A/N: Edited on 10/1/22 in order to fit Kagura's distorted psyche. This is a twisted take on what would've happened if Kagura never made it to Earth and instead got captured by traffickers and forced to take part in horrific experiments. A oneshot, if you will.
If you happen to ship okikagu, good for you. However this thing isn't for you then. I actually find said pairing endearing though it doesn't necessarily fall into my preference.
Okay, I admit it. I'm a nutcase with an incurable string of characters who sometimes happen to be siblings. It's just a fact that incest doesn't bother me as much as it would other people. Would I support it in real life? Well, it would depend on the circumstances and if two consensual adults are making this choice together. There's never been such a thing as a world that's black and white. There's darker and lighter shades of gray. Should you take my words with a grain of salt? Probably not - I would never consider myself a positive, mentally stable role model for anyone, let alone kids.
If I happen to like a dynamic between two fictional characters and sense that adding romance and potentially sexual attraction would make for a good story - I'm throwing my chips in because it's interesting to me. I have plenty of fun, functional, noncest ships though they're usually non-canon or problematic for others anyhow. Hey, if I'm going to Hell - at least it's not because I'm exploiting minors or whatever perverse, mind-damaging pain I could inflict to others.
But I already established I was a sinner. An unapologetic, demented shipper who writes about brothers and sisters and cousins wanting to bang each other with a side serving of angst.
So. this is probably not a healthy ship. If no likey, please no bitey. No one's making anyone read these shitposts. Before you go retching in your comments saying, 'ew! This is incest how can you ship this?', just know - um, obviously I know that otherwise I would've written slash or a totally normal pairing like okita/kagura. Has that ever stopped me before? Psh, no. First there was Rin/Len (though they're not officially related I've never had a problem shipping them regardless of works that depict them as siblings). Then that weird time with Dipper/Mabel. Then Shin/Kanna. And now Kamui/Kagura.
If something like this were to happen on screen (which it likely never will), I can see Kamui being less restrained as he's not bound to human moral standards. He's got some orange and blue morality thing going on, and it's hilarious how two-faced he is about it while casually snapping necks.
I also think he wouldn't be interested in women who don't fight- in fact, he barely notices their existence. The only prominent women he ever showed an interest in the show were his mother and Kagura - both who are fighters more than capable of holding their own. Judging by how Kagura eventually won over his respect and putting her well-being and interests above his own several times- he's definitely got siscon material going for him. I might even stretch him to being a potential yandere. But as he's never shown any romantic/sexual interest onscreen, I can't say if this is for sure.
Kagura might be more resilient at first - after all she's headstrong and noble. But she's also held a grudge against him after all those years. But few can resist sexy, sadistic, smooth talking Kamui. I certainly couldn't. Hence I died for my sins. Now I'm a zombie writer. Haha. Anyway, she was heartbroken when he left her in the rain. From what little screen time they had together as kids, she clearly adored him and wanted him back in her life. I can easily picture her refusing to admit that he was her first love or something while Umebozu sobs about his own son taking him away from her.
The two year gap before the final arc - I'm sure they got closer (at least in the manga) offscreen as it's mentioned Kamui taught her how to manipulate her quipong in order to (in Abuto's words) "protect her ''. Shinpachi mentioned that she left Earth during that time. I'm certain they spent a lot of time together traveling to different planets so he could train her. The idea of hot teacher Kamui makes me swoony.
Well, it's all just speculation though. Anyway, I blame rice juice for getting me into this shit. Her fanart of these baka siblings got me going, and here we are.
This is a Yato-focused story, so of course there'll be a switch up in the main cast. Regardless, I hope you enjoy it! Warning: everyone might be slightly OOC, but then again - it's gintama.
Trigger warning for graphic violence, swearing, implications of child abuse and so on. And undertones of incest. For me, writing this piece was very personal after the news of 4,000 beagles being rescued from inhumane practices of testing and abuse.
I. Do you wanna feel how I feel?
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Sector 101, Subspace
Chamber Zero
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There were some mysteries in the universe which no one was meant to know. Everyday, something somewhere comes teetering to destroy everything people hold dear.
One such secret was Subject Rouge.
