Disclaimer: Of course I own them. (/eyeroll) Not. If I did, I would have made Akabane take Kagami to night drives in California, where they'd feed each other cookies and fries.
Dedication/s: To my loverly Dakkanya forum buddies. I love them to death. Oh, and to the new GB friends I've made over the week. Cookies for you guys! ♥
Blah/s: Some of the events here are molded on the basic skeleton of episode 16 (where Akabane and Kagami have their first strikesexual/strike encounter!), so you might find yourself quite familiar with some of the scenes.
Back to the Moon
The moon looked different that night – big and full in all its resplendence. Its silver, dusky corona radiated brilliantly, suggesting sovereignty over the incandescent stars that glistened under its command. My incidental 'partner' had gotten us lost (as I have subliminally predicted), but somehow, I do not recall feeling even the slightest semblance of disappointment despite the hindrance. Instead, my sentiments crept towards something that almost bordered gratefulness. Maybe the moon's cogent beauty had that swaying effect on me, for I have never seen anything so beautiful before.
Ginji-kun excused himself but my intuition knew better than to let him 'go to the toilet' just like that. I perfectly knew that he saw my silent pensiveness as a golden opportunity to run as far as possible away from me. Ginji-kun's trepidation when I'm within at least three-foot proximity is generally amusing, but at that occasion, it was just plain inconvenient. For one, it made it difficult for the both of us to get to the target because I needed him to guide me through the dark bowels of Infinity City, the same way he needed my strength to push through.
I stole a final glance at the marvelous spectacle in the sky before setting off in search of my troublesome partner. I could hear my own footsteps reverberate from the dark passage walls that mounted so closely together as if deliberately constructed to choke the air from your lungs and swallow you whole. Fortunately, I was able to find Ginji-kun eventually without encountering any enemies along the way. I was beginning to get terribly bored with the mission, what with having to fight foolish inferiors that don't even come close to one-tenth of my strength.
"Akabane-san?" I heard him call out cautiously, making sure he had definitely lost me.
"Yes, Ginji-kun?" I answered without hesitation and as expected, he leapt back in surprise, the expression on his face reflecting both terror and perplexity. I could tell that he wanted to ask what I was doing there or how I even got there, but instead, he said nothing and slumped hopelessly on the floor as if death itself just shook his hand.
"Ginji-kun, I understand that you are tired, but we must carry on with the mission." I delved my hands inside my pockets then started to walk without having even the slightest definition on where I was headed, but it was better than just sitting around. Ginji-kun eventually began to follow my lead but not before creating a safe distance between us.
o o o o o
"Akabane-san, I'm pretty sure that there is something on the other side," he said resolutely as we came face to face with a wall that could have easily been mistaken as a dead end. I chuckled silently. I had the same thing in mind.
"Well then, if the Thunder Emperor says so himself, it might as well be true." I withdrew three scalpels from my body and without further delay sliced my little heart out. The concrete material of the wall was no challenge to my blades. They cut through with ease, almost as if the wall was made of fabric.
There was nothing particularly thought-provoking with the scenery that lay before us except for a couple of human silhouettes that materialized in the opposite end of the room once the dust of the subdivided wall had dissipated. It was hard to make out who the shadows belonged to since the place was dark and the figures were from quite a far distance but regardless, Ginji-kun initially recognized one of them when it spoke. However, the tall and lean contour alongside this Kakei figure was what captured my interest. His mere, disguised presence intimidated me.
It was only when Ginji-kun started to attack Kakei Juubei that I got my first clear view of the then-mysterious profile. He ran with such agility in a course parallel to mine, maintaining perfect eye contact all the while. His eyes were a brilliant shade of purple, conflagrant with power, and he had a crown of perfectly spiked blonde hair to flatter them. His lips were arched in a calm and confident smile, suggesting an ironic combination of charm and arrogance. He was cloaked from head to toe in pearly white apparel with the exception of a royal-purple shirt that only further complemented his attire. He had a dangling orb-like earring that hung from one ear, glistening with replicated light whenever he moved – flawless and graceful akin to a Siamese cat. Every single thing about him was arresting, even the way his bangs fell beautifully against his eyes. His overall exquisiteness made me want to tear him apart.
Unable to hold back any longer, I sent three scalpels flying towards him which he then unperturbedly countered with his weapon of choice: mirrors. As my knives struck the delicate surface of his weapon, shards of glass came flying towards me. I avoided them easily, but I must say… his speed was impressive, enough for me to regard.
