The days blurred together. Keeping track of dates and days of the week was often difficult, a ridiculous struggle, but he tried anyway. Kotetsu often felt the time he spent existing was growing more and more pointless, and every single time he paid damage fines or had his daughter hang up on him was proof of that.

Things should have changed months ago, when he nearly fell to his death on the ice and was caught rather ungracefully under the arms in the last second by Sky High. Part of him argued he should have hit the ice, and part of him thought escaping death meant something better was coming, a new horizon, a new chance to take his life where he had wanted it to be so many years ago.

Instead, he woke the morning after with a headache from drinking and found himself without a sponsor thanks to a corporate buyout. Ben, his sponsor turned friend, had tried to reassure him but his smile was a little too forced before he walked away from Kotetsu that morning.

As for Kotetsu, he ended up right back in his apartment to drop into bed. He had a hangover to sleep off after all.

Later that day he had been greeted again with what he thought was a new chance. He was free from work and his daughter was in town for her skating recital. Kotetsu was able to go. He was able to keep his promise, and hug his daughter upon entering the building. He gave her a necklace he had bought on the way over and proudly stood outside the rink as he waited for everything to begin.

Instead, the ceiling crashed down. Kotetsu got his daughter out safely, it was so simple when she was talking to him and he could guide her off the ice as people panicked and rushed by. She turned to him with a confused look as he told her to go on, get out. In the end she listened, and the minute she was out of sight he used his powers to do what he could. He freed a few people who had found themselves trapped, and tried his best to stop the statue.

He got maybe a minute into talking the kid riding the statue before Blue Rose showed up and froze everything around them. With the statue's feet frozen to the floor the scared little boy was easily picked up without causing any more damage. Kotetsu was able to speak to Antonio and Nathan briefly before he knew he had to go outside and show Kaede that he had survived.

She was so happy and angry she nearly knocked him down in a hug, and Kotetsu knew where to go.

A couple of days following, and he found himself in Oriental Town. He was with his daughter, his mother, his brother – he thought for sure that he had finally made a decision that would help him. He needed to relax, be with family, have time to think about things.

What he didn't need was five months of it.

The rate at which he had slipped from okay into not wanting to wake up was terrifying. He found ways to get up, and he wasn't so bad he wanted to end his life, but existing from day to day was a challenge. What good was he? He wasn't a hero. He broke his promise to Tomoe, and when he thought about that he only felt more miserable.

Kotetsu spent a ridiculous amount of time convincing himself no one cared for him. It was completely untrue. His family loved him, and while Kaede called him lazy she did like to walk with him sometimes after school, she liked to watch movies with him and even asked him for help with homework sometimes. And yet Kotetsu couldn't get himself to accept it.

Why should anyone give two shits about him? He was pretty worthless. He sometimes helped his brother at the store, and he helped Anju with the plants, but he was doing nothing. There was no meaning to his life as it was.

When people started to notice, he felt even worse. He would never forget the first time, when it was mid-afternoon and he was still in bed. Kaede had entered his room and he felt her gentle hands in his hair.

"Dad, why aren't you up?"

"I'll be up soon honey," he had told her.

"But you always sleep late. Are you sick, Dad?"

"No." Kotetsu gave her a big fake smile. "Daddy's just lazy, remember?" She always called him that, so he thought she would accept it.

"Sometimes," she said, hesitating. "But can't you be lazy on the couch? You're in here so much. We haven't walked in a week." Her voice was troubled and it sent a dull ache to Kotetsu's stomach. He really was worthless if he could make his daughter feel like that.

"I'll be up soon. Do you want to walk to the market with me?"

She nodded and left, and Kotetsu stayed in bed another twenty minutes before he actually got up and changed clothes.

Anju commented on his behavior a lot. Why did he joke so much less now? He looked tired all the time. He needed to eat more. He aaaallways had a headache.

Eventually Kotetsu did begin to wonder how much more he could take. He had heard of some taking medication, and knew seeing a doctor was an option, but along with scary it was embarrassing. He had been Wild Tiger. How could he end up in some shrink's chair telling him some sob story?

