Title: derailment
Pairing: Yullen
Disclaimer: Disclaimed.
Summary: A tragedy befalls Daisya. Kanda wants revenge. Allen finds himself left behind.
AN: I wrote the first three sections of this last year for a fic that never came to fruition. On a whim, I wrote the other parts of this piece in under an hour yesterday, because boredom, and so please forgive the weird plot/any errors. In any case, I hope you enjoyed this, and thanks for reading.
Tiedoll stumbled as he walked across the uneven cobblestones, grazing the palm of his left hand as he sought to steady himself. He thumbed the small bruise absently and rubbed at his eyes, wondering why the scene was so familiar – the buildings that had gone grey with age, the roofs with the distinctive almost-maroon tiling, the vines that twined around the pipes – where had he seen this place before? Had he seen it before?
The sun was barely over the horizon, and the boulevard was silent. In an hour, the shop owners would arrive, shutters would be thrown open and doors unlocked, merchandise displayed for the locals and the odd tourist. Tiedoll wondered why he was out of his house so early in the morning. Am I supposed to meet someone?
He turned a corner, stumbling yet again, and noticed a soft flapping sound. He frowned and closed his eyes, listening. The sound came from somewhere to his right, he decided. He followed the sound, seeking its source.
Tiedoll found himself in an alley. There was a small stone fountain, built many years ago and carved with angels, but the water no longer flowed. It was very beautiful, and he meant to sketch it. He fumbled around himself for paper and pencil, but none could be found. He sighed and mopped his brow with a soft sleeve, looking up for the first time.
It was then that he saw the lamppost a short distance away. It was in truth a very ordinary lamppost. What caught his attention was the figure swinging from the top of the lamppost, a figure in black and white, its feet strung up near the head of the lamp. Thick chains held him in place, and his clothes flapped in the wind.
Tiedoll gaped and sank to his knees, tears pooling in his eyes and grief welling up in his throat, smothering his tongue.
"Daisya," he cried out, "Daisya!" The world faded to white and grey.
The world had colours again when Tiedoll next opened his eyes. A young man bent over him, his hands on Tiedoll's shoulders.
"You're awake," the young man said. He released Tiedoll and moved backwards.
Tiedoll sat up, the grief still thick in his chest. He opened his mouth, closed it, and then reached for a glass of water sitting on his bedside desk.
"You had that nightmare again," the young man said.
"Yes," Tiedoll said, drinking deeply. "Thank you for waking me, Yu."
"I won't the next time," Kanda said. "You were making too much bloody noise. I couldn't sleep."
"It's a good thing Marie isn't here yet, then," Tiedoll said. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hands and managed a small smile. "Well, aren't you going back to bed?"
Kanda crossed his arms, still standing in the half-light. "I am. I'm just making sure you're not going to bloody scream again. Go to sleep, old man."
"Go back to bed," Tiedoll. "Keep the lamps on for me, won't you? I don't think I'll sleep for a while yet."
"Suit yourself," Kanda said, shooting a puzzled glance at the older man. He closed the door gently behind him.
:::
Noise Marie stood beside Kanda. "We've got everything?"
"Yes."
"Good, good. Everyone is here, I think. Lavi said they're waiting for us to be ready."
"We're ready," Kanda affirmed.
"I'll get them," Marie said. A brief pressure on Kanda's shoulder, and Marie left the hospital room.
The room felt empty without him. It was Marie who had kept them sane and together those horrific weeks after the attack on Daisya, Marie who had comforted Tiedoll while he wept, Marie who had sat in silence with Kanda, Marie who had stayed by Daisya's bedside throughout most of their long vigil. Months later, Marie still kept them sane and whole.
Kanda, alone, looked down at Daiysa, who lay unmoving in his comatose state, bandages swathing many parts of his body even now. Setting his jaw straight, Kanda looked away, willing away the grief that threatened his usual composure.
Then Marie led the others in – they had all come, as they had said they would – Allen, the Lees, the Bookmans, Sokaro, Nyne, Yeegar, and various other family friends. Kanda turned back to the table and passed the glass cups around. Marie took over from there. He was better with words than Kanda was, after all.
Marie stood before them, his glass cup tiny in his large hands. The candle's flickering light could be seen through the gaps between his fingers, and the light shone upwards towards Marie's head, giving him a strangely benevolent cast to his face. He coughed slightly, and looked at them, looked over them.
"Thank you all for coming," he said. "Daisya would be happy to see you all here. He's still sleeping, yes, but we hope and pray that he will awaken soon. God's mercy will shine down on us, and protect him from the fate we fear. "
"Hear, hear," the younger Bookman called.
"Meanwhile," Marie continued, "let us be unwavering in our efforts to bring the guilty to justice. I am sure this is what Daisya would want. We need to find and jail the man who brought this upon Daisya!"