"My, my… This is unexpected. Meeting someone like you in a place like this," I addressed courteously.
"Someone like me? What is that supposed to mean?" his lips curved into a teasing smile while one of his slick eyebrows cocked up, completing a look of utter amusement that he did not even bother to hide.
"Resident of the upper part of Infinity City, the eccentric land of the 'gods' – Babylon City."
"It's nice to know that the famous Dr. Jackal goes entirely out of his way to gather information relevant to someone such as myself."
My smile was unable to veil itself. "Do not flatter yourself, sir. It was your clothing and conceit that gave everything away."
He did not seem very happy with that remark because the next thing I knew, he was already running towards me, slender fingers brandishing another glass shard. He was undoubtedly quick but not quite enough to be wholly unavoidable. The sound of our weapons clashing together sent electric shivers down my spine. That man was unquestionably skilled. Then again, that was probably the same reason why I felt double the displeasure when he lost to me. He stood under duress against the wall, vulnerable and unarmed, held captive by five of my scalpels. Blood droplets were free-falling lazily to the floor forming a striking crimson puddle that mockingly mirrored his incensed countenance. The display was beautiful enough to be an artist's inspiration for a second Mona Lisa.
I stood in front of him, close enough to smell the unusual scent of mixed aftershave and blood on his skin, but inadequate to denote intimacy. "Pardon me for being rude and not introducing myself properly earlier. My name is Akabane Kuroudo, otherwise known as Dr. Jackal, which you are obviously well-aware of already," I said in a straightforward, yet courteous, manner. "What might be yours?"
"…Kagami Kyouji," he finally answered after a brief moment of indecision.
"It truly is a pleasure meeting you, Kagami-kun," I said with all sincerity, letting my fingers glide along the brim of my hat out of habit. "However, your sudden defeat was quite disappointing. It was too soon. I was hoping that we'd fight a little bit longer. Or were you perhaps trying to run away, Kagami-kun?" I looked directly into his eyes through the narrow slit of my hat. "In addition to that, you've damaged my dear hat. But I have decided to be lenient about that since you've been very entertaining."
I stepped another foot closer, letting my right hand rest on the wall just beside his head. He shot me a look of solemn repugnance in return which only further contributed to my amusement. I noticed that the color of his eyes had changed to a more intense cast of purple, a shade more implacable than the other. His sharp breath cut through my cheeks like a knife.
I laid the sharp periphery of my scalpel against the side of his neck. "You're so perfect, Kagami-kun. It deeply sickens me," I whispered silkily into his ear. With a little more pressure on the blade touching his neck, I sliced through the first few layers of his delicate skin, drawing a gratifying amount of untainted Babylonian blood. Tilting my head downwards, I trailed my tongue lazily along the fresh cut. The metallic sweetness of blood and skin combined and the involuntary moan that slipped deliciously from his half-open mouth made my head spin in a ravishing delirium.
"Kagami-kun, your silence is making me uncomfortable," I admitted with a light chuckle.
"Funny, Akabane-san, how you could say such a thing while still pressed against my body," he replied rather unexpectedly.
"You don't seem to mind."
"I do, for your information."
"Your evocative smile does no justice to your words." I fished my hat from the ground (unaware that it had actually fallen off earlier) and anchored it to my head. "I would love to stay and chat with you for a little longer, Kagami-kun. But unfortunately, my partner has meandered off again and I must find him soon, otherwise, he would forget about me completely."
"I'll be looking forward to it, Akabane-san. I hope you won't disappoint me." He had a smile similar to the one he had prior to our combat – contemptuous and vulpine, yet, fiercely disarming.
I slid my hands into the comfort of my side-pockets then gave Kagami-kun a tiny nod before setting off down one of the many seemingly-boundless passageways in this sinister metropolis. In a matter of minutes, I was back in the exact same place where I left off earlier. Back to that abandoned balcony, back to the proverbial magnificence of the moon.
He, too, was iridescent with brilliance. And just like the moon, he knew his place in this mundane world – way up high in the sky, superior among the rest, immaculate and unreachable. The way his golden hair fell beautifully in contrast against his distant, purple eyes was emblazoned in my mind. His saccharine taste still lingered in my mouth.
The moon was beautiful that night.
You would have loved it, Kagami Kyouji-kun.
End.