When he woke up on his next birthday, he knew he had to talk to someone even if it wasn't a professional. His mother. He decided he could talk to his mother, and he actually got up early that February morning to tell her. He didn't know how he would word it, but the beginning of another year of his life, well, he wanted to get through it. Even if he hadn't quite hit rock bottom, he was genuinely scared of getting there.

He entered the kitchen, and said good morning to his mother and Kaede. Then his phone rang.

Kotetsu had never bothered changing his cell number. He still did hear from Antonio every now and then, after all. Very few people had his number, so when he opened his phone to see that the number wasn't recognized – actually, it was listed as private – he almost didn't answer. However, he decided that like most things at that point it just didn't matter.

He opened his phone. "Hello?"

It was then that a man named Alexander Lloyds introduced himself to Kotetsu.

"You're going back?" Kaede stared at Kotetsu with wide, surprised eyes. "But I thought you quit that job!"

"I did but it turns out they really want me back. I guess I'm the only one who 'fits' what they're looking for right now." That was partially true. He hated not telling Kaede the truth but, well, he had reasons.

Kotetsu had talked to Mr. Lloyds for a good hour, asking him to repeat things despite all the annoyed sighs he heard on the other end. He had to understand. Kotetsu was beside himself, a sponsor asking Wild Tiger to reappear on the show? Going back to HeroTV?

The catch was he wouldn't be on his own. He had to work with someone. Kotetsu didn't really know who. He kept up with HeroTV every now and then, maybe a couple of episodes a month so he could see how Antonio and Nathan were doing. Watching hurt more than he could ever say, however, so he couldn't force himself to watch or pay much attention at all. He was vaguely aware of a new addition, someone in a suit with bizarre bunny ear type things, and that was it. So who was he going to be with? Was it someone he worked with before, or was someone else being introduced?

Lloyds told him he would tell him…if he was willing to return.

Kotetsu agreed. His heart leapt at the chance. HeroTV had never been able to keep him completely happy but it warded off the depression somewhat. Again, his mind whispered to him that it was yet another new chance. But it wasn't that easy.

"I really do want to go back. Kaede…" Kotetsu sighed as he sat down at the table with his daughter. She was missing school. He wasn't concerned. "You know I love you."

"I know, Dad."

"If you ask me to stay, if you want me to stay…I will." He could not let her down again.

"No, Dad, go."

Kotetsu blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

She laughed at him, lightly. "You always smiled on the phone when we talked. You don't smile anymore. I'll miss you, Dad, but you're unhappy."

"I'm not-I'm not really…"

"Yes you are," Anju said. She'd been standing in the doorway and listening silently, as if the only answer that mattered to her or Kotetu was Kaede's. "You're miserable."

"Hey, Mom, that's not true."

"It's not bad to admit it. Hiding it is though." Anju walked closer to her son.

"Well…I guess it hasn't been as great as it should have been, being home, I mean."

"Kotetsu." Her stern voice had him looking her right in the eye. "This place is painful for you when you have no way to occupy yourself. Tomoe, that lovely girl, she's gone. Kaede knows you love her. But she can't be your form of therapy."

"…" Kotetsu looked down, and at her hands.

"Dad please, I want you to smile again," Kaede said in perhaps the gentlest tone she'd ever used. "I won't hate you."

That alone made things click into place. He sighed, and then offered Kaede a genuine smile. "Okay. I'll go."

And three days later, he found himself at the Apollon Media headquarters, sitting at a desk and negotiating a contract with that Lloyds fellow. He was a serious man, and it made Kotetsu uncomfortable. He wanted to crack jokes and be blunt, and only cracked MORE jokes when he felt uneasy.

"Now, time to discuss your partner," Lloyds said, and Kotetsu finally snapped to attention. He had been taking a guilty little mental nap and missed a chunk of whatever Lloyds had said before.

"Yea, that. What's going on with that?"

"I'll call him in now," Lloyds said, pressing a button and calling a 'Barnaby' into his office.

