The first time is short of complete and utter disaster only by a hair's breadth. It's one of Keith's usual night patrols when he spots the man having just robbed a store and being on the run - he should be able to handle it by himself, but, in the end, it's never bad to have a little back-up, is it? Albeit other Heroes don't work at night, Sky High is still certain that there is at least one of them willing to protect people, and thus be called upon even at one a.m. - Kaburagi Kotetsu.

Unfortunately, the other end doesn't pick up for a good few rings, and then it's not even Wild Tiger answering, but his best friend; Rock Bison.

"He's drunk off his ass," is the brisk explanation given, and Keith stifles a sigh as he's on the brink of deciding to just do it alone - safer that way, that much is for sure -, when Kotetsu's voice chimes in all of a sudden. "Oi, if we're needed, we're goin'!" His words are a little slurred, and the ex-King of Heroes can only resist sighing because he's already a little out of breath running on the ground after the escaping criminal. "Don't worry, I'll be there too," comes the reassuring from Antonio, and the blond breathes a little more easily - perhaps he would catch the man anyways, by the time they show up.

Oddly enough, it's still Kotetsu who makes way for the capture. Not known for clear thinking even when sober, Wild Tiger's mind is a little muddled with the amount of alcohol he's consumed, but at least it doesn't affect his Hundred Power, and he cuts off the runaway's way in a swift move, kicking him in the stomach with a force that sends him flying across the street, straight into the waiting Sky High's arms, who then binds his hands behind his back. It would probably be splendid footage, if Agnes had been watching, but... well, in the end, she needs to sleep sometimes, too.

In the end, Keith thinks as he watches his brown-haired comrade throw up into a dustbin while his broad-shouldered friend rubs his back with an unsurprisingly patient expression on his face, Kotetsu is still the one Hero who had instilled this kind of thinking in them; that Sternbild doesn't only need protection when ordinary people are sitting in front of the television and crossing their fingers.

Oddly enough, the second time is almost the same, except the other way around. The night patrol seems to be quiet enough - just the way Keith likes it, really, for, despite his over-enthusiastic nature, he does prefer it when the city is peaceful -, and yet, the moment he catches sight of some disturbance, he is the one who gets a call, with Wild Tiger - this time thankfully sober - being on the other end. "Hey," he says, while Sky High attempts to divert his attention between his friend and trying to decipher what he is seeing happen in front of him, expecting Kotetsu to talk about something nonsensical that has to do nothing with their job - he's in for a bit of surprise -, "so, last time was pretty fun, so I thought, what if I joined you sometimes?"

"I thought you didn't remember much of it," Keith says swiftly, but he can't keep a smile off of his face - who else but Kotetsu? Then again, he is not one to tease, and also not one to lie about his feelings. "Nonetheless, I would appreciate it, Tiger."

In just over five minutes - was he already in his suit? -, the veteran Hero is at the scene, rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish expression presented on his face underneath the opened mask, waving off his colleague's repeated words of gratitude (Thank you! And again, thank you!), and asking where he could be of help. Sky High quickly briefs him on the situation, and they set off together, shoulder to shoulder, to make another successful, but unknown capture. Points aren't all that matter, in the end.

Still, Keith has to wonder, what reason Kotetsu has for doing this - because, even if he doesn't know the older man as well as his best friend (or his partner, for that matter) does, he can still tell that there might have been some underlying motive, even if it's nothing more than Kotetsu being unable to sleep, and wanting to pass the time with something he deems worthy.

Soon enough, their 'secret' outings catch the attention of a few other people as well. While Sky High is well used to getting to bed late, and getting up early, Kotetsu isn't, and the circles under his eyes make not only the short-haired blond question himself if this was a wise idea in the first place, but Antonio ends up asking if everything's all right (only to be waved away, of course), and even Barnaby has something in between frustration and a hint of worry etched onto his features, though Keith isn't quite sure if the worry is for Kotetsu himself, or just the fact that the old man ends up slipping up on a few of what would have been easy captures, and thus sabotaging the points they could have gotten as a team.

Nevertheless, he feels it's not really his place to object when Tiger is so willing to help him out, and so a few more occasions happen, albeit with Rock Bison joining them more and more frequently as well, who, as opposed to Kotetsu, who is still all smiles (that are not completely genuine), isn't shy about admitting his reason of getting a bit of training for the times when he should actually get points so as to not end up on the bottom of the list again, not to mention looking after his old friend. Kotetsu wrinkles his nose a little every time he is called old, but he puts up with it.

As for Kotetsu's true motives, he has several of them, but he does well to keep them all to himself, as per usual; that his sleepless nights are better spent like this other than rolling about in bed thinking what he is going to do once there is none left of his NEXT powers, or fruitlessly pondering his options to get his daughter to stop hating him, not to mention that he still hasn't fully given up on perhaps trying to find a way to build his strength back up, before he finally has to admit it to his partner that he completely failed him.

