Title: Stolen Tiger – prologue
Characters: Kaburagi Kotetsu, Barnaby Brooks Jr., OCs
Rating: R (M for Mature)
Genre: AU
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters (of Tiger & Bunny).
Wild Tiger was neither reckless nor impulsive; he did not pursue criminals without hesitation or a second thought. There was plenty of hesitation in this chase since the NEXT had no control over his teleportation abilities. Not too long ago, the young man was running away from him. After blinking out of sight, he returned, but running into him, literally. The twinge of pain in Kotetsu's back was proof of the fact that he'd been landed on top of.
"Sorry!" was rushed out and then the weight was gone, leaving Wild Tiger alone in the alleyway.
"Why… Why are you apologizing?" Kotetsu sprang to his feet, listening for anything that would give away his criminal's next move. He was running blind, with no other Heroes to help, and no eyes in the sky from Agnes and the rest of the HeroTV staff. Having walked past the corner store and catching sight of a shadowy and suspicious figure within, he decided to address the situation himself. He always had his mask with him; Wild Tiger's entrance ended with the front window being broken, but he was determined to make this capture and prove to his so-called partner that he wasn't as useless as everyone made him out to be. "I can take care of myself..."
As luck would have it, he lifted his head to stare at the sky above him, stained by the bright lights of the city, and caught sight of a figure leaping overhead. With a grin, Kotetsu stretched a few times, hoping to limber himself up. He sprang for the nearest ladder and clamored upward, hopping from ladder to ladder, until he finally reached the top of the tallest building.
As soon as he peaked, startled cobalt eyes locked with his. "I'm sorry!" the young man stammered out again, racing for the edge of the roof.
"Stop! Wait!" Kotetsu gave chase, but no longer with the intention to capture.
His so-called criminal leapt, his image momentarily disappearing. The masked Hero found himself staring into wide, fear-filled eyes. After reappearing with nothing beneath him, the vigilante NEXT could do nothing but fall.
Kotetsu's body was outlined in a fiery orange light after he activated his abilities. He dove off the side of the building upon reaching the ledge and caught the extended hand after putting on a burst of speed. With a reassuring smile, he wrapped his arms protectively around the trembling young man—he continued apologizing even with his face buried in Wild Tiger's chest—and turned so he could absorb the impact of their fall. For some strange reason, the last argument he had with Barnaby flashed through his mind. Kotetsu huffed out a soft laugh and closed his eyes.
-x-x-
Origami Cyclone disappeared behind the closing door with a shy wave and Kotetsu quickly realized he was alone with his partner. Exhaling deeply, he stretched his legs out, crossing them at the ankles, and tucked his arms behind his head. The talk was coming. Sure enough, after several moments of silence, former King of Heroes, Barnaby Brooks Jr., began speaking. Kotetsu mouthed along with him, mimicking every word.
"Today was another close call, Kotetsu. If it wasn't for Sky High and Rock Bison..." Barnaby's chest rose and fell sharply with the exhalation, his back still to the seated man. "You can't keep acting so impulsively. We're no longer rivals seeking points. We have to work together to rescue innocents."
Kotetsu paused in his act to scoff beneath his breath, "I've been doing that since I donned a mask..."
Barnaby resumed speaking, the remark having gone unheard. He lifted a hand, rubbing the back of his neck. "You keep trying to send me back to the First League, but... these are petty crimes and you can't manage to deal with them without something exploding."
Head tilted back over the back of the lounge , Kotetsu scowled. "Oi, Bunny..."
"Oh, you were actually listening?" Barnaby turned, slightly so, to glare at the older man over his shoulder. "Don't think I'm not aware that you've been mocking me. I say these things for your own good, Kotetsu. Maybe—"
"Maybe I should stop being a Hero?" Barnaby turned all the way around, pinning him with an almost pitiful stare. Kotetsu sat up straight, feet planted firmly on the floor. Hands pressed against his thighs, he glared back at his partner in stopping crime. "If I did, what would you do?"
