A/N: 'Ello, ladies and gents! Could it be - a multi-chapter fic starring Kagami as a psycho killer and Konata as her saving grace? Yes, yes it is! It's a rather ambitious project for a first fanfic, but I think I'm up to the task and I hope you guys think so too! The idea for this came to while thinking of all the arcs they could've included in Dexter before such a disappointing and premature end, which lead to me remembering a couple of oneshot fanfics I read that involved Kagami as a killer. The resulting brain child is this project, and I really have no idea if it's gonna work or not. What I do know is that this chapter, really this arc in general, is really slow to read and was even slower to write so I'd really appreciate some reviews, especially ones that critique me so that I can improve for you guys! The last thing I'd like to note is that this chapter is really short, as not much is going on. As the story progresses and more characters develop their own subplots the chapter length will improve. Look forward to it! Also, this story does contain yuri (no lemons) and gore, yada yada... if you don't like that kind of stuff, now is the time to turn back! Anyways, without further ado, I present to you all... A Lucky Killer!
Disclaimer: I do not own Lucky Star or any of it's proprieties - I only wish I did
A LUCKY KILLER
Arc 1 - Realization|Admittance|Acceptance
Act 1 - 重量
She woke up at 8 'o clock on the dot – just like any other morning. Through her headache and her tiredness she went about her regular morning routine – shower, dress, coffee, breakfast. Despite the subjectively traumatic events of the night past and her tired condition she felt weightless, which was a strange feeling to be felt as a college student who relied on Adderall and Xanax to make it through her day-to-day. She felt a level of preparedness to face the day that she hadn't known for some time as a second year at Tokyo U, which she accepted whole-heartedly despite thinking that she should be responding the exact opposite to the events transpired only hours before.
Last night… I killed a man – Kagami recalled unexpectedly vividly; as if the whole occurrence were still happening around her. She felt the man's bicep around her throat; the glass in her hand. And of course his corpse, eye gouged and laid in fresh blood, before Kagami on her bedroom floor. Kagami should have shivered or cringed recollecting the disturbing mental image, lest she be nothing less of a psychopath, but she couldn't say the whole thing had bothered her. After the homicide was said and done, she felt a strange feeling of relief – like a weight she hadn't even known was there, yet managed to be overwhelming at the same time, had been lifted. Weightless. What did scare her was the thought she'd end up locked away in a penitentiary, and the thought in of itself that she considered she may be crazy enough to wind up in a place like that scared her moreover. Rather than guilt she felt nervous, which conflicted with any and all moral value she had. Her thoughts ambiguous, she decided it best to clear her head in the park or some other familiar attraction.
A quiet walk toward nowhere found Kagami in an old coffee shop she frequented often. The owners of the shop were nice enough and the quality of the product was on par with her previous tastes, but the thing that kept her coming back was above all the solitude. Other than the workers, there were never more than five people in the small worn out coffee shop at a time and Kagami, being a young introverted college student, couldn't wish for a better place to get away from it all. She smiled inwardly that she by chance found herself in her little den where the rest of the world could just bug off for a little while.
"Hello, Kagami-san. I heard about the discrepancy at your dorm last night - it's a relief to see you're doing well after such a horrible thing you had to go through." the kind young mistress who worked the counter – Tereya – responded warmly to Kagami's entrance as per usual. The girl was fond of Kagami and was likeable herself; she reminded Kagami of Miyuki – the gentle smile, soft voice, and as a certain blue-haired runt would put it she was abundantly "moe"; about the right amount to align with Miyuki, more or less. Kagami, despite not wanting to offend her younger red-haired friend, took a seat without offering any response. She wasn't particularly in a talkative mood, and instead opted to fiddling with any objects that caught her eye at the bar.
Tereya took notice of Kagami's downtrodden mood and decided it best to leave her to her own devices despite herself and her want to interview Kagami to both make sure she was okay and to elicit all the insider details of what exactly had happened on the crime scene – but mostly the latter. Kagami observed Tereya's decided passiveness and was overjoyed that she wouldn't have to interact. The silence of the café seized and comforted Kagami and the atmosphere and ambiance of the cramped building was enough to clear her thoughts and hold her firm in reality. The nagging thought that she may have enjoyed what she had done had presently vacated her troubled mind and Kagami reveled in the solace if only for the time being.
Unbeknownst to Kagami, she had been tailed to her own little world by an officer she knew from the night before as Mack; aside from the chibi, this man topped the list of people she didn't want to see or be seen by. Unkempt, snarky, sarcastic – overall a grade A asshole – but above all it had been the looks he had given Kagami the night before during her interview that bothered her the most. She should've saw him coming from a mile away – the man stuck out like a sore, pathetic thumb – but her usual perceptiveness eluded her that morning.
