Disclaimer: I don't own Tiger & Bunny in any way, shape, or form. I just like to play with the characters, settings, and plots.

Author's Warning: This is a dark fic involving torture, blood, and injury, which has now started and will continue; if you don't like, don't read.


Only two of them were sitting in the room, listening to a variety of machines beep, hiss, and otherwise make noise. Their conversation had died hours ago, and so they had each spent the time caught up in their own half-guilty thoughts and wondering "what ifs."

Or at least, that's what I've been doing - Sky High probably has John on his mind, or that girl he met years ago, the one with the red ribbon.

"This sucks," said Kaede, looking up at the ceiling and and idly wondering how indentations there were in each panel.

"It's worth it to have a friendly face to wake up to," said Keith, smiling.

How is he still happy and energetic? Don't his ribs hurt?

She didn't have an answer to his statement, and truth be told, he'd know more about that than she would.

There's a steady exodus from the hospital at least she thought. Keith and Pao-Lin were outpatients for the moment, and Ivan had recovered from his concussion. Mostly they were waiting on her father and Nathan right now, since the other two, Antonio and Barnaby, were healing well and should be discharged either tomorrow or the day after.

The door opened, and a head of honey brown hair popped in.

"Hey. Any changes?"

I was so lost in my thoughts I didn't even hear it squeak.

Kaede shook her head at Karina. The older woman sighed.

"Ah, well, I guess it was too much to hope today'd be the day." She smiled, but it's warmth never reached her bloodshot eyes. "Keith, why don't you go home and take care of John? I'm sure he needs to go for a run or something."

"True, and true again," laughed Keith. He laid a hand on Nathan's shoulder, said something to them in a low voice, then repeated the process with Koetsu.

Even his actions are doubled.

As soon as the door closed on him, Karina turned to watch Kaede very carefully.

Why is she staring at me like that? Does she know what really happened last night?

"You've heard the news, right?" Karina let out an even heavier sigh than before. "I thought you might have.."

Huh?

"Trixie. There was a fire at the prison, and she..." Karina trailed off, shaking her head. "Well. That'll get Fire Emblem off the hook completely. There were still a bunch of suspicious bastards looking to blame them for those earlier deaths, but this should shut them up completely."

"From Lunatic?"

From the same blue-green fire that had poured from my fingertips.

"I'm still trying to figure out why he came last night. I mean, I didn't think he cared about us. Normally he says he's trying to protect innocents, but he's taken shots at Barnaby, Origami, and actually injured Tiger."

He was there because we asked him to be. We invited him. Kaede stared at her hands. A gentle knock came from the door, and it opened to reveal one of the day nurses, an ever-optimistic woman by the name of Emilia.

"Hello loves," she said, first checking in on Fire Emblem, then looking over Wild Tiger. "Well, even though it doesn't look as if much has changed, these two are truthfully doing much better today. We should be able to take Fire Emblem off of the ventilator, and Wild Tiger won't need his chest drain much longer."

"That's a relief." Karina's words were exactly what Kaede was thinking. "One of us should go tell Barnaby and Rock Bison the good news; Origami Cyclone and Sky High can be texted."

Freedom!

"I'll go," said Kaede, jumping to her feet. There was a part of her itching to do something, even an action as simple as walking across the hallway to the other room.

"Thanks."

She strode over to the door, turning back to see Karina walk up to her dad and asking Emilia for more details.

Looks like she hasn't gotten over that crush. I feel kinda sad for her that dad never saw it, but it might have been really weird to have her as a step-mom. She's much cooler as a big sister.

One step into the hallway, and Kaede froze. Behind her, the door clicked shut.

"Good afternoon Kaede. "

It's him.

Her eyes slipped from his wavy grey hair and took in his tie, tracing the electric blue and neon green.

Those are Lunatic's colors. How has everyone just passed that off a crappy tie?

"Um, good afternoon Judge Petrov." She nodded, not meeting his eyes.

She saw the small smile that flickered across his face, and it looked odd. Brittle.

