Setting: After series
Genre: General/Angst
Rating: PG
Summary: Four years is a long time to be missing, but it doesn't stop Barnaby from trying to find his partner, Wild Tiger, who went MIA those four years ago. By chance, a man of strikingly similar warm crosses his path; he is everything that Kotetsu was, but at the same time everything about him is not.

Once Lost Yet to Return

It has been a long and uneventful day, the hours finally ticking down to the early evening, the sun sinking ever slowly behind the towering skyscrapers of the city turning the sky into a brilliant orange hue. He tied off the last string of his boots before standing up to his feet, keys jingling in one hand while the other reached out for the bike helmet. He was leaving earlier than usual, but he wanted to get a head start tonight.

"Leaving already, Handsome?" a sweet sultry voice asked from behind. Barnaby paused, glancing over his shoulders to give the fiery Hero a small smile.

"Yes, I want to avoid the evening traffic so I'm heading off now," he answered.

"Try not to wear yourself out, you know," Nathan sighed. Barnaby didn't answer, simply waving over his shoulder as he left, the doors sliding shut behind him. Nathan sighed as he watched the doors close behind the retreating back; how long has it been since the man even cracked a real smile?

"There's no use worrying about him – he's not giving up anytime soon," a rough voice spoke up from behind. Nathan only shrugged, another sigh escaping pink painted lips.

"I know, but it doesn't stop me from worrying all the same," he replied. "It's amazing he's still getting by with the little amount of sleep he gets each night."

"Why do you think he takes so many rest breaks during training," Antonio pointed out. There was a silent pause before rose-coloured eyes finally turned to match the other's gaze. Antonio reached a hand up to brush his hair off his neck; it's been getting a little long lately, fanning out more than usual despite his best efforts to style it. He'd definitely have to get it cut soon – the feeling was too aggravating.

"It's been four years – even if he was still alive, we would've heard something by now," Nathan's usual octave flirt was missing, a sad and empty expression on his face. He could only imagine what kind of expression the other was showing; a heavy sigh emitted from his chest, Antonio looking off to a different corner of the room. Four years – it should seem like a small comparably amount of time, but to them, to those who had been close to him – it felt like a torturous eternity.

"I'm surprised – of all the people to give up, you were the first who stopped looking for him," Nathan treaded carefully. Antonio didn't say anything, avoiding the other's eyes as he stared at the floor, a pained expression on his face.

"I promised him I'd take care of Kaede; I can't spend the rest of my life trying to find someone who probably isn't even alive."

"Hey now – if either Kaede or Handsome heard that right now…" the words faded from his lips. What started as a tattle-tell dwindled away to nothing but lost words. The face the other was showing convinced him more than enough that the man didn't want to believe his own words either. A sigh passed between them, Nathan heading off to the locker rooms to change and head home for the night, silently hoping for the best for the man about to head off onto the road into the evening air.

Once his helmet was secured, Barnaby kicked up the stand and revved the motor to life before kicking off. He would be checking eastside of Bronze Stage tonight and he wanted to use as much as the remaining daylight as possible. He had switched to a motorbike about a year after the incident – it was easier to maneuver between traffic without slowing him down. The streets lights were beginning to turn on, his grip tightening as he slowly increased his speed.

Four years – it should've been nothing compared to the twenty years of emptiness and loneliness he had while seeking revenge for his parents' death. It was still crystal clear to him, that day, as if the whole thing just happened yesterday. After spending a year apart and finally returning to his partner's side, just barely months later they were once again separated.

The Second League Heroes had been chasing some petty convenient store thieves – a job that should've been easy and dealt with in a matter of minutes. What they hadn't expected was that there was a NEXT among them – a rather dangerous one at that. They couldn't wait for the First League to come – they were tied up with their own emergency – so they were left to handle the NEXT on their own. Wild Tiger's power had already run out, but Barnaby had plenty of time to spare and went head to head with the guy. He had been winning – he had the upper hand and was ready to make the arrest, but apparently the thief had one last trick up his sleeve.

A flash bomb had temporarily blinded him, Barnaby leaving himself wide open and defenseless against an attack; of course Tiger being Tiger rushed in and took the brunt of the attack. He could still remember the glowing red blade sunk deep into the older Hero's side, the gagging cough from the veteran as he endured the pain. Barnaby should've reacted, he had enough sense to reach out and apprehend the criminal, but the other hand was still free and already forming another red blade. He didn't expect Tiger to grab at his wrist while holding the blade stabbed deep into his side in place. They had been near the bay and Barnaby had a feeling he knew what was going to happen next, reaching out his hand, desperate to stop the other. He could still see that face – the sad smile as the face plate lifted up automatically.

"I'm sorry…"

The words stung in his chest, fingers curling tighter around the handles; Kotetsu plunged both himself and the NEXT thief into the waters of the bay. Barnaby remembered frantically wanting to dive in after them, the other Second Leaguers holding him back. By the time the First League had made it to the scene, the search party had only found the body of the NEXT with no signs of Wild Tiger anywhere. Barnaby remember the desperate calls to Dr. Saitou asking for readings on Tiger's suit, saying that perhaps they could trace him through his suit. The other end had been silent, which was unusual considering how loud the small man was over communication lines.