'That's kind of a silly name' Kotetsu thought before realizing he actually recognized it. The guy with the bunny suit – well not really a bunny suit, but those damn ear-things…"Barnaby…Brooks? The Brooks kid?" he asked.

He got his answer almost immediately. The door opened and Barnaby Brooks Jr. strolled in with some hilarious looking red dress suit and Kotetsu wondered if he'd been waiting right outside the door.

"I'm here, sir," he said, smoothly. His hair was blonde and curly and he looked really rich. He had on a pair of glasses that…okay, those were actually sort of cute….but the rest of him was so primped up and not in the fun Nathan-type-way.

"Ah, good. Barnaby, this will be your partner, Kotetsu T. Kaburagi, also known as Wild Tiger." Lloyds stood from his desk and rested a hand on Kotetsu's back, slightly pushing him forward.

"Nice to meet you, Kaburagi." Barnaby smiled a charming, obviously practiced smile and held out his hand.

Kotetsu wasn't sure he liked him at all. There was something about him that left him incredibly confused, but he couldn't put a finger on what. "Likewise, Brooks."

Lloyds sighed, exasperated. "Kotetsu…"

Fine, he got the hint. Kotetsu put his hand out and took Barnaby's, giving him a firm handshake. The first thing he noticed was Barnaby's hand was soft, not calloused like his own. He was like a baby in the hero world, and immediately Kotetsu felt a small burst of affection for him. Something about his appearance annoyed him, but Kotetsu supposed it was just because everything was happening a little fast. The kid was probably okay.

Finally Kotetsu offered him a real smile, already deciding in his mind that Barnaby was his 'new chance'.

In Kotetsu's head, he was going to take the younger hero under his wing, teach him things, and inspire him as Mr. Legend had so many years ago. He could take him out for drinks and they could be awesome.

Too bad it didn't work anything like that.

The day he met Barnaby was dull. Barnaby barely interacted with him, and talked more about points than anything, but Kotetsu played it up as nerves. It was a strange day, especially as Kotetsu himself was briefed on a new suit he'd be wearing. He wasn't sure he liked it. The thing looked nothing like a tiger, but at least it was green. And it was MUCH better than his old suit. The mechanic was kind of creepy, so Kotetsu really hoped he wouldn't need to have his suit fixed too many times – because he would cause damages.

Kotetsu was eager for a call. SO eager. He wanted to get out there and kick some ass, save some people, give out collectors cards. Some already existed with his new suit pictured on them which was a little strange, but he decided to see it in them having faith in him coming back.

He tried to invite Barnaby out for drinks to get to know him better. Barnaby had politely declined and wandered off.

No big deal. Kotetsu found himself out with Antonio and Nathan, and before long they were all laughing uproariously and using their outside voices much to the annoyance of other patrons at the bar. When they'd all had their fill, they went outside to walk with Kotetsu. He'd needed a new apartment and managed to get one near his old building.

"What brought you back, Kotetsu?" Antonio asked as he stayed close to Kotetsu, who had an arm over his friend's shoulder in an attempt to walk.

He hadn't thought he drank so much… "Lloyds, the Lloyds…called me…" he spit out.

Antonio laughed. "Focus you idiot."

"Mah…my birthday! I woke up an' was all, should talk to mom, the phone rang and I said YUP." He giggled.

Nathan sighed as he walked beside them, a little tipsy but neither he or Antonio were anywhere close to Kotetsu's level. "Honey, we know that you got a call and said yes. Why did you say yes? Did you miss us?" he asked, smirking.

"Eh…"

"Answer him, Kotetsu," Antonio urged.

"Welth, I felt, I felt getting kind of useless at home. Happier here. So…why not? What else is there?"

"Oh, sweetie." Nathan didn't follow that with anything, he just shook his head while Antonio fell quiet as well.

"What?" Kotetsu asked, incredibly puzzled.

"Kotetsu, you're not useless," Antonio said.

Kotetsu felt panic. He didn't want to talk about how he'd been feeling, especially to Antonio and Nathan. What would they think of him? "What's the bunny like?" he blurted to change the subject. When he got no answer he attempted to elaborate. "I…Barnaby. He's my partner."

