"Tamaki!" I slammed my fists against the wood. "What the fuck, man! Why the fuck would you do that? Why-"
"Oh please, Kyoya! I'm doing you and the world a huge favor with this! You and Jin aren't exactly subtle, y'know! The whole group ships you, and I'm pretty sure your economics class does, too... if you guys behave like you normally do while you're in class!"
Swallowing past the lump that had formed in my throat, I stopped hitting the door. Seriously? The whole group? I thought that shipping would've at least been contained to the internet... but I guess I can't escape it no matter what I do.
After a moment of silence, Tamaki's voice rang out once more, albeit softer, "Kyoya, listen. I know how you probably feel, and I know I likely won't be able to help you shake off all the nerves, but I'm being honest when I say that you have a good shot here. According to Haruhi, Jin talks about you a lot. And she's even admitted to both Haruhi and Honey that she has a crush on you. I'm not going to force you to confess tonight, but at least try to see this as a practice date? Dinner, some alone time, maybe a little Netflix and Chill? Just see what... wha-why are you laughing?"
I couldn't help myself. Tamaki had been making more sense than usual, so when he suddenly let loose with another signature moment of "Dumb", I had been so relieved I just started cracking up. Or perhaps that was the leftover stress from midterms?
I felt Tamaki try to open the door from his side, but I grabbed the doorknob and held fast, sliding to my knees as I did so.
Tamaki knocked a few times, calling out again, "Kyoya? You good?"
"Tamaki?" I gasped around my laughter, "Do you even know what that phrase means?"
"Uh... what phrase?"
Deciding to skip straight to the good stuff, I opened the door myself and gave a wide-eyed Tamaki one more second on ignorance before explaining, "'Netflix and Chill' is code for having sex."
He choked, the unfortunate outcome of trying to speak, gasp, and cough at the same time. It was enough to make me burst out laughing again, placing my hands on the floor to keep my balance.
"I... my point still stands!"
I couldn't breathe.
Tamaki grumbled and gently kicked my arm. "I'm serious, Kyoya. You and Jin would make a good couple."
At that, all I could do was sigh. "Tamaki, as good as your intentions are, I'm sure you're just-"
A sudden knock at the door made us both jump.
I hurriedly got up off the floor while Tamaki squeaked, slamming his door shut with the words, "I'm not ready! Kyoya, get the door! "
"No," I respond, already walking over to let the sisters in. Sure enough, Jin and Haruhi are waiting patiently on the other side, looking far too amused to have not heard Tamaki's shouting a few seconds ago.
I welcomed them inside, nodding along as Haruhi took an educated guess on whether her boyfriend was ready or not. Rolling her eyes, she walked right into his room, ignoring his indigent scream upon her arrival.
Leaving Jin and I alone in the sitting room.
Jin offered a shy smile as she lifted the plastic bag in her right hand. "I, ah... decided to pick up some ramen for dinner. I know you guys don't have any cooking supplies here and there aren't going to be any restaurants around without a huge waiting list tonight, so I figured this might be a nice change from your terrible eating habits."
For a moment, I entertained arguing with her that mine and Tamaki's eating habits were just fine... but then I remember exactly how long it had been since I last ate a piece of fruit and decided not to waste my time.
Reaching out, I gently took the food from her and responded, "Thank you. But we could've just ordered in. You didn't have to pay for it."
"You and the other boys pay for every other take out meal we get together. I already told you I don't have you saved as 'Free Food' in my contacts."
"What a relief." I dodged the soft punch she aimed for my side before continuing in a whisper, "Are you staying after dinner as well? I know Tamaki expects it, but what were your thoughts?"
Jin rolled her eyes, but there was still a blush on her cheeks as she explained, "Haru says I spend too many of my weekends shut up in my dorm, so shell be checking in on Snapchat every so often to see if I'm still here."
"Oh, will she now?"
"Yeah, which is stupid of her. I mean, she's going on a date, for goodness sakes! And it's not like I'd leave after eating dinner, anyways."
"You know I can hear you Nēchan!"
"I know, Haru! This is my fifth attempt to tell you not to do it!" Jin walked past me to further taunt her sister through the walls, unaware of the question now burning in the back of my mind.
You wouldn't?
Half an hour later, long after we'd waved Haruhi and Tamaki out of the dorm and had eaten a good portion of our own meal, I was still mulling over what Jin meant by that. In the most obvious terms, I knew she was saying that she would've stuck around after dinner even if Haruhi hadn't asked for regular updates. But what I couldn't quite understand was why.
"So, what do you want to do tonight?"
I carefully lifted my eyes away from my bowl, swallowing when our eyes met across the table. Hastily wiping my mouth off with a napkin, I fumbled for something to say.
"I don't really have a preference on what we do... we could play any of the two-player games laying around if you'd like. Maybe play a video game? I think the girls in 219 finally returned our Mario Cart..."
"Hmm... maybe. How would you feel about a movie?"
Tamaki's voice echoed in my head, ' Netflix and Chill' . So I mentally stuffed that Tamaki into a garbage bag and threw him in a closet.
"If you'd like. Anything in particular?"
Jin hummed, her chopsticks swirling the few remaining noodles around her bowl. "Actually, there's this new American one that came out that I want to see."
Immediately, I knew which one she was talking about and leveled a teasing gaze at her. "This movie wouldn't perhaps be centered around Greek Mythology, would it?"
Jin snickered, caught. "Okay, fine. Yes, I want to see the Percy Jackson movie, but don't act like you don't want too, either."
"I dunno, Jin. I've heard some pretty negative stuff about it."
"Because you always spoil yourself on purpose by looking at it on the internet!"
"Like you don't have a Tumblr for that exact reason."
"I block the spoilers tag!"
I rolled my eyes, but didn't argue any further because she was right. Again. I did want to see the movie. But it had nothing to do with Persephone, no matter what my brothers said. I do like Nico and the shadow-traveling thing, though. I don't get the shivers or the whispering that's explained in the book, and nor would I want to, but on the whole the author did a good job with his descriptions and character building. It's nice to see the kid with dark powers who lost his older sister get a... well... a happy ending.
But, even though Nico wouldn't be in this movie, I was still a little excited to see it.
It took us a while to get everything set up, Jin clearing away our meal while I looked the movie up on Netflix. They didn't offer it in Japanese dub, but there were Japanese subtitles available, so at least I wouldn't have to solely rely on Jin to translate a quarter of the movie for me.
Finally, Jin flopped down on the couch beside me, her hands squeezed between her knees as she beamed in my direction. "Ready?"
"Ready."
We were not ready.
Not even a full ten minutes into the movie and Jin was already chucking the throw pillows at the screen while I cheered her on. We were both hollering at the monstrosity playing out before us, curses and complaints spewing out as more and more things went wrong.
"Pause it! Pause it! "
I did so happily, rubbing at the developing headache in my right temple while Jin leapt to her feet. She paced the room, her hands flailing around wildly as she listed her extensive complaints. I nodded and agreed with everything she said, but didn't interrupt. I knew how Jin hated being talked over, so I let her be. It was actually kind of cute how into it she was getting.
I know a few people would've stepped in at this point and tried to explain to us that there was no reason to be so caught up in a dumb movie, but I knew that wasn't exactly the point. Jin let herself get sucked into books because it was important to her. They had been her only escape when she was growing up. Same as me. The books we read were a part of us, just as much as our hair colors or how we loved our siblings.
So, for Jin to see such an instrumental part of her childhood wrecked, to see such interesting and complex characters "normalized", for the mystery and the background and the realism to be thrown out so the directors could throw in more fight scenes...
I'm 95% sure that if Jin had any less self control she might've asked me to sue the director. But I also know that she would never, because even with her emotions at peak level, she would always be rational. She really is something else...
I wonder, not for the first time, if her powers are emotion based...
"Kyoya?" She had finally calmed down enough to notice my staring. And she blushed, crossing her arms as she sat back down. "Sorry. Got a little carried away."