"Hello, Killer Kagami." the man announced in her direction loudly enough for the rest of the café to hear. All eyes were on the man and Kagami in an instant, all piercing and expecting explanation – some scared even – with the exception of Tereya's gaze, which held more concern. It seems that Tereya wasn't the only one who had heard about the murder, Kagami collected from the curious looks she was getting, all which unsympathetically begged for details. Kagami ignored both her curious peers and the enthusiastic detective to the best of her ability even as he took a seat beside her and, with the dumbest smile on his face, scooted up close to the chair she was seated in. It took all of Kagami's willpower to refrain from committing another murder – the second in the last twelve hours – and instead moved to the seat left to her, hoping the officer would get the message but knowing it would take a lot more to ward off the intruding detective.
"Good morning, sweetheart," Mack continued, "giving me the cold shoulder, are we? I'm hurt; I thought I did a pretty swell job of breaking the ice last night." Kagami thought of getting up and leaving, but decided it best not to do something so conspicuous in the company of an officer of the law. Anything suspicious and he'll only have more ammunition to bother me. Kagami didn't know what exactly it was about the man – his judging stare, the mischievous gleam she could make out in the corner of his eyes, him following her – she couldn't shake the feeling the detective could see into her own sneaking suspicions that she may have enjoyed the twist of fate she had "suffered" through the night before.
"Can I get the usual, Tereya?" Kagami ordered nonchalantly, handing the girl what she owed.
"I'll have what she's having," Mack offered charismatically, reaching into his pockets for what he owed, "oh my; seems I'm short. You wouldn't mind paying for me, would ya' hon'?" he said as though they had been friends for longer than either of them cared to remember. Kagami, grasping onto her better judgment by a thread, handed what Mack owed for his drink and shot him a tsundere death glare, hoping it would disintegrate him or, more realistically, scare him off. Instead he responded with a happy-go-lucky smile that she only remembered ever seeing on one other face. The resemblance is uncanny.
Mack refrained from pestering her for a couple of minutes whilst Tereya prepared their drinks, relieving Kagami from the spotlight for a bit to recollect herself. She used this time to prepare for the slew of questions she knew would come from the officer in light of the previous night's murder any given moment. She could feel that Mack felt that there was something off about her, and to her credit she was right. Unknown to Kagami was that Mack had decided to make something of a hobby out of profiling her in lieu of their, as he had thought it, exceptionally interesting interview they had shared the night before.
Tereya returned from the storeroom not long – around two minutes Kagami guessed – after her departure and handed the despondent duo their drinks, smiled warmly and returned to the register to deal with any other customers who had come to the small café for their own little slice of quiet. Mack seemed to Kagami to be on a mission to disturb the peaceful atmosphere, although it may have just been her bias toward the officer as no one else in the small parlor seemed to have a problem with his presence.
"How are you feeling this morning, Kagami?" Mack asked with seriousness convincing enough that Kagami almost felt like answering him. Rather than dodge yet another question, she decided to play along to get the detective who seemingly had nothing better to do with his time off her back.
"I have a headache." Kagami responded truthfully, only omitting a couple of other truths here and there. Weightless, happy, relieved. Insane. She could tell that hadn't satisfied him when he silently waited for her to continue. I feel like I want you to screw off, Kagami thought of saying but again, barely hanging onto her judgment and her nerves, decided to give him what he wanted in an attempt to appease him and his agenda.
"I feel nervous, and a bit guilty," another truth, albeit twisted to meet her ends, "and I'm pretty damn tired above all. Have a good day." Kagami mustered up a smile and, thinking it an appropriate time as any, hurried out of the café and back out onto the streets. Maybe I'll go to the park after all, she decided and turned to the direction of the nearest park, another attraction she frequented – this one for the calming scenery. She cocked her head back to see Mack walking in the direction opposite and at the sight almost hopped up and down with joy.
Families – mothers, fathers, daughters, brothers, pets – couples, friends. A lone mother and her daughter walk happily hand in hand past her. A group of friends laugh and converse a couple of meters away. A couple at a picnic table hold each other close, snuggling in under the noon sun which has reached its peak, casting its warm glow on the park grounds – covered in foliage bared by the dying Autumn trees. Never before had Kagami felt such a huge disconnect from the people around her. Looking around, she saw what she considered were "normal people", and then there was… her. It was no wonder Mack had decided to humor himself by following her, Kagami thought. If someone looked hard enough, they'd see something there – something that had awakened after a very long slumber and was… hungry. For what? Kagami asked herself rhetorically, not really wanting to know the answer.