"Oh!" Nathan giggled, slowing them down as they approached the new building. "Handsome? He's very serious. He arrests for the points and doesn't talk to much of anyone. He smiles out of courtesy. I'm not sure he has much of a life outside of photoshoots and interviews."

"That kind of sounds like a life actually," Kotetsu mumbled. His stomach had started to ache.

"It's not," Nathan said, stopping in front of the stairs to turn and wave a finger at Kotetsu. "What do you do when you leave work Kotetsu? Wait, don't answer that…I guess you never did much either, but at least we could lure you out for drinks. Handsome just vanishes."

Kotetsu shrugged. "So?"

"Geez, you really are drunk." Antonio helped him up his stairs. "Normally you'd scream about trying to invite him out with us."

Kotetsu shrugged again. "Stomach."

"Hurts? I'm not surprised," Nathan tsk tsk'd as they got him inside and on the elevator. He only had one level to go up but stairs weren't a good idea.

"Uggghhhh." Kotetsu had resorted to groaning. His friends had gotten his drunk mind somewhere it didn't want to be and he felt sick to boot.

They didn't try to talk to him any further as they got him down the white empty hallway and into his apartment. A lot of his stuff was boxed up, but he had managed to set up his television and had some movies out, along with a Legend poster above his couch. He missed his apartment with the stairs and the loft…instead he was led around a corner in his living room into a normal hallway this time with dark brown walls.

And then, into his bedroom.

"Need me to stay?" Nathan offered.

Kotetsu contemplated saying yes, because he felt like having something or someone to hug while falling asleep would be great. But Nathan could take it wrong, and Kotetsu wasn't sure he was into that. He shook his head and then thought he would throw up for sure. "No, no, just wanna sleep."

Antonio had left briefly, and returned with a glass of water. He forced it into Kotetsu's hand. "Drink."

"No."

"DRINK IT!"

"Stop yelling at meee!" Kotetsu accepted the water then and chugged it, getting no less than half on his face as the other two sighed.

Nathan insisted on helping him undress, at least down to his underwear, and then he made Kotetsu crawl into bed. Kotetsu shivered until Nathan had the blanket over him, tucking it gently around him. It felt good. Kotetsu knew it was childish to enjoy being tucked in, but he liked it.

"There's a bucket by your bed," Antonio told him. "But hopefully you'll just sleep it off. There's more water on your nightstand. We're outta here."

Kotetsu waved lazily and rolled on his side as they turned out his light and left. The minute he heard the door to his apartment close he felt lonely.

He'd been happy earlier in the evening, but their conversation and his attempted drunk thinking had him in a bit of a bad place.

Everything felt hopeless, and the alcohol only made him feel more emotional. He could find none of that hope he had upon entering Lloyd's office. The only glimmer was when he thought about shaking hands with Barnaby, but he had to be fooling himself. He expected far too much from this, he was placing too much on the partnership. Everything would go to shambles quickly enough.

Why had Tomoe left him?

The thought flashed briefly across his mind. No, it hadn't been her choice, but still she was gone and he was alone at night. He had no one to hold. If he wasn't a hero, if there weren't lives to save he would have no purpose.

Kotetsu closed his eyes tightly to keep from crying. He curled in on himself, feeling like he didn't have a friend in the world despite the fact Nathan and Antonio had been with him for the evening. They could be just humoring him.

His stomach hurt.

The sound of his call bracelet was the only thing that woke Kotetsu the following day. His head pounded, he was overheated, and he tried to shut that horrible sound off like it was an alarm clock, smacking it where it sat next to his bed. Instead of it going off, he got yelled at which woke him up REAL fast.

"Where the hell are you!"

The voice was unfamiliar at first. Kotetsu blinked and answered. "Huh?"

"It's two in the afternoon and now we're being called out! You should have been here hours ago!" Barnaby nearly yelled at him.

"Woah!" Kotetsu sat straight up and looked at the clock. It was late. When had he actually gotten to sleep? It didn't matter, even if he'd been late in the past, it was never that horribly late. "Sorry! I guess I didn't set an alarm."