Almost exactly like dad's smiles in all those photos after mom died.

"Could talk to you in private for a few moments? I promise I won't keep you long."

Oh fuck! He knows I know !

She looked to the door across the hallway.

"I was just, ah, going to tell Barnaby how dad's doing, would that be-"

"Perfectly fine." He brushed some of his hair back, then turned, taking a step toward the stairs. Stopped. "I'll be waiting on the roof when you're ready."

I'm going to die.

Methodically, she walked into what had been nicknamed the "Stubborn Up" room, between Uncle Antonio's repeated requests to change places with dad, and Barnaby who kept trying to sneak over to the other room. At this point the nurses had set up a whole betting playboard and pool

"Hey Kaede!"

"Hey cub."

They both stared at her, and she smiled.

Not a word and I already know what they want.

"Fire Emblem and Wild Tiger are doing much better," she said, her mind only half on repeating the news. "They should be off the ventilator and he'll be getting rid of the chest drain."

There were cheers, smiles, and a high five that left Barnaby wincing.

"And Trixie's dead."

Oops! I didn't mean to say that!

"Couldn't have happened to a better person," rumbled Uncle Antonio, his eyes dark with fury. "Look, I know what Tiger believes in, but there are a few cases where I don't think there's any hope, and that 'woman' was one."

...all these years and I had no idea that he had such a dark side.

She let her gaze linger on him. He wasn't as pale anymore, and his muscles had finally stopped trembling every time he went to move.

"Aww, don't look at me like that Kaede." He huffed, eyes sliding away from her. "I'm allowed to be angry that she took us, injured us, and almost killed us."

Kaede's hands twisted as she thought about what could have happened only minutes later.

"Thanks for coming in to tell us about those two. Maybe I can sneak in there after lunch comes around," mused Barnaby.

"If you want Maria to win, go for it. But Yukiko's got her bet on before dinner, and Heath has his on 2AM."

Barnaby cocked his head to the side, glasses flashing in the sharp light.

"Maybe I should pick a totally different time then - break all of their bets."

They all laughed a little at that.

"Hey, kiddo. You okay?"

Maybe. I don't know yet.

Kaede nodded, reaching out to give her uncle a fist bump.

"I need to go to talk to Judge Pertov about some things," she said, hearing the words come out slowly. The two of them just nodded.

"Probably about Tiger, though for once it wasn't him doing the damage."

"It could be about Kaede joining when she graduates," Barnaby pointed out. "That's only a year or two away. I don't know who would be interested in sponsoring another Hero pair though."

Two years that feel like a lifetime.

"And he's probably taken an interest in her power since-"

Kaede snorted.

Ain't that the truth! Mostly recent though, since he was flung into me and I copied his power.

Barnaby shook his head.

"It really it useful. I mean, you were able to keep a clear head and help out. That's really what any Hero needs to do."

I set. A living person. On fire.

"...Kaede?" Uncle Antonio's eyebrows were drawn together when she checked. "You're spacing out a bit there... you okay?"

"You should go get some sleep. You know where the spare key is, so when you're done talking with Yuri, go ahead and use my apartment to crash. It's closer. And cleaner."

Sure. Sleep.

"Yeah..." Kaede shook her head. "Thanks Barnaby. I... I might do that."

"Don't run yourself into the ground taking care of us," grumbled Antonio. "We'll heal. Always do after all." He waved a hand at her, and Kaede found herself taking iron-laden steps to the door.

"Nice seeing you," she said, the words slipping out stilted and wooden.

Wait. I shouldn't just confront Lunatic without a power.

She walked back and patted Barnaby's hand.

"Kaede? What was that for?" His voice was suspicious, but the look in his eyes was pure confusion.

He doesn't know anything, and I want to keep it that way. I mean... maybe Yuri does just want to talk about dad.

"Just trying to give you a little bit of energy... though to listen to the nurses, you probably don't need it."

The three of them shared a laugh again, and Kaede took that chance to slip out the door.

