STORY TITLE: What I wanted most...
FANDOM: Tiger & Bunny
RATING: T
GENRE: Hurt / Comfort, Friendship, Fantasy / Supernatural
CHARACTERS: The Main Cast for the most part
SYNOPSIS: Christmas time... The time of year conjuring those dark memories. All that you wanted was some peace of mind... Not with these people not, not with that man around. Post-Episode 25/Spoilers
NOTICE: Post-Tiger & Bunny Episode 25, after the 1 year time skip, after T&B are partners again (in fact... you could say it's right around the same time as the ending since the ending is during Christmas time); K/B; still T Rating (nothing serious... *cough*)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, the setting, the original story to Tiger & Bunny! This is a non-commercial fan work based on the anime series TIGER&BUNNY. Everything trademark and copyright © 2011 SUNRISE, T&B PARTNERS, and MBS.
What I wanted most...
#01 Promise is debt.
"Ehhh?" Kotetsu folded his arms in disbelief. "What do you mean we have to put on a Christmas Eve show?"
"Ratings, Wild Tiger!" Agnes snapped. "There haven't been that many crimes lately so I came up with an idea to get us ratings. You Heroes will put on a show Christmas Eve. It will be a live event! We will have various songs performed by all of you." She looked in the direction of where Kotetsu and Barnaby were standing then to Karina. "I believe it will be a good idea to release a CD from the event as well."
Kotetsu sighed. "Christmas is in a week...! Isn't this a bit late?"
"Are you saying you are not up for it?"
"Of course I am up for it!"
"Good."
Agnes started for the exit from the training area. "All of you in the main ice rink at one."
"A live performance..." Antonio muttered.
"It shall be a spectacular event!" Keith shouted.
"It shall be... interesting." Pao-Lin looked over at the duo and then at Karina.
Suddenly there was a beep sound and Kotetsu looked up.
"Heroes, there is an armored vehicle speeding down the roads in the Silver Stage. Move out immediately!"
Everyone nodded to each other at Agnes' announcement and headed off.
"There are reports that the person in charge of this crime is a NEXT." Agnes spoke to all of the Heroes. "We are not sure about the full extent to their abilities; be on guard as you move in!"
Helicopters soared in the sky as night settled down on the city. Barnaby steered the motorcycle past other civilian vehicles on the road to catch up to the armored one up ahead. Suddenly there was a flash of light as the two partners heard a clang on the road.
"A flash! Bunny, steer from right behind the truck!" Kotetsu spoke. Barnaby did as the man said for once and steered up to next to the truck.
"Barnaby Brooks Jr. and Wild Tiger are the first on scene with the armored vehicle!" The announcement went through television sets throughout the city as well as on the big screens set up in the plazas.
Kotetsu stood up in the currently attached side car and his suit started glowing green; the activation of Hundred Power. He jumped over Barnaby and landed on top of the armored vehicle. Unconcerned with any costs, he punched through the roof as quickly knocked two of the criminals unconscious. Another man, one wearing a ski mask to cover his entire face, looked up at the veteran Hero and his eyes flashed blue.
Kotetsu's eyes widened as he flew back from the truck.
"It seems like Wild Tiger was flung off of the vehicle! Is it possible that the NEXT in question has the abilities to push people and other objects off?"
Kotetsu muttered a curse to himself and ran as quick as he could to catch up with the vehicle. He jumped up on the back, grabbing on one of the back door handles of the gray steel truck. Smashing the door at the end of his limit, he made sure to hang on to the other handle as the NEXT inside tried blasting him away again.
"Go away, nuisance!" The man shouted, the blue glow around his body still steady. Kotetsu gripped the door as hard as he could, trying to hang on from flying backwards.
"Kotetsu-san!" Barnaby tried pulling the motorcycle back to get the attention of Kotetsu. Suddenly the man, hanging on as hard as he could, moved his leg up and kicked the NEXT into the front seat of the vehicle. He got himself steadied in the back when suddenly there was a flash of lightning before his eyes. He flew backwards onto the road, scratching parts of his armor.
Barnaby's eyes widened from behind his helmet. Ignoring the criminals still driving, he turned his direction and drove to where Kotetsu fell onto the road. "Kotetsu-san!"
"It seems like Wild Tiger was hit by what was apparently a second NEXT inside of the vehicle! We caught a glimpse of lightning hit the Hero. Now comes Fire Emblem in for the attack!"