"Whatever. Look just meet me downtown, there's quite the situation."

"What is it?" Kotetsu asked, standing and looking for a fresh pair of pants. Man, he smelled a little funky too…he checked the bucket. He'd managed not to throw up. So that smell had to be coming just from him in general.

"I don't have time to explain this to you. Just get out here old man, you'll see it right away." Barnaby hung up then and Kotetsu decided it didn't matter, he NEEDED to hop into a very very quick shower.

He arrived downtown half an hour later, following the sound of a crowd yelling and screaming. It was CHAOS. He was blinded by tiny white figures in front of him, swirling around what he was pretty sure was bank. He couldn't make out much though, and ventured closer.

"There you are!" Barnaby suddenly dropped down beside him in his pink and red suit, and even his faceplate looked irritated. "How did you manage to take so long?"

"Showered. I couldn't come here stinking!"

"Are you serious?" Barnaby asked.

"Uh huh. Look, what are those things?" he asked, pointing at the white figures which were paying him no mind, but swarming anyone who got close – though for the moment that was just police officers. Onlookers stayed back.

"Paper cranes."

"Paper…what!" Kotetsu laughed then. "You've got to be kidding me! I don't need a suit for those."

Barnaby sighed. "Yes you...nevermind you fool, you'll find out the hard way." And then he was off into the white mass.

Kotetsu chuckled and activated his powers to just charge through all the paper. Piece of cake!

Except that it felt like hitting a wall.

His powers helped considerably, he could tell, but the paper cranes were no laughing matter. The paper was thicker than he thought and there had to be thousands of the things. They immediately got in his eyes and that hurt, so he squeezed them shut. Closing his eyes and running wasn't a very good idea so he wasn't surprised when he collided very painfully with the side of a building and ended up inside it.

Kotetsu groaned as he opened his eyes and realized he was inside a sandwich shop. He looked at the hole he made in the wall – a couple of torn paper cranes lay on the ground, feebly trying to flap their way back into the air. They weren't alive, but he still felt sort of bad.

His cheeks stung he realized – paper cuts. A lot of paper cuts. No big deal, he could heal them with his power but they still stung. He paused at the hole in the wall wondering if his suit would have been a better idea. And where was Barnaby? How had he not been able to take care of the damn things in his suit?

He got his answer when Barnaby came out of nowhere, being followed by a lot of cranes. And not only was he being followed, they'd wedged themselves into any bit of his suit that they could, every space was crammed with paper. He was using his powers but they flew just as fast and effectively as he could. Barnaby kicked at them, but it didn't do anything.

"You idiot! Tear them!" Kotetsu yelled at him.

"Easier said than done!" Barnaby yelled back at him before jumping back into the fray.

Kotetsu rolled his eyes before shielding them with his eyes and rushed back in after his new, very silly partner. "Wait for the others! Fire Emblem will have this taken care of quickly!"

"What? He'll just set a huge fire! Do you really want fire raining down on the citizens?"

"They'll burn up, they won't turn into falling fire! Whatever, Sky High can just-"

"Fan it and make it worse?"

Kotetsu startled and realized that suddenly, Barnaby was right next to him. He hadn't even seen him, then again all he could see was white when he could peek over his arm.

"Shut up!" Kotetsu snapped. He closed his eyes and starting reaching out at random, grabbing any crane he could catch and ripping it even while they left teeny tiny cuts on his arms and hands. It felt a little wrong to him – as a child he got a lot of paper cranes as gifts. It was normal in Oriental Town, not so much in Stern Bild.

"Stop moving forward," Barnaby said, and Kotetsu froze.

"Huh?"

"It's worse if we try to move forward."

"Maybe for you." Barnaby was having trouble moving in his suit, but he was protected and Kotetsu wasn't. Maybe he should have gotten his suit after all.

He stayed still though and noticed the cranes were a little less interested. It gave him time to think about what to do, which he did silently and by himself instead of trying to discuss anything with his new partner. Fire wouldn't be a great idea. Ice wouldn't do much of anything except make it possibly more dangerous. Kotetsu mentally ran through the heroes, but nothing was ideal for beating paper…except scissors, he thought, and kind of grinned to himself.

