Chapter 7- A Little Felony Every Now and Then Never Hurt Anyone, Unless the Felony is Murder... or Arson
"Yukine!" Yato called, "Breakfast is ready!"
Yato bent down, smiling contentedly as he took the homemade blueberry muffins out of the oven and placed them on the countertop as a rumpled and sleepy looking Yukine padded into the kitchen. Yato brushed his hands on his apron proudly as Yukine gaped at the feast laid out before him.
"Wow, thanks. What's the occasion? Did you rob a grocery store for all this?" He asked, taking a seat at the bar and examining the muffins, omelets, bacon, pancakes, toast, and sausage.
"Yes, and I just wanted to give you a good breakfast! You're a good boy! You deserve good food!" Yukine narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"You did something wrong didn't you? What was it? Did you accidentally give Hiyori our address?"
"No!" Yato exclaimed, offended. "How come every time I do something nice you assume I've done something wrong?"
"Experience." Yato placed a hand on his chest.
"I'll have you know I just think you're a wonderful minion and son!"
Now Yukine understood, Yato was testing his reaction to that word, and all this food was to pacify him if he got upset.
Yato beamed at Yukine, who hadn't reacted positively to being called his son, but hadn't reacted negatively either. He was still staring suspiciously at Yato, like he was expecting him to confess at any second to something stupid he'd done. In truth he'd been feeling particularly affectionate after hearing that Yukine had threatened Hiyori for him during their lunch; it had reminded him how fortunate he was to have found Yukine, someone who made him feel needed and provided a steadying influence in his life.
"I made all your favorites!" Yato chirped.
"... I see that. Are you sure you haven't done anything wrong? I won't yell, I promise."
"I haven't!"
"Okay…" Yukine said, still waiting for the other shoe to drop. He shook his head and began loading his plate with a little bit of everything and tucked in. "It's really good!"
Yato smiled brightly and began eating himself, digging in with as much gusto as Yukine had. He'd worked up an appetite making all this food. They ate in silence until a realization froze Yukine's arm in midair as he reached for his second sausage, his eyes turning to Yato accusingly.
"Hiyori said something, didn't she?" Damn it, he thought, she said she wouldn't tell Yato what I said, but she doesn't know her new 'partner' is Yato.
Yato, caught red-handed, simply grinned.
"She didn't give any details, but she seemed pretty convinced you're completely loyal to me, and that you even threatened her on my behalf!" Yukine ignored the heat rushing to his ears to ask the question glaring him in the face.
"And I don't suppose you were careful when you were snooping in my business so you wouldn't make her suspicious?"
"Of course, I was careful! I didn't even ask for details, and I really wanted too because she didn't tell me what you said!" Yukine relaxed slightly.
"Good. Now mind your own business!"
"Hiyori is the one who brought it up! She said she didn't get any information from you and I was really proud!" Yukine hid his smile by shoving an entire sausage in his mouth. "Be careful or you'll choke!"
"At least now I know why you went to all the effort of making this, you were trying to butter me up and make me tell you if I said anything nice about you to Hiyori."
"No way! I just love you! Besides, you made dinner last night!" Yukine shrugged.
"Fair enough."
"Hiyori and I are going back to the school tonight. I left behind a discipline slip or two from when I was causing trouble."
"When aren't you causing trouble?"
"Fair enough."
"We got everything, so it'll be a dead end. I don't know where she plans to go from here." One of the drawings from last night had made it to the refrigerator, just as Yukine had promised. "It'd be good if you could find out what she knows about what she saw when she broke into the secret lair."
"She mentions it every now and then, but I don't think she understands most of it."
"Don't underestimate her, Yato, she's dangerous."
"Is that why you threatened her?" Yato purred, leaning close. Yukine leaned away, pulling his plate along with him.
"Yeah, sure, why not?"
"You're growing up so fast!"
"Don't start that again!" Yukine protested. "If you start crying, I'm moving out."
"I'm not going to cry!"
"Good."
"And besides, you won't move out, you love me too much!"
"More like I'm too afraid you'll accidentally cause your own death if you're left alone for too long!"
"That's the same thing!" Yukine rolled his eyes and grabbed another blueberry muffin.
Rabo curled his nose at the domestic scene unfurling before him. The God of Calamity cooking. What a disgrace. His fists clenched at the pleasant look The God of Calamity wore as he mixed batter, how far he has fallen from the eminence and malevolence he once possessed. He turned and stormed away. Things were worse than Rabo had thought, he needed more training. The sooner he could kill that boy the sooner the God of Calamity could recover from whatever delusion had overtaken him.
How easily the boy and girl used his name, as if they weren't in the presence of a being more terrifying than they could comprehend. Those pathetic humans should be worshiping at the God of Calamity's feet. He could only imagine the thrill of earning the right to address him so, through blood and sinew shed together on the battlefield, but he would earn it, not take such liberties with a man so far his superior.
