Title: Crossroads
Author/Artist: Amethyst Hunter
Pairing: Ban/Akabane
Fandom: Get Backers
Theme: #25 – "fence"
Rating: PG-13 (violence, m/m pairing)
Warnings/Spoilers: Minor canonical mentions concerning major characters' abilities.
Notes: Sorry to have gotten another of these out late; RL has not been kind to me (and by association, the muses) lately.
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em.
Summary: Presented with a choice, Akabane must decide which path is more interesting.
--
Sunday
There are things that Akabane Kuroudo knows, and then there are things that he knows. Instincts follow a different sort of inspiration than cold logic, so when his senses snap to alertness he doesn't think twice about it, he pulls out a handful of scalpels and approaches the truck with stealthy precision.
Someone has been here recently, and it wasn't Maguruma. Nor was it Lady Poison, or the client who hired them to transport a package. The intent surrounding the traces of the presence is...not malignant, Dr. Jackal decides. But it isn't wholly benign either, and his blood quivers with predatory anticipation.
Maguruma comes out from the building, followed by Lady Poison. They spot him with his knives out and freeze in place, Lady Poison's vial of flame perfume uncapped and already poised in her fingers in the blink of an eye. There is no need for words among them; they are so used to working with one another by now that gestures, eye contact suffice as communication, and somehow they all seem to understand and interpret correctly what one partner is telling another.
Akabane motions to them – it is safe for the moment to come closer, but be on guard – and circles the passenger side of the vehicle. The presence is fresh but not too obvious. Perhaps an hour old, hour and a half at most. Enough time to have gotten away after having done...whatever its owner was planning.
The idea of sabotage makes Maguruma's fist tighten – he's understandably protective about his truck, which he views as more than just his means of gainful employment. He thinks of it almost as a cherished family member. He catches Akabane's eye and the other shakes his head. Tampering doesn't appear to have taken place, although Akabane is not a mechanic and would therefore not swear to such assurance.
The three transporters cautiously surround the truck, inspecting it at all angles to be sure no one has left them any nasty surprises. Nothing is found, however, and they move their search to the interior. Examination reveals nothing inside the cab either. How odd.
Maguruma is first to break the silence. You think maybe Yamamoto's having us watched? Could he be a double agent?
Akabane shakes his head, frowning slightly as he's half in thought. I felt something...someone...nearby, he says. Watching, yes...at least for now.
Lady Poison hasn't recapped her vial. What should we do?
Akabane shrugs. What else can we do but carry on with our job? If there is something afoot it will reveal itself to us in due time.
Indeed, the assignment is carried out without a hitch. It's only after the work has been finished and the trio is on their way back that the surprise is exposed.
It happens when Lady Poison asks Dr. Jackal for a bottle of water from the cooler, which is sitting in the rear of the cab where Akabane usually rides. He lifts the lid to fetch the beverage and his hand stills as he regards the bit of material atop it with an aggrieved flutter of pulse.
The black triangle is hardly the worse for wear ever since that notorious cut was made. In fact, it looks as though it's been well-kept, perhaps sealed in a storage container of some type. A souvenir...a trophy...
A message.
Akabane feels a sudden, surprising flash of anger, which he quickly tamps down before its surge mars his serene expression.
He – they – purposely left it there for him to find.
The steel glint in his eyes now shuttered, Akabane picks up the missing piece of his hat and folds his fingers over it, keeping it hidden from his comrades' sight as he passes the bottled water to Lady Poison. He sits back down and studies the triangular shape in his gloved palm, turning it over a few times between his long fingers before crushing it in his grasp.
It is what he has always suspected would happen someday. Babylon has come back for him.
--
In the wee hours of the night, Akabane is dancing.
As patterns go it's an elegant waltz at the speed of light, elaborate choreography timed to match the steps of his momentary partner. Usually this dance is fraught with enough peril to keep him summarily interested if not excited, but this time it's just bothersome. However, this boredom is a necessary evil if he's to learn why the Observer summoned him for an audience.
Did you like my gift, doctor?
An unusual token of appreciation, no? I wonder what else you have in mind for those you are interested in...