"No, no, it's alright. I like it when you're passionate."
I bit my tongue, wishing that I knew how to keep my mouth shut. Jin looked at me, slowly turning the rest of her body as my words sunk in. My breath caught in my throat. Her big brown eyes were so wide, her lips parting ever so slightly.
"Kyoya... please don't tell me I'm imagining... this. "
She doesn't clarify what 'this' she's referring to, but I have a pretty good idea what she meant. So I shook my head 'no'.
Two hours later and I found myself standing awkwardly in front of Tamaki, who had come back a full hour earlier than I expected. Meaning, he caught me walking out of our bathroom in only a pair of boxers and an unbuttoned shirt.
"Kyoya? Why..." He hesitates before lifting and arm and using it to gesture at my under-dressed profile. "Why?"
I can't think of a good way to explain my current situation. Because there is no good explanation. I usually never leave my bedroom or the bathroom without at least a pair of pants on. And honestly...
I watch as Tamaki's eyes survey the dorm room, pausing briefly on Jin's shoes still waiting by the door and the Netflix logo bouncing around the television screen. His eyes are wide in a silent question as they return to staring at me.
And that's when his element of surprise wore off and I shrugged, walking back to my room. But not before patting his shoulder and giving a little hint.
"Netflix and Chill."
I can't help the smug smile as Tamaki lets out a little scream. Possibly from my hint. But more likely because he saw the long red lines down my back. Or he caught a glimpse of the girl lying in my bed before I shut the door behind me.
Being in a relationship with Jin Fujioka isn't nearly as complicated as I thought it would be. We had all summer to figure out how to interact and work around each other, so by the time school resumed we had roughed out most of the major bumps. I supposed it helped that we were constantly surrounded by what can only be described as a "Fan Club", comprised entirely of our friends.
Her father seems to have some reservations about me, but at least he doesn't appear to completely despise me like he does Tamaki.
I honestly don't know how I got so lucky with Jin. Up until that night, I had assumed that the universe had some sort of vendetta against me, or maybe I had been a homicidal murderer in a past life. But with Jin.. Tamaki has described us as opposites who are so alike, and I have to agree with him on that. We laugh at similar things, hate the same people, and genuinely enjoy time with each other.
Sure, the sex is great, but it's not the only thing about us that is, either.
Of course, our fights are a little more... dramatic , than most couples.
"Duck!"
I dropped to my knees, wincing as they came into contact with the metal at the same time that Aikio socked Kaoru in he face. The word 'sorry' was on the tip of my tongue, but I bit it back, instead making Kaoru shadow travel out the postal car and reappear on the nearby sidewalk.
The van gave another lurch, sending Aikio and I sideways into the piles of letters and packages that hadn't fallen to the floor yet.
Aikio squeezed my shoulder. "Go help him. There might be some heroes giving him trouble. We'll keep looking back here."
I glanced at the postal worker sitting behind Aikio, who was still sorting through the letters with one hand while the other held on to the straps attached to the wall. Giving Aikio a nod, I leaned to my left and phased through to the cabin. And sure enough, Yuuichi was experiencing hero problems of his own.
He had one hand on the wheel and the other holding up what looked like the passenger side seat cushion against the driver's side window. Tamaki was hanging onto the outside of the van, and from the sound of it he was swinging something heavy at the window, trying to break it. I almost wanted to shout at him to not get glass all over my brother, but once again I held back.
I just hoped that Haruhi wasn't so focused on keeping the rainstorm up that she couldn't remind Tamaki not to grievously hurt us. Sometimes he got so wrapped up in his own head that he needed some outside reminders. Only, unlike when it came to doing homework on time, it couldn't come from me this time.
Gritting my teeth, I thrust my hand out towards Yuuichi's window, sealing the developing cracks with my powers. Tamaki hesitated and Yuuichi let out a sigh, dropping the cushion and pulling the van back into the correct lane.
"Thanks."
"This is going to sound cheesy, but don't thank me just yet."
I waved my other hand like I was performing a backstroke. The rain immediately began to putter out, like I thought it would. Haruhi had a bad habit of getting closer to the fight than was required, and I knew I'd heard careful footsteps on the roof earlier.
I wasn't concerned that she'd get hurt from falling off behind us. Her powers of flight were almost purely reactionary at this point. And besides, the moment I swept her off the roof Tamaki had also jumped off the van, no doubt running to check that his girlfriend was alright as we spoke.
Crouching on the empty spot where the passenger cushion used to be, I went through the heroes in my head. Tamaki, Haruhi, and Kaoru were behind us for now. Yuuichi had foreseen only one Cheshire, so Hikaru was a no show. I personally knew that both Honey and Mori had a huge group project due tomorrow morning, so they wouldn't be showing up at all.
Unfortunately, there was one more hero who I knew we'd be coming across within the hour.
"Hey, you still here?"
"Hm?"
Yuuichi managed a side smile in my direction. "I know you mentioned you have somewhere to be tonight, and I'm sorry that we're pushing your time table, but we need you to stay focused for now. Okay?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay." Letting out a long breath, I slid through the passenger door. Using the rear view mirror and a lot of upper body strength, I clambered up onto the roof. Haruhi's storm made the smooth surface slick with rainwater, so I cast a thin blanket of shadow to act as an adhesive would while I walked along the roof.
I narrowed my eyes as I looked behind us, my contacts irritating my eyes more than usual. The police cars were starting to catch up to us. Enough that I didn't even have to strain to feel the shadows they were casting on the street. The silhouettes of the officers moving around were visible through the windows.
Still no sign of Jin...
Facing away from the police, I gingerly rubbed at my left shoulder. There was definitely going to be a nasty bruise there soon. And it was my fault. I had the perfect opportunity to give Kaoru a Charlie Horse, which would've prevented his following kick... but I just could do it. Now I was stuck with the issue of either trying to mask my pain or come up with a convincing story for Jin later tonight.
Maybe I could say I had been getting more paper for my printer down from my closet and a box of cleaning supplies fell down on my shoulder? That sounded believable, right?
Sighing, I expanded the pull of my powers a little further, trying to take my mind off of it unsuccessfully.
It wasn't like I enjoyed lying to Jin. The exact opposite, actually. And not just because I always get the feeling that she doesn't always believe me. Actually, it's because she always has this soft, gentle look in her eyes when she patches me up. Never pitying, but never accusing, either. Just a simple acknowledgement that I was in pain, and she didn't want me to be. It was sweet, and I honestly felt a little dirty because I knew those looks and her "magic kisses" were because of a lie I had fed her. I hated it.
" Kyoya? Aikio found the papers. He's going to switch Yuuichi out with the driver, so you might want to hang on to that roof really tight. Then, when I give the signal, get your brothers out of there. "
"Yes, Fa-"
I trailed of, eyes widening as the edges of my powers detected something. As attuned as I am to the shadows of the world, I've gotten really good at recognizing the shadows of all my friends and family members. I knew them by heart. And Jin's was especially recognizable.
She was here. Hiding behind one of the parked cars further up the road. Next to a pair of trees that framed the sidewalks.
Under my feet, the truck began to swerve. The police cars were almost bumper to bumper with us.
"Watch out!"
Two seconds later and I was diving out of another shadow, grabbing Jin and pulling her away from her hiding spot, the two of us rolling further onto the sidewalk. Just as my back hit the brick wall of the house, the postal truck gave another swerve and clipped the front of one of the police cars. Enough to send it into the parked cars along the street. Jin yelped and lifted her hands, sending the tree beside us bending itself in half to create a thick cushion of leaves between us and the car.
I faintly heard Father give the signal and sucked my brothers out of the truck just as it righted itself and slowed way down. The postal worker wouldn't even know what had happened until the police made him pull over.
Which meant I needed to get out of here. And I needed to let go of Jin.