Am I really going to the roof and meeting with him?

The trembling of her limbs convinced her this was real, the faint smell of cigarette smoke in the stairwell adding to the layer. She climbed three floors up, then slowly, cautiously, opened the roof access door.

"I must admit, I was half expecting you to either not show up, or to show up with a few others behind you."

She started, falling backwards a little bit, and in that instant Yuri grabbed her hand, keeping her anchored on the landing.

No!

Kaede jerked her hand away, rubbing it and feeling tears prickling at her eyes. Now all she could use was his power against him.

I'm not going to let him see me cry!

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't tell everyone down there what your power looks like," threatened Kaede, her whispered voice echoing.

Yuri just glanced at her for that remark, retreating to sit down on one of the benches that dotted the rooftop. He patted the seat next to him and waited for her to follow. Kaede didn't sit down, but stood nearby on the balls of her feet, stance wide and shoulders squared. Only when the door shut with a loud clang did he continue.

"I need you as a partner."

What?!

"You're crazy!"

"I have my reasons," Yuri continued, his voice even. "The end result might look to be without them though. For example, did you know that as long as you hold my power, with a little control you're immune to my flames?"

Mutely, she shook her head.

"Does that make you feel a bit better now? More at ease?"

That you're not going to kill me? Maybe?

The shaking turned into a nod. A curt one with no warmth in it.

"As to why I've decided I need a partner..." he trailed off, looking into the sky. There were no birds around, but off the in the distance an airplane glinted in the sunlight. "I've decided that I've made some bad decisions."

No shit!

"Like hurting my father!?" She exploded.

"I also saved him," Yuri reminded her. "When everyone else was against him and he had no one, I might add. Did anyone remember to tell you that?"

Kaede opened her mouth, then frowned, tapping the side of her cheek, well aware that she was mimicking Nathan.

"No... they didn't."

Yuri didn't seem concerned; he shrugged as if that was a normal reaction.

Or that's how he expects life to be, everyone and everything against him.

"In their cases, it's probably due to how the fake memories Maverick implanted broke apart. They had a hard enough time remembering that they turned on Wild Tiger, so I'm quite sure they forget that I had shown up to help him. As for Wild Tiger himself, I know he was trying to protect the younger you at that time, so he most likely didn't speak of it for that reason. Also, he'd had a long day."

Kaede snorted at the understatement.

We thought he'd died.

"You are one of few people whose power would be an absolute equal to mine, granting flight and immunity along with an offensive range. In addition, you have a quick mind, a strong sense of loyalty, and have no hesitation to tell a person when they are acting badly."

"How do you know all this about me?" she asked, shifting on her feet. She took a step, then walked over to the bench. It creaked when she sat down. They were as different as night and day; his post saw him with his hands together, braced on his knees as he hunched forward, propping up his head at the jaw. She was leaning forward as well, elbows also on her knees, but her open hands were crossed at the wrists and dangling above the ground.

He didn't look as if he murdered. He didn't have the bearing of someone who set people on fire for fun. He looked... human. Even a bit broken.

Maybe it's true what they whisper around school. That villain and Hero are just two sides of the same coin.

"I'm in charge of the Heroes program, from start to finish." He smiled at her. "I've seen the recommendations your teachers have written for you. I've even talked with a few of them about your abilities. Who's idea was it to take emergency first responder classes?"

"Mine," admitted Kaede. "It's just... something all of us should know. Just in case."

I hate to think of how many people were injured because Heroes moved them incorrectly. Then again, there are some times when the need to get someone out of a place outweighs keeping a broken bone still.

"I agree. And yet, you are the first to do something about it. Not the first to talk about it," he said. "Nor the first to bring it up. But certainly the first to do anything about it specifically for being a Hero. Out of eight Heroes, only Fire Emblem and Sky High are certified. One through their work programs involving CPR and using defibs, the other due to being a boy scout leader, and programs through that."

The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes, Kaede sneaking peeks at Yuri and trying to think about what was going on in his mind.