Eying that 1:00 P.M. was fast approaching, Kagami reluctantly returned to her temporary quarters while the law poked around in her usual living space – now a crime scene – for a quick bite to eat as she figured out what to do with the rest of her day. She hated the thought of being to herself with nothing to do all day, especially considering her recently troubled psyche, so she busily occupied herself with thinking of any kind of distraction, particularly one where she could be accompanied but not feel surrounded. A library came to mind, or perhaps a museum. A sandwich in hand, she decided to go visit her usual living space to see what was going down, but immediately turned back upon arrival – spying Mack standing on the dorm's doorstep with a couple of co-workers, idly chatting about who Kagami could only guess was herself.
"Mack, you had a chat with the girl in person this morning, didn't you?" Mack's chief detective, Officer Marshall Nolan, inquired about his subordinate's morning visit to the crime scene's orchestrator. Other than paperwork the case was near closed, clearly self-defense, but Mack, against the chief's judgment, had decided to continue to pursue the girl – something he didn't get. "I don't really see what you see in the girl, I'd say it's self-defense through and through."
"I never said it wasn't," Mack retorted, "I just feel like she's pushing the victim act a bit far. There's something off about her – she was absurdly calm during last night's interview, but her words were panicked – she forced it. She may not have done what she did on purpose, but there isn't something right in her head. I don't like it a bit." he finished with a smirk, flaunting his intuitiveness. Nolan could've sworn he saw his head swell, and he simply shook his head in disapproval of his friend's enthusiasm over stalking a young girl. They were an odd pair – one a slacker who managed to scrape by in law school and make it as an officer by the hair on his head, the other an organized patriarchal model man who had transferred in from America – but despite their differences they got along well and both owed each other a great deal, more or less.
"I don't like it either, Mack. Best be careful, if you're right you're playing with fire," Nolan warned his irresponsible friend, "if you end up dead in a ditch somewhere, I won't have someone to vouch for my promotions." he joked with his friend who had helped him numerous times to secure a higher paycheck in the office since his transfer three years back. Nolan had tried to repay him, but in the end Mack convinced him that the given nickname was enough. I like the name Mack, he said, I'll consider that your gift to me. We're even now, so stop worrying about it. Mack was a strange guy; definitely not too pleasant on the outside, but inside he was kind-hearted – especially when matters concerned his friends; Nolan knew this best as one of Mack's only acquaintances.
"I hate to interject sir, but you have a meeting with a group of clients in a half hour." Nolan's secretary reminded timidly, reluctantly breaking up the two men's conversation. The pair said their parting words – something about how much Mack wished he had a cute secretary to drag along with him to places – then went their own ways.
"Knock 'em dead!" Mack shouted after his friend whom responded with a long-winded sigh and an exhausted smile, both his job and his high-strung friend wearing him out.
"I'll do my best! Oh, and make sure you call some cleaners down here before the day is out!" he shouted back, attempting to match Mack's enthusiasm but falling flat per usual. Despite his more focused work ethic, the chief detective never could muster as much energy as Mack managed – the problem in Mack's case being that he never did apply much of that energy to his job. Most of it went to his head or to the pursuit of women, which never did end well in either case.
While she was finishing her lunch, Kagami had settled on going to a modern art museum nestled in a large city square not far from her college. It was a nice place – the construction as modern and appealing, maybe even more so, than the art it housed. Kagami skimmed by pieces, many representing abstract ideas that she thought on as she walked past. She'd made revolutions around some of the attractions, thinking on topics she found interesting about the pieces as she circled. Hours passed as she walked on, finding the place even larger and housing an even more extensive selection of works of the modern age than she had thought.
With the autumn sky beginning to dim, night fast approaching, Kagami decided to leave the museum and head back to her dorm – satisfied with how she spent her day although a bit reluctant to head back so soon with some life still left in the afternoon. For the first time that day she was thankful to see friends approach her, happy that she would be able to converse for a little while with someone before she had to head home and spend another four hours alone wanting for sleep. What I really want is someone to confide in about all this, Kagami thought to herself, at a loss for who that someone could be. I'm sure that blue-haired little devil would be happy to talk to me, but God knows the feeling isn't mutual. Even if I did resort to it, who's to say she wouldn't think I'm crazy. I think I'm crazy.
"Yo' Hiiragi!" the ever-hyperactive Misao yelled, approaching alongside Ayano – whom attended a couple of classes that Kagami was enrolled in. Ayano had entered and been accepted with Kagami and a couple other classmates, which meant that both her and Misao would migrate to Tokyo. The two now shared a cozy apartment close to the university that Misao paid for with money she made from her part time job to support the pair while Ayano earned her degree.