But seriously, he had to think of something.

Suddenly a hand grabbed his arm and pulled him forward rather forcefully. Before Kotetsu knew it, someone was carrying him protectively. Opening one eye he could see Barnaby's suit way too close, and he was being carried in the most embarrassing way.

"Why are you carrying me like a princess!"

"I told you to get out of the way. You just stood there and smiled, and I can't have you sick from ice cold water or cut up by more cranes.

"Water?" Kotetsu blinked and chanced a look over Barnaby's shoulder. He was safe. Nothing was following them, in fact soaked globs of paper were raining down. Barnaby's shoulders were wet, likely his back too.

"You're pretty useless, so they called in firetrucks and sprayed the hell out of the cranes."

"Hey…" Kotetsu frowned at Barnaby's word choice.

"We're going to get in there and take care of the guy. I've gathered information, his name is Ted Robinson, he's been making these paper cranes for years and when they didn't grant his wish, he used them as weapons." Barnaby snorted. "Ridiculous."

"Most of our criminals don't make much sense. Get used to it," Kotetsu grumbled and shifted slightly so he could be comfortable at least while being carried toward the bank. Apparently it didn't occur to Barnaby to put him down and let him run, and Kotetsu didn't feel like complaining, free ride and all.

"I thought…nevermind. This is just stupid." Barnaby charged inside the bank and unceremoniously dropped Kotetsu on the ground before going after a short man in jeans and a t-shirt with kanji lettering on it. It looked like it read 'potato wonderful' but Kotetsu was sure when the man bought it he was told it meant something along the lines of 'badass'.

His face was pretty much all beard, and that's all the detail Kotetsu was able to take in before Barnaby clobbered the guy and hauled him into the air with one hand. Quick as that, he was out of the bank and Kotetsu was in an empty building, where he stayed until his powers ran out.

His mind flashed back to Barnaby calling him 'useless' – that stupid brat. Where did he get off calling him that? What a terrible first day in action. He collapsed on a bench in the bank lobby and leaned his head against the wall, noting some stray paper cranes flying lazily near the ceiling. He wondered about the exact nature of the man's power, he probably controlled paper which sounded absolutely lame if one hadn't seen and felt the cranes.

He wondered where Antonio was. If the other heroes had been there Antonio surely would have come in to check on him. Kotetsu knew he was worried about him, even if their communication had been sparse when he was home with Kaede.

He heard footsteps as someone came back in. "Antonio?" he asked, straightening up.

"No."

Kotetsu cringed and looked over to see Barnaby walking back in, his helmet removed. He would look pretty if it weren't for the pissed off look on his face. "Oh. Where are the others?"

"Only we were called out. You and I. They wanted to give us the bulk of the exposure today due to our new partnership. That was a huge waste."

Kotetsu shrugged. "There will be other chances. You done dressing up like a rabbit for the day?"

"…What."

"Your suit. You look like you have bunny ears and when I see you on tv you hop and kick so much. You know what? I don't know why you use your real name, you shouldn't, so I'm going to give you a name. You're Bunny now," he said and started laughing.

"Are you shitting me?"

"Nope!" Kotetsu stood up. "Awww look. I pissed off Bunny. You could be so cute if you didn't have that ugly scowl."

Barnaby's cheeks turned pink. "Do NOT call me that. No, that is not happening."

"Bunny."

"Stop it."

"Little Bunny Barnaby hopping after bad guys, oh what a-"

"STOP!" Barnaby yelled, completely red in the face. "You know what? They wanted me to come in and check on you and bring you out for an interview but I'm just going to say you weren't in here when I came back."

"That's fine."

Barnaby stared at him, as if waiting for him to say something else, or change his mind entirely. But Kotetsu said nothing and Barnaby finally turned away, leaving the bank.

Kotetsu laughed a little more before dropping back down and resting his head against the wall once more. He wished he was as happy as he sounded. Laughter was a good mask.