I scrambled back to my feet, and just before I fell backwards into the shadows, I saw Jin propped up on her elbows at my feet. Staring at me with her big brown eyes through the dark green leaves. I felt Haruhi, Tamaki, and Kaoru's shadows moving quickly along the sidewalk, no doubt to check to see if Jin was okay.
Then it all went black.
I didn't see Jin again for another hour, when she walked into her dorm room. She doesn't seem surprised to see me in her kitchen, calling out a teasing 'hello' as she removed her shoes.
"Welcome home, Darling," I replied, showing off the katsudon I was unpacking. "I know it's not the most romantic thing ever, but I didn't want to risk burning down your kitchen."
At this, Jin laughed, coming over to hug me properly. "You're not that bad of a cook."
"Says the girl who won't even let me use the microwave."
"Well, maybe if you had helped clean up the soup."
"I was in shock! It blew up! "
Jin laughed louder, burying her face into the crook of my neck afterwards. I bend my head and take a deep whiff of her hair. It was slightly damp from the earlier rain, but there was still a faint scent of mint clinging on. Which meant she had used my shampoo instead of her own strawberry-scented one. I kissed the top of her head and squeezed her a little tighter.
After a quiet moment, she hummed, "How did you get in?"
"Through the front door- ow! " I chuckled and gave her a light swat in retaliation. "Fine, sorry. Your roommate let me in."
"You still haven't learned her name?"
"No, I have. I just don't care enough to use it. She's made one too many passes at me to have my respect."
"Hmm... fine. Suppose that's fair."
When we finally pulled apart, I reached over behind the bag of take out, reveling in Jin's surprised gasp as I revealed the bouquet of flowers. I watched carefully as her eyes zipped from the ranunculus to the amaryllis and finally to...
"Are those tulips?"
I can't help the small smile I give at the softness of her voice. "Yes, they are."
"Kyoya... did you read up on flower meanings?"
"Did you think I wouldn't?"
Jin's gaze was imploring as she stared up at me. Her hands were shaking as they went from her chest to joining mine around the bouquet. "What... what do these flowers mean, then?"
"That I remember? Amaryllis means splendid beauty or worth beyond beauty. The ranunculus can mean you are radiant with charm or you are attractive , which I felt were both applicable in this situation. And the tulips... " I carefully moved one of my hands from the bouquet to her face, rubbing my thumb along her cheekbone. "Tulips are a declaration of love. I'm sorry if you think it's too soon, and I won't force you to say it back bu-"
I'm cut off with a rather passionate kiss, to which I gladly return. It's a little awkward with the flowers in between us, so the kiss doesn't last long enough in my opinion. But Jin's smile when we pull away almost makes it worth it.
"I love you too, Ootori Kyoya."
"Happy six month anniversary, Fujioka Jin."
She giggles, and just before she can remind me that the phrase 'six month anniversary' doesn't actually make sense I kiss her again. The next time we break apart Jin takes a step back, taking the flowers with her.
"Come on, we still have dinner."
"Fine."
She shoots me a wink before scooping up one of the food trays, carrying it over to the table. "Thank you for this, by the way."
"Of course."
"...And... thanks. For not letting me get crushed by that car..."
My dinner falls from my hand, clattering onto the counter-top and spilling a little over the sides of its container. I whipped myself around and found Jin still standing in the little archway between the kitchen and the sitting room. She looked oddly passive for having said something so Earth shattering.
Our eyes met from across the room.
"Shadow."
"I- what did you call me? You think I'm-"
"Kyoya, please don't. Neither of us are dumb here. I know you know I'm Persephone, too, so no more pretending. I can't."
My mouth had gone dry. She knew?
"For how long?"
"Since we met. You?"
I gave a painful swallow. "Same."
She nodded solemnly. "I figured. C'mon, we need to talk."
All the blood rushed to my feet, and I guess it showed pretty clearly on my face because Jin nibbled her lip and continued, "I... I don't want to break up, if that's what you're worried about. But we have some things we need to talk about."
Despite what was coming next, I did feel some relief upon hearing Jin's reassurance. If she knew that I was a "villain", but didn't want to break up, then maybe this talk wouldn't be as bad as I thought it would be. I left my dinner on the counter and followed Jin out of the kitchen.
She and her roommate didn't have a couch like Tamaki and I did. Probably their sacrifice for a dorm room on the top floor with a kitchen. But there wasn't much room for one either, considering how they had a larger table than Tamaki and I had. Said table which Jin set her dinner on before leading me into her bedroom.
I followed her up to the doorway, choosing instead to watch as she carefully set the bouquet down on her desk before flopping on her bed. She shifted around a bit moving to press her back against the wall, making her face the doorway I was still stand in. Reaching up, she used her right hand to pat the empty space next to her.
I was quick to comply.
Soon we're lying on her bed, face to face. I chose not to remove my glasses, enduring the awkward press of my nose piece slowly drifting to the bridge of my nose, and just take in the view. It's one I've seen a hundred times before, and it gives me a bit of whiplash to have something so normal given the discussion we were about to have.
I can see Jin's eyelashes almost individually from this distance and I want nothing more than to reach out and kiss her again, but I don't. Jin doesn't seem to be in any hurry, her breathing coming slow and easy as she stared up at me.
Eventually, she reached up and ghosted her fingertips over my left shoulder. "Kaoru told me he kicked you. Does it hurt?"
"A little." I bring up my right hand and gently grab hers, holding it in between our faces. "Do they know? About me?"
"No. I don't think Kaoru would've been able to land any hits on you if he knew. Same for the others."
"I always wondered why Persephone never managed to land a hit on me."
"Well, you're freaky fast with your disappearing act, so I was lucky to even snag you in my vines after my first surprise attack."
We exchange soft giggling before falling back into silence for another handful of heartbeats. Jin broke the silence a second time, lacing our fingers together as she did so.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"You know what I mean, Kyoya."
I sighed, bending my head to press and kiss to her knuckles. "Why am I a villain?"
"I don't think you're a villain. You've never hurt anyone. Only the people who try to hurt you first, right?" She waited for me to hum in agreement before continuing, "But I want to know why you're stealing these things."
"Are you asking for my tragic backstory?"
"Yeah, suppose I am."
I sighed. I'd hoped that this day would never come. I guess I'd always hoped that some day, as the years went by, my brothers and I would slowly start to disappear off the villain map and I'd never have to revisit my past. It was painful even when I wasn't actively thinking about it.
"Kyoya?" Jin's other hand came up to cradle my cheek, slipping between my face and the pillow.
I gripped her right hand a little tighter. "Jin... do you remember how I mentioned that my mother and older sister are dead?"
"Yes, I remember." Her eyes are wide and imploring, her thumbs both gently stroking my skin as I begin my story. All the way from the beginning. I have to take a few breaks here and there, the tears that spilled out made it hard to continue in a few places.
Jin never rushed me, or tried to get me to stop crying. She just watched, waited, held my hand, and occasionally hugged me to her chest until I finished. When I told her about getting the news of my mother and sister, I felt her chest seize up against my face, letting me know without words that she was crying, too.
It didn't surprise me. She lost her mother at a young age too.
And so we remained curled up together as I continued telling the rest of my story. It was a relief to finally have all the words out of me. The anger, the frustration, the loneliness all dumped out. I knew it wasn't fair to give it all to Jin, and if she hadn't asked for it I probably wouldn't have. Or, at least I would've cut it down to only a short explanation. Perhaps I should think about seeing one of the school counselors on campus. If sharing my story once already felt this good, maybe sharing it again with someone whose job it was to help me further was something long overdue.
I wrapped up my story by explaining our focus on Tayton Corp. outside of finding the man responsible. And that's when I realized that Jin had gone still.
Carefully wiggling myself backwards out of her arms, I looked her in the eye. She seemed... confused.
"What is it?"
"I... Kyoya, I'm not sure how to tell you this, but... we've done our own research on Tayton Corp. Hikaru and Kaoru have even gone undercover. We've never found anything like that."
