VOICE OF THE HEART
Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Tiger and Bunny Okay?
A/N: This is my first time doing Tiger and Bunny so be nice. And Oh this is Yaoi and Non-yaoi since there are lots of Yaoi.
NOTE: This is AU. Tiger didn't lose his power.
WARNING: Light Yaoi Okay.
Summary: After a terrible incident 10 years ago Engel once a Member of a Criminal Group and also a Former Hero gave up his Profession and went back home to settle down burying his NEXT Power away and with his Troubled Past and the inevitable loss of the one he loved, restlessness settles in leaving him in a state of Vacillation whether he did a Good thing or Not...
Several months had passed strange things starting to occur in Sternbild despite having its heroes, The Group that He was Formerly acquainted with Resurfaced and starting to cause trouble at the Said Utopia... And these Heroes Especially Wild Tiger and Barnaby... Somehow... Engel saw Himself and his Deceased Lover to those two, and he couldn't help but be worried about those two, He knew how Cold and Cruel the World is when you love someone and those two are fairly obvious if one knew how to look. And with Constant Danger Lurks he had no choice but to go back to Sternbild City to see what he can do, He's not about to let another Set of Lovers Suffer the Same Way as He Did... Not While he's still Alive and Breathing.
[VALENTE MANOR, ITALY, ENGEL'S OFFICE]
Engel sat down at his Office Chair and sighed, what's going on with the Heroes Today, there's something definitely wrong with the way the Criminals that terrorize the Utopia. Lately it's getting worse, though the Heroes that were Working there are trying to prevent the growing Corruption among the Ranks of the Criminals and it didn't help whenever that Lunatic arrives. If Lucifer would still be alive things are different, but who murdered him and why?
"If only I didn't left him..." Engel sighed as he remembered the argument he had with his Old Friend.
[FLASHBACK, 10 YEARS AGO]
[ENGEL'S POV]
"What's this about quitting?" I asked as he steps out of the shadows.
"Being a Hero is unsteady. It's fine when you're still young, but as you get older it starts to get to you." Lucifer explained.
"Our age is only a Year Apart, your excuse on Quitting is not acceptable, Lucifer..." I growled I'm not happy about my Partner's action. "I know there's something else, tell me."
Lucifer clenched his hands so hard that it bleeds, but he kept quiet
"Say something." I almost yelled, furious, and still Lucifer kept his mouth shut, because he knew I wouldn't be able to bear with the sadness if I had seen it in them. "Say anything, I'm giving up on you."
Lucifer simply nodded to me, now perfectly knowing what to say. "I had told you, didn't I? My stay as a Hero is not going to have a happy ending." He stated, flatly as if he knew something is going to happen.
I stood up and walked towards the door without another word. Only when I reached it I turned back to him, a hand already on the doorknob. "Nothing's going to change, I still trust and respect you as before Lucifer, so maybe, if you have some consideration for me, if we'll have another life ahead, if we're going to live in a more peaceful time, will you please find me and tell me what you were really thinking tonight?"
After I said that, I left barely seeing those tears streaming down on my Old Friend's face... and since then, I never seen him it's like he just vanished.
[END FLASHBACK]
Engel stared at the photo on his table, a photo of him and Lucifer when they were just Trainees. His heart clenched when he remembered Aki barrelling on his door after he found out that Lucifer had been kidnapped during his Patrol on the Border and One of his companions managed to escape and bore the News. It took a week to find Lucifer, but by then...
It was too late...
[FLASHBACK]
"Engel you need to calm down, we can find him..." General Aldrich said trying to sooth me of my worries, I couldn't calm down... my friend was taken and who knew what's happening to him and the Last thing he ever wanted is to leave the Argument without making it up for the things I said to my Old Friend.
I knew that I hurt his feelings, that's why when I find him, I'll apologize.
I sneezed for the third time since starting up the mountain. I was used to the cold, but something about this weather was making it worse. The wind constantly blew snow and cold air around. I shivered as I continued up the hidden path directly behind General Aldrich. The taller general didn't show any signs of the cold bothering him. He wore a warmer outfit than his usual black leather pants and leather straps and jacket. His long sword made its own path through the one foot snow. I never understood why General Aldrich wouldn't latch the huge sword to his back. It had to feel uncomfortable with him constantly holding it on one side. I shrugged and walked to the right side of the taller man. As much as I wanted to take my time climbing the hill, I didn't dare follow the sword.
