Extra chapter, for those of you wondering what Tyki could possibly be thinking…
Also, side note: This fic hasn't actually ended yet. There is actually a part two, that will be along at some point, since I didn't actually have time to write about all the stuff I intended to write about...
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Extra:
Tyki Mikk's Dilemma
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Unknown number: Hey.
Unknown number: Is this the Perm Guy?
TM: Uh… I guess?
Unknown number: You still haven't paid your tab.
TM: Oh. It's you.
Unknown number: Yep.
TM: You could have just told me that next time I came in. No need to harass me outside of hours, right?
TM: Unlike some, I usually turn up.
Unknown number: …
TM: Hey, this isn't really about my unpaid tab, is it?
Unknown number: Little Red's over here right now.
TM: Aren't you supposed to be closed right now?
Unknown number: Yes.
TM: …
TM: So?
Unknown number: Little Red.
TM: Yes?
Unknown number: What should I do with him?
TM: Why are you asking me?
Unknown number: He willingly hangs out with you.
TM: …Is he injured or anything?
Unknown number: Sleeping.
TM: …Are you sure?
Unknown number: …
Unknown number: Okay, you're officially useless.
Unknown number: Forget it.
TM: Hey!
TM: I'm coming down, okay!
Unknown number: Never mind. I already sent him on his way.
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To be perfectly honest, Tyki Mikk felt like a bit of a stalker. Mind you, this was not the first time, but someone obviously needed to look out for the kid and with no responsible adults in sight, that someone might as well be Tyki.
It felt weird though, because Tyki had never really fancied himself a responsible adult. Vaguely functional adult perhaps, but responsible? No. And sure, he was the usually the voice of reason at any family event, but it was not as though they listened to him anyway, so…
So…
"Yo, done with your shift yet? Are you gonna turn up or what?"
He asked mostly out of habit, but also to keep up the façade.
"Tyki," the boy hissed at last, after an unusually long silence. "Read your damned texts."
Texts? "But I don't recall seeing any…"
More silence. "Right… okay, so maybe I didn't text you, but no, my shift hasn't ended yet. And no, after that, I'm heading straight home, because I've got classes in the morning."
Classes, huh? Well, education was supposedly important and all, even if Tyki himself had never had much use of it. That said, Tyki would like to have a talk with whoever decided on having the boy work nights if he had classes in the morning. And−
The boy hung up. How awfully mature of him.
Well, two could play that game.
So, texting it was.
Finally, ten minutes later, Tyki was rewarded for his efforts.
CBA: Look, I'm a wreck, and I don't make good company right now. I'll text you when I feel a bit more like a human again. OK?
Tyki responded with a simple 'OK'.
He was not really planning on letting it go though, not this time around.
Frankly, he had been thinking about it for a while; nothing really concrete, of course, but he had still thought about it. Because, while neither Tyki nor any of the other regulars at the bar would regard themselves as geniuses, they were hardly blind.
A few scrapes and bruises were one thing and a noticeable limp could be explained by sheer clumsiness. But repeated instances?
You could get away with 'I fell down a staircase', sure, but only once.
Getting mugged though? Tyki for one was positive that the boy would be able to deal with any would-be mugger, and the same really went for picking fights.
That really left only a few alternatives, at least in Tyki's mind, but only one or two that seemed really viable out of the bunch.
First of all, Tyki rather doubted that it was abuse; not physical abuse at any rate, because the boy lacked the skittish look Tyki had come to associate with kids of that sort.
Second of all, while Tyki had a feeling the boy would make an absolute killing if he ever got into cage fighting, they would have been aware if he had, considering the contacts others had within the illegal fighting and betting rings.
This really only left two options, both of which involved the criminal element.
In other words: Cheating Boy A was likely active within the same circuit as Tyki himself, and since the villain community was fairly small and tight-knit, that only really left… well, common criminals, uncommon phantom thieves, and, well… that.
Coming to think of it, that nickname…
'Cheating Boy A' had been a ruse, and Tyki had only really kept using it because he enjoyed watching the boy stiffen up, and considering how the boy took few issues with being accused of cheating and only seemed annoyed when someone called him 'boy', the 'A' part seemed to be what triggered the reaction, and wasn't that interesting?
A.
Tyki had a sneaking suspicion, and he was not entirely sure that he liked the implications.
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As it turned out, Cheating Boy A was in fact none other than Tyki's mark, Allen Walker. He was also the one behind the mask of the hero Tyki had tried – and failed – to kill how many times now? Ten? Fifteen? – and the very same hero that bore the main responsibility for that thing back in February.
To be perfectly honest, Tyki himself didn't recall much of the event, at least not beyond the point when a certain someone had rammed him through with a freaking sword they'd just pulled out of nowhere.
