came to show their support.  Under such overwhelming odds, Management had no choice."

Koizumi grinned.  "You mean... you staged a coup?"

The president nodded.  "We came in with one goal in mind: we failed Darian Hunter once.  We would not fail him again.  If Darian is crippled, all those funds set aside would be moot.  He will get all the care he needs."

I turned to them.  "I just hope it's in time.  If she's out there running around, we need all the beef we can get on our side."

Koizumi nodded.  "Agreed.  Without Nagato or Darian, we are decidedly ill-equipped to deal with this threat."

The president turned to me.  "That reminds me: we are ready whenever you are."

I groaned.  "Do I have to?  Why can't one of your people do it?"

Koizumi put his hand on my shoulder.  "You're best equipped to give the bad news; you know more about what's going on than anyone here."

I shook my head.  "But I'm not leadership material!  I can't organize a resistance!"

Koizumi grinned at me.  "You don't have to be.  Just be you.  You were chosen by Suzumiya for a reason.  This may be Suzumiya's story, but you seem to be the main character."

I sighed.  "Okay.  Is the presentation set up?"

The president nodded.  "Just as you requested."

Without another word, I walked with the president toward an auditorium room.  Koizumi went to be in the audience with Mikuru while I was taken to the front.  Once I hit the stage, the room fell from nervous, random discussion to dead silence in a second.  

I sighed and stepped to the podium, checking the microphone to see if it was working.  After waiting for the inevitable feedback to fade, I started to talk:

"All right, listen everyone: I know that there's all kinds of secrecy, hidden information, and "need-to-know" bullshit around here, but none of that matters now.  What's happening is bigger than any secret, so be prepared to hear some things you may not know already, and that just might make you uncomfortable."

I nodded to the person running the projector, and he put on the screen behind me the sketch of Not-Yuki and her pet Haruhi that Darian drew in math class.  I took the laser pointer, pointed it at the asp-headed dominatrix and said three words that, had I been a witness to Kimidori's conversation with Darian, would have been absolutely ironic:

"She is here."