The cabin came into view we crept behind a few trees. The sight was sickening. Dark blood soaked the snow as countless bodies lied in it. I wanted to run to the men, but I knew that the enemy could have laid traps. Glancing around, I didn't see any signs of disturbances other than the footprints made by the Heroes. General Aldrich took a few steps forward, shifting his gaze to the trees. He saw no one lying in wait nor any traps. Nodding to me, I moved carefully through the area. I approached the first man and flipped him over. An arrow stuck out of the man's chest. I took the helmet off and notice burnet hair instead of the blond he was looking for. I moved to the next one and the next one still not finding Lucifer. "Engel," General Aldrich's voice whispered. "He wouldn't be outside if he made it to the radio. Leave the men for now, we need to get inside."
I moved away from the Hero that was shot three times with an arrow. I knew General Aldrich was right, but couldn't help myself from looking. I wanted to find Lucifer, but didn't want him to be one of the motionless bodies that lined the area. I followed General Aldrich through the burnt hole in the cabin. The inside was trashed. Furniture was broken and papers blew about the room and settled in random places. I moved everything in the room, trying to find anyone, but there was no one. General Aldrich walked through the first room and into the next. He didn't bother to look for any causalities. I ignored him and pushed the couch back on its legs. I found the radio, looking it over, it didn't have any damage. It made no sense that they would kill everyone and destroy everything in the cabin but the radio. It looked as if they were searching for something.
General Aldrich returned a moment later carrying a black box. His black jacket was dusty as if he was digging in something. "They didn't find what they were looking for."
"What is that?" I placed the radio down and approached my superior.
"Classified info."
"Was that what this Heroes was protecting?" I growled. I couldn't believe the Councils would send rookies to protect something that they knew nothing about.
"Engel, it wasn't my idea. They thought it was bandits. They weren't going to risk the Militants or High Ranking HEROs over something like that."
"So they sent kids in and sacrificed them!"
"Calm down. I had nothing to do with this decision. And Possibly Lucifer was close on the Area and fought as well, Did you find any signs of Him?"
I shook my head. "The radio isn't damaged. I'm going search outside."
General Aldrich nodded and let me go. He knew that I wouldn't settle until I found Lucifer. He felt bad that all those men died, but his decision was overruled by the president. Reaching into his pocket to make a call, he pulled out a small silver keycard and unlocked the box. He put the papers into his inner pocket of his jacket, making sure that no one saw him do it, but I did. He picked the radio up and glanced at it. Out of everything that was damaged in the cabin, the radio was left alone. He flipped open his phone and dialled General Natsumiko's number. "Package is secure. Everyone is dead. No, I haven't found him yet. The radio isn't damaged. Something isn't adding up."
"General Aldrich, Lucifer isn't here. I checked everybody."
General Aldrich glanced at Me. "Hold on, Natsumiko. What did you say?" He pulled the phone away from his ear.
" Lucifer isn't here. I checked in the trees around the area. What if they took him to get information out of him?"
"Why would they kidnap him? They killed the only Militant here and took the High Ranking Hero. That doesn't make any sense." General Aldrich put the phone up to his ear again. "Natsumiko, turn the tracking device on Lucifer's phone. I need his location. Yeah, call me back with the answer."
"Maybe they mistaken him for a Lowly Hero, considering that he was probably the last one left alive. I don't know what they wanted. This isn't making any sense."
"I agree. We'll wait for Natsumiko's call before we start searching for him. If they did take him, I don't know what information they could possibly get. He didn't know about the info. None of them did. You have to be prepared that once they conclude that Lucifer is the wrong person, they will kill him."
"I know, but he's only been missing for less than a day. We still have a chance if we can figure out where they would be hiding. I don't want to call him dead until I see his breathless body. I'm going to save him."
[CUT FLASHBACK]
But it turned out he was too late to save his friend...
[FLASHBACK CONTINUES]
Days turned into a week with still little evidences to search for the missing Hero, where could have those bastards have taken him? Lucifer is Twice Stronger than I am when he's in his Full Hero Mode, but somehow someone managed to take down a High Ranking Hero like Lucifer, but who could it be? Natsumiko had called and that he had found Lucifer's Signal which is a little distant from where me and General Aldrich were.