"...What?"
Jin grabbed my arms. "Don't. Don't run off. Not tonight. Promise you'll let yourself stay still for tonight, no matter what I tell you."
"...I promise."
She immediately relaxed, grabbing my hands once again. "Okay. Here's what I know. Tayton Corp. is just like any other functioning medical facility in the world. They're not perfect, especially where insurance and price ranges are involved, but they're not committing fraud or anything like that. Like I said, we've done our own research too, once we noticed a trend in your "attacks". But I'm telling you, Kyoya, that Tayton Corp. is innocent of whatever your father says he's found."
I blinked, not quite sure how to wrap my head around her words.
"It's all... been a lie? "
"I don't know. I'm sorry, Kyoya, but I just don't know."
I noticed how her hold on my hands had tightened considerably, bringing me back out of my thoughts. Jin is staring at me, searching my face. She's worried. Probably that I'm going to break my promise and run off. But as much as I want too...
Forcing out a long, slow breath, I wrap my arms around Jin and pull her close. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere tonight. It's still our anniversary. Let's stay in for the night. Tomorrow we can deal with this. Tomorrow we can be Shadow and Persephone again. But not tonight."
Jin peeked up at me from my chest. "So... tonight... we're just Jin and Kyoya?"
"Exactly."
I press another kiss to the top of her head and shut my eyes. In truth, I know I won't be able to outright not think about everything I've just been told. It's just not possible. But what I do know is that I'll be able to fake it long enough to enjoy the rest of tonight.
I felt like my heart was about to pop right out of my chest. Commuting from the dorms back to my house had never felt so long before. The fact that I usually went home via shadow was irrelevant.
Because as much as I wanted answers, I knew that I'd been putting this off all day. Even though there were breaks between my classes and an opportunity to skip dinner with my friends, I didn't take them. Of course, it wasn't a long term solution by any means. Even Tamaki had noticed at one point that I was acting oddly fidgety during dinner.
Of course, I couldn't force myself to actually leave my dorm and head for the train station until Jin gave me a verbal and physical push out the door. And even then, I didn't rush to reach the station. Or push myself to board the first train. I even got off one stop early and walked the rest of the way.
Unfortunately, no matter how much I wished it, not one of those things stopped me from arriving at my own front door way sooner than I was ready for. It didn't help that Yuuichi was the one to answer my knocks.
"Kyoya? This is a surprise! I didn't even see you coming!" He smiled at me, clapping a hand on my shoulder. My stomach churned, even as I smiled weakly at my brother's poor attempts at jokes.
Do you know? Did Father tell you and Aikio? Did you figure it out? Or do you blindly trust Father, like I did?
"Hey... you alright, Kyoya?"
I blinked, eyes and mind refocusing on my brother's face in front of me. His smile was gone, replaced by concern. I felt bile rise up in the back of my throat.
"No. I'm not."
The hand on my shoulder tightened before Yuuichi drew me inside, now hastily asking questions about school and my health. I bought myself time to think on how to answer by taking my shoes off as slowly as possible.
I sucked in a long, slow breath before reaching up and squeezing the hand still on my shoulder. "Yuuichi... I need to speak with Father."
"Alright. But can't you at least tell-"
"No. I need to speak with him first. Has he... well, is he in one of his moods?"
"Surprisingly enough, no." His smile was back, if only faintly. "Aikio and I are so proud of him. He was going to go visit Mother and Fuyumi earlier, but I guess he changed his mind once he got caught up in his work. Maybe he's finally starting to heal?"
"Maybe. But that's good for another reason, too. Come on. Oh, and..." I pulled his hand off my shoulder. "Don't look into the future for a while."
Yuuichi's lips twist, some odd mixture of a pout and a frown, but he nods his consent anyways before leading me further into the house. I know that Father is usually in his study at this time of day, still in the working mood despite being home. But every two week he'd take a break from his work and go visit the grave site, only to come home with a new scheme in mind. Something about seeing them seemed to rile him up.
I'm glad I'm not the only one of his sons to be happy about him avoiding his usual schedule.
Just as we reach the second floor, Aikio comes bustling around the corner with a magazine in one hand and a toothbrush in the other. There's a little bit of foam on his upper lip, but at least he appears to have spit out the rest of it before rushing out to meet us.
"Kyoya! I thought I heard your voice! What are you doing here? You usually don't come home unless we call... you?" Whatever excitement my other brother had upon me being home dissipated when he saw my expression. I didn't need a mirror to know that my face was likely very pale.
"What's wrong?"
What was wrong?
Everything.
I was afraid. Afraid of what might come out of my mouth when I spoke to Father. Afraid of what he'd say in return. Afraid that he would deny everything. Afraid that he'd confirm my fears. Afraid that Jin was right.
I was afraid... that my father was a villain.
"Kyoya? Kyoya!"
"Aikio, help me get him to a bathroom!"
"No!" I pushed my brothers away, taking deep breaths when I noticed wisps of shadows curling around my ankles. Since when had I been staring at the floor?
The hands didn't return, but Yuuichi's voice persisted, "Kyoya... you look like you're going to be sick."
"Yeah... I feel sick."
"Then let's-"
"That doesn't mean I changed my mind! I need to speak with Father. Now! "
I look back up just in time to see the tail end of a 'look' between my brothers. Then they nodded and we continued down the hall. I was given numerous glances out of the corners of their eyes, but I ignored it the best I could. Despite my insistence, I wasn't sure that I'd be able to reach Father's office and confront him without throwing up somewhere in between.
Clenching my fists so they wouldn't shake, I keep my composure all the way up to his office door. And before I can back out, I reach up and knock.
"Father! I need to speak to you!"
It takes a few seconds for him to answer the door, and for every second I wait a deep and vicious part of my brain is screaming at me to shadow travel the hell away from this place. I wanted to know... but I also really, really didn't.
The door opened before I could make a run for it, and whatever internal speech I had been preparing in the back of my head was suddenly lost. Father looked... healthy. Healthier than he'd looked in a long while. Usually with his mood swings, he'd come back from the grave site looking rather stretched and frantic. Possibly grey. Over the past few years his black hair had gained white streaks that turned into roots faster than my brothers and I could comprehend.
But today was one of the good days. The bags under his eyes were nearly invisible, and his white hairs looked more silver than anything. His eyes were clear and focused as he looked up at us, focused on me in particular. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
He was glad to see me.
Just as his expression shifted, probably due to my own appearance, I burst out, "Show me the documents."
All the air in the nearby vicinity disappeared into the lungs of my brothers. Father's posture went stiff before my eyes. All three of them knew exactly what documents I was talking about. Anything and everything we'd ever stolen from Tayton Corporation. The stuff Father never let us see.
"Kyoya..." Father's voice was gentle, yet firm. "You know why I don't want you to look at them."
"Do I? Do I really?"
"Kyoya, what are you-"
"Doesn't it bother you?" I turned on my brothers, the sick twist in my stomach fading just enough to leave room for courage. "You're both in your twenties! You have university degrees! And yet Father doesn't think we can handle seeing documents? Documents that we've actively stolen? "
Aikio opens and closes his mouth like a fish, the occasional sound coming out but nothing coherent. Yuuichi looks very uncomfortable.
I turn back to Father, his own eyes wide as I continue, "So... either you don't trust us. You don't trust our intelligence. Or... you're hiding something."
At the accusation, Father straightens his back a little. "Where is this coming from?"
"Let's just say I've had some things brought to my attention."
"Like what?"
"Like the fact that despite how long we've been targeting Tayton Corp., not a single person beyond the four of us has found anything incriminating on them. Multiple undercover journalists and government agencies have inspected Tayton Corp., you know this, and yet they find none of the same things we do. How is that possible?"
"We've been over this before, Kyoya-"
"No! We've vindicated ourselves. Said that we're doing it for the greater good but we're not, are we? We're just targeting our business rivals!"