Eventually, of course, the 'secret' gets out. They should have seen it coming anyways, Keith thinks, somewhat amused; after all, Kotetsu turns into a complete blabbermouth when he gets a little tipsy, and there is probably nobody in the group who would be more observant than Fire Emblem. All it takes is an evening out with the four of them, Kotetsu beginning to reminisce about a recent capture where he's managed to make a truly splendid move - "see, I still have stuff in me!"; a statement Keith doesn't fully understand, because, have we been doubting him at all to begin with? -, and Nathan is already catching on to the fact that this is something he has been left out. "Wait, when did this happen, hmmm?" the pink-haired flame-master asks, then lets out a giggle as Kotetsu, who is already slightly flushed from being inebriated, blushes even deeper as his friend's arm is slung over his shoulders. "A-A night or two ago...?" he stammers, and when Nathan raises an eyebrow, and all Tiger does is busy himself with drinking even more beer, it's left to Antonio and Keith to explain the situation. "Aww, and you left me out of the fun all along?" Nathan asks with a slight whine in his voice, lips puckering up in mild annoyance. "Well, do call me next time as well! I'm always in when it's something fun, and it's not like my flames ever run out!"

Kotetsu chokes on his mouthful of beer.

Of course, with Nathan knowing, now there is no possible way to keep it a secret even longer (although Keith didn't see much of a point in doing so in the first place; he merely didn't want to cause discomfort to anyone else who already had a hard day's work behind their backs). Next time they are waiting to be called on to some live action, the pink-haired hero brings the topic up completely out of the blue, asking in a completely off-hand (and yet, so annoying! Kotetsu thinks,) manner about whether Tiger has ever told his partner about his separate adventures. At this point, it becomes clear that Barnaby is not only annoyed with Kotetsu; for some reason, upon getting to know these unexpected news, he becomes completely livid, dragging his partner out of the common room, and then yelling at him in the corridor in such a volume that it even brings Pao Lin to a brisk comment of "Why go to the trouble of taking him outside, then?"

Of course, this means that Barnaby is now joining them as well next time; though the details are unclear, Keith has a faint suspicion that the oldest of the Heroes has received something of a death threat from the blond rookie in case he doesn't get a call next time they are going out at night. Kotetsu's face is anxious and uncomfortable, not to mention this is now more people than Sky High has ever wanted to involve, which makes him a little uncomfortable, too - but, what can he do, really? And then, to top it all, the three youngest declare their intent to help as well, and no matter how much Keith protests, bringing up arguments about how Karina's parents would never agree to it (and same goes for Pao Lin, too - a statement that only earns him a rather condescending look from the short Chinese girl), and really, there is no need, eventually there comes a time when Barnaby suddenly takes control of the situation, sits them all down, and writes up a schedule for all-nighters. He is not only stern and forceful in his execution of this, but also rather sensible (no surprise there), and so, in the end, everyone agrees to it.

Idly, Keith wonders what Agnes is going to think, or if she ever notices.

"This whole thing is ridiculous."

"C'mon, Bunny, sit down. You're going to get tired standing up like that for hours."

Kotetsu expects a snarky response along the lines of him being an old man, but apparently, Barnaby is still too angry to even take notice of his words. "Why didn't you tell me about doing this? I thought we were partners!"

"I'm telling you, nothing is going to happen for the next two hours! Just come and sit down, Bunny!"

Barnaby opens the headpiece of his armour so hastily that if his powers were activated, he would have broken it off its hinges. "Kotetsu-san!"

Kotetsu sighs, but does not back away. He pats the free space next to himself on the park bench, and the look with which he meets his partner's eyes is just as stern as the one he is on the receiving end of. Someone will have to give in sooner or later, but, for some odd reason, even though Barnaby is the more temperamental one, he is still losing this; there is no amount of yelling that would make Kotetsu give a straight answer until Barnaby does as he was told, and he knows it from the way the hazel eyes stare right into his brilliant blue ones. Mildly dejected, he plops down on the bench, and looks around; the park is eerily quiet at three in the morning, and he knows as well that it'll still be a good half an hour until the criminals the others are chasing reach this place, where they would finally be cornered; hence why the two of them have been put on standby by Sky High, who is, as usual, leading the operation.

"I'm sorry," is all Kotetsu says in a low mutter, after a few moments of silence, and Barnaby has to grit his teeth for a moment or two so he doesn't start outright yelling then and there. They are supposed to stay low for now, after all. "I didn't think you'd be interested, that's all," Kotetsu continues then, catching the younger one a little off guard. "After all, this doesn't involve getting any points. We're just catching criminals."

"Isn't that what being a Hero really is about, instead of points?" Barnaby asks, somewhat confused. "I mean, according to you, that is."