A jolt stronger than lightning shook her brain awake, along with her heart that was previously locked in a near death state.
When the young girl came to after what felt like an eternity, she found herself floating - weightless within a tank of salt water. And cold - so very cold, as though death made a nest inside her and chilled her from inside out. At first she was confused - so very confused. There was a blank in her head where memories were supposed to be. When she turned her head and realized she was trapped within a dark room with eerie red lights, panic settled in.
Eyes. So many eyes - watching her from outside - exposing her and tearing into her very soul. No. No no no no no. This was all wrong. Can't. Can't breathe - can't breathe…!
Her heartbeat staggered and then raced out of control.
Unable to discern which way was up and which was down, awareness began to clear the drowsiness in her mind. Paranoia urged her to take action. The voices were outside. Where she needed to be. This place was dangerous, and there were monsters here. Waiting to snatch her up in their jaws and chew her up. There was so much going on. Men talking about killing, animals screaming as they were being tortured, machinery noise - making her ears burst. Overloading her senses.
Blue eyes turned a deadly shade of magenta as a surge of seismic power shattered the glass, spilling salt water everywhere as she fell to her knees. Her body quavered violently as she reached up to disconnect the tubes connected to her headset. Coughing, she ripped away the oxygen mask from her face.
Panting and sweating, she was aware of someone shattering the solar panels around her, allowing her to gain some strength. A decrepit hand caught a heavy umbrella just as her vision started to clear. Through her distorted vision, all she saw was a weary, bearded white rabbit sitting on his haunches and carrying the moon on his back. He was bigger than her. In truth, her visitor was actually a bent man who looked upon her with restrained emotion. His shadow fell over hers, and for a brief moment, she caught a glimpse of faded copper hair, weathered hands, and an umbrella as blue as his maverick eyes - looking upon her with a strange, almost penitent expression - though she couldn't understand why this old man looked at her the way he did, like he was about to cry. His lips moved.
I ' y. a.
Who…? Which was the real thing? The old man, or the bearded rabbit?
Before she could get her answer, he was already gone by the time she blinked.
Dimly aware of the red alarms blaring in the background, she stumbled to her feet as she fought off the remaining disorientation. Everything around her appeared distorted and out of place - like broken mirrors reflecting each other. She couldn't tell which was where, or what was what. Light blinded her momentarily as heavy doors opened with a hiss. Armed amanto stormed in, taking aim at her with lasers. The one in charge, an eight foot, four-armed giant, stepped forward and issued a stern warning in the international language. Through her fractured psyche, they appeared as fleshy abominations with countless eyes all over them. Their voices sounded like static, and she was unable to understand what they were saying.
"You have three seconds to get down with your hands in the air!"
"Open fire!"
Her vacant gaze drifted to several other isolation chambers filled with unborn test subjects - each and every one of them sharing her face. Her likeness. Suddenly, she remembered. Horrific flashbacks of having lived and died through each and every one of these sisters - her own clones - came rushing back to her. They had all been connected through a neural network.
Forced under accelerated growth, the sisters were only several days old before being executed right after. They couldn't even understand what was happening to them. The pain they felt - their suffering, their fear - she had felt it all. Every time they died. Every time they were tested on. Every time researchers forced them into locked rooms with mindless abominations where they performed unspeakable procedures before discarding them like broken puppets.
Over and over and over and over!
Destroy them , the vengeful presence whispered to her - her last and only friend in the universe. Destroy! Destroy! DO IT OR THEY'LL KILL YOU AGAIN!
Frightening images of her terrified sisters dying over and over again, accompanied by the dreadful realization that none of it was a dream. The last threads of her sanity snapped as she threw her head back with a tortured scream. She was overcome with a rage so red she thought her eyes were bleeding. Again. They wouldn't stop hurting her. She had to make them stop, make it stop - NO MORE!
KILL KILL KILL!
Like a puppet on strings, she moved to obey the command. Since she couldn't walk, she used her psionics to rise above them. Wispy pink tendrils shot forth from her mind, encasing her in a shell-shaped shield in order to support her.
"OPEN FIRE!"