"Kyoya, stop! You're not-"
"I'm not sick or anything!" I roughly brush off Aikio's hands, staring my father in the eye. "Show me the papers, or I'm done."
Father's expression flickers. He blinks a few times, like he suddenly can't focus his vision.
Yuuichi pipes up in the following silence. "Actually, Father... I think Kyoya might have a point. Not about everything! But... we do have a right to see the papers. Four pairs of eyes are better than one, so wouldn't we just be helping?"
His words only serve to confuse Father more. His eyes narrow, but he looks more focused on my chin than my eyes. Yuuichi has gone a bit still on my left, and Aikio's fidgeting out the corner of my eyes only worsens the longer Father goes without speaking.
"I... I don't know what to say. It's odd, but even though you do bring up a fair point, Yuuichi... I know that I can't let you boys see them."
The nausea disappears in a sudden wave of ice. My heart drops.
"Then I guess that's it." And with that, I turn and walk back the way I came. Yuuichi and Aikio chase after me, but I can't hear what they're saying. Father was hiding something from us.
Shadow travelling down the stairs to put some extra distance between us, I'm able to put my shoes on by the time they caught up.
"Kyoya, stop for one second and think! You can't just-"
"I can't what? " The anger explodes out of me with no warning. I can hardly remember the build-up to it, as consumed as I was with disbelief. "I said I was done and I meant it! I'm not fighting battles for Father any more! Mother and Fuyumi are gone! We can't bring them back, and we're only disappointing them like this! They guy we're hunting probably didn't even work for Tayton Corp. and is long gone! If you keep this up for much longer, all you're going to do is be discovered or hurt people! And I'm done! "
With my last word, I throw open the front door and storm out.
I'm so overwhelmed with my own thoughts that I run straight into the man standing just outside our house. I turn to look up at his face just as his hand comes up to steady my arm-
... Oh...
... Oh no...
... No...
...
Jin's P.O.V.
Something's not right.
My toes tapped against the metal floor of the subway as I stared at the illuminated sign above the doors. From the sound of it, I'd be arriving at the public library within the next five minutes.
Nibbling on my bottom lip, I pulled out my phone and stared at the lock screen. Kyoya looked right back at me, a teasing smile on his lips. I was there, too. Tucked into his chest and laughing because he had decided to tickle me right before taking the photo.
Pressing my thumb against the home button, the lock screen fell away and revealed a second picture of the two of us. Hiding behind a variety of apps, we were roughly in the same position as the previous photo, only this time I was pressed up on my toes and giving Kyoya a kiss on the cheek, which was bright red. Still, he had a hand pressed to my lower back and had a closed-eyed smile.
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice how the boy sitting beside me is glancing at my phone screen over my shoulder. He lets out a sharp breath and turns away, now wearing a sullen expression.
Rolling my eyes, I double check the time and tuck my phone away. The last thing I wanted was for Kyoya to get back to the dorms before I did. He didn't know I was doing this, and if my hunch was wrong, I never wanted him too.
Wringing my hands together, I thought back to my earlier trip from this morning. Kyoya hadn't been happy to let me leave the bed before necessary, but I managed to tell him I had to pay an important visit this morning without needing to specify where.
It had taken a while to reach the police station near Kyoya's house, but with the early morning rush over with, it was almost a peaceful trip. Similarly, the police station itself was just as quiet and uneventful. A rather tired looking reception greeted me and asked what I needed. Delivering my lie with ease, I said that I was researching cold-case files for a university paper and was hoping for information on one in particular.
The murders of Ootori Noa and Fuyumi.
The receptionist bought my story without a second thought and looked up the files in the computer database, only to regretfully inform me that the files and evidence from that particular case had been destroyed because it had been a superhero's body.
I left quickly after that, because now I knew for a fact that something was very, very wrong. Not just concerning Kyoya's father and his, quote-unquote, discoveries about Tayton Corporation, anymore though. But because the story about Kyoya's mother and sister wasn't completely true.
I know all about losing a parent. And I'm glad that my dad didn't do what Kyoya's did and look for revenge... but that was just it. My mother died due to a poisonous gas she was exposed to during a particularly nasty superhero and villain fight. But all of the hospital and police records regarding her had been kept. Because she was a civilian.
Just like Ootori Fuyumi had been.
Not to mention that a civilian's car had been involved, which should've been kept around for insurance claims if anything.
So here I was, seven hours later and already poking into Kyoya's personal life yet again. I wasn't sure what I would find... but I knew that there was one piece of evidence that had to be left unscathed. Possibly even forgotten.
The old newspapers were kept on the very top floor of the public library. What was so great about this particular library was that, even though it wasn't the largest in all of Bunkyo, it was still rather broad in terms of local history. Newspapers from almost every Tokyo Ward for the past thirty or so years were neatly filed away in its archives. The physical paper copies only went back by a year, but the projector records were sill around.
I only had a vague guess as to what date I was looking for. Kyoya told me his age and the season it happened, so at least I had it narrowed down to a few months, but it truly came down to pure luck in the end.
I wasn't even a full month into my search when I found it. The story only took up half of the third page, accompanied by a close up photograph of a police 'do not cross' tape in front of a blurred background.
I teared up a little as I began to read the article. It was a horrible story no matter who was telling it. The only reason I didn't outright cry like I did last night was because nothing could possibly come close to the sound of Kyoya's heartbreak bleeding through the words.
But this time, the ending had a new twist. My eyes widened and I had to take a physical step away from the projector as I came to the last paragraph.
It didn't say it.
There was no mention of a car in the report.
Because Kyoya's mother and sister had died from something else entirely.
" Oh my god... Kyoya!"
I ran. The subway was almost too slow for me. A part of my brain wanted to throw on my outfit and traverse the city by means of tree and grass power. But I didn't. Instead I frantically texted Kyoya and Tamaki, trying to find out where my boyfriend was. He didn't answer his texts, but Tamaki did, saying that Kyoya hadn't returned from his house just yet.
Once again I found the instinctive urge to "power-up", as Hikaru calls it, but instead ran all the way from the subway station up to Kyoya and Tamaki's dorm. My roommate had responded to my texts, reassuring me that Kyoya wasn't at our place. And as often as she tried to make a pass at him before and how little Kyoya trusted her, she had her own boyfriend now, so I was inclined to believe her. Just this once.
True to Tamaki's word, Kyoya wasn't at their dorm either. Tamaki's hand on my shoulder was the only thing preventing me from running back out to go find him.
"Hey, hold up! What's going on?"
"Tamaki, help me call the others! Something's really wrong!"
Immediately his face darkens and he reaches over to turn down the radio he'd been listening to. "It is there usual time frame... but I haven't heard any alerts yet. Are you sure-"
" Tamaki. Listen to me and think . Kyoya isn't back yet. "
It takes a few moments, but eventually Tamaki puts two and two together. His hard, hero look drops in shock.
"You... you think they took Kyoya? "
Before I can answer, the song cuts out on the radio, an urgent bell dinging in its place.
" Villains spotted in downtown Bunkyo! Shadow, Puppet Master, and the Oracle are launching an assault on the civilian population! They have taken hostages! Repeat, they are taking hostages, including women and children! "
All the blood in my body rushed to my toes.
"Oh god..."
Tamaki turned to me, his wide eyes actually conveying fear. "They... they're attacking people? Since when did they do that?"
"Call the others. We'll need everyone. I'll explain on the way."
It's worse than I thought.
Finding Kyoya and his brothers was easy. We just followed the trail of kicked-in doors, smashed windows, and burning cars. It looked like something out of an action movie. Tamaki, who was flying down the street beside me on a levitating door probably would've been excited about the chance for some real action scenes to happen to him in real life... if he wasn't still processing what I'd dropped on him and the others ten minutes ago.
Below me, Hikaru teleported next to a streetlamp and hesitated for a moment, looking both ways down the street. "So... you're telling me that Kyoya, our Kyoya, did all of this?"