Nathan drove up in his car and started shooting fire at the vehicle when suddenly Pao-Lin dropped on top of said vehicle and jumped through the hole Kotetsu made and shocked both of the NEXT conscious inside of it. She stopped the vehicle.
"It looks like Dragon Kid has made the arrest!"
Ignoring all the commotion of the arrest, Barnaby jumped off of the Lonely Chaser and knelt beside his comrade and partner. "Kotetsu-san! Kotetsu-san!"
The man did not make a movement, his breathing seemed slowed, his eyes stayed closed.
"K-Kotetsu-san?" Barnaby was getting desperate that his partner was not responding to him with movements nor speech.
"What is it we have here? It seems like Wild Tiger has been downed from the attack by one of the NEXT that has been arrested!"
"What happened to him?" Agnes demanded.
"What happened?" The rest of the Heroes joined Barnaby at Kotetsu's side. Sky High looked down. "Wild-kun?"
"We have to help him now!" Barnaby shouted, looking up at the rest of the Heroes.
Barnaby sat at the bench, elbows leaning on his knees, his back hunched and his head down. He fiddled with his fingers before finally putting his hands together.
"Do you know what happened yet?" He pulled his head up and saw Karina, still in her Blue Rose costume, walking over to him. He shook his head. "They do not know yet and I cannot visit him as of now."
Karina looked at the door to where Kotetsu was currently being looked after in. "I wonder what happened to him..."
"All I know is that he would not respond to me when I tried calling out his name. And that he was attacked with lightning by another NEXT that was in the vehicle earlier. There were not any bad external injuries, his suit wasn't even damaged that badly except a few marks in his shoulder area where the lightning seemed to have hit." Barnaby spoke as much as he knew. "He may have been hurt in that area. Other than that, no damage... Nothing else was clear enough without any examining as to why he was unresponsive."
Karina sighed but then asked the man, "Why were you guys coming to help us? I thought you were helping the Second League Heroes..."
"They insisted they could go get a few thieves and told us to come out to help you guys." Barnaby stood up just as the door opened and a doctor exited.
"Please tell me you know what happened to Kotetsu-san." Barnaby looked right into the man's eyes. The man shook his head. "We do not know yet... I can say that he was bleeding in the right shoulder. The entire time we worked to seal the wound he was unresponsive. His body was not moving at all except for his light breathing. He did not speak a word nor did he move his body."
Barnaby closed his eyes. Karina looked at him, worried. "I see... Can we see him?"
"Not a problem at all." The doctor put his arm out and Barnaby entered the room with Karina.
Much of the upper part of Kotetsu's suit was torn, somehow. There were bandages across part of his chest and his right shoulder much like when he had been attacked by Lunatic. Barnaby grimaced; remembering the event.
Kotetsu's eyes were shut, closed. The only part of his body moving was his chest, up and down, slowly as he breathed. Barnaby put his hand on the man's chest. No response from his partner. "Kotetsu-san... I know you have to wake up."
Unlike the last time Kotetsu had fallen unconscious, Barnaby knew he was breathing. Especially, last time, it was much to the older man's dismay that they had forgotten to check his pulse a year ago.
Barnaby sighed. "Something is wrong; the lightning attack must have done something. It would not have, I know it would not have, made Kotetsu unconscious. Last time when he was attacked and his right shoulder was bandaged, he did not during the attack nor after it."
Karina closed her eyes for a moment and put her hands over Kotetsu's hand as it rested at his side. She stood up and headed to leave. "Will you be coming back later?"
Barnaby did not answer for a moment. "...No. I am going to stay here with Kotetsu."
Karina nodded. "I understand. Please tell us if anything happens."
"Will do..."
Karina exited and walked off down the hallway to go change back into her normal civilian clothes.
Barnaby looked at Kotetsu again, setting his eyes on the man's face. He did not turn away, he did not blink as much as he could. He just wanted Kotetsu... to wake. To open his eyes and see his partner there next to him...
"Is it possible your very life is fading away with your powers...?" Barnaby muttered, his hands gripping Kotetsu's hand. His voice was hoarse, full of sadness. He was about to cry...
"I couldn't keep it, could I?" Tears dripped from the man's face as he gripped Kotetsu's hand as hard as he could without any attempts to break it. He gripped his hand; afraid to let go as if he would lose Kotetsu...
"The Grim Reaper can't have you. Now is no time to lose yet."
#01 Promise is debt.
約束は約束