Come back to Babylon and you will see, Kagami says between the glistening flakes of diamond dust he scatters on a lethal breeze.
No, Akabane says as he hurls a barrage of knives at the nearest reflection. There is no longer anything of interest in that place.
You could be a god, Kagami replies, his tone suggestive in a way that brings to mind that of an indulgent parent attempting to bribe a belligerent child.
Akabane laughs at that, a cold, sharp sound. What use have I for godhood, he says, when I lie with one and walk beside another? Your kind are all the same, always have been and will be. I keep nothing that is useless to me. What is useless is boring, and what is boring is fit to be discarded.
Kagami smiles as cuttingly as one of his glass shards. Is that why you have taken up with the Jagan master and the Raitei, and their loyal subjects? They are useful, these...'Get Backers'? What, I wonder, do you think they can 'get back' that you might be missing, dear doctor...?
He flings a handful of mirrors at Akabane. They promptly shape and stretch themselves into carbon copies of their owner, each with the same capabilities as the original source. The clones slice at Akabane who manages to repel them with one swing of his Bloody Sword.
It is not a question of getting back anything. I have all I need. I want for nothing, unlike you in your gilded cage.
It's Kagami's turn to laugh. Ah, but I am open about my desires. Can you honestly say the same for yourself, you with your professed craving for entertainment? Or is it escape that drives you, with such a seemingly insatiable appetite for distraction?
Akabane almost sneers. Such insolence, claiming to be open about his motives when the man is anything but. Small wonder Kagami seems to be universally disliked by both those who know him and those who don't. Jealousy does not suit you, Kagami-kun, he says.
Kagami poses a little, turning this way and that – the better to generate more confusing reflections with his mirroring abilities. It isn't jealousy if it's the truth. What is your truth, Akabane-san?
You will know my truth soon enough, when you lie at my feet in many pieces.
A surprisingly bitter laugh erupts from the other man. Come now, Doctor Jackal. Let us drop all pretenses and be honest with each other for once. We are both men of power, men of keen observation. We wait and keep vigil for what concerns us. Why else would we do so unless there is something in it for us besides mere entertainment? Enjoyment is cheap and easily found...tangible gains are a different matter altogether.
Akabane feels a prickling of distaste and glares at him. What do you stand to gain by this, then?
Kagami smiles, not unpleasantly. More like it's a question of what you might gain. You would know the truth of your power, no?
Akabane stops flinging scalpels long enough to ponder this. He cannot deny that he is very much interested in learning all that his strange abilities can do. It's what first brought him to the Get Backers, after all...
And then there is the matter of the other...
True, I would know how far my strength extends. However, Kagami-kun, I cannot help but feel that your offer of assistance hides ulterior motives. It would be just like you, wouldn't it, to conceal your true objective behind those dazzling mirrors of yours.
You can say that this is so, and that it is not, the Observer replies coolly. But unless you find out for yourself you'll never know, now, will you?
Hmph. Spoken like a true provocateur. But he has to admit, the man has a point...
Kagami smiles slyly as he dodges another scalpel. Take your time. Think about it. I would hate for you to feel forced into a decision. Your glory has yet to ripen...
Akabane starts to say something but in the next instant the form that is the Observer dissolves into sparkling dust as Kagami retreats with his usual lack of proper leave-taking. Polite enough though he might be, the other man's elusiveness remains evident in addition to his penchant for cryptic statements that are as maddening as they are arousing.
A disappointed Akabane sheathes his scalpels, left to walk the shadowy trail of the infinite fortress that whispers temptation all through its forbidding walls.
To know the limits of his own power, at long last...that's been his ideal goal for ages. But lofty ideals are not achieved without hard work and sacrifice, and while he has put in plenty of the former, he wonders, not without some concern, what sort of sacrifice he would have to make in order to have his dream finally within reach.
--
Tuesday
Midou-kun and Akabane are taking a stroll through the park when Dr. Jackal gets a call.
His cell phone is always set to silent vibration instead of a ringtone, lest he disturb any who happen to be in his presence. He feels a buzzing sensation in one pocket and rifles through his coat lining to retrieve it.