"Yes. But I don't think he's doing it on purpose."
"Yeah, we get that. Just... I feel so stupid! How could we not know he was Shadow?"
"I kicked him in the chest yesterday!"
"I've punched my best friend more times than I can count..."
"Well, to be fair, Tama-kun, he's punched you a lot, too." Haruhi's voice is as level and calm as always, but I can feel her hands trembling as she held me and flew us down the street.
Finally, we reached the end of the line. The screaming from a house on our left drives Honey inside without a second thought, the rest of us close behind. Aikio and Yuuichi are waiting for us, along with basically a small army of civilians. From kids so small they wobbled where they stood to full grown adults, they filled the room and stared at us with the same vague stare we'd gotten used to for the past few months or so. They were all so densely packed together that we couldn't actually see Kyoya's brothers aside from their hair at the back of the crowd.
I tugged at Haruhi's arm.
The two of us jumped out of the house just as a wave of "puppets" slammed into one of Mori's force fields. Haruhi pulled me up to the second story window and I lobbed a succubus at it, which I forced to grow at an alarming rate until it crashed through the glass.
Sliding inside, I gasped at the scene.
We were in a child's bedroom the walls covered with blue paint and cartoon posters. An electric piano stood in the corner with various music sheets scattered around and the bench knocked over. The poor boy had probably been practicing when the attack came. Now he, Haruhi, and I were forced to watch as his mother pushed his father into a pool of swirling shadow that Kyoya had conjured. When the mother turned back to face her son, her eyes had the same vacant look in them as the people downstairs."
"Mom! Mommy, stop it! Mommy, you're scaring me!"
I shot a vine out across the room before properly thinking about it. The mother was shoved to the side where she fell into the boy's closet. The vine pulled the doors shut before winding itself around the handles. Haruhi ran around me and stood in between Kyoya and the boy.
And gasped.
I understood, because I noticed it at the same time. Kyoya's eyes were just as fuzzy and distanced as the woman now in the closet. Only his face actually displayed disappointment and annoyance, rather than remain blank, like Aikio's powers tended to do.
"Kyoya?"
He turned towards me, eyes narrowed.
"Kyoya, what are you doing? What's happening?"
He didn't speak, but his gaze sharpened and he suddenly engulfed the entire bedroom floor with his shadow, and all four of us were sucked in.
The shock of shadow travelling almost kept me from thinking outright. I felt the usual pull and consumption of shadows forming around my body and leading me away, but as opposed to our usual fights, I couldn't see a damn thing. And my stomach churned like I was moving really really fast, except there was no wind blowing on my face.
Suddenly, I understood why Shadow seemed to possess super speed.
Of course, the distance was still far enough that I was able to wretch my arms out from the shadow's clutches, and I faintly hear Haruhi's grunts that told me she was dong the same. She grabbed my right hand just as the world reopened around us. It was still sort of dark, but with faint moonlight shining through the air it was leaps and bounds ahead of shadow travel.
Haruhi quickly harnessed the winds and propelled the two of us upwards, but Kyoya's shadows were still encompassing the little boy and dragged him down to the cement floor.
Haruhi set us down on the catwalk just in time to see a burly looking man appear out of the shadows and grab the flailing boy by his arm. Immediately his screaming and cursing subsides, the boy's body going near lax in the shadowy grip. With a satisfied expression and a nod in Kyoya's direction from the man, the boy was released.
He turned and quickly made his way over to what I now noticed was a cage. I hadn't seen it at first because despite all the people inside, they weren't attempting to escape. Not even when the man opened the door for the young boy to walk inside. He marched right in and sat next to his father, who absentmindedly patted his head.
The man locks the door once more before turning around and giving Kyoya a smile. "Thank you, Kyoya. Excellent work."
"Thank you, Father."
"No!" The word escapes my mouth before I can stop it. Because I know that he can't be Kyoya's father. For one, he's far too cruel. Even when Kyoya spoke of his father's odd moods after visiting his mother and sister's graves and his strict rules of the house, I knew that there was no way Kyoya could care for someone like this.
And two, Kyoya had actually described to me what his father looked like. And this man looked nothing like that.
Despite this information, it was actually really stupid of me to say anything. But I had a feeling that the man knew we were here, anyways.
He and Kyoya looked up at Haru and I, and he smiled.
"Ah, the Fujioka's. I'm so glad you decided to drop by!"
" Villain puns? Really? " Haruhi muttered, but beneath her sarcasm I sensed her fear. This was so out of our league.
The burly man smiled wider, holding his arms out wide. "Oh, how rude of me! Introductions! My name is Kamitanu Hajime, and I'm the head chief of the Arakawa police department."
My eyes widened. "You... you're the one..."
"Ah, yes, Kyoya informed me that he shared his sob-story with you. A stupid decision, but it's to be expected from his kind."
" His kind- "
"Ah, sorry, you're probably confused. So, while we wait for your idiotic friends to try to find you, I'll do my best to entertain you. First, you don't have to worry about my little guests here or the ones Ootori Aikio is babysitting for me. They're safe for now. But once your little friends arrive, well... I suppose it's only a matter of time. Regardless, they're the least of your worries."
"What are you going to do to them?"
"Ah, right to the quick with you, hm, Stormcloud? If you're so curious, go take a look out of that window. My right, your left."
Haruhi gave me a worried look, but I shook my head. "Don't worry. I can protect myself."
Our eyes met briefly and I conveyed the last of my message. Besides, he's monologing. We can use that to our advantage.
Giving no indication that she'd just heard my voice in her head, Haruhi sighed and soared away from the cat walk. I kept my eyes trained on Kyoya and Kamitanu, but neither made a move towards either one of us. Kyoya's glazed eyes were staring forward, but he didn't seem to be looking at anything in particular. Unless you counted the wooden crates stacked up in neat little rows across the warehouse floor.
"Nēchan... that's the bay..."
"Correction, that's the bay down the side of a 50 foot cliff side. "
My hands shot forward to steady myself with the railing. I looked at the cage full of unsuspecting civilians before turning back to the man. "You're... you're gonna-"
"Oh, no need to be so dramatic. If anything, my plan should be impressive. I mean, you can't hypnotize people to death no matter how powerful you are. It's one of the more irksome rules of dealing with living things. However, fear for loved ones does act as a helpful tool. In my case, I simply need to show them the image of a loved one falling off the cliff side. They'll rush to help, and I will simply... disrupt their balance."
Haruhi dropped to my side with a loud bang, her eyes burning bright behind her mask. "You're a psychopath! And you're going to fail! Once Kyoya and the others see what you're doing they'll break your hold on them-"
"I don't think so! All they can see is the man they believe killed their family when they look at you. Don't expect any kindness from them."
"Father, they've arrived."
Without another second to think, Kyoya's brothers and the rest of our friends dropped from the shadow beneath the catwalk. Everyone landed on their feet and for a moment, everything was still.
"DON'T LET HIM TOUCH YOU!"
Haruhi sent a gale straight at the man, sending him in a heap across the floor. The rest of our friends split up, running down the aisles of wooden crates. I spotted Hikaru and Kaoru attempted to pull open the cage, but before I could warn them it was no use, Kyoya sprung up right in front of me. He grabbed a fist-full of my uniform and lifted me off my feet.
In my shock, I dropped the grass seeds I'd grabbed from the hidden pouch at my right thigh and they instantly sprouted. Most grabbed my feet and tugged me back down while the others twisted around Kyoya's ankles and knocked him off balance.
I ran down the catwalk as he tore angrily at the grass starting to crawl up his body. Hikaru and Kaoru were now inside the cage, shaking people and trying to snap them out of their funk. Aikio was facing off Tamaki and Honey, making their aims a little off to keep him out of the crossfire and force them to think about the other's movements as well as his own. Yuuichi seemed to be using his powers of foresight to their greatest extent, ducking out of the way of swings from a cement Mori at the last second and using construction vehicles to his advantage. Haruhi was roaming around the ceiling area, using wind, rain, hail, and whatever else she could create in the building to hold Kamitanu against the wall.