Kotetsu lets out a short, barking laugh. "Of course it is. But you were never one for having others' values stuffed down your throat, were you, Bunny-chan? So," he continues before Barnaby could complain about the nickname, "I thought, just this time, I wouldn't. I'm trying to not make you angry at me unless it's really necessary." He grins at his partner, and Barnaby finds his breath hitching a little; the look on the brown-haired man's face is completely disarming him. "Apparently, it doesn't make a difference; I piss you off whether I want to or not," Kotetsu carries on, and there is a hint of genuine regret in that last sentence, one that jolts Barnaby out of his slight reverie. "Therefore... I'm saying I'm sorry."

Barnaby can't find anything to respond with than a low sigh, seeing that he is simply unable to stay mad at his partner any longer. Annoyingly enough, the sigh turns into a yawn halfway through, and, wearing that mask that blocks his chin, not only is it mildly uncomfortable, but there is literally no way he could cover his mouth. Kotetsu is now laughing at him openly (a very good way to not make me angry unless necessary, thank you, old man, Barnaby thinks in irritation), but a moment later, the young man finds himself being tugged a little closer to his partner, feeling the weight of an armoured arm around his shoulders. "See, and there's the other reason!" Kotetsu exclaims gleefully. "You should be in bed at a time like this!"

"So should you, old man," Barnaby mutters, but, for some inexplicable reason, the weight of Kotetsu's arm around him, even if separated by multiple layers of metal, makes him feel even more sleep-addled... somewhere, deep down, it's an alerting feeling; after all, they are on a mission (official or not), and the criminals could pop up in any moment. At the same time, though, as odd as it is, he doesn't mind all that much. Kotetsu only snickers in response, and tugs on Barnaby one more time, till he's leaning against him with his full weight, some of his blond curls popping out of the helmet and hanging loosely onto the other's shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'm not sleepy at all. I'll wake you if anything happens," Kotetsu says, his voice suddenly warm; yet another one of the things Barnaby can't explain about him, how he seems to be able to guess perfectly what is going on on the other's mind at any time when Barnaby really needs him to. After all, Kotetsu doesn't really need to know that Barnaby himself hasn't been sleeping all that well lately either; that even though Jake Martinez is gone, there is still a lingering feeling of unrest that doesn't let him go; that, oddly enough, sitting here on a park bench, waiting for work to happen, Kotetsu's arm and warmth - no, you're imagining things, there's no way you can feel that through the suits, Barnaby tells himself - encompassing him, he feels more secure than curled up in bed at home.

That, or maybe he already knows, or feels it, without Barnaby having to say it. He wouldn't know - Kotetsu is never the one who ends up sharing the most important things.

"... ve already captured the criminal!"

Huh? Barnaby's mind is foggy at its best, and as he cracks an eye open and glances towards his partner, he can see - tch! - that Kotetsu has a look on his face that indicates he has dozed off as well, and has just awakened. So much for trusting him to look after my back, though Barnaby is not really angry - he has no idea how long he slept, but it was more relaxing than any he's gotten in a week. The one speaking to them - Sky High, who else - stops for a moment, giving Barnaby a salute to acknowledge his awakened state; something that makes Barnaby flush slightly, and he busies himself with straightening up and attempting to tuck his hair back in place under the helmet.

"Well, tell them 'ice one' for me!" Kotetsu is grinning ridiculously broadly, and Barnaby cannot resist a snort as Keith raises an eyebrow at the badly executed attempt of speaking English. "I believe that's 'nice one', Kotetsu-san," Barnaby corrects him, but Kotetsu's grin only grows. "Well, it was Blue Rose, so-..." That's as far as he gets - for, the next moment, his partner shuts his helmet close, successfully cutting off the rest of the sentence. "Oi, Bunny! What was that for?!"

"I'm going home," the youngest of the three exclaims, standing up from the bench, stretching a little, and completely ignoring his partner's complaining. Even if he only heard half of the conversation, it's enough for him to gather that the mission is over and done with, and the criminals didn't end up coming their way, in the end. "I told you, Kotetsu-san, this was a complete waste of time."

"Oh, c'mon! We helped Sky High, didn't we? Even if this time we weren't really needed... you can never know! A Hero always has to be at the ready!" Kotetsu complains, but he does get up to follow, waving goodbye to a rather amused Keith. For Kotetsu to be claiming to always be ready, the patrol found them both dozed off, leaning on each other on that park bench. Then again, he still knows they would have been ready if they were needed.

"Next time I'm bringing paperwork!"

"Stop being a spoilsport, Bunny!"

"I'm bringing yours, too. We are a team, after all, aren't we?"

"Bunny!"

"You're behind with it again, aren't you, old man? You're in for another good scolding from Lloyds-san."

"Naa, Bunny... how about I come over to your place for a few drinks?"

There is only a second of a pause; the two of them are almost out of earshot. "... Very well."

Keith cannot suppress the smile any longer as he turns to depart home as well. Perhaps he does know at least some of the reasons why Kotetsu has agreed to all of this. Being a Hero, after all, is certainly not only about gathering points... but it has a few more things to it than simply delivering justice, too.