Barnaby increased his speed, blinking back the tears; he wasn't going to believe it. Dr. Saitou had lost all vital readings from Tiger's suit which meant two things, but one seemed more probably than the other, considering the conditions. Barnaby had cut him off, not wanting to hear the likely answer. He wasn't going to believe it – not until he saw Kotetsu's cold, lifeless body for himself; he had to believe the other was still alive somehow, somewhere in this city. He had spent twenty years following a single, vague lead that in the end he never really found what relations it had to his parents' murders; searching for a man without a single clue to go on was something he could do with absolute devotion. He was going to find Kotetsu – alive or dead – even if it was going to take him another twenty years to do so.

-8-

"And that's time," the instructor called out casually. The teen boy sprawled out on the ground didn't look happy at all, glaring up at the girl gazing down at him with a wide smirk; the other students were impressed though, clapping for her before they were dismissed by their instructor for the day. The boy scrambled to his feet with what little dignity he had left.

"Just wait till next time, Kaburagi! I won't let you use my own power against me so easily!" he threatened. Kaede only ignored him as she walked away from the field, dusting off her uniform pants; she heard him growl loudly before storming off in the other direction, pushing past his "groupies" trying to assure him he was still the best. Kaede sighed and shook her head, heading back to the shared dormitories to change into an outfit that was a little less eye-catching.

"Kaede!" a voice called out from behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see a curly brown-haired boy running to catch up with her.

"Ah, Tony," she greeted.

"You were amazing today!" Tony praised. Kaede only gave him a sheepish smile, shrugging her shoulders.

"It was nothing – just trying to teach that jerk a lesson," she answered. Tony only shook his head, still saying it was amazing she had planned that far ahead.

"He didn't even realise you had already touched him before the sparring began! You're definitely going to be a great Hero!" he ranted slightly, a light flush colouring his cheeks from excitement. Kaede only laughed, reaching a hand to pull her bangs out of her face as they headed back to the dorms together. They were surprised to a boy with spiky blond hair waiting by the gates; he wasn't a student of the academy – that much was easy enough to tell since he wasn't wearing a standard uniform.

"Hey Tony," he waved. The other was definitely surprised.

"Isaac? What are you doing here?"

"You said you had some free time today so I thought we'd hang out," the ice skater answered. The other blush a little as he smiled. Kaede cleared her throat to make her presence known again, Tony fumbling a little with his words.

"Ah, sorry – do you, um, want to come along, Kaede?"

"No it's fine – I have some plans for today anyways," she answered, waving over her shoulder. "Besides – I don't want to be a third wheel."

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" both boys yelled at the same time. Kaede laughed at the blushes on their faces, sticking her tongue out at them as she quickly ran off to her room to change. Isaac let out an aggravated noise, putting a hand to his forehead.

"I really don't understand what goes on in her head sometimes…"

"I think I know what her plans are," Tony spoke softly. "I think – she just doesn't want us to worry…"

"…Right. Her dad was – Wild Tiger, right?" he said. There was an odd sort of silent understanding between them. It had been no secret that Kaede Kaburagi was the daughter of the late Wild Tiger – she had stated it quite proudly when she first entered the Hero Academy. The two boys stood still for a few moments of peace before Tony went to change into more casual clothes, saying he'd be right back.

Inside the girls' side of the dorms, Kaede checked over her appearance once more, making sure she had everything she needed. Her usual attire was comfy jeans, a plain cotton tee with a matching jean vest and her hair pulled to the side in a loose ponytail – much like her mother used to wear it before she died. A hand went for the ring hanging around her neck, slender fingers curling around it – her father's wedding ring.

She could still remember the day Barnaby had showed up at their doorstep; under different circumstances, she would've been thrilled to see him if she hadn't just heard on the news that Wild Tiger had gone missing in action two days before. He didn't say anything, he didn't need to; he only held out his hand and placed the silver ring into her small palm. She didn't cry when she first heard the news, but cradling the ring in her hand she just couldn't hold them back any longer, breaking down right there and then.

She let it go, feeling it bounce off her chest before settling; she grabbed her carrier bag making sure all the essentials were there and snatched up her wallet from her desk. She paused a moment, flipping it open to stare at the photo nestled inside one of the clear pockets – it was of her and her dad on her thirteen birthday. She felt herself tear up a little, wiping a hand furiously at her eyes to stop them; he had come home especially for that day and it turned out to be the last time she ever saw him.

Snapping the wallet shut, she shoved it into her bag, grabbed the keys to her door, locked up and left running down the halls. She hadn't been able to come to Sternbild until last year and the time she spent in Oriental Town had been agony. The days turned into weeks, the weeks into months and by the end of the year it was generally agreed that Wild Tiger was presumed dead. She wouldn't believe it, though – her dad was too stubborn to die like that; he was somewhere – he had to be – and some inconceivable force was keeping him away from them.

It was still the late afternoon giving her plenty of daylight to run around the city streets, asking anyone willing to answer if they had seen or recognised the man in her photo. She knew she'd have to return to the dorms before curfew hours, but it still gave her a good four-five hours to search as far as she could go and ask as many people as she could.

-Chapter One/End-