Title: Oh No He Didn't
Author: Mair
Housed:
Warnings: Spoilers for Episode 24 & 25
Pairings: If you read into it-Tiger/Bunny
Rating: Eh...No sex, no swearing

Summary: "As Kotetsu stood between the doors of life and death, it wasn't Tomoe who convinced him to return but the Brooks..."

It's uncool to confess while dying. It leaves the living with one of two things; regrets or anger. He figured that out as one of Bunny's tears fell on him. He changed things up to say something about his eyelashes instead. Then justified it. Even at the end he couldn't be honest. It was for the best though.

Still, hero's should say something like "Take the bastard down for me" or "Kick ass for me" or…something if they die during a fight. But even now, in a sea of white mist, he couldn't think of something he could have said differently. Still, he should have been able to come up with something. It's not like he had pain as his excuse now.

Pain shot through the back of his skull and he found himself propelled forward. He put a ghostly hand to the back of his head and turned. In back of him were two figures dressed in casual home clothes stylish about 20 years ago. They looked considerably more solid than he did. "Oi!"

"Just what do you think you're doing here?" The man said as he lowered a closed fist—the one that had apparently just hit the back of Kotetsu's head.

Kotetsu blinked, his gaze shifting back and forth between the man and the woman. He didn't know either of them but they seemed vaguely familiar. "I hate to be rude, but—"

The woman cut him off, "You left him there. With Maverick."

"Him? Bunny?"

"His name is Barnaby." The man sternly corrected. "That bastard has my son pinned down by the creations of that hate-mongering two-bit excuse for a lab assistant."

The pieces fell in place and his eyes widened. "I didn't exactly plan on dying!" Kotetsu protested. Then he caught a glimpse of his hands—still see-through. "Wait, if I'm dead why isn't Tomoe here?" It wasn't that he didn't want to meet, ever, Barnaby's parents—it was more a case of seeing them this way and not a member of his own family. Really.

The Brooks' shared a glance and Barnaby sighed. Emily looked over at Kotetsu. "She's moved on. She was able to do that when she saw how happy you were fighting by Barnaby's side. She knew Kaede was fine—it was you who had her worried and lingering."

"I don't think you're dead yet though. The dead are solid. You aren't. We can hit you, talk to you, but you are still see through which suggests that your essence, your soul, hasn't finished leaving your body. You see, science has proven that when a person dies-" Emily stopped her husband's explanation with a hand on his arm.

"The point is, the longer you stay here the less likely you are to get back to Barnaby and Kaede in time."

"In time? I don't understand."

It was Emily's turn to sigh. "Look around you, Kotetsu. What do you see?"

Kotetsu glanced around him but all he saw was mist at the two people in front of him. He said as much to Emily.

"We can see the justice tower. We can see the hero's battling for their lives. Saito isn't going to get the safety mode activated in time at this rate. You must go back. That is the only way anyone will survive this."

Kotetsu looked down at his feet. They seemed more solid. "I don't have any power left. I'd be a two second distraction and then I'd be hanging out with you two and the rest of the hero's on this side of the living." He dragged his eyes up to see Barnaby Brooks glaring at him.

"And to think I thought you were good enough for our son even though you're an idiot. When you fully cross over I'll—" Barnaby stopped and his flat anger retreated.

"Tomoe just called you a block headed idiot." Emily said with a smirk. "I'm just happy that Saito got the safety mode activated."

Kotetsu startled. "Where is she?"

"You won't be able to talk to her until you fully die. Even then it's a vague thing. Spirits that have moved on don't have much to do with ghosts and you're setting yourself up to be a ghost at this rate."

Kotetsu pondered this before asking, hesitantly, "What about you two?"

"We stayed to try to find a way to protect Barnaby." Barnaby stared off into the mist.

Emily followed his line of sight before continuing where he seemed to leave off. "We know what Maverick has done—to everyone. What he will do if he wins this confrontation with the hero's. Kotetsu, even if it's just for two minutes…you have to go back. Barnaby needs you if he's going to come out of this with his heart intact."

"How would two minutes help his heart?"

"He'd be able to apologize and allow you to forgive him."

"Quit dilly-dallying Kotetsu." Barnaby strode towards him and pushed.

Kotetsu felt hands, ones that felt like ice, push him backwards and he noticed that the mist around him was fading. He heard the faint strains of a voice, Agnes' voice, explaining what she managed to do. "I can hear them."

"You've been here too long—go Kotetsu!" Emily said. "Safety mode is activated and Maverick isn't able to reboot the system—go and finish this!"

Barnaby pushed Kotetsu back again. "Go. Save our son and put that bastard behind bars with a cell mate that will make him regret the day he ever went down this path."

Kotetsu blinked as he felt unseen, warm hands slid across his chest and heard Mavericks voice say something about going with him.

Barnaby pushed one final time, hands ice cold against his chest, and the mist filled world went dark. Barnaby's words trailing after him as he became painfully aware of each broken bone, bruise and burn. "Go be our hero, save him and make my son happy…for both of your sakes."

Kotetsu fought the urge to groan as he heard his friends call out to Kaede. His eyes opened as he heard Maverick talking. He looked over to see a gun held to his little girl's head. His body fought him every step of the way toward Maverick. As his punch connected with Maverick with more force than he thought he could muster, the perfect line came to him and he knew it was right. Barnaby's parents were right. He couldn't go without a good line so he may as well come back with one. He carefully straightened; turned to make sure Kaede was ok and then saluted the hero's. "I'm back from the depths of hell."