"I would also resign," Barnaby stated softly, his resolution obvious. "I'm more concerned about you and your safety, Kotetsu. The civilians are important, too, but..." He averted his eyes, lowering his gaze to stare at his red boots.
"But because I'm weak, I need special protection," Kotetsu supplied in a huff.
Barnaby's head snapped up, the softness of his expression and voice gone. "That's not what I said!"
"It's what you're thinking," Kotetsu mumbled, lifting a hand to tug the brim of his hat downward, casting shadows over his eyes. He knew it was what everyone was thinking: Wild Tiger was useless.
"You're reckless—too reckless. Your powers might be stronger, but you're still weak. You'll get yourself killed one of these days, old man!" Barnaby's eyes widened and his shoulders sagged. "Kotetsu..."
With a forced grin, Kotetsu shook his head at the blond. "He stood, smoothing down his shirt. "Don't apologize. Don't take it back. It's nice—your honesty." Stuffing his hands as deeply into the pockets of his slacks as they could go, Kotetsu excused himself, leaving Barnaby alone in the common room of the Justice Tower.
-x-x-
Kotetsu curled his hand around the ebony crown, pressing the NEXT's head closer to his chest. 'Guess you were right, Bunny. I'm so—' The impact caused a crater, but the pain was brief, since darkness claimed both Hero and criminal.
The wiry brunet paced the medical tent, stopping occasionally to groan and clutch at his midnight black tresses. "Axel…" Red-rimmed blue eyes glared at the young woman that had spoken.
"Ana," another voice interjected, trying to keep a moment of peace.
She looked away from the guilt-plagued stare to the blond beside her. Unconsciously, she worried her bottom lip between her teeth, realizing that even Dixon looked run down. His body was outlined in a blue light since they were in the safety of their own residence. "We should have taken him to a hospital," Anabel exhaled deeply, burying her face in her hands.
"I'm sorry!" Axel, the pacing brunet, exclaimed. "I'm a screw up… and now I'm going to be a murderer! I don't understand how you guys put up with me…" He stopped, sinking into a crouch to hide his head between his knees.
"You are a screw up," Dixon mumbled, trying to keep his focus solely on the patient lying prone on the cot just a few yards from them; if he so much as glimpsed the inside of Axel's head, he foresaw himself blacking out. "But we're family, so we have to put up with it."
"Not helping," Axel moaned.
Dixon sat up straighter, his visible green eye widening. "He's waking up…"
Anabel slid down onto the floor beside Axel, wrapping her arms around his shuddering frame. She whispered against the nape of his neck, rubbing at his arms. She could feel the goosebumps on the bare skin. "It's all right now, sweetie."
"Not… quite." Anabel turned to glare at Dixon, who didn't look the least bit apologetic. "There's… a problem."
X
The first thing that registered was the pain; there was so much pain. There were hushed and raised voices, but he couldn't understand anything. His first attempt to open his eyes failed, his vision assaulted by a blinding white light. After several long minutes, he attempted again, but carefully squinted against the light. There was a shadowy apparition above him, the light casting a shimmering halo over its head. 'An angel… here to take me away?'
What he thought to just be his thoughts turned out to have been spoken aloud.
Axel ignored the soft laughter from his friends, leaning closer to the bedridden man. "I'm no angel, Hero," he muttered, brushing away the damp tawny locks. Amber eyes stared back at him, unfocused and distant, and his heart clenched. Because of his foolish actions—his inability to use his powers properly, Wild Tiger almost died. Luckily, he was able to bring him back to their on-call doctor.
The honey golden eyes suddenly brightened, filled with clarity. "Angel?" the patient questioned.
Axel chuckled, smoothing a hand over the man's cheek. "I already told you, I'm not."
"I've been calling you Angel for months," the brunet grunted as he forced himself into a sitting position.
Eyes wide, Axel spun just in time to see Anabel ease Dixon back into his chair. The blond had his hand pressed against his nose, but blood still seeped through his fingers. "What did you do? Dixon—"
"There was no other way," Anabel spoke on Dixon's behalf.
