Gonna slowly upload all my TaiBani fics here let's see how that goes.
The day before Kotetsu plans on moving back home, to be closer to Kaede and his mother, for the time being, something strange happens. He's taking a walk, just a final one while everyone else settles their new contracts after everything went down. Barnaby promising one day there would be a spot for Kotetsu too…
But it's alright, he thinks. He doesn't need to be a superhero anymore, he can just be a hero. He'll help people however he can. In whatever little way he can. Starting with that small countryside town.
Then, the strange thing happens. He finds Lunatic - Yuri Petrov may be the correct name when he can see his face, actually. Finds him, somehow alive (though barely hanging in there). Rain drizzles down on both of them as Kotetsu stops in front of him.
"Oh," he says, quietly. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."
Yuri just looks up at him and then looks away. Kotetsu decides against trying to force him to say anything. Instead, he bends down and picks him up. Yuri tenses in his arms, but he doesn't stop - not when he's like this.
Running home with a criminal that vanished as far as everyone but he and Barnaby know is a bit scary, but he makes it. Places him on the couch, surrounded by piles of boxes for the move. He rummages around for his first aide kit.
When he finds it, he makes it back to the ex-justice (ex-vigilante? both?) and gets to work. Cleaning the wounds and covering any that seem like they still could bleed. He grimaces at how many seemed to have been cauterized with Yuri's powers.
"There we go," he says, smiling up at him. "About as close to as good as new as we can get. Might be a bit harder to hide who you are, but let me see what I can find…"
"Hide who I am?" Yuri asks, his voice croaks with dissuse. "What for?"
"You need healing," Kotetsu says and he doesn't just mean physically. "If you went to jail like this, you'd be spit up and chewed out. That's not what you need."
"Then what do I need?" He almost seems to be testing Kotetsu.
"Well," he replies. "I'm heading out to the countryside to live with my family. I think my mom and little girl could help whip you into shape."
Help him heal, too. See a family that isn't totally falling apart. See fathers who don't hurt their children. See a mother who wasn't hurt - isn't hurt. See a family that has a future, one his family didn't have.
Maybe a family he could become an honorary part of, if he was on his best behavior. Kotetsu holds in a snort over that idea. It would probably not be taken well, at least not as things were right now. He didn't want to make this any harder on Yuri than it surely was already.
Soon he's back. An outfit and face mask and hat and even some sunglasses. Maybe overkill, but you could never be too careful if they wanna hide who Yuri is until they get there. Out there, they'll know of Lunatic, but not Yuri Petrov.
A fresh start, Kotetsu thinks he could use that.
"You'll have to force me to wear all that," Yuri says, making a face.
Kotetsu lets out a sigh, places his hands on his hips. "Alright, then. After a good night's sleep I will."
"I should have expected you to reply like that."
It had been a mess this morning, but they were on their way now. Kotetsu glances at Yuri through the rearview mirror - he had clearly not wanted to sit next to him in the car - before looking back to the road. Should only be another hour or two…
Thank goodness he had decided against taking the train. Having a car out in the countryside would be useful, anyway.
"I wonder what kinda face Kaede will make when she saw the gift I got her," Kotetsu chuckles. "I know she love's autographs from Bunny, but this time I got her autographs from everyone !"
Oh, she's gonna be so excited, Kotetsu is sure of it. It was a limited time poster they all signed, too. A last present to get her with his connections… Of course, they're all friends so he could just ask them about more… But a piece of him would feel weird doing that.
Maybe he would ask Barnaby to visit, eventually. When he figures out how to break the news about Yuri still being alive to him. He wonders if he'll be worried or happy or both. Neither had been happy to see him try to burn himself alive…
Kotetsu taps his fingers against the wheel. He frowns and tries to focus on the road, rather than the last goodbye with Lunatic. Now Yuri is here and he's alive. Burned in places, broken in others, but alive. Things can only go up from here.
That's what he tells himself over and over through the journey. Tells himself that as they pull up at his mom's place. He steps out and opens the door for Yuri. He stares at him for a moment, then gets out.
"You'll love them, I promise!" Kotetsu says, giving him a big grin.
"We'll see about that," Yuri says, and he looks away again.
He opens his mouth to say something else, but the time for that passes quickly.
"Dad!" Kaede comes running around the car, throwing herself around it. "You're here- oh? Who's your friend?"
"Oh, this is Yuri! He needed to get away from the city, sweetie!" Kotetsu says, not a total lie. "Now come give daddy a hug!"
"No way!" Kaede moves out of the way. "I'm way too old for that, Dad! Give it up, already!"
"Not even after I lost my NEXT powers?" Kotetsu pouts. "You're so mean, Kaede!"
"And you're so dorky!" She shoots back, sticking her tongue out before turning to Yuri and holding out a hand. "I'm Kaede Kaburagi! Nice to meet you!"
Yuri pauses for a moment, and Kotetsu swallows hard. "H-hey, no need to shake his hand, honey!"
"Why not?" She looks at him with a frown. "It's only polite!"
"Trust me, honey, there's no-"
"You're a NEXT," Yuri starts. "Who copies the abilities of other NEXT by touching them. My ability is much too dangerous to risk that, I apologize."
"Oh!" Kaede shoots Kotetsu a look that says why didn't you just tell me, then nods. "I'm sorry for being rude, then! We should get my dad's stuff inside instead, then. Grandma's excited to see him too!"
"Where's Muramasa?" Kotetsu asked.
"At work, duh. He said he'll bring Aunt Monica and the kids over after to see you, though," Kaede says. "Now come on! Grandma is waiting!"