Kazuma had moved a television into Viina's room where he could watch the news from his semi-permanent post by Viina's bedside. It had been weeks and she still hadn't woken up. He knew that she needed a hospital, but he couldn't risk it. He didn't want to know what Yato would do if he found out Bishamon was still alive. He couldn't risk word getting out.
He'd recruited another doctor to prescribe and set up IV fluids to keep her hydrated, and then he'd used the memory gas Yato gifted him to make the doctor forget, and that was it. He'd had no other contact with the outside world except for the television.
He'd been surprised to see a boy who had to be Yukine standing behind Yato when he took over the city. He'd been watching on the hospital's TV while Viina was in surgery. Yato had always been so protective of Yukine, even Kazuma hadn't been permitted to meet him, but there he was, face broadcast on live TV.
He'd been entirely unsurprised, however, to see Yato's introductory musical number with accompanying dance routine. He may have even been amused and entertained if Viina hadn't been fighting for her life while it was happening. It seemed Yukine had steadfastly refused to dance, however, trailing morosely behind.
He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting when Yato took over. He knew it hadn't been for chaos and destruction to rain from the heavens like an unholy reckoning, though that wa what Yato had promised. He'd been relieved when Yato merely got up to his usual shenanigans, except this time without fear that Metro Woman would come and stop him.
If Yato had become the ferocious dictator Viina had always been so sure he'd become, there would be no stopping her from killing him. Maybe since no one had been killed since Yato took Viina down it wouldn't be so bad, but then again, he'd nearly killed her this time, so Maybe Yato was in for a storm no matter what he did when she woke up.
Please wake up.
Hiyori woke up late that morning, still exhausted from her late night, and still exhilarated by the new lead she'd managed to dig up with Manabu. She was finally finally on to something that might help her defeat him. She was making real progress in her investigation. She strode through her living room into her kitchen, ducking underneath the papers hanging from her ceiling.
She grabbed a bagel and returned to the living room to gaze up at the mess she made. Hiyori had done her best to exactly recreate the papers she'd seen dangling from the ceiling in Yato's secret lair. Unbeknownst to Yato or Yukine she had snuck several pictures while Manabu was rushing her to the door. Even with the pictures she'd barely been able to manage it, this was a mess.
On one page there were what she thought were math equations that were either far above her level or written in Yato's native language; one was just a blank piece of paper, though it could have just been turned away from her camera when she'd snapped the photo. Oh, what she wouldn't give to get back into their secret lair. She probably wouldn't be able to after her last trespass, and even if she could, Yukine had been completely serious when he'd threatened her yesterday. He wouldn't abide another threat to Yato's safety.
There was another puzzle. After she first met Yukine she'd sat down with a police sketch artist to see if he'd been reported missing, but nothing came up.
She walked from the strange equation to her version of a corkboard that held a well-drawn, though inaccurate, image of Yato beating up Metro Woman. The picture was tilted 'Good vs Evil.' What was that about? There were what appeared to be blueprints for some sort of weapon spread out over multiple pages, and she couldn't quite figure out how they matched up, they didn't appear to have been hanging in order.
Is this what it's like to live inside his mind? She wondered, poor Yukine has to live with this guy. Yato seemed so scattered brained it was no wonder he'd never beaten Metro Woman, until he had, that is.
I wonder if he cleaned out his old school, or if he thought no one would figure it out. Hiyori jammed the rest of her breakfast into her mouth and ducked back into her bedroom to get ready for work. While she dressed she glanced over her notes for the day.
It was more of the same, Yato had not delivered upon his promise for misery and ruin. The only things he'd done were rob a few banks and art museums, and he'd done those things before. She hated the confusion in her own writing, the wondering what was next for Metro City, though the words reflected her conflicted feelings about the God of Calamity himself.
He had taken over the city, killed Metro Woman, and terrorized everyone for years; but also adopted a son, bummed free food, and gave her a ride home because it was raining. How could one man be capable of all those things? One of them had to be a facade, and it couldn't be The God of Calamity. The malice in his gaze had been no lie.
"Are you sure you're okay breaking the law like this?" Manabu asked her for the third time. She glanced back at him and met his eyes, bright blue, filled with concern, and worlds apart from the cold steel of the God of Calamity.
"For the last time, YES! One little felony for the greater good isn't a big deal!" Manabu gave her a bemused look. "Besides, this is a victimless crime! We're not going to look at files of anyone other than Yato. Don't worry, we'll be fine!"
Hiyori took the lead, crouching in shadows between street lamps and planning their trek to the school. She could feel Manabu's eyes on her, but didn't return his gaze. She needed to focus. She decided on their route and motioned for Manabu to follow her, glancing both ways before crossing the street. She and Manabu kept close to the ground and moved quickly from shadow to shadow across the school yard until they made it to the front door. She tried to turn the handle.