I'll go on ahead, Midou-kun says upon noticing the insistent phone. Gonna get one of those sandwiches before they sell out.
Akabane nods and looks at the lighted display while Midou-kun charges off in the direction of the mobile vendor at the far end of the park. The number is one from Mugenjou, of all places. A young male's voice greets him on the other line when he answers.
Makubex-kun has some interesting information to pass on.
Akabane listens closely, eyes slowly traversing the radius of the area as if he's scanning for something – which, in a way, he is. He likes to be aware of his immediate environment at all times as a precautionary measure. And given the news he's receiving this is likely a wise action.
There is a plot under way to kidnap Midou-kun. Makubex-kun doesn't have many details other than that it will involve the retrieval assignment Akabane's lover is scheduled to attend to several days from now. The method the kidnappers will use hasn't been determined but the boy genius believes they will opt for a transport service – one that has yet to be officially named, but certain variables have already been spoken of - to spring the attack, which will culminate in the handover of Midou-kun to the Brain Trust.
Makubex-kun pauses and then adds, I thought you would want to know because of your involvement.
It takes Akabane a few seconds to process the boy's meaning. Time seems to stand still for a heartbeat, like the breath held between lovers before that first kiss. He looks up and sees Midou-kun sitting at a picnic table grinning like the cat that got the cream. He's holding a huge sandwich in his hands and looking like he'll Snakebite anybody that dares ask him for a taste.
Akabane absently thanks Makubex-kun for his information and ends the call.
He blinks, starts walking towards the picnic table as though drawn by an unconscious force. The air has a stale quality to it and he feels like he's just been dropped into a bubble with that phone call, the invisible membrane separating him from reality in a hairsbreadth. And then it's over in the next second when Midou-kun glances up from his food and pops that bubble with a growled, Get your own, Jackal, this one's mine.
He could do it. He knows how to render someone helpless as well as dead. The human body is as incredibly fragile as it is resilient. The full challenge of taking on a man as powerful and dangerous as Midou-kun would bring...indescribable enjoyment, a pleasure that would remain memorable and unsurpassed for a long time.
According to the Observer, this is what he wants...isn't it?
There was a time not long ago when Akabane would have replied unhesitatingly in a manner that left no doubt as to his true desire. But things have changed these last several months and introduced a curious new factor into his life, and now...now he's not so sure what it is that he does want.
How...frustrating, this...weakness.
How...exciting, this...force.
Engaged in his thoughts Akabane is only half-listening to Midou-kun as the other man is suddenly fending off a stray sparrow that has expressed its interest in part of his sandwich. His lover fumes in between impossibly huge bites that that Damned Monkey Trainer must have been granted temporary freedom from his girlfriend's leash and is taking out his frustrations on Midou-kun by sending this reckless bird to taunt him.
Everyone has their dilemmas, it seems.
--
Midou-kun is in the mood for romance, and he proves it by taking Akabane to bed that night. With all that's on his mind the latter isn't really interested at first, but a few touches here, some teasing kisses there – Midou-kun knows just how to play him this way – and soon he's sighing into his lover's embrace, letting him divest him of his clothes and lure him towards their bed. They nuzzle and caress each other with increasing urgency as their passion hits a flashpoint, and Midou-kun swiftly draws him down to the mattress and covers his body with his own.
Akabane finds himself surrendering eagerly as a hot mouth claims his lips and possessive hands slither along his skin, causing him to moan with desire. He never used to find sex particularly noteworthy until he met Midou-kun. For all his supposed cold-bloodedness this is one snake that thrives in the heat. A soft cry echoes in the room as completion coils, constricts and releases throughout his whole being. Midou-kun's husky growl quickly follows on the waning edges of Akabane's voice.
They couple two more times after that, each time sharing the wild ride through that peak and beyond as they clutch at each other. It's like simultaneously falling and rising at once, blood racing with that intense high and spiraling through it at a dizzying rate before floating into blissful relaxation. Midou-kun is especially exciting when he's serious in bed.
At last when they both lie sated and spent, limbs and bodies tangled together in a sweaty embrace, Midou-kun thinks to ask him what he's been so preoccupied with lately.
