Note: This fic is "beginning of Despair" year. It contains info from You are me, I am not you. DR2 spoilers. Do not read if not familiar with DR2. It also has OC's, not a lot but mainly Togami centric, OC wise. Spoilers also for System Breakdown.
"Togami-kun, I'm aware of the situation being awkward. Your loss is so recent, that I… wanted to postpone it, but now there's no choice left for me. I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I'm… supposed to keep my calm even in… situations that come unexpected. I just… expect this to be a short meeting. There is.. somewhere else I'd rather be now…" The youngster rubbed his eyes, clearly exhausted. The headmaster nodded sympathetically. He was the Togami Group scion, but he was also a broken, insecure teen now that the floor under his feet had disappeared.
" I'll be brief, I promise. Just so you know, I'm recording this interview, this would replace a contract in normal circumstances, but you know…"
"These ain't it… just proceed" The scion spoke curtly.
"Correct. Now, Togami-kun. This may mean you'll have to spend the rest of your life within the walls of this academy. Are you okay with that?"
Avoiding Jin Kirigiri's eyes, he heard himself reply monotonously:
"Yes, I'm aware and I accept"
"I'm sorry you'll be inconvenienced. If there is something you want me to do for you.."
"Nothing. Are we done yet?"
"We are, Togami-kun. Thanks for your time. I assure you I'll do my best to protect you, as Kibougamine's headmaster"
"I'm grateful for your commitment" the blond heir replied in an undertone."If we're finally done… I'll be going"
Two days had passed since then, and the young cub lion of the Togamis was in unrest. He hadn't heard anything from his family, or the state of the manor. He spent his days sitting by the window, the coffee going cold, no matter how many times Touko reheated it or tried to get him to eat.
Everything was gone. Everything vanished. Not a shred of his empire standing. His Planner, right hand and secretary, Kobayama, gone missing. Two days of that incessant musing, Kirigiri sensei's words echoing in his mind, the riot going on, he was closer to hitting anything than ever before. In all likelihood, the world had gone upside down, and Byakuya Togami was trodding on moving sands.
Fukawa was there, as his pillar and comfort. Being the friends they now were, she was all too willing to support him. She had obtained the grace of having Togami's room's windows to be sealed the last, so the abashed Chosen could get a peek down at the garden. Only now, that wasn't the garden when they had shared their "printed truce" –she writing, he reading – but another scene of chaos by the Despair class students. He stared at it without seeing, a void in his eyes that echoed the void in his mind.
A discreet knock on the door got Fukawa to eye him timidly. His cold stare returned, but there was no glow or life in his pupils as he spoke:
"You go open it."
Silently, the braided youngster went to the door and opened it. It was Kirigiri.
"My father – she mouthed coldly – says he wants to see you both in his office."
"What will it be this time" Togami sighed, his tired eyes barely focusing on the lilac-haired girl.
"Togami-kun. I requested permission to go to your manor and investigate. But he – again the cold tone – wouldn't grant it to me."
"And he did well" Togami replied "They could do that to… my family. No matter how good a detective you are, they will hunt you down. Though…" He stared directly to her eyes "I cannot ignore your concern. It's appreciated".
"Please hurry. I think he managed to find an important clue" She paused "Yet he didn't allow me to see what it was about, he says you must see it"
"Kirigiri. I said I appreciate the concern. But you do not need to get involved with something that's well over your possibilities. Your father is trying to get our class out of this emergency. Don't you try to get killed just because you and him are not friendly with each other"
Touko stared at the blonde. That was a very un-Togamish statement indeed. What had happened in those two days since his ivory tower collapsed?
"I will tell you what the clue is, if you promise you won't risk your life going to the Manor."
"It's not like you to be interested in what happens to others" Kirigiri remarked with a slight smirk.
"Hmph. I feel like repaying my Kibougamine class for being obedient little peasants. Funerals don't suit me in the slightest." He turned around, as Touko was muttering rebelliously.
"And calm down, you of all people, who passes out at the sight of blood, should be happy I don't want anyone in this class to die."
Enough sacrifices had been done. Enough blood had been spilled.
Kirigiri nodded and made her leave. Togami and Fukawa headed for the headmaster's office, wondering about the clue he had in store for them.
Touko knocked at Togami's urging. "Touko-chan, Byakuya-kun? Come in"
As the two adolescents entered the office, they stopped right in their tracks. In his surprise, Togami found the sense to shut the door behind him.
