Fish and Fortunes

Inspired by Sherlock Holmes' (DO NOT OWN) batty old fortune teller. Wrote it around Halloween so it's waaay overdue. (I love the thought of those two and Halloween for some reason! :D)

DO NOT OWN TIGER AND BUNNY OR ANY OTHER FRANCHISE REFERENCED

"Hear me men of iron and steel! Men of great sky and earthen power! You brothers in bond but not blood, one of you shall spill blood soon!" howled the old lady for all of Sternbuild's 22nd Annual Citywide Fair to hear.

Barnaby's eyes widened. 'Spill…blood?' one or both of them was going to kill someone? It didn't make any sense. Kotetsu was quiet as he gawked at the same words. He knew that the predictions of this batty old fortune teller always came true one way or another. And always after sunset on the same day. It was late afternoon, so they had only until dawn the next morning for something to happen.

But spilling blood? How would either of them 'spill blood?'

More importantly, whose would it be?

Both of them contemplated the woman's words on the walk home.

~Later~

"As your partner I'm telling you we have to stay in for at least this day!"

"Kotetsu if you insist on listening to that confused woman, you explain it to Lloyds yourself when he fires you for spouting insanity."

"I don't know, keeping quiet about this doesn't feel right-"

"Let's just finish the workday. We've already patrolled and did our scheduled interviews so there's only paperwork left."

"I don't know what that lady meant by 'blood spilt' but as heroes we can't endanger anyone by being close to them today."

"Are you saying that you're suddenly going to feel homicidal just because the sun sets today? Honestly, if we flinched at every little threat, we couldn't protect anybody."

"Hey, you've seen her track record too, right? Otherwise you wouldn't even be talking to me right now."

"I've considered it and found it a void threat"

"But BAaani!"

"No."

"Bunny?"

"No."

"It's our obligation! Our sacred duty, our-"

" .TSU." hissed Barnaby in final irritation. He grabbed the older hero by both shoulders. "Listen. You're making a big deal out of nothing. It's 6:12 already. The sun's about to set, see!?" argued Barnaby, yanking down the shades to their office window to prove a point. The shades snapped back up and Kotetsu let out a dry strangled squeak.

"Now, pull yourself together, finish that form, and meet me at my apartment, I've got dinner handled. For your own sanity, you can…stay with me…" said Barnaby with a patient glare to Kotetsu's sudden eager grin "you don't have to do anything else or go anywhere else. We can make sure neither of us 'kill' anybody-"

"Bunny!" Kotetsu gasped dramatically

"And you can finally give me some peace!"

Kotetsu's worried grimace faded significantly. He worried too much sometimes. That was usually Bunny's job. Besides, Bunny didn't invite him over willingly most of the time.

"Well!?" demanded Barnaby impatiently

"Alright. You're right Bunny. This old man is being too superstitious. See you later tonight."

"Please don't say it so cheerily."

"Why not?" asked an oblivious Kotetsu

"Because!" (Barnaby switched to a lower voice amid even lower feminine giggles in the office), "because when you're that happy it sounds like we're-"

"Whaaat?" yowled Kotetsu in a whiny voice for the entire office to hear

"Nothing. See you later" grumbled Barnaby.

~That Night~

As soon as he opened the door, his partner's goofy smile faded. Kotetsu's eyes widened; he dropped the grocery bags in his left hand; his right trembled.

"What are you staring at Kotetsu?"

"Bu-Bunny, you-that…blood…" the hero stammered. He backed up slowly from the door frame, looking terrified. Barnaby's cool demeanor didn't help, neither did the crime-scene tarp-like apron around his waist or the way he casually brandished his kitchen knife. He probably never had reason to be careful with sharp things in his apartment, living alone for so long. Yes, none of that helped.

Barnaby's explanation actually died in his throat.

"You-you, no, why-I-" Kotetsu choked out

"Kotetsu…listen….don't…. panic, I was-"

"Who-whose blood!?-" he said, watching the knife carefully. Barnaby would have thought it was funny how seriously he was taking this fortune if Kotetsu didn't look so scared right now.

"Put the knife down. Just put it down." half-breathed Kotetsu, his HERO instincts kicking in

"Kotetsu hold on, I just wanted to do something nice for you so I-"

"THIS is what you did for me!?"

"I had to because-"

"No! You didn't have to do-THAT-for me! Bunny I'm sorry but I have to-hey! What are you doing!?" exclaimed Kotetsu as Barnaby disappeared from view. Kotetsu lunged after him. The younger hero emerged from the kitchen immediately, holding a very large, very poorly gutted fish, glinting in the dim light of Barnaby's apartment in front of Kotetsu's face.

"Everyone makes mistakes right?" said Barnaby calmly. Kotetsu didn't know what to be more shocked at, the fact that his partner actually admitted his mistake or that he managed to horror-show himself like that with a single fish.

"See Kotetsu, you caught me spilling blood red-handed"

Kotetsu sat down in relief, his hand clutching the back of his head in embarrassment and both heroes had a good laugh.

"They don't make fortunes like they used to, partner."

FIN

Rate and REVIEWWW! ONEGAISHIMASUUU! Though I know it's a short one, 'whaddaya thinks' are always welcome, they keep me goin! ^^ Hope you liked it my dears. I know I've been asked for updates on others. I'll just leave it up to how many reviews on which to start first. This series is the most fun ever to write. Thank you for all the support, you guys are awesome!

PS: Taiga face: =^^=

-Draw