"Damn it, it's locked. I don't know what I expected."
"I saw a broken window on the way in, I can boost you," Manabu suggested.
"Nice!"
Manabu turned and slipped around the building, staying low. She couldn't quite place it, but there was something familiar and almost predatory about the way he moved. His every motion was fluid, and Hiyori thought for the first time he might have a past she wasn't aware of. How was he able to move like a shadow? He reached the broken window and turned to her; his eyes holding the same warmth they always had, and she realized it didn't matter. He was here, now, and he was helping her, and for once she was glad to be helped.
Manabu took off his jacket and laid it over the windowsill. She smiled at his thoughtfulness, slipped her foot into his linked fingers, and climbed inside. Once her feet touched the ground Manabu hoisted himself into the room. She noticed again his precise and powerful movements but was distracted by the analytical look on his face as he scanned his surroundings.
The moon lit his careful eyes with magic, and when focused on her they brightened and his head quirked to the side.
"What?" He asked.
"Nothing, you just… have pretty eyes." His cheeks flushed so red she could see it even in the pale light. She chuckled. "I think we should stick together. Both of us should search every room. It'll take longer but it'll be more thorough."
"Surely not every single room?" Hiyori nodded. He gazed at her, open mouthed and horrified, and she giggled at how silly she looked. "But Hiyori-" He whined.
"I don't want to hear it," she said sternly. "We're here and we don't want to miss anything, do we?" He looked defeated.
"No ma'am." He glanced glumly around the room before his face lit with an idea. It was kind of cute. "I know, why don't we search the offices first?"
"You're right! They might have class manifests to narrow our search! Good idea, Manabu!" He beamed proudly. He followed her out of the classroom and turned towards the front door.
"We should go this way; the office will be close to the main entrance so the visitors can sign in."
"You are on fire tonight!"
When they entered the office, Manabu went straight for the file cabinets while Hiyori chose the desk, rifling through papers left on top before moving to the drawers. The sounds of Manabu gently rustling behind her kept her company while she worked. She put herself in the mind of a school administrator; if she were a principal or counselor where would she keep a classroom manifest? Close to her, where she could reference it easily, and assuming that the person who sat at this desk was right handed it would probably be in the top right drawer. She opened it with some anticipation and grabbed the top file, exclaiming in triumph when it was exactly what she was looking needed. Manabu made a small sound of surprise behind her, and when she turned to him, beaming with pride, he looked the slightest bit alarmed.
"I found the manifest! We'll know exactly which rooms to search! Great idea, Manabu!" She praised. He smiled sheepishly.
"You too, Hiyori." He looked immensely relieved. Hiyori remembered his expression when she'd declared that they would be searching every room; he probably hadn't realized he was signing up for an all-night gig.
"The last year he attended Yato was in room 108." Manabu nodded.
"His file was empty, can't say I'm surprised." Hiyori nodded in confirmation.
"Let's head to the room, it's the one we're most likely to find something in."
They entered the classroom and cast their flashlights in every corner. Hiyori made a beeline for the desk again, while Yato wandered through the children's' desks. He remembered perfectly well which one he'd sat in, but he was very aware of Hiyori rustling around behind him. He didn't want to make her suspicious by seeming too familiar with his surroundings.
He looked through the long faded graffiti and was surprised to see that a few of them mentioned his name. Nothing remarkable, he knew he hadn't been well liked, so the 'I hate Yato' notes were par for the course, though they came with echoing taunts reverberating through the halls of his mind. He stopped and smiled when he reached Kazuma's desk. Kazuma had been seated in front of Yato by a teacher hoping he would be a good influence on the classroom troublemaker. Little did they know that grouping Yato, Bishamon, and Kazuma all together meant those three would make more noise than the rest of the class.
He reached down and ran his fingertips gently along words the usually rule-abiding Kazuma had carved into the desk. "BISHAMON KAZUMA YATO FRIENDS FOREVER." He felt the corners of his mouth turn upwards and looked to his left, where Bishamon had sat. Even from here he could see where she had scratched the words "YATO STINKS" into the wood. He knew his own desk displayed the words "KAZUMA AND YATO R COOL" and "BISHAMON STINKS MORE." His lips split into a real grin as he remembered many spirited arguments they had had over whatever it was ten year olds argued about.
Yato recalled distinctly when Bishamon had carved the phrase "YATO STINKS" into her desk and Kazuma had gotten angry, withholding his pudding cup from her like it was some grave punishment. Maybe it had been, back then.