Despite being outnumbered, he had enough manpower to hold us stagnate. We couldn't stop him while also fighting the Ootori's.
Thankfully, I already knew he had a weakness.
Throwing a pod over my shoulder, it grew to the size of a beach ball before connecting with Kyoya's chest. He let out a pained grunt, but managed to lob it over the side of the railing before it became too heavy for him to lift it.
If he wasn't attempting to severely injure me, I might've found it hot that he could carry that much weight.
Spinning around, I stared Kyoya in the eye and forced the pod to expand even faster. By the time it hit the floor, it was already big enough to nearly touch the bottom of the catwalk. So I gave it a little bit of a kick.
Just as Kyoya's foot hit the metal again, the whole thing shook and knocked us to opposing sides. I ended up right above the cage, and before deciding whether to run left or right along the building's wall, I glanced down to check on the twins. They were screaming and shaking people, but all they managed to do was annoy them. One man in particular was watching them blankly, but not in the same way that the others were. My eyes widened when he looked up at me.
It was Kyoya's Father. And he wasn't being controlled.
"Why these people specifically?" I shouted down at Kamitanu, "Why are you separating families?"
" Families? " He spat the word out, like the taste itself disgusted him. He screamed as a volley of hail slammed into the metal slab he'd found, "They shouldn't even have the right to be called that! They're vile, unchecked abominations, with no regard to the end result. Cross breeding! "
I tripped over my own two feet. I knew that phrase. It was a horrible, vicious slur against-
"Superior beings marrying beneath themselves! Creating disgusting mixes! Power wielders making children with our race's weakest link! We've been blessed with the powers of Gods and they dare to dilute it! Producing monstrocities! Children who carry power in their veins but do not possess it themselves! Children with extraordinary abilities but might not pass it down to future generations! Do you not see? Before long we, those of pure ancestry and blood, will become extinct! We must protect ourselves from those who do not understand our rightful place! Benevolent beings!"
My mouth went dry, head spinning even as I blocked another one of Kyoya's punches and kicked him across the face. From my position, I can see my sister's face, plain as day. Her skin is pale.
"That's... that's why you're only interested in the boys. You don't care about the Ootori's. Or me and Haru. Because-"
The man spat on the ground, grinning leering up at me through the holes in the catwalk metal. "Your mother got what she deserved! She entered a world in which she was inferior and was purged! "
I faintly heard Haruhi let out a chocked sob, but with Kyoya still raring to attack I couldn't focus on her. Summoning flowers up my arms and to my hands, I caught and deflected Kyoya's brutal punches and kicks, letting thick layers of petals take the brunt of his power. I needed more time... I needed...
I needed to break this man's hold on my boyfriend.
Grabbing Kyoya's next kick, I twisted him until he fell on his stomach. Before he could get back up, a dozen vines wrapped themselves around his arms, legs, and torso. Snaking through the holes in the metal, they pinned him down as fast as possible.
"Why the Ootori's?" I yelped as the shadows beneath my feet roiled, bucking me almost over the railing.
Kamitanu laughed below us, but it was hard to hear over the miniature tornado Haruhi had conjured. She was probably tiring out from the constant strain of her powers, but the dig at our mother must've given her a second wind. Still, he was shouting loud enough for everyone in the warehouse to hear.
"Because they were so easy to use! One of the largest mixed families I'd ever seen... Ootori Noa was used more than once in our investigations, so I got to know "Truth Serum" very well. I might have even fallen in love with her. Her powers of touch brought out the truth, while mine obsured fact and made the truth unobtainable. I can change a person's mind and what they see, so long as I touch their skin... but I soon learned the truth."
He shot his right hand out, reaching through the bars of the cage in an attempt to snag Kaoru's ankle, but the boy moved away at the last second. Kamitanu quickly withdrew, but did not appear bothered.
"When I learned who she really was and how she'd not only married a civilian but created four abominations for him? I could not have forgiven her. Never. So... I did what needed to be done. From there, I was able to establish close contact with her widower, and that's when it began. It took years of patience on my part... he really is a stupid man. He visited the grave site on the same day every two weeks. It was almost too easy to follow him and give him a little dosage of my birthright."
He turned his head and nodded at the incarcerated Mr. Ootori, but the other man didn't even look up.
"From there, it was a simple game of making him and the abominations villains. Quite possibly it was the only thing that kept me on my path. No matter how much I hated them, I could always make others hate them just as much. Of course, they only serve as good pawns for as long as I require them... which I won't for much longer. Once have have pure blood under my control, I can dispose of them along with the others. I'm going to greatly enjoy pushing them off the cliff first."
Kyoya was starting to break the vines holding him, lobbing shadow after shadow at me so I couldn't focus on regrowing them.
"Why now? What changed?"
"Ah, it was an oversight on my part. I wanted them to collect as many pure blooded beings as possible before I began collecting but I did not count on the mixes being as powerful as they are. I was required to wait until they became distracted before I could enact my plans... I must admit, I thought I had missed my chance on the day that Kyoya moved out. Their emotions were high that day, and they were separated in a way they hadn't been before. But I could not guarantee that their emotions wouldn't backfire and make them more capable of spotting my approach. And so, right as I was beginning to think that their own bullheadedness would be my downfall... to my great surprise and delight, Kyoya found another abomination and attempted to breed with it, leading to the greatest disruption of their mental capacities in their whole life!"
"Breed with it? "
The terms caught me off guard. Not for longer than a second, but it was still one second too long.
I was knocked in the chest and sent over the lip of the catwalk. The remainder of the vines snagged me and gave me enough boost that Kamitanu couldn't snag my ankle and Haruhi quickly changed her efforts to giving me a soft, cushiony landing. Immediately after, however, she dropped to her knees on the opposing cat walk, panting from the exertion.
Shadows snaked across the floor before encompassing my arms and legs, pinning me to the ground similarly to what my vines had done earlier. I couldn't move an inch.
Before I could force my arms out of the grip, Kyoya's face appeared above me and I froze. His head was blocking out the moonlight that was shining through the high windows. His grey eyes, which usually shined bright with love were only blank and cold now.
"Kyoya... please..."
"Oh my, how wonderful. You know, this might be my favorite part of what my powers can do. See, your dear Kyoya can't see you right now. All he sees is his mother and sister's killer. No matter what you say or do, there's nothing that can break through to him. He can't even question it. It just makes sense, doesn't it, Kyoya?"
"Yes, sir."
I sucked in a breath. Had his voice wavered on the 'sir'?
"It's always a delight to see how desperate people will become in their last seconds, especially with a loved one. I saw a man allow his husband to shoot him, simply because he believed the other would not do it. Another threw himself on the very knife his sister attempted to take her life with. Didn't stop her, of course, but I suppose he thought the sentiment would still stand. And perhaps my personal favorite was when dear Noa placed herself in front of the bullet I had aimed for her precious daughter Fuyumi. I even gave her a few seconds to grieve before shooting her, all the same. But perhaps I'll have a new favorite in a few seconds? What do you say, Kyoya? Will her sister sacrifice herself? Or will she tell you that she loves..." Kamitanu frowned at the new scene before him. "Kyoya? What is the meaning of this?"
Kyoya wasn't leaning over me any more. He was staring at Kamitanu blinking more often than necessary.
"You... what?"
"What do you think you're doing? Kill her."
Kyoya's brow was furrowed and he seemed to be staggering a bit. "You... you killed them? You killed my mom? And Fuyumi?"
A faint echo could be heard to my left and I looked over. The rest of my friends were there, Mori holding Yuuichi and Aikio up by the backs of their uniforms so they could watch the scene. Aikio was holding his head like it hurt. Yuuichi was limp, save for how he was staring at Kamitanu.