Akabane hesitates. He knows Midou-kun will see through a lie instantly, but he doesn't want to tell him the whole truth either. Therefore the best story is one that's a mixture of both honesty and deceit. Makubex-kun called, he says calmly. He wanted some contact information on a protection service I have dealt with before.
Midou-kun seems to accept this, as he stretches comfortably and yawns. Wonder what computer-boy's up to now. He didn't ask for the Mirokus, I hope.
No, I don't believe that Natsuhiko-kun and his siblings are involved.
Good. Last thing I need with this job coming up is to worry about whether or not the merry gang of seven is gonna crawl up my ass when I'm not expecting it. Yukihiko's all right, but Natsuhiko doesn't fuck around with business, lemme tell you.
Akabane smiles, having seen that man in action once before. Yes, the Mirokus are certainly formidable. You know I'd like to meet with them someday, don't you?
Ha. They'd eat your balls for breakfast, Jackal.
Maybe. Maybe not. Fighting one opponent is nice, but don't you think it would be even more entertaining to duel with seven at the same time?
Midou-kun laughs and ruffles his lover's hair. You really are a glutton for punishment, aren't you?
I just like to have fun, that's all.
Midou-kun pounces on him, teeth nipping playfully at his neck. I'll show you fun.
Akabane promptly forgets all about Makubex-kun's call.
--
Wednesday
The next day brings no ease in Akabane's state of mind. He tries to dwell on other things, like a possible job one of his regular mediators – not Hevn-san, incidentally – is thinking of offering him, but he continues to find himself musing over Kagami's invitation and what Makubex-kun told him. If someone is going to the trouble of delivering Midou-kun to the City, it must be an interesting plan, one that will surely involve intense fighting on both parties' sides.
Yet the thought of these specters swooping down from their hawk's nest to spirit his lover away doesn't sit well with Akabane. He feels strangely...unsettled, despite the high prospects for bloodshed. If Babylon wants Midou-kun it can't be for any pleasant purpose, this much he senses.
With this in mind Akabane decides to pay one of his cohorts a visit. Most people might be reluctant to seek advice from a sixteen-year-old girl, but he has learned that wise counsel can be found in the oddest of places, and Himiko-san is unusually perceptive for one her age. Not only that, but she is a worthy partner in crime, and will have connections that could come in useful.
He finds her at the small abandoned warehouse she has turned into an apartment, in the garage area she calls her workshop. This is where she stores her vehicles – the motorcycle she favors and a vintage automobile she claims once belonged to her deceased brother. It's also the place where she concocts her fragrances, the mysterious and often dangerous poison perfumes she uses as her primary weapons. Today the air is fraught with spices and bubbling liquids in addition to the scents of engine oil and exhaust fumes. Himiko-san is replenishing her stores.
She nods at him as she comes to let him inside the garage, and then into the sealed room she restricts her perfume brewery to. It's getting harder to track you, Jackal, she says by way of greeting.
Oh? He smiles politely at her as she indicates a seat nearby.
You don't smell so much of blood like you used to, she replies.
Interesting, that. But not so surprising – the mistress of scents can ably distinguish odors she regularly comes into contact with, as befits her formidable skills. Akabane just smiles and sits primly in the scuffed plastic chair, settling himself to watch Lady Poison at work.
They spend several minutes in companionable silence, both knowing that this is not just a social call, but that one will not speak until the words are ready to be shared. Finally Himiko-san takes the initiative. I assume you aren't here to discuss a new mission.
Akabane watches her as she measures out spoonfuls of a grainy ingredient. Not unless you know of one at hand, he answers.
It's been quiet this last week, she says.
Perhaps not so this upcoming weekend. Akabane tells her about Makubex-kun's call and she listens, saying nothing as she tends the currently-cooking recipes and measures and fills more ingredients for various other perfumes.
When he is through Himiko-san turns around and folds her arms across her chest, giving him a cool appraisal. I don't see what your problem is, Jackal.
Akabane frowns slightly. Isn't it obvious?