Not that Tyki was nursing a grudge or anything; not a huge one at any rate. Sure, he had been a bit miffed about it all. No, miffed might not be strong enough of a word to describe it. But yeah, Tyki had been stuck in the Ark, trying to regain some sense of equilibrium in-between himself and his Inner Noah. It had been an agonising and time-consuming task that Tyki would rather not repeat, even if he had come out a whole lot stronger and better balanced at the end of it.
The same really couldn't be said about his opponent however.
"Honestly…"
Tyki had him cornered, which was an accomplishment in itself, to be perfectly honest. Since February, Tyki had put a fair bit of effort into trying to do just that, wanting to confirm whether that thing back in February was just a fluke or something else completely. But the hero had proven surprisingly slippery, and Tyki hadn't been willing to put that much effort into chasing him, especially not on Wednesdays, because Tyki would much rather play poker on Wednesdays.
But… whatever. It seemed as though Tyki did not have to watch out for that odd sword tonight either, which was good, because unlike with previous attempts, he was not actively trying to push his quarry into performing a reprise of their secret finishing move.
No, this was something different. This was an intervention, and the fact bore repeating.
The hero, Allen Walker, did not seem to get it though. "Dude, what kind of drugs are you on? You've tried to kill me eighteen times over the last six months."
Well, technically−
"−Look: I don't know what your deal is, but I have a terrible headache, thanks to you, and like zero patience for dealing with this right now, and−"
A terrible headache and like zero patience. That made two of them. "Why are you out here, boy? It's a weeknight."
Actually, Tyki had been the one to provoke this. Sort of. Robbing the bank had been a ruse, a trap of sorts, to see if he would be able to lure the hero in. If it hadn't worked as well as it had, then Tyki would simply have tried again, during the weekend. But it had worked, and since it was Wednesday, this meant that there was little risk of outside interference.
Unfortunately, Tyki's makeshift plan to confront the boy had gone a bit off the rails; he had grown a bit too eager and neglected to consider that, while definitely made out of sturdier material than most, the hero was still human and humans simply did not have the same healing capabilities as− Well, they weren't supposed to at any rate, but…
But the weight of the unseen eyes underneath that mask and that messy fringe clearly begged to differ with anything Tyki might've assumed previously.
It looked like Tyki hadn't been imagining things after all.
Mind you, Tyki's recollection of that night back in February might have been a bit lacking, but he definitely recalled this; the weight of those previously unseen eyes.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, really."
Hm… "Really?" Tyki challenged. "You don't remember?"
Apparently not.
In hindsight, Tyki should probably have been a bit more careful. No, maybe more than a bit. But old habits were hard to break and−
Instead of answering, the hero chose that exact moment to lose consciousness.
Oh well.
Tyki crouched down, pulling out his smartphone with one hand while using the other to dislodge the mask.
Tyki put on the flashlight to get a better look, and going by the sharp hiss and movement, it seemed as though the hero was not completely out for the count just yet. Nevertheless− "Hey, hey," Tyki said, because− "I'm trying to check your pupils here."
What he saw nearly made him drop the phone though, and that was probably why it was so easy for the hero to slap it away and− Tyki couldn't have cared less about the phone really.
Instinctively, he used his ability, Choose, to reject the oxygen in the immediate area.
It was more than just a bit underhanded, really, but the deed was already done by the time Tyki had time to think it over. He dispelled it just as quickly though, because it had only taken that much.
"You're really full of surprises, you know?" Tyki commented, eyes resting briefly on the crumbled form of his opponent before moving to retrieve his phone; the screen had a new crack in it, but otherwise, it was perfectly fine. It was a lot like Tyki's sanity, but there was no point in thinking about that at this point in time.
Instead, there was this: "Yo, Road. Yeah, it's me."
Asking Road for help was a definite risk, but…
Tyki would rather not be out in the open, should things go even farther south.
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In the end though, it appeared as though Tyki's precautions had been unneeded, because the eyes staring back at him now were both silver-grey − not even a flicker of amber in sight – and the pupils were round now as opposed to−
"−And let you kill me with minimal fuss?! I'd rather die fighting!"
Huh? "Who said anything about killing or dying?!"
"Maiming then!" the hero snapped right back, still struggling. "It'd certainly fit with your−!"
It would've, but that was before all this.
Tyki put his hand against the boy's forehead; even with the bandage in place, Tyki could clearly feel the heat radiating from beneath it. "You're burning up," he noted. There hadn't been a fever before; Tyki had checked. "Is that normal?"
The wide-eyed look provided no answers, but− "I think I'm gonna be sick again."
Oh boy.
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Had Tyki not already felt queasy before, then he would certainly have become queasy at this point. Thankfully, the boy seemed to have forgotten about panicking somewhere in-between throwing up, passing out, and waking up again. That said, he did not look good. At all.