Yato sat in the tiny chair at his desk and looked closer to see words that had been written, not carved. "Kazuma and Yato, future superheroes." His heart softened and he couldn't suppress a chuckled at the irony. He'd forgotten until now. Kazuma came up with the idea and convinced Yato that it was possible. Hiyori looked up at the sound of his laughter.
"What have you got?" She asked.
"Yato's desk, when he was little he wanted to be a superhero, did you know? It says it right here." He was unable to keep the nostalgia out of his voice, but he didn't think Hiyori noticed.
"You're kidding."
"I'm not. Right here." Hiyori got to her feet, when Yato glanced at her he saw she held his discipline slips clutched in her hand. She strode across the room to his side and her eyes widened when she saw the writing.
"Kazuma, that's the name of Metro Woman's minion, isn't it? She said it right before Yato killed her." He remembered. "Look at this other desk, 'Bishamon, Yato, and Kazuma' do you think Bishamon is Metro Woman's real name?"
"Maybe," Yato replied, pointing to his graffiti insulting her, but his mind was still in the memory of he and Kazuma deciding one day to be defenders of Metro City.
"No way," Bishamon had scoffed. "You're from Yomi, you'll never be a hero!"
His smile faded. She'd been right. What would his younger self think of him now, terror of Metrocity? The idea bothered him more than he cared to admit. Hiyori stepped away while he brooded but called his name a few minutes later.
"What is it?"
"A drawing by Kazuma, look! It has Yato in it!" Damn it. Hiyori held it out to him.
He recognized it at once. Kazuma drew it after the first time Yato had saved him from bullies and was facing expulsion. He has done it as a part of his campaign to stop Yato from being kicked out after he'd nearly killed the culprits. It showed a crudely drawn Kazuma crying while a knight (he thought it was a knight) on what could have been a horse stood between Kazuma and some monsters. The knight was labelled with Yato's name.
"It seems like this kid was pretty fond of Yato," he said, doing his best to keep laughter out of his voice. In reality he'd been more like the monsters, brutalizing the bullies before he'd been dragged off by an adult. Kazuma hadn't seen it that way though. Yato would have loved to take this to Kazuma during one of their secret meetups to tease him about it.
"It looks like he thought of Yato as a protector," she said slowly. Yato raised his eyebrows at the consideration in her voice.
"Isn't that a little strange for a villain?"
"Actually, this matches up with the way that Yato's son talks about him. His exact words were 'Yato has always made me feel safe.' There's another side to him that you and I have never seen. He shows it to Yukine, and he showed it to this boy."
A hurt Yato had previously been unaware of quieted as the words washed through his mind. Yato has always made me feel safe. "Manabu, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"I'm fine," he said. I've seen something much better.
He drifted back to the desk where he'd sat when he was still a child daydreaming with his best friend. He'd hoped then that he could be something more than what his father decided. He remembered how glad he was to be in a place where he could forget that he'd already killed people, that he was more dangerous than any adult, and that he was scarier than the monsters under his classmates beds. It had been comforting to be just a child, even if everyone hated him, and here he'd had the freedom to dream of something else.
That was before he returned to his father of his own free will and learned to love the slaughter, before he'd turned himself into the monster he'd feared. Years passed, and he forgot the little boy who'd dared to dream of goodness and light, he grew into the man who thrived in the dark, shrouded in blood and suffering.
Hiyori called his name and he smiled at her, shaking off his darkened mood before following her out the door.
They searched the rest of the relevant rooms; thankfully Hiyori didn't insist that they search the whole school as she'd promised. Yato was glad he hadn't missed anything else, although his one slip up had resulted in the most important insight of the evening, at least to him.
The apartment was quiet when Yato got home. He cracked open the door to Yukine's room to check on him and smiled softly when he saw that Yukine had kicked off his blankets. He crept in on silent feet and picked the blankets off the ground, tucking them gently around Yukine. He brushed the boy's hair off his face and Yukine cracked open a bleary eye.
"Yato?"
"Sorry, did I wake you up?"
"No, I was still awake." Yukine half sat up, peering into Yato's face with sleep clouded eyes. "You look upset, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, I'm fine," he looked away.
"You're a terrible liar. What's wrong? Was it going back to the school again? Did it bring back painful memories?" Yato was surprised at first by Yukine's discernment, but then realized he was probably speaking from experience, they had so much in common…
"It's just… harder than I thought it would be, looking back."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Yato paused, denial on the tip of his tongue. Didn't he want to talk? Wasn't that what he wanted? To speak and be heard and believed rather than demonized without question? Was that not what he had wanted when he'd nearly left Hiyori the incident report on the time he'd saved Kazuma? Here was someone who loved him and was willing to listen, offering even. Yato's always made me feel safe, he'd said, but Yukine made Yato feel safe too, didn't he? Yato sat slowly on the bed and Yukine wiggled over to make room.
"Yeah, I think I do."