Heh. Ban can take care of himself. Anyone coming at him with felonious intent from a hundred yards away will get Snakebitten or Jaganed in an instant.
Perhaps. Akabane's eyes wander towards the window where the daylight streams in. He thinks otherwise - experience has taught him to beware unusual activity from the upper echelons of Babylon. The Trust can be exceedingly dangerous when they want something. Witness what they began in order to silence Makubex-kun, for instance...
That gives her pause. Though she did not deal directly with some of its members, she remembers well how close a shave their last major trip to Mugenjou was. Still, she straightens her shoulders and insists, From what I understand, they don't usually leave that place, and when they do they don't venture any further than the boundaries of Mugenjou. They'd have to send outsiders to do it, and the people they hire will likely be common thugs. Not much of a stretch for either Ban or Ginji to take down in a fight.
Akabane mulls this over while he studies his sometime work partner carefully. I imagine that in this case they'll want someone more...professional. Someone who can match the Get Backers in strength and speed and cunning. He purposely pauses before saying, Someone like Dr. Jackal.
To her credit Himiko-san doesn't blanch at that possibility. She keeps her gaze even while she asks, Wouldn't that be a conflict of interests?
Akabane doesn't answer at first. He looks down at the floor, watching his toe draw steady lines across the tile. It depends on what the interest at stake is, he finally says, brushing aside the niggling doubt that tugs at the inside of his chest.
I see. There's a long stretch of silence before she says anything else. I guess it all depends then on what your interest is.
She scuffs her heel on the floor and recrosses her arms. Anyway, worst-case scenario aside, even if someone does make an attempt on Ban, they'll have to go through you first, won't they?
Despite his somber outlook Akabane smiles, but it's only a flicker. Midou-kun does not like it when I do that, he responds.
She looks at him for a while, her expressive eyes – a lovely blend of bluish-green and purple – trying to categorize him the way she analyzes her perfume mixtures. You really have changed, haven't you? she says slowly, a kind of faint wonder in her tone.
Curious, Akabane tilts his head. Changed? He considers this and decides it has some merit. He wonders if this is supposed to be a good thing, an enjoyable thing. It doesn't feel unpleasant, at least...
Before, you wouldn't have cared what others thought. Himiko-san looks wary, but a tiny quirk of her lips suggests that she is pleased by this development, even if she is concerned that it is too good to be true.
Akabane isn't sure whether to feel oddly pleased that she approves, or insulted that she is insinuating that he has fallen victim to a weakness he prefers not to think of. Do not think that I lack the will to do what must be done, he cautions her, letting a scalpel slide partway through his fingers for emphasis.
Oh, I never doubted that for a second, she replies wryly, turning back to her workbench.
Akabane replaces his knife and stews quietly in his thoughts. What to do...what to do... He doesn't like the idea of handing his lover over to Babylon as part of a transporting assignment, but the temptation of a truly glorious fight – for Midou-kun will almost certainly not go as a willing captive if indeed Dr. Jackal is the one hired for the job – is terribly enticing...
Kagami-kun says that I could learn my truth if I were to accept such a mission, he murmurs offhandedly.
Himiko-san's tone takes on a mild but definite chill when she answers him. You'd believe anything that arrogant spy tells you?
Akabane frowns again. The man is not immediately forthcoming with his intentions, but he has no cause to lie outright to me...
He doesn't have to lie. All it takes is the right twist of words to reflect how he wants someone to react. He's a born manipulator – all anyone ever receives from his glass are distortions.
You sound as though you speak from quite a bit of experience, Himiko-san.
She bows her head and briefly stills her actions. He knows what he pretends not to, she answers slowly, something in her voice hinting that this goes into a more personal nature than she would prefer. His name is as his weapons...but what that man most reminds me of is a spider. He spins his shining web, and then retreats to his watcher's roost. He leaves threads in his wake for others to follow, and they don't realize how blinding that glitter is until he appears from nowhere and sinks his fangs into them.
An elegant brow arches above a purple eye. A most interesting summary, I must admit, Himiko-san.