Dixon tilted his head back, moving his pinky to mumble, "There was nothing in his head…" Dixon's ability, in a sense, was that he could read people's minds. He could also input thoughts, but it took a great deal of energy. "I couldn't just leave him like that. I know nothing about the real Hero, so... I figured we could make him one of our kind."
Axel turned back to the bed, eyes wide, but in fear. They were criminals.
The man seated on the bed raised an eyebrow at him. "You sure you don't belong here instead of me? I'm guessing, by the look on your face… you don't remember me."
Axel shook his head slowly.
The brunet clicked his tongue in distaste, running his fingers through his hair. "You really should be in this bed then. My name's Kody. Three times now, you've had to chase me out of the tents. Each time, you've also had to save me since trouble apparently follows me. Seeing as Ana and Dixon are here, I guess I messed up pretty bad, didn't I?" Kody's eyes widened and he swung his legs over the side of the bed. He stood on shaky legs, taking just a few steps to reach the brunet.
It was only when the rough hands touched his face did Axel realize he was crying. "What have I done…?" he whimpered.
Barnaby never stopped looking, regretting the last argument he'd had with his partner. That was all their partnership had become the last seven months before Wild Tiger's disappearance and remembering each one gutted him painfully. The searching started when the shop owner reported a break in. After seeing their fellow Hero on the security camera, they pulled up several more throughout the city, following his trail, only to have it end in the crater in a back alley. With a Hero combing every corner of the globe, they searched for over six months until Kaede called off the search herself. A service for the missing Wild Tiger was held on the same day of Tomoe's funeral, per the young girl's request.
It was a private service, with only Heroes and NEXTs of Hero Academy. There were a few citizens—Kotetsu's family included—but they consisted only of the sponsor companies' CEOs and everyone from HeroTV. Officially, Barnaby didn't attend, not wanting to stand too close to all the men and women that mourned the loss of Sternbild's greatest Hero. But he was there, at the edge of the field where a headstone had been erected to watch over an empty plot.
Kaede stood beside Blue Rose. The young girl was pale, her eyes swollen, but she didn't cry-hadn't cried, Anju explained, not even after hearing the news or after they reported no signs of her father. She never once accused Barnaby, or any of the other Heroes. Blue Rose sank into a crouch, pulling the pre-teen close for her own selfish comfort. Kaede smiled, lifting a hand to rub the teen Hero's back.
Barnaby turned away from the scene, fists clenched at his sides. He walked back to his car, unlocking it and getting in to simply sit there.
You're reckless—too reckless. Your powers might be stronger, but you're still weak. You'll get yourself killed one of these days, old man!
The tears prickled at his eyes before the burning started and then they flowed with no restraint. He tilted his head back, screaming his anger and disappointment; his fear—all directed at himself. Several agonizing minutes passed before Barnaby stopped screaming, his throat now raw. He fell against the steering wheel, arms pillowing his head, and sobbed brokenly.
"I'm sorry, Kotetsu..." His voice was hoarse, but there was no one around to hear him, so what did it matter? "I'm sorry. I won't stop looking... because you're not dead. You're out there... and I will find you!"
A/N: *cries into her hands* I don't... know! Even my editor says I need to stay away from the T&B anon meme...
"One day, while off duty, Kotetsu gets mixed up in a chase of what he thinks is a petty criminal. Whether they are male or female is up to the writer, however, I would like them to have teleportation powers. While on the chase it's obvious that the petty criminal has little control over their abilities as they slip trough portals at odd times and pop up in random places, eventually taking Kotetsu with them on accident. This ends up with them falling from the roof of a building. Kotetsu tries to save the criminal by using hundred power and absorbing the impact when they hit the ground."
...the post was very detailed, so I just grabbed this piece in explanation. Even the name "Kody" was given, so I just ganked it and ran. I really... I really don't know what this is going to be. If anybody (reads this) wants to help, I'll need as much information on circuses or traveling troupes and performers. Fire breathers, tight rope walkers... trick riders. There are going to be a lot of OCs, and I don't know if I'll be using all the Heroes... I try to include everyone, but... *holds head* What have I gotten myself into?
*slinks away to sell her soul to Tales of Xillia for a few months*