The Thin Line Between Truth and Trust
: -: -: -: -: -:
It was dim. Outside the dull storm continued. The occasional
branch of lightening would stretch lazily across the sky only to disappear
again.
She sat alone in the dim and hazy room, annoyed with herself
as she lit yet another cigarette. It must have been the fifth one she lit in
that hour.
Disgusted, she inhaled once again before finally putting it
out and standing up. Brushing off her pantsuit she sighed, which instantly
turned into a racking cough.
Almost instinctively she went over to the radio, not having
any reason not to do so; she didn't have any other business to attend to
at the moment.
"…Sources say that they are closing in on the Heroin
Madame."
Fuming, she switched the station.
"…Weathers getting pretty bad out there. Careful, drivers…"
She smirked at this. "So what? By this prediction it should
be getting lighter out. Maybe snow?" She listened a few minutes more to the
station.
"…That alignment will be coming up soon…"
"Idiots," She remarked acidly, now actively flipping the
stations looking for something pleasurable. Hearing something she liked, she
stopped and started singing along in her hoarse voice.
Discomfort, endlessly has pulled itself upon me
Distracting, reacting
Against my will I stand beside my own reflection
It's haunting how I can't seem...
To find myself again
my walls are closing in
(Without a sense of confidence I'm convinced that there's just too much
pressure to take)
I've felt this way before
so insecure
Crawling in my skin
these wounds, they will not heal
Fear is how I fall
Confusing what is real
"How true it all
is…" She shook her head. "Damn you Tai, damn you…"
And she waited by the radio, glancing occasionally to the
closed door. 'If only…'
Koushiro came back into the room after checking over his
security systems. Everything seemed to be in order. Mimi was leaning back on
the sofa, lost in her thoughts.
Koushiro poured Mimi another cup of tea. "You all right?"
"I'm fine, Izzy, just wondering why Takeru had to rush off
like that," She sighed. "Actually, it's getting late. I better go. I'll call a
cab. This is silly."
"I don't think it's wise for you to leave," Koushiro said
thoughtfully, but he wasn't looking at her as he spoke, having other thoughts
on his mind. "Wait for Angel. He'll be back. In the meantime, if you're tired
you can take another nap, if you want."
"Well…if you say so." Mimi replied, smiling a little. Of
course she could trust Koushiro's opinion. Even though something was nagging at
her about Takeru, she decided not to ask any more questions and just let the
situation lay.
Koushiro laughed. "Well, I do say so. No one knows you're
here right now."
"Thanks," She nodded. "You've been so kind."
He shrugged. "I usually don't have company."
"And yet you've always striven to be alone. All you ever
needed was that laptop." Mimi said softly, memories of the past drifting back
to her. How many years ago now was it? Eighteen? And how many years since any
of them had actually connected?
Koushiro gave her a small, slight smile. "I suppose. But it
has been lonely, even though I've been tempted at times," He sighed, and leaned
back. "When Tai dumped Sora, I wanted to be the one to wipe her tears. But she
became cold, and so I stayed silent."
Mimi's eyes widened. "But you should tell her! She seems
such a bitter mess. Why let her think that she has nothing?"
He shook his head. "Times are different and it's too late
now. She had a second chance and look what happened to her." The overtones of
his voice depicted a certain sadness.
"Maybe it would be better for the both of you." Mimi tried
again, but again Koushiro shook his head.
"No. Definitely not. I'm a mark, and I don't want anyone
getting too close to me. It's too late. Unless somehow this all gets resolved,
but for now, it's about living day to day. How to get by without not giving up
too much."
Mimi's smile faded, and in the hanging silence slipped out
of the room. Koushiro glanced down at his wristwatch and glanced at the time.
"Well, back to work."
As he started into the study, he thought he heard a noise,
but ignored it, and continued in, closing the door behind him. He went to his
desk and sat down, massaging his temples with his fingers.
"Dear lord," he muttered. "How do I get out of this?"
A few moments seemed to pass by before another crash sounded
from the other room, followed by a shriek, causing him to jump up in alarm.
"Mimi? You okay?"
Silence answered him. He quickly walked over to the door and
opened it. "Mi-" He began, but cut short when he realized that he was standing
face to face with his mortal enemy.
"Nice of you to greet me, Izzy. I was wondering where
you were."
"How did you get in?" Koushiro gasped as their eyes, coals
kindled by flame met each other and he flinched.
"Didn't think I'd be back, did you," His visitor said
coolly, pushing his way into the study.