"It's not that easy," Kanda muttered.
Marie heard him. "It isn't easy," he said. "Kanda is right. But that won't stop us!"
Kanda nodded. Nothing would stop them, nothing short of death itself, until they dug out enough evidence to damn those Noahs to prison.
"To Daisya," Marie said, and raised his glass.
"To Daisya," everyone repeated, and raised their glass cups in turn. In a single file, they placed the flickering candle cups by the window, a testament to their love for their injured friend.
Allen stepped back after he placed his cup beside Kanda's. Without saying a word, he took Kanda's hands in his, and gave them a tiny squeeze. Kanda looked at Allen, nodded, and Allen smiled.
:::
Tyki raised the can to his lip; in it was sweet, cold beer to drink and wash down the nasty taste of the overly saccharine dessert that had been cooked by his well-meaning niece.
"What are you doing, Tyki?"
Some of the beer sloped over the edge of the can and onto the front of Tyki's shirt. "Fuck!" he said. "Why do you always have to do this, Sheril?"
Sheril moved into the light. "Why are you drinking today of all days? Even you must realise how little time you have left."
Tyki raised the can to his mouth again. "Don't bother me, brother, that's a dear."
"Stop drinking. It could have been his death anniversary, and here you are, drinking!"
"That's precisely why I'm drinking. Drowning my sorrows… because it's only almost his death anniversary. I might have done something better, something to ensure that he died," Tyki said. He laughed, and the pretended mirth did not touch his eyes.
Sheril entered the pavilion and took a seat beside Tyki on the smooth stone bench. "You foolish imbecile," he said. "Stop drinking and do something useful. Plan your next move."
"There's no need for a next move. He's in a coma, nothing to worry about," Tyki said. He grabbed a pebble from a nearby flowerpot and threw the pebble into the still waters of the pool. The ripples spread as the pebble sank into the inky depths of the pool. Tyki stared at them, breathing slowly.
"Do something," Sheril repeated. "The Earl will not be pleased if you let matters stand as they are."
"I know."
"What are you waiting for?"
Tyki shrugged.
Sheril placed a hand on Tyki's right shoulder. "Tyki, you know I care about you. You're my blood brother. But the Earl exacts a fair price for everything. I do not wish to see your downfall, or to experience its backlash. Do not fail us."
"I'll try not to," Tyki said.
Sheril nodded and left as silently as he came, melting swiftly into the shadows that dotted the grounds of the estate. Tyki continued watching the ripples.
It had all started a year ago – more than a year ago, really, when Daisya Barry ad started keeping tabs on Tyki. Tyki hadn't been too concerned about Daisya Barry at first – after all, Tyki was a man of much business acumen and flexible morals, and he had often been tracked by private investigators hoping to get a hold on him. All this because many suspected and few knew that he was in fact a member of the powerful Noah family, a family of much influence, a family that ran a conglomerate that contributed to a tidy third of the country's economy, a family which had produced generations of thinkers, politicians and other useful men (and many others – but that comes later).
Tyki Mikk had been many things in his short life – miner, spy, martial arts trainer and a lady killer extraordinaire. More importantly, he was also a dealer of illegal substances and arms, though of course this illicit line of business was never explicitly acknowledged by him. He was, for all purposes, a big man in the oil and gas business, who also happened to dabble in the diamond industry. No one could prove that he was a drug lord and an arms smuggler, or that he was a mover and shaker of the industry of vices.
That didn't mean they didn't try, though – his rivals and the state sometimes tried to pin him down by way of his minions. They had never succeeded, until Daisya Barry came along.
Tyki hadn't been threatened at first. Daisya Barry had been a partner of the NBK Investigative Agency, a private investigation firm of the middling variety. Then Daisya Barry managed to gather enough sensitive information – he had to be removed. Tyki Mikk deeply regretted it – he always regretted harming others, but the Earl's will had to be done.
The Earl's Justice, they of the Noah clan called it, when they laughed about it at the dining table. Tyki laughed too, sometimes. Other times, he didn't – today was one of those days.
He had to find some way to dispose of Barry. He hated killing – but there he was caught between a rock and a hard place, unfortunately.
"Fuck," Tyki said, and downed his beer. "Fuck, he has to die."
:::
The cuckoo clock in Daisya's room struck nine; the wooden, crudely-painted cuckoo shot in and out of its door, clucking loudly all the way.
Bookman stood up. "It's getting late," he said. "Lavi. We have to go."
"Thanks for coming," Tiedoll said.
"We have to go too," Komui said, shaking Tiedoll's hands. "Stay strong, Froi."
One by one, the visitors left, Allen the last of them all.