The headmaster was sitting in his chair. In front of his desk, three chairs were set. One was occupied by a slouched, unkempt, heavily bandaged middle-aged man, who turned his head to look at them dolefully.
"The loyal dog always finds his master…"
That phrase crossed Togami's mind as he walked towards his servant, incredulous. The first two floors were sealed already… how could this wounded man arrive to the dorms level…
He stared at the headmaster for explanations.
"Allow him to stay seated. He made an impressive feat to get in here, but he's too weak to get up just now" Jin Kirigiri spoke firmly to the young heir.
"Mind… not Kirigiri-sensei, Byakuya-sama. I can stand… well enough."
Even his voice wasn't the smooth, taunting , steady pitch he remembered. It sounded broken, throaty, constricted.
"Remain seated. Are you going to be of any use for me if you die of blood loss?" Togami's pitch was icy, hiding his relief to see the Planner's unexpected comeback.
"I think we're in for some explanations. So if you mind, Kobayama-san…"
"Kobayama is enough, Kirigiri-sensei. For a man like me, that's lost all pride and will to live..."
"You shouldn't…say that!"
Both Kobayama and Togami stared at her, and the hollowness of their eyes shook Touko deeply.
"Touko-san… I'm glad to see you again. Though I need no honorifics anymore… for a Planner and servant to be unable to foresee that our measures just weren't enough…"
"Go to the point. NOW."
Touko bolted. Togami's voice was deadly, yet commanding as usual.
" Yes, young master. Basically… the assaulters were all… high schoolers from this institution."
"Mere high schoolers… from here… that cannot be…"
"Trust me, they were Kibougamine students. Kirigiri-sensei will show me photographs… so I can identify them."
"They cannot be from here, you nitwit!" Togami thundered " We're in the process of being sheltered, it can't be that they are from here… we can't get out, and Kirigiri-sensei is only sheltering students he trusts and knows!"
Kobayama looked at Togami with dog-like eyes.
"I was once a Kibougamine student. I wore this uniform. It is Kibougamine's, one hundred percent".
Touko couldn't help but cover her mouth with her hands at the revelation. Just how? He was a servant, after all!
"Then it means… the reserve class students are aiming at the student's families. They also use the uniform…" Jin Kirigiri cut the discussion short with a deduction.
"Might be indeed. So… they destroyed whatever they… could put their hands… upon… human lives included…"
Rage seeped through Byakuya's insides. He retched visibly, his eyes flashing in cold white anger.
"Eien Daremo… how dare that idiot and his minions do a thing like that…"
"Worse still. They are… broadcasting orders through… the Group's private emergency airwave… calling the rest of the household and relatives back to Tokyo. He's using your voice. I tried… to interfere the signal, but someone had already blocked my access so… " His voice broke. "They will all be killed if they hadn't been already…"
"Because they'll think it was me. If someone manages to get out of this… they'll lay the blame on me. Discredit. Nice move." Byakuya bit his finger in rage.
"Enough for today. Byakuya-kun, he wants to talk in private with you. We need to get him medicated after you're done"
"I'll see to that" Byakuya cut Jin short. "What's that private conversation you want to have? Kirigiri-sensei needs your answers"
" I came here only to… notify you of the situation. I will be available for more questioning… just not for long. I'll go out and… be in the move again. I know supplies here are essential, so I won't stay more than… a couple of days…"
"W-what are you saying, Katsu-san!" Touko exclaimed. The previous conversation was nothing she could understand, but to see the injured Planner say something like this, elicited her immediate response.
"You can make a better use of me outside. If I can gather information that's useful for the cause, I will make myself useful." Kobayama replied in a subdued voice. "I just came here… because I need my master to have something… I will proceed if Byakuya-sama allows me to."
The blond Heir stared at him in silence.
"It's the only thing that right now… justifies my sorry existence, yet I understand if master would prefer to throw me out instead".
Togami's blue eyes were fixed in the furniture. At last, he sighed and spoke.
"Let's see what it is... If you will excuse us, Kirigiri-sensei. Fukawa, you come, too. I may need you to take notes for me"
The three of them left the room, while Jin Kirigiri stored the photos he had just taken from his file.
Katsu Kobayama had already pointed all the reserve class as the assaulters of the Togami manor.