If Tyki had been sure that this was just the concussion talking, then he could have easily just let this go and dumped the boy somewhere reasonably public or in an alleyway close to a hospital, but…
Tyki definitely hadn't imagined the eyes, and if these symptoms were what Tyki thought they might be, then a hospital would not be a very good place to take him; the Order – Agency, whatever – would no doubt be watching them, and if the boy were truly in the early stages of Awakening, then−
Tyki scratched his head, wondering what the wisest move would be at this stage. Sure, he could make contact with Road again, seeing as to how she, youthful looks aside, was the expert on matters pertaining to the Noah family. Of course, if Tyki was wrong about this, then−
He sighed. 'Let's try painkillers first,' he reminded himself. 'Painkillers don't work on Memory-induced migraines.'
Tyki of all people should know, not just because of that shit back in February but because certain people never failed to complain about it.
"Ketoprofen? I'm sorry, sir, but do you have a prescription?"
"It's not available over the counter?" Tyki asked, tilting his head in question.
"It was, but it's been discontinued. In other countries, it's sold over the counter," the pharmacist helpfully informed him.
Tyki momentarily considered doing the villainous thing and stealing it, but he would rather not call any unnecessary attention to himself at this stage; not in this particular city. Hm.
Tyki: Hey, is Gate 32 still connected to Barcelona?
Road: Yes. Why?
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In case anyone questioned his impromptu trip to Spain, then Tyki would simply shrug and utter some line about doing one of his poker buddies a favour. While by no means a perfect excuse, it was close enough to the truth that Tyki could probably get away with it even if some part of this situation ever came to light. And it likely would, because certain people could read minds and weren't smart enough to shut up about it.
And speaking of stupid decisions−
"So," the boy said at last, struggling a bit with his chopsticks. "Why am I here?"
The painkillers seemed to have worked. But going by the somewhat dazed look in his eyes, they might have worked a bit too well.
And Tyki was probably staring, but what else could he do, really? Well, he could answer the question, probably, but should he?
The painkillers had worked; in other words, not a Memory-induced migraine. But on the other hand, those eyes− Well, in any case, whether Tyki was dealing with just his poker pal – who just happened to moonlight as a hero – or a future member of the family, there was a need to establish a… dialogue or something?
"I had orders," Tyki said at last, putting out his cigarette. "Find and eliminate the people named on the list."
"A hit list?"
"Of sorts." Yeah, Tyki definitely needed more nicotine to deal with this. "A magical hit list, I guess, because the names on it won't disappear until the people are dead. And it's supposed to detect when one of the people on the list is nearby."
Key phrase: supposed to, because up until a certain point, Tyki had been fairly convinced that it didn't fucking work.
"Where is it now?"
Tyki shrugged. "Beats me. I think I lost it back in February." Along with his mind, no doubt. "But it's all the same, really. I've only seen the card react to one person, and that's you. Well, your hero persona at any rate."
"So, you knew? All this time…"
Uh… "Not really." Because he hadn't brought the damned card along everywhere, because the Prisoner of the List Cage was such a nagging little−
The boy frowned. "But if you already had my name, so you could have easily just−"
Looking back at it, maybe Tyki should've just− "No. Because that's bad form. Going after people while they are in their civvies is a big no-no."
This was one of the few rules the family abided by, because it had come directly from the Duke's mouth. Of course, in a typical villainous fashion, certain family members had still found ways to get around this particular rule; they allegedly did so by launching allegedly random attacks in areas where off duty heroes might just happen to be at the time.
"…Why?"
Tyki just shrugged, because who was he to pretend to know what was going on inside of the Duke's head. Heck, the family patriarch was pretty damned off his rocker at times, even if the rest of the family seemed determined to ignore this. Hence, the reason as to why Tyki was so damned keen on hanging out with people who were not direct members of the villain circuit; it was the only thing that kept him sane, really, and he would rather not lose it if he could help it.
"Well," he said at last. "…I didn't make the rules to this game, and neither did you; We're merely stuck playing it."
"…Game?"
Yeah… "…Like I said, I'm not the best person to talk about history, so let's not talk about it. Let's talk about what happens from here."
Yeah, the important stuff.
"Your name is on my hit list, which I lost, but knowing the person who compiled it, it's probably some mistake," Tyki deadpanned. "My boss might be fucked up in the head, but he has an admitted soft spot for kids. And knowing you're just a kid, it's not like I'm gonna kill you anyway. Besides, we're poker pals and all, and poker pals shouldn't go around trying to kill each other over nongame-related matters…"
It was all true. Well, mostly true at any rate, and the bullshit blended seamlessly into the rest of it.
"And," Tyki added. "I'm not planning on keeping you locked up in here forever. This place can be crowded enough for a single person."
Well, him and his Inner Noah.
"So… what are you planning then?"
Now wasn't that an absolutely excellent question?
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Well, the Duke had yet to return from his extended vacation, and Road had yet to confront him on this issue, and so far, Sheril appeared to be none the wiser, so…
Tyki would direct the boy towards a useful source of information, then step back and watch what happened, because something undoubtedly would.
But first, in the meantime− "Where did I put UNO again?"
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