"How the hell did you get in?" Koushiro snapped,
pushing him back.
"What makes you think I'd tell you?" Sarcastic reply.
"And to think, you used to be one of my best friends…"
Koushiro mused briefly in his anger, before knocking him down and pinning him
to the floor, where they fell for a few moments in a fury of fists before
Koushiro had the advantage and pinned him down. "And then you broke the woman I
loved so badly that she can't love anyone. I don't know what happened to you,
Tai, but you're really a psychotic bastard, and you know it."
"I didn't come here to reminisce about old times." He
replied airily.
"The hell you didn't. What do you want?"
"You know what I'm here for. Your information." Taichi
glanced towards the computer set up.
"No," Koushiro said forcefully. "The buck stops here. I'm
not giving you anything."
Taichi, noticing that he had let his guard down, quickly
grabbed him by the shirt collar, still being a good few inches taller, pushed
him off and then lifted and pinned him against the wall. "Don't try to be cute
by refusing me. Now, I don't care how long it takes for you to put it on a
disk. Do it. NOW."
"No Tai. I won't." Koushiro's eyes burst into flame as he
attempted to attack, and at hearing the familiar words, a small, bemused grin
appeared on Tai's features.
"What's that? You won't? Hah!" He punched Koushiro in the
gut and then dropped him to the floor and took out a disk. "I'm going to get
it, whether you'll help me or not."
Koushiro, breathing heavily, jumped back up. "You're not
going to take me out that easily."
Taichi stuck the disk in the computer; then whirled back
around. "Do you need a little more…persuasion?"
"You can kill me. I'd die before helping you any
further," Koushiro hissed. "And then…you'd have nothing."
Taichi laughed, to Koushiro's surprise. "I'm sorry to
disappoint you. I can't kill you. Not yet. But soon, you'll get your wish. But
there are other ways of getting you to cooperate."
"Oh really?" Koushiro snapped. "I just gave you ample
opportunity to just end my existence as it is. What else is there?"
Taichi just smiled. "Wouldn't you love to know?"
The silence seemed to last for hours, though it only had
been minutes. Takeru had stopped speaking, as he seemed to reminisce again,
wondering just what was going on behind his companion's velvety brown eyes.
As the wine passed his lips he stared at his companion,
almost lazily in this thought.
"Kari, don't you wish that we could go back?"
She put her own glass down and looked at him, raising an
eyebrow in her sudden surprise. "Go back? What do you mean?"
"You know…go back…change things. Things weren't meant to be
this way."
The surprised eyebrow returned to it's normal position, the
voice now dripping with concern. "You're in bad shape. Something's on your
mind, what is it? You used to be able to tell me everything, Angel."
"I know, Kari."
"What's on your mind?" She asked, touching his arm.
He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed, running over the
previous events in his mind. Mimi had seemed so adamant about not trusting
Kari, but she was Kari. They had been through more than enough together, and
for Kari to be untrustworthy just seemed insane. He knew that he could trust
Koushiro, but…
"Just thinking, really. About everything that's going on,
why nothing seems to be fitting into place." He said.
"Oh."
He wondered if that 'oh' was a disappointed tone. "Kari…I
have to ask you something."
"What is it?"
"It's, probably nothing, but…" He took a deep breath. "Were
you with Tai recently?"
She stared down into her glass, suddenly fascinated by it,
twirling it with a straw. It took her a moment before answering. "Yes. I wanted
to talk to you about that. How do you know?"
"Oh it's – just tell me why you were talking with him."
"He wanted to see me. Wanted to try and win my loyalty away
from you. But he betrayed us, Angel. Betrayed us all. I told him that I wanted
nothing to do with any of it."
"So you weren't-"
Hikari looked straight into his face. "I want nothing
to do with him. Nothing. Sometimes I even want him dead, and I know that's
wrong, him being my brother and all, but…" She sighed deeply, and he put his
arm out to comfort her.
"I'm sorry," Takeru said, looking down. The thoughts were
attacking him now, rapidly hitting him. Mimi. Hikari. Taichi. Koushiro. Taichi
was against them. That he knew was a solid fact. But was Mimi misreading the
situation or was Kari some kind of a…
"Angel. TK. we've been through so much," Hikari said, wiping
her eyes. "It's hard to believe. But we still have each other, right?"
"Of course we do." Takeru said.
"Angel, do you trust me?" Hikari's voice wavered.
Takeru pondered his answer; then responded.
"Yes."