"Hey Misao! Long time no see!" Kagami replied joyfully, smiling at Ayano who smiled back. The two, despite sharing classes, didn't speak much – they never were very dynamic in conversation. Walking closer, Kagami observed the roommate's hands were intertwined; she mentally squealed. They finally hooked up, Kagami thought happily for the couple, it's about damn time.
"Misao, I'm gonna head back to the apartment. Don't stay out too late, okay?" Ayano said with a sad smile then retreated in the direction of their home. Kagami felt like she had been the reason Ayano had left, her logic being that if Mack could see past Kagami's façade so could other perceptive individuals – she rationalized that perhaps Ayano had been tired or perhaps had caught a cold from the autumn weather, not wanting to go into a panic in front of a nosy Misao.
"Did I scare her away?" Kagami asked with mock-seriousness, faking a look of discern. In a flash, Misao changed from her usual playful attitude to appearing almost depressed. Kagami, thinking it was something she said, laughed to assert that she had been joking. The look of distress stayed, and Kagami became worried. Maybe she really did catch a sickness?
"The cancer's really been taking its toll on her ever since we've found out. She's probably worn out by it; I wouldn't be surprised if she passed out as soon as she got back…" Misao said with the same expression, if not worse, plastered on her face. Kagami's expression was now a mixture of confusion, surprise, and depression at what she had just learned that Misao had said like everyone had known. Why hadn't Ayano told her?
"Ayano has… cancer?" Kagami inquired still in shock at the new revelation. Misao looked at her in complete disbelief, mixed with what Kagami made out to be anger. How long had this been going on and Kagami had not known? She remained silent, waiting for Misao to soften up and realize she really didn't know – eventually she came around and, with a deep breath to relax herself, went on to fill Kagami in.
"She really hasn't told you yet," Misao asked rhetorically, gathered herself, and then continued, "she was diagnosed two weeks ago. They're not sure whether or not it's terminal, but it is prominent. We've been at a loss for what to do – she's been really down because of all of this." she finished on the verge of tears. Kagami herself couldn't stomach what she was hearing, and no longer felt like talking anymore. She had enough on her plate. So she wished the pair the best of luck, and bade her friend farewell; setting out to make it back home before the sun was completely set.
Returning to her dorm, Kagami thought of how great she had felt that morning – and how absolutely awful she felt now in contrast. There was a weight again, this one new and easily-identifiable. She reasoned that with all she had on her plate – a murder, a stalker, a friend with cancer – that it was normal to feel so caged up inside, but a voice inside – perhaps the conscious she thought she had lost – told her the root of the problem was something she'd yet to come to terms with.
By the time she had made it back, she felt close to crushed and out of breath. Having time to reflect on what exactly was wrong with her, she found the only logical answer to be that she needed someone to talk to about all this – all the things that had managed to pile up over the past day. She considered a couple of people, all close friends and good listeners like Tereya or Ayano, but decided that Tereya was too sensitive to hold such a huge burden with Kagami and that Ayano had enough on her plate for the time being. Everyone else she considered she didn't want to be a bother to, with the exception of her original group, whom she had other reasons for not contacting.
Tsukasa, while being a good sister who she knew would be there for her, was too childish to be able to understand what Kagami was going through, evidence enough that Kagami herself didn't quite grasp it. Miyuki, while being smart and understanding, was most likely too busy in Europe dealing with her own life. And as for the runt… well, Kagami didn't even want to consider calling her. She out of all of her friends was the most attentive to Kagami, but also the most obnoxious and with all that Kagami was going through she really only saw Konata as a trouble maker that would go and make it worse. Aside from that, she didn't even want anything to do with Konata since the little scene she had made a year and a half ago on a certain night at a certain diner.
Feeling lightheaded, Kagami decided to skip her nightly routine and instead head straight to bed, where she laid hopelessly staring at the roof for the next couple of hours. Every minute that passed made the idea of calling Konata more and more appealing to the bed stricken girl. At her wit's end, she grabbed her cellphone off of her dresser, dialing Konata's number and staring at her phone for a good long while before setting it back down and suffering through a sleepless night.
A/N: Welp, I hope you guys enjoyed it, because this is the relative pace the rest of this arc will go at! I know, it sucks, but I promise it'll pick up. Like I said before, I appreciate any and all reviews! Hell, even flames will give me a good laugh. Anyways, no telling when the second chapter will be out, so for now the deadline is "soon." See you guys next time!