The muted hiss of steam and gurgling bubbles from a nearby beaker fill the silence that follows, and the rhythm seems to carry a lone portent best left unspoken of:
voodoo
Akabane's frown and doubt deepen the more he thinks on Himiko-san's words. He is reminded of something the Professor once said, that the Brain Trust is only one of the factions, albeit a fractured one, involved in the power struggle for Babylon and Mugenjou. Allies are of paramount importance and loyalties are thus concealed...though Kagami professes to have no other interest save that of idle observance, though he has dangled intriguing tidbits before Dr. Jackal like bait to a shark, he is known to keep his own fascinations, one of which Akabane is currently speaking with.
And let not this damning trivia be forgotten: Kagami also happens to be a member of that very group which once sought to quell Makubex-kun's rebellion, which now seeks to eliminate Midou-kun, Akabane's lover...
...Midou-kun, who has brought him a unique pleasure he has never known before, one that he has become inexplicably addicted to and now cannot imagine going without, because it's so...interesting...
In a bowl, Himiko-san grinds a red powder into fine dust. She says, I don't know what Kagami's game is, Akabane, but I do know that I wouldn't trust that man any further than I could throw him. She pauses, and adds with a sigh, But you'll do as you will, I suppose. You always have...
Details crystallize in Akabane's mind at that moment, and he looks up with a strange amethyst spark in his eyes. Yes, he thinks to himself, I certainly will.
Himiko-san turns to reach for another container and accidentally brushes her elbow against a row of bottled perfumes, sending several of them toppling over. Dammit!
One of the little vials is rolling across the table towards the edge. Akabane is up from his seat in an instant and catches it before it can tumble off the surface.
Himiko-san is visibly relieved. Thanks, Jackal.
He takes a closer look at the bottle he's righted. Small wonder she's grateful for his assistance. It's one of her deadlier perfumes, the erosion scent. This is a newer version, one that acts faster with longer-lasting results. It instantly corrupts and destroys anything its fragrance and liquid come into contact with, so acidic is its poison.
An idea begins to form in Akabane's mind. He turns the stoppered vial over in his fingers, regarding its shimmering contents thoughtfully. Will this work on anything? he asks.
As far as I know, Himiko-san replies as she finishes picking up the rest of the bottles that were knocked over.
What about weapons?
She gives him a suspicious look but is kind enough to answer his question. I know there's at least one type of alloy that it doesn't seem to have much of an effect on but other than that it's very effective at ruining almost any weapon or material exposed to it.
I see. How fascinating. What sort of matter is hardy enough to withstand this perfume?
Planning on a fight, are you? Himiko-san says dryly. But she names the substance for his benefit anyway.
Still studying the bottle of poison in his fingers Akabane smiles, a calculating expression that sends chills down the spines of those who see it. I wonder, Himiko-san, if you would permit me this one indulgence. And by the way, might you also happen to have a phone number still in your possession...?
--
Friday
Late afternoon swells upon the city in a swirl of grey haze. It's been raining off and on during the week and the humidity hangs heavily in the air. Although annoying, this discomfort ultimately makes no difference to Akabane – rain or shine, he never fails to show up for a job when he has accepted one.
Neither does his driver, Mr. No-Brakes, who pulls up at the outer edges of Mugenjou precisely at the arranged time. He parks the truck and looks at his passengers. Should I wait here or do we meet elsewhere? he asks.
I would appreciate it if you'd wait. This shouldn't take long, Akabane assures him. He looks to the other person with them, at the case she's brought along.
She smiles and inclines her head in a slight nod. Everything is prepared as you requested, Dr. Jackal.
Thank you. Truly, it was most kind of you to agree to accommodate me on such short notice.
No trouble at all. It has been a most enjoyable creation, this latest masterpiece. Spiraling curls wreathe a petite face in a soft cloud of silver as she directs a startlingly green gaze towards the ominous towers ahead of them. If what you have told me is true, then this ought to be a very rewarding work of art indeed.
Indeed. Akabane smiles and accepts the case the woman hands to him. He adjusts his hat with his free hand and exits the truck with a squaring of shoulders.
It's time to go and have some fun.