"What? Has your brain rotted out of your ears, boy? Their killer is-"
"You said it." Kyoya's voice suddenly hardened, and his eyes cleared. "And now you're going to pay for it."
Kyoya's P.O.V.
I wish I could say that I had no memory of being under, like if Aikio had been in control. Or, I wish I could say that while I was under, in the back of my head I was screaming and banging mental fists against whatever door Kamitanu had slammed on my consciousness.
But I can't say either of those things. Because I had been completely and totally aware of what I was doing, and not once did I think I was doing something wrong. I saw the same man in every person he wanted me to see him. I saw the man from the blurry video and I heard my "Father" telling me what to do and where to bring him and who to attack and I believed him. It was a far worse feeling than when Aikio lifted his powers and I suddenly found myself standing out in the yard with no clothes on.
Far worse.
But I didn't have the time or luxury to deal with that right now. I had more than enough to deal with in front of me. My shadows slipped away from Jin and she carefully got to her feet. I wanted to hold her hand and check on her, to see what sort of damage I'd dealt, but with Kamitanu staring at us, panic in his eyes, I was afraid of even twitching at the wrong time.
From behind us, Aikio's voice rings out across the warehouse, "As one puppeteer to another... there's something you always have to remember in a fight. Heroes are harder to control."
He runs.
It's so sudden and his arms are outstretched to grab anyone that comes close, so we can do little but hover and send our powers out in an effort to stop him. But, as sick and twisted as he is, he knows how to deal with powers coming his way. He jumps and dodges and weaves his way to the front doors. Were it not for Tamaki's telekinesis, he might've managed to lock us inside.
Instead, we all rush out just in time to see him climb into a rather large truck and start it up. It's almost funny to hear his shout of alarm when Hikaru and Kaoru appear suddenly in his back seat. They vanish from sight before he can attempt to touch them, and when he turns back around it's just in time for him to see Mori slamming his new iron fists into the front hood of the car.
His back lights shine white before he's suddenly shooting towards us, Mori being dragged along for a few meters. Kamitanu swings the car around, shaking the metal man off.
Yuuichi shoves my arm so I fall left. "He's going to smash through the warehouse!"
The rest of the group dives out of the way just as the car does just that. I faintly hear Kamitanu's crazed laughter as he breaks the wood doors in half. Aikio jerks up into a sitting position, half leaning over Honey's body, and thrusts both of his hands to his right. Immediately the captives still in the cage move as one, shrinking against the wall as the car tears through the warehouse.
Everyone is scrambling to their feet. Tamaki reacts next, frantically deflecting any debris away from the cage and redirecting it back at the car. There's the sound of shattering glass as he breaks one of the windows.
Honey darts ahead of us, deadlocking the back doors but it's not enough. Kamitanu punches right through the wood regardless. The deadbolt is tugged from its hold in the building and a faint moan echoes through the structure.
"It's wood based!" Yuuichi shouts even as we continue running. "He wanted to make it easier to demolish it after everything! It'll come down!"
Tamaki skids to a stop and pushes his palms towards the ceiling, shouting, "I need Honey, the twins, Yuuichi, and Aikio to help get these people out! Everyone else, after him!"
We don't even question the orders, already in the middle of following them.
Through the broken window, I can hear Kamitanu's laughter more clearly than ever. In the shadows of his car, I can feel how his head is turned almost completely around to watch us over his shoulder.
He doesn't see the cliff face.
Because he's insane.
Still, that doesn't stop the way my heart clenches when he looks back out the front window, only to see the cliff approaching rapidly. His laughter turns into a scream as he slams on the breaks.
Not soon enough.
The car spins sideways a bit, stopped just shy of the edge... and the rock beneath his front wheels gives out. Kamitanu screams yet again as his car begins to teeter dangerously over the edge of the rock face.
I can tell without even looking that the mood of the whole team has changed in an instant. The grass growing on the hill shoots up and wraps itself around the back tires while Mori grabs the bumper and pulls down. Haruhi stops beside her sister and summons more wind, but it's weak. She's tired, and with more soil sliding out from under the car, we only have a few seconds.
Unlocking the car door from the inside, I let it fall open and carefully extend a bridge of some sort towards Kamitanu. I have to keep it connected to the truck, and it's not very thick, but it's the best I can do. I've used my powers more tonight than ever before. My knees were starting to shake from exertion.
"Come on... get out."
The truck shakes as Kamitanu leans out of the open door. His eyes are narrowed as he observes me, my makeshift bridge, the trembling warehouse, and the other three heroes behind me.
He sneers before spitting on my creation.
"My pure blood's on your dirty hands now, boy."
He let go of the truck.
And fell straight down.
I hummed a vaguely familiar song as I scrolled through my morning "newspaper". Like most of the local papers around Tokyo, its top story was that of the huge hospital merger between the Ootori Group and Tayton Corporation. The article went on about how it was strictly the hospital part of both families and it was meant to help create better techniques and make hospital visits more affordable for their patients. It was no place to be practicing business rivalry, even a playful one.
Avoiding the part where my father named me as the head consultant and creator of the project, because I knew I would blush, I instead skipped to the 'heroes and villains' segment. The reporter, Ukyo Chikage, reminded the readers of a new mystery villain that had appeared the week before, likely filling up the power vacuum left by "The Control Tower".
I hummed a little louder as my eyes caught my brother's and father's villain names marked under the 'retired' list.
"Shadow" was the newest update in the list right below them, accompanied by a spin-off article by Tomochika Sakyo that went into detail about Shadows new look. He paid extra attention to the new purple highlights and the lack of a full face mask, spinning out theories that even I hadn't thought of.
The name "Hades" popped up more than once, but I didn't think too hard on it. It was unlikely that the name would ever really catch on outside of Tumblr... but I suppose I can appreciate the sentiment.
"Kyoya?"
"In the kitchen, Darling!"
Jin breezed down the staircase and beamed in my direction. Skirting the table at which I was sitting, she gave my phone screen a quick glance before pressing a 'good morning' kiss to my cheek.
Of course, I couldn't let her off easy, and made sure to give her a proper kiss before she could pull away. Carefully setting my phone down, I reached up to cup her face with my hands, attempting to draw her further in.
I did not pout when she pull away regardless, poking the tip of my nose as she did so.
"Nuh uh. You're not pulling that before our guests arrive, Dear. Not today."
"Please? For me?"
"Don't do that."
"What?" I asked, fainting innocence.
She scrunched her nose up at me, which was absolutely adorable. "You think that whenever you say 'please, for me' I'll do anything you want. Not this time."
"...Please? For me?"
"...Fine. Only 'cause you're so cute."
She does her best to kiss my smile right off, which is fine by me. But just as I managed to pull her into straddling my lap, the doorbell rings.
Jin pulls back before I have the chance to grab hold, shooting me a cheeky smile over her shoulder as she walks to the front door. Scooping my phone off the table, I pocket it and join her.
Opening the front door, we're greeted with the sight of all our friends.
"Congratulations on your new apartment!" They shout in chorus. Jin laughs merrily before gesturing them to come inside. Antoinette, Tamaki and Haruhi's newest dog, is the first to take Jin up on her offer, bounding this way and that to sniff at everything.
Our friends come in, bumping into each other and shouting as they try to kick off their shoes. Hikaru and Kaoru even attempt to climb over a few people, trying to hand over their housewarming gifts first.
We can do little more than take it in stride, carefully gathering presents to be opened later and accepting whatever hugs they offered. Tamaki's were particularly vicious, as he'd made the comment a few months earlier that since he could no longer punch me every other week he had to find other ways to express his love for me.
I didn't complain. At least not any more. It made my grief counselor happy, at least, to know that I had such a solid base of support outside of our sessions.
Even though they drove me mad sometimes.
I caught a glance of Honey exploring the sitting room over Tamaki's shoulder and let out a big sigh. "Okay! Laying down some ground rules! First off, no powers in the apartment! "