Hikari seemed to relax, but Takeru couldn't be sure. Maybe
she was telling the truth, and she was the same girl from all those years ago
who called him her guardian angel, and they were the same as two lost kids in
the big wide world.
"Do you miss them, Kari?"
And she knew what he was talking about. "I always have,
Angel. Since the day we set them free, eighteen years ago. They were our
guardian angels, and now I have…you."
Takeru let her rest her head on his shoulder and he
breathed, blinking, then wondering if he did in fact trust her. But he couldn't
not trust her. Maybe Hikari still did love him…she certainly was showing
enough emotion for it. And she loved him…for being him. Not for looking like
someone who in all probability would never set foot on the earth again.
And he took in the fresh scent of her cinnamon scented hair
and kissed her.
"What are you talking about?" Koushiro was shaking.
Something didn't seem right about…any of this. Taichi seemed to be positively
enjoying himself.
"Have you already forgotten your houseguest?" Taichi
smirked, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out a gun, while stepping
back to the doorway.
"What have you done to Mimi?"
"Oh she's fine." Tai left the room, and Koushiro bounded
after him.
"Mimi!" Koushiro gasped in horror.
Mimi was tied up and lying on the floor, her long amber hair
now out of place and messy. There was a gag tied tightly around her mouth as
she struggled to get it off.
Taichi kicked her and whirled around to face Koushiro,
smirking. "It won't guarantee her life, will it? She's expendable, Izzy. You
aren't."
Taichi turned back around and fired his gun in Mimi's
direction, missing her barely, and Koushiro tried to tackle him. He smirked,
and threw Koushiro to the ground.
"Don't be stupid."
"Mimi has nothing to do with this. Leave her out of it. This
is between you and me, Tai."
"Not necessarily," Taichi put his foot on Koushiro's chest.
"You never were the fighter."
Koushiro smiled. "Actually, I was preparing for this." He
knocked him down and the two of them fell in a fit of fists and frenzy. Taichi
struck Koushiro in the mouth, causing blood to spurt out. Koushiro reacted
quickly by breaking Taichi's nose, and trying to wrestle for the gun.
"You have practiced." Taichi's voice sounded almost
admirable. Koushiro was choking on his blood as he struggled, but his face was
set and determined. The gun went spiraling out of Taichi's grip as the two of
them separated. Seeing this, Koushiro broke away and raced for it. Taichi
knocked him down and got there first, and the struggle began again.
Mimi struggled to untie herself, finally loosening the gag.
"Izzy! It isn't worth it!"
"Shut up!" Another shot fired in her direction hitting
directly above her head.
Koushiro grabbed the gun as the two men panted for breath.
Taichi fell back on the floor, breathing heavily, wiping the
blood from his face, glaring at Koushiro.
"Well now, we're in an interesting position now, aren't we?"
Koushiro said ponderously, circling him. His fist was covered in blood, his own
and Taichi's.
Taichi smirked. "Sure."
"I could rid the world of one bastard. How many others are
out there? How many? How many lives have been destroyed?"
Taichi rolled his eyes. "Do you really think that you
can take a life, Izzy, you of all people? No, no, you are incapable of
it. All you had to do was keep yourself invested in the big picture, helping me
out as quietly as you could. That big alignment coming up – you don't want to
know what happens if we miss it, do you, if we don't have the correct
information? Do you really think; that if I fail now, you would have
saved Earth?"
'Well," Koushiro said bitterly, "I'll be doing it a favor.
Earth's greatest hero turned into its greatest enemy. We were all such friends,
Tai. Before the big split, you, and me… and Matt."
"Wasn't just me." Taichi smiled, his voice still eerily
calm. "Go on. Shoot me. Kill me. Let's see just how you are when I'm not here
to protect you."
"Whuh-what?" Koushiro was startled for a moment.
Taichi stood up. "That's right. Protect you. I can't
explain it now. But there are others, with very good reason; who want you dead
and out of the picture. Your brains may be saving you – for now."
"I don't see what you have to do with it!" He yelled,
keeping the gun poised.
"There is so much that you don't know."
Mimi slowly undid the ropes around her feet, watching the
conversation with wide eyes. Just shoot him already, Izzy, just
please, do it. She thought, praying more internally. But wait, Matt, what
about-
At that precise moment, a thunderclap from outside startled
them, plunging the apartment into complete darkness. Koushiro yelled out as
Taichi jumped forward and knocked him down, grabbing for the revolver. They
wrestled and rolled around again in the pitch blackness.
There was another loud noise, followed by an eerie silence.