--
Navigating Mugenjou's labyrinth is no easy feat, even for one such as Dr. Jackal. The networks of passages and living spaces change almost on an overnight basis, what with the two worlds repeatedly colliding, and if it isn't arcane doings then it's because battle-oriented makeovers have altered the landscapes. Since the inception of Makubex-kun's new Volts the violence in Lower Town has significantly decreased, but the boy in spite of all his wizardry is still no invincible ruler, and when Babylon isn't instigating trouble rumor has it that the Beltline is cultivating fresh mischief.
Even so Akabane makes do, knowing full well that his every move is being tracked, as it has been from the moment he set foot on no-man's-land. He expects a welcoming committee to appear at any time, and despite his practiced coolness a scalpel occasionally pokes its tip through his fingers and has to be returned to its resting place.
Fortunately he doesn't have long to wait before the boredom becomes tedious. A tiny twinkling of diamonds in the air is all the warning he has before a figure solidifies at his back. Well, well. I hadn't thought you'd return so soon, doctor.
Akabane says nothing and keeps walking. Midou-kun taught him that in this sort of situation the rule of a master predator is to always let the prey make the first, and thus fatal, move.
A hint of razor-like smile curls the mirror-master's lips. Hey, it's rude to ignore somebody when they're talking to you, he says, right before taking a swipe with his glass shard.
It hits across the upper torso and cuts cleanly through. Kagami chuckles, a smug sound that tapers off when he realizes something isn't right: though the body is now sagging to the floor there is no spray of blood to accompany the wound dealt to it. Before his eyes material frays and disintegrates, leaving behind only a black trenchcoat and hat over a pile of clay rubble.
Oh, to have a camera handy to record this moment! Kagami's look is priceless. Akabane emerges from his cocoon of shadows and looks with delight at the crumbled shell of his duplicate. Clayman-san has done her work well. Lovely, isn't it?
An illusion...? But the aura I detected was yours...what I sensed...!
He turns but not fast enough. The Observer gets his blood all right, but not the way he was expecting to. A crack and a thud and Kagami goes down hard on his knees as Akabane pauses for just a second to admire the smear of red on his fist before attacking again. He plants a solid kick in the other man's abdomen that sends him tumbling across the floor, gasping in pain.
Get up. Fight me.
Now!?
I'll wait, Akabane says with a grim smile.
Kagami is pressing both hands to his face, groaning loudly. You broke my nose!
Good, then maybe you'll think twice before sticking it into places it doesn't belong. Have you no manners at all?
Kagami struggles to his feet, glaring daggers at Akabane. That's awfully smug criticism coming from someone who makes his living chopping people up with knives.
Ah, but that is business, Kagami-kun. Amethyst eyes harden ever so slightly. This is personal. With that he delivers a punishing blow to the Observer's jaw.
Kagami grunts from the force but he hasn't time to dwell on it, because attacks are raining down upon him faster than he can generate enough glass to repel them. The bloodied mirror master stumbles, trying to avoid another blow. He chokes as the pain of it hits an already opened wound. Since when did you become a pugilist?!
Since I've decided that you are boring to me, Akabane says flippantly, and spins again while driving a boot straight into Kagami's knee. The sickening crunch is promptly drowned out by the other man's scream.
However, your blood does make quite a pleasing arrangement once it's been spilled on that white suit of yours. I do hope you know a good dry cleaner. Akabane smiles coldly down at his writhing opponent.
The last time we met in battle you ran away from me. I do not care for a repeat of such rudeness.
Fury mottles Kagami's otherwise handsome face. I wasn't being rude, only prudent. Surely a professional like yourself would understand that. He suddenly lifts a hand bristling with mirror shards, but a scalpel hurtling through the air pins his palm to the floor before the glass is released. Kagami howls.
You speak such sweetness just before you attempt to sting me with your venom. Do not think I will fall for your duplicity a second time, Kagami-kun.
You don't realize what a mistake you're making. You could have finally had the answers within your grasp...could've had power beyond your wildest imagined dreams...
Power has its price, Kagami-kun. I daresay the tithe your masters would demand is more than I am prepared to part with. Akabane retrieves his knife and picks the injured Observer up by his shirt collar, dragging him to a standing position against the wall where he promptly nails Kagami in place with a series of scalpels.