Kanda walked Allen to the lift lobby.
"Will you stay here tonight?" Allen asked, as they waited for the lift to arrive.
"I have to," said Kanda.
"See you tomorrow, then," Allen said.
"I'll be back tomorrow morning," Kanda said.
"Take care of Daisya, alright?" Allen said.
"That's the plan," Kanda said.
Allen patted Kanda's hands. "Things will be fine, BaKanda," he said. "Daisya will get better. Tell yourself that."
The lift doors opened, an eerie sliding sound in the quiet lobby. No one else was around – not even a single nurse was in sight.
"Good night," Kanda said.
"Good night," Allen said, smiling brightly as the doors closed.
:::
At midnight, Marie accompanied Tiedoll home. Kanda stayed behind at the hospital, lounging on the couch in Daisya's room.
Kanda rolled over onto his right side; he watched Daisya with beady eyes. "You're so troublesome, you fool," he said. "What were you thinking that night... I'll get him one of these days. You wait. We'll get revenge."
Kanda rolled back to face the ceiling. The room was so still – so quiet. The soft sounds of the air-conditioner lulled Kanda into a drowsy state. It was all so comfortable – so quiet – Kanda could have sworn that he could almost see the stars blinking in the patch of night sky visible through the lone window.
The air-conditioner made a soft, choking sound. Kanda frowned and rubbed his eyes. I should stay awake, he thought. Just in case.
Then Kanda heard another sound – rather like a soft hiss of air rushing into the room. Kanda shifted onto his side again, closing his eyes. The door opened, very slowly; Kanda heard the wood swing slowly across the floor, heard the tap of shoes against the floor. Kanda kept his eyes closed despite his strong curiosity about the unknown visitor.
The visitor moved across the room with steady, measured steps, passing Kanda and stopping before Daisya's bed. Kanda cracked an eye open – he saw a head of dark curls, and a tall figure in a suit.
Tyki Mikk, Kanda thought. Why's the monster here?
Tyki took a stepped forward; Kanda saw that he held a syringe in his hands.
Shit, Kanda thought, jumping up and throwing himself towards Tyki. Tyki, having realised that something was wrong, dodged Kanda but dropped the syringe. Kanda lunged forward and kicked the syringe, which spun on the spot before ending up under the couch.
"You're awake," Tyki said.
"Don't talk to me," Kanda said. He glared at the man before him. "You'll pay for what you did to Daisya."
"Will I, now?" Tyki said, grinning. "I'll pay by finishing him off. He doesn't need to continue living in this sorry state."
"Shut up," Kanda said.
"I'll finish you too if you don't get out of my way, amigo," Tyki said. "Move. Now."
"Try me," Kanda said, assuming a fighting stance.
:::
A door flew open with a resounding crash.
Allen, half-awake, stumbled through the hallway and spotted a dark-haired figure running out of his apartment. "Kanda?" he called, walking towards the main door. The figure did not turn.
When morning came, Allen found Kanda's room in a mess. Kanda's suitcase was missing, leaving a patch of dust where it used to stand; Kanda's clothes lay about the room and on his bed, hangers hastily thrown into the various corners of the room.
He's gone, Allen realised, and sat on Kanda's bed in shock. Damn, he up and left last night. What happened? Why didn't you tell me, Kanda?
:::
Time: 6pm
Beansprout, I'm chasing Mikk. He left the country. I won't stop till he's dead – or until I am. You stay safe. Sorry.
:::
Two months later
Allen and Lavi walked into Daisya's room; Lavi drew back the curtains and let the weak morning light spill into the room.
"Any news?" Lavi asked.
"None," Allen said. There were grey bags under his eyes, and his very walk seemed so very much more subdued now.
"He'll come back," Lavi said. "Don't forget, he's Kanda Yu. He's good at fighting and y'know, all those tricks PIs use."
"Or he might not," said Allen. "He's chasing after Tyki Mikk of all people."
"I suppose," Lavi said doubtfully.
"How did it come to this?" Allen asked, looking sadly at Daisya. "One in a coma, the other gone on a death chase. Poor Tiedoll."
Lavi looked up. "Al, you –"
"I'll be fine, eventually," Allen said.
"You come here every day," Lavi said. "Aren't you tired?"
"He's my friend," Allen said. "And Kanda's brother. I'll wait for Kanda here. I'll wait for Kanda to return."
"What if he –" Lavi stopped and shook his head.
"I won't consider that possibility yet," Allen said. "But I'm afraid – that Tyki Mikk will finish him off."
:::
Time: 6pm
Hello, cute young man. I've got your beautiful man, what should I do to him, hmm? Feed him to some crocodiles? Torture him a little before I release him from the yoke of life? What do you think?
Tyki Mikk.