My Hope for finding Lucifer Alive turned for the worse... no... it turned into nightmare, later of that same week, we found tracks that led to a Cavern, it's no ordinary Cavern, it looks like it's a hideout, no one was there but there were bloody boot prints on the floor, it leads into one Direction and it led us to the Dungeons, we followed the trails until it led us to a certain cell. There was this Metallic scent wafting in the air and my worries turns for the worse and when I opened the door what I hoped for went downhill, as I entered the Cell my heart sank. There on the floor bathed in his own blood is the Person whom I wished to find alive, but that wish never came true...
Lucifer is gone... I was too late and I was unable to apologize to him properly.
My mind went blank back then and the only thing that I recognize is holding my dead friend's body, I was unable to realize that I went into hysterics after finding my Friend Dead, many things went inside my head, many Questions like 'What If' and others like 'If Only' or 'I should have', but none of those will bring back what is gone... at least not this one. I never even told him what I feel...
After the Funeral, I barely even talk to anyone at all they assumed that I took Lucifer's Death too hard and that they should leave me alone. They know nothing at all.
[END FLASHBACK]
Engel sighed and leaned at the Back rest of his Office chair...
"Lucifer... what am I going to do? If only you were here..." He groaned closing his eyes.
So many things running in his mind... and he turned on his TV to watch what is Going on in Sternbild... but what he saw made his heart Jumped.
"Tiger...Tiger!Where are you...? Damn it...!"
Engel had been watching HeroTv for quite a long time after his Retirement and he'd been watching the Hero Duo called Tiger and Barnaby, there had been rumours about those two that they are dating, and that got Engel interested... Another set of Would-Be-Lovers, Hmmm... but it looks like that Tiger is a little unaware of his Partner's Feelings or Vice Versa...
"Oh, no! There's no sign of Wild Tiger anywhere! He must have still been inside when the building collapsed! And look at that wreckage - no normal person could have survived that! But as we all know, Wild Tiger is a veter- oh, look at that, folks! Barnaby's beside himself! His powers have activated; he's throwing the rubble aside like it's nothing, looking for his partner!"
A lot of things changed back there in Sternbild, Engel almost packed his things and return to Sternbild once he saw what is going on back there, back then when Jake Martinez is terrorizing the whole City. But then decided not to interfere and just watched how the Heroes would deal such a Problem.
"For those of you just tuning in, the mid-season HeroTV celebratory dinner was interrupted when a report came in of a terrorist bombing nearby at City Hall. Three people were killed instantly, but thanks to the quick action of our heroes, the rest of those inside have been saved and accounted for. Tonight we've seen heroes as we've never seen them before, protecting the public even in their formalwear! Truly, these are your heroes, Sternbild - ready to act whenever the need arises! But one hero might not have been quite prepared enough. It looks like Wild Tiger was still inside the burning building, trying to make sure everyone was out safely, when it collapsed! His partner Barnaby is frantic, as you can see..."
These two are the Main Attraction so it seems, Engel couldn't help but Chuckle at that.
"What's this? Has Sky High spotted something...? Yes he has - it's Wild Tiger! He's safe, and appears to be unharmed!"
The idiot is too reckless for his own good...
"Ko- Tiger," Barnaby breathed, sinking down in front of him, clutching the shoulders of Kotetsu's dress jacket. "Thank goodness... I thought you were still in there..."
"In there? Nah..." Noticeably befuddled, Tiger gave him a slightly sheepish grin. "Got kinda turned around, with all the smoke an' everything... went out a fire exit and was trying to figure out how to get back in when it all fell down."
"I thought... I thought I'd lost you... I don't know what I'd do if I lost you..."
"Aw, it's okay." Tiger reached up to ruffle his hair fondly - and, Tiger realized, he'd caressed Barnaby's cheek a little too. So this wasn't exactly all Barnaby's fault, he'd contributed. Naturally, someone from the ground crew had managed to get there just in time to capture it. "See, I'm right here, I'm okay..."
These Duo are handful… Engel was about to turn off the TV when he Spotted something in the Distance… A Familiar Insignia… Engel Touched his Right Back Hand to where the Tattoo he Burned…
"Ouroboros…" He muttered and stood up.
He had to go back there… He stormed out of his Office towards his Room, passing by a Startled Butler.
"Young Master?" Michael Called out. "Why in such a Rush?"
"I'm going back to Sternbild…" was all Engel answered.
"Sternbild? Why?" Michael asked curiously.
"To Finish an Unfinished Business, If anyone's looking for me tell them I'm Out for a Business and I don't want anyone getting in my Way…" Engel stated and stormed to his Room.
Ouroboros… What are they planning this time…
TO BE CONTINUED