A TALE OF HATE AND LOVE
A/N: Set during the second half of the anime. Written for Writers Anonymous All/No Dialogue Challenge. This is for No Dialogue.
The entire story is based on Dhammapada Twin Verses 1-5. If you want to see the version with the verses, you can check it out on AO3.
Note for those who read this after reading GGAM series: There are two ways of interpreting the ending of Gungrave anime. GGAM series uses the other interpretation, in which Brandon survives.
All disclaimers apply.
-VERSE 1-
Harry had always viewed Mika as an obstacle. If that girl ever came to Millennion, she would surely steal his throne; her deceased father created Millennion after all.
So Harry ordered his men to hunt her down. Her family had to go too if he wished to secure his position.
It only took a few hours for the good news to come. His agents had killed her mother and her butler, and they were now chasing her around the town. He laughed gleefully as he sat on his throne, knowing that he was now a mob boss for the rest of his life.
The good news never came. Instead, a new obstacle appeared before him; someone scared off his men and killed his undead agents. It would not have been a problem if the assailant had not been Brandon Heat, his best friend...
To hell with friendship! His throne was more important than that mushy stuff! Besides, his so-called friend had once tried to stop him from becoming a mob boss.
His attempts to kill Brandon only brought a bigger problem. Most of his agents chose to abandon him because it was no more than a childish conflict between two men. It annoyed Harry so much that he'd rather have those unfaithful people executed.
A few days later, he found out that all of his elite bodyguards had died. Then a group of assassins hired by Biscoe came to him, chased him around the town and murdered his wife.
-VERSE 2-
Brandon had his own reason for protecting Mika. He did not protect her because her father once acted as a kindly mentor to him despite being his superior. He did not protect her because she reminded him of his lost love. Instead, he protected her because she needed him.
Mika first came to Brandon's life as a tired and injured child. When Harry's agents finally found her, all she could do was scream for her parents to somehow protect her. Hearing that, Brandon ripped off all the IV lines connected to his body and grabbed his guns. Although his vision went black and his muscles suddenly lost their strength several times during the shootout, he kept fighting until the agents were all gone.
The longer he stayed with Mika, the happier he- no, they felt. Mika liked it whenever he took her to West District and told her about the slum, especially her mother. Being young, Mika could not really return the favor, but he only needed her smile to relieve him of his stress.
The moment could not last long; if he did not act fast, his body would decompose. With him gone and Harry still alive, Mika would die soon.
So he decided to go, breaking his and Mika's hearts during the farewell. Brandon thought it would not have hurt them so much if he had not treated her like his own child, but at least, he had someone waiting for him if he managed to survive the ordeal.
-VERSE 3-
Harry's car came to a halt at the slum, where he could no longer find Biscoe's agents. Just as he walked out of his car, he met Brandon. His so-called friend simply gave him a death glare and pointed his gun at him.
What an accursed man! What did he want from him? Because of his intervention, all of his elite bodyguards were gone, his beloved Sherry was dead, and Biscoe's assassins were tailing him everywhere. Weren't those enough to satisfy him?
Well, if his so-called friend wanted revenge so badly, then let him have it! What a twisted beast he had become!
-VERSE 4-
As Brandon journeyed to find Harry, he kept wondering if he could muster up the courage to kill him. They had met each other when they were about six, then they left the orphanage together when they were around sixteen. They soon ended up living as petty crooks at West District; although life was rough, by teaming up they could at least feed themselves.
Unfortunately, Harry changed once they joined Millennion; all he cared about was just getting more fame and money. Brandon doubted he could stop Harry's madness, but something within him just snapped when his best friend suggested that they assassinate the current boss for the throne. So Brandon pointed his gun at Harry, ready to shoot...until the memories of their childhood filled his mind. Harry immediately used his moment of hesitation to shoot him.
When Brandon finally met Harry, he thought this time he could finally kill his best friend. However, his hand trembled when he took aim...
And again, he failed. He believed no man in this world was more pathetic than him, but part of him felt peaceful.
-VERSE 5-
Nothing surprised Harry more than this. He had thought that Brandon would kill him for what he had done, but he was wrong. Very wrong. Brandon did not only refuse to shoot him; he also protected him from those assassins and sacrificed his right leg for him. However, Harry believed that Brandon was hiding something behind his kindness.
Brandon on the other hand, thought that he had done something stupid. He could have just killed Harry and returned to Mika; the assassins would surely forget about him if he chose that path. However, he just loved Harry as much as he loved Mika.
Due to his muscles seizing up like a typical corpse, Brandon went down pretty quickly. It allowed a barrage of bullets to make a beehive out of Harry's torso.
As they lay there dying, Brandon prepared himself for all the snide remarks Harry would throw at him. With tears in his only eye, he finally admitted that he could never kill his best friend, no matter how wrong and foolish that choice was.
Harry had never felt so ashamed. He had once shot Brandon and killed his friends and family, yet Brandon still loved him; from his voice, Harry could tell that Brandon's love was as profound as Sherry's love to him. Now, all he could do was cry like a baby and beg for forgiveness. Of course, Brandon forgave him; although guilt and shame remained in his heart, he felt quite peaceful.
Then Brandon - who was pleasantly surprised at Harry's reaction - suggested that they "go home" together. Their friends and family were already waiting in the afterlife.
So they decided to pick up their guns and point them at each other's head. They then departed together with a smile.