"I'm not stopping my crusade." He let his head tilt back, talking in the cloud peppering the sky. "Those who take another's life deserve to have their own lives taken."

She bit her tongue as he held up a hand.

"But I need someone to guide me. To keep me on track. I'm... disgusted, to say the least, with myself and Edward Keddy's case. He was honestly trying to do his best to help, and that was an accident. Preventable in his case if he had simply stayed away, but most likely with the same outcome, the gun only moving from his hand to the criminal's."

What would I be doing?

Kaede asked the question, letting it settle between the two of them.

"A partner would, first of all, help me research. Then they would follow up with me on those already deemed dangerous, but allowed to go free due to a lack of evidence, or an excess of money. If nothing has changed, and they don't feel remorse for their actions, then everything else would be up to me."

"You want me to help you kill people?!" She was on her feet, fists clenched.

Maybe I can punch him off the roof? No, he'll just fly away.

"Not at all." Yuri met her gaze, strong in his conviction as she was in hers. "I want you to help me choose who lives."

His eyes are so pale...

"If it's up to only me, they'll all die. Your clear head, however, could save another Edward from my flames."

... me? Choose who you don't attack? Isn't that the same thing as choosing who to kill?

She tried to swallow, and it felt as if ice was stuck in her throat.

"I wouldn't ask you if I didn't think you could help me," admitted Yuri. "After doing so much on my own, it's hard asking for a partner."

But he's doing so now, so there is the possibility for him to change... Kaede looked at him, taking in hunched shoulders. He said he'd listen to me, so if I tell him no for everyone, would that mean he wouldn't kill them?

"How..." she coughed. "And I'm not saying yes by asking , but how exactly would this work?"

"I would pick out the files, and we would go over them together, you steering me away from the few innocents and me amassing a collection of the sinners. "

"Where do you pick your victims from?"

He laughed at that.

"My victims come mainly from the judicial system. The people that get away with literal murder. Sometimes I see something when patrolling the city, and I'll either take care of the problem then and there, or make notes to follow it up later. In a few rare cases, the criminal has decided to kill in a way that was broadcast by Hero TV."

Bullshit!

Kaede rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"I've watched Agnes's program for years, including her stupid holiday specials, and I've never seen anything like that."

"Of course not," nodded Yuri. "The woman is extremely skilled at her craft. She, and those that follow her, do their best to blur it out, or edit it on the fly. With as many people as she has watching it, it would be hard on anyone to see the death of a loved one of live TV."

... that's a convenient answer.

He watched her for a little bit.

"Have you finished with your questions?"

She thought about it, then nodded.

"Then I would like to ask you one, if you don't mind." Yuri took a deep breath, almost as if to brace himself for the answer. "Why haven't you told anyone? About yesterday?"

Kaede shrugged.

I'm honestly not sure myself.

"Who would I tell?"

Most of them are still recovering, and we wouldn't be able to bring you in.

"I don't agree with you. Not with your reasons, not with how you do it. But..." Kaede hesitated, trying to think of how she wanted to put it. "I do think you do good too. I've heard from my dad that you've looked out for him. Barnaby has nothing but praise for you. I don't want to hurt them any more than they've already been."

"...your heart is a good guide." Yuri stood up. "I don't require you to make a decision right now. In fact, you can take a few days to think it over. I only ask that that you keep my powers a secret."

She nodded.

Fair enough. And if he does something, then I can always tell someone.

"I'll assume that if I don't hear from you, you're not interested. The longest I'll wait is one week."

What would you do if I say no? Kaede wondered. Find a new person to ask?

Yuri held the door open for her, shutting and locking it behind him. Together they tramped down the stairs, back to those waiting below, each silent.

I'm not going to make a decision today, nor even tomorrow. Tonight, I'm going to go to Barnaby's apartment, soak in his huge tub, and have a beer or two from the fridge. I just need a little me time.


This was the last chapter of Zoopery - I hope you enjoyed reading it!

Feel free to let out a Wild Roar via Reviews!