No J in the back for me?
He'll give the man this much credit, he's gutsy in the face of death. Akabane stares at him. No, Kagami-kun. Not this time, he says, emphasizing the second word. However...
A streak of light in the darkness and the scalpel exits and rises in Dr. Jackal's hand. Kagami's eyes widen and his nose twitches as he catches a blistering scent wafting from the new blade's tip. It took Akabane quite a bit of experimentation and switching out of weaponry, but eventually he figured out a way to merge the special alloy Himiko-san told him of with her improved erosion perfume. Now that both have been combined with his blood he has a rather interesting weapon to play with, and how fortunate it is for Kagami that he will be the first one to help him try it out.
I know that you like to watch, and that is perfectly understandable. But there is a fine line between voyeurism and interference, one that you have crossed too many times, Kagami-kun. Let this be a lesson to you – to them - to refrain from bothering my interests in the future. I will not be as lenient should any of you choose to annoy me again.
Blood bubbles, oozes through the burn as the knife sizzles through air and into flesh as perfect as clear glass. Kagami's screams echo off the walls. Luckily for him he prefers wearing his hair on the longish side, so enduring curious stares probably won't be a serious problem for him.
Akabane recalls the acid-tipped scalpel, as well as its cousins holding his prey to the wall, and the marked Observer drops to the floor as the good doctor imparts a bit of friendly advice. You may wish to consider forgoing earrings until it stops bleeding, Kagami-kun. Though I'm told that the poison's aftereffects last for quite some time...
Kagami glares up at him, fists clenched to keep from grasping at the red that's seeping down his neck from the permanent J tattooed on his right ear. He knows without being told that if he touches it with his bare fingers the erosion will spread.
Akabane smiles, pleased with his work. He picks up his trenchcoat and hat and dons them once more, making a mental note to add a generous gratuity to Clayman-san's bill for the fine job she has done in sculpting his twin. He spares his bloody victim a parting look as he turns to take his leave.
One more thing. Stay away from Himiko-san. You are an unfit consort for her.
Kagami hisses lowly, silken sibilance thrumming in its deadly promise. You bastard! As if you have any room to judge people!
Akabane continues to walk away, the insult rolling off of his black-clad form as smoothly as water from a duck's back. Goodbye, Kagami-kun. I trust we won't need to have this conversation again.
--
It's still early enough for dinner to be ready by the time Akabane returns home, having been dropped off by Maguruma after they deposited Clayman-san at her art gallery on the way back. Coming inside the apartment he smells tomato sauce and garlic – Midou-kun is cooking. Contrary to popular belief he is capable of putting together decent meals; he'd just rather eat them than prepare them.
Akabane pauses by the entrance to the kitchen after hanging up his coat and hat, standing silently to watch his lover fix supper, which consists of pasta and breadsticks. Midou-kun apparently has a taste for Italian tonight.
I didn't kill anyone today, he offers, somewhat impulsively. He's not sure why it's important that he volunteer this information rather than be asked for it. He just knows that something inside him is prompting him to, and he is not one for ignoring his instincts.
Midou-kun sets down the colander he's holding and looks at him, those fathomless blue eyes revealing a rare placidity. I know, he says simply.
He comes over and kisses Akabane's lips, and smiles. Go get the cheese grater for me, wouldja Jackal? he says cheerfully. This stuff's hot and ready to go.
Akabane does as he asks, resisting the sudden bewildering urge to wrap his arms around his lover and hold him close for a moment. This sensation is utterly new to him...he's never experienced anything like it before, and it confuses him. Frightens him, even. But it's inexplicably attractive to him as well, in a thousand different ways, and that overriding fascination is what compels him to choose this path.
He still isn't sure what it is that he feels for Midou-kun.
He just knows he doesn't want him to fall by anyone's doing. Not even his own.
He told Midou-kun the truth. On this day, he has not killed. He looks at his lover, studying him as the other man hums a piece of violin music under his breath while he's pouring the wine they will share.
For you, I would have, Akabane thinks to himself.
Dinner is hot and very, very good.