Vibrating intensely, the phantom limbs batted away the solar beams and caused them to reflect back onto the soldiers.
"Look out!" The head grunt cried, and several men dove for cover. Others, however, didn't make it in time. The front men disintegrated in an instant. One of them was alive, but not for long.
"AAAHH! IT HURTS! MY LEGS! OH GOD I CAN'T FEEL MY LOWER HALF!" Screaming at the top of his lungs, the legless amanto reached for his shaken companions. "Please… help me-" He was cut off as a tendril beheaded him, severing flesh like a hot blade.
"Damn it…! Keep firing! We hold the line no matter what!" The head grunt ordered, patching through his communicator. "This is Squad Zero! We need backup immediately! Code black! I repeat, code black! Subject Rouge has gone berserk!"
"AAAIIE!" Startled, the veteran stopped as more corpses hit the floor in a gory mess. Blood pooled beneath their limbless bodies. Their faces were still contorted with agony and fear as they stared lifelessly at him. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he dared to look up to find a blood covered Subject Rouge looming menacingly over him. He stared into her eyes and found nothing but mindless wrath. Her tendrils snaked around one last member of his squad, who was fighting tooth and nail to restrain her as best as he could.
"RUN, SIR!" The doomed man shrieked, yellow eyes wide with terror. "GET OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW!" Those were his final words just as Subject Rouge bisected him, ripping apart his intestines and making it rain blood.
His breath quickened and his legs turned to jelly. In all his years of guarding this place, he'd seen terrible things. But nothing compared to this monstrosity. He threw aside his gun, knowing it was useless. With a defiant yell, he lit up all the explosives on his belt before charging towards the girl.
An explosion shook the corridor just as reinforcements arrived. Protected in white shell armor, they lined up in a defensive position when a figure became visible in the smoke. Subject Rouge arrived in all her psionic glory without a scratch. Surrounded in a faint pink light, a furious light colored her eyes as she glared at the security task force.
"Stay fifty meters out of her reach at all times! Do not look directly at her! Push her back on my count! Ready, aim!" The female commander roared. "FIRE!" On her signal, all squadrons fired their pulse rifles. Rays of green plasma lit up the darkness of the corridor.
Meanwhile, fifty floors up, the director of the research facility was holding a meeting with potential buyers from the galactic underworld. Licking his lips at the thought of filling his coiffers, the chief rubbed his hands in excitement and proceeded with the demonstration of a ray gun.
"Gentleman, as you can see… we've made a breakthrough on our research of how we can further develop weaponizing this extraordinary energy source. Alba crystals - so similar to altana yet fundamentally different. Although temperamental and difficult to control, have the potential to-"
"Director Kuru! We have an emergency situation!" A blue, jellylike amanto lady burst into the conference room, chest heaving with effort. Her six eyes were wild with panic. "Please come quickly!"
"What is so important that it can't wait, Nugo?" Grimacing, the portly fish-eyed amanto excused himself before his audience as he left the podium to address the matter. Murmurs of confusion and agitation swept the room when the director garbled in shock. This stirred awake a certain redhead who'd been dozing off the entire meeting.
"Finally up, Captain?" A rugged man with brown hair smirked down at his young superior. "I was beginning to think you were asleep for good. I would've gotten you a great headstone: here lies the greatest captain who ever lived - died from overexposure to doing responsible duties for once."
"Ahaha! Shut up and die." Beaming, the slender man retorted as he stretched his arms skyward. "You'd understand how I feel if you had to attend these mandatory meetings all the time. Your schedule isn't half as busy as mine, so quit complaining." He then sighed in disappointment as he eyed the ray gun prototype. "Here I thought visiting a weapons engineering facility would be interesting for once. Guess I lucked out."
"Che. That's no good. An attitude like that won't get you any closer to becoming the pirate king, boss."
"Ah?" Undeterred by the jab, Kamui kept up his mock pleasant facade. Taking after his mother's elegant beauty, he sparkled like a prince out of a shoujo manga. It was a drastic contrast with what obscenities that spilled from his mouth. "If I'm not the goddamn pirate king by now, that's because I have asswipes for subordinates who mouth off and groan about getting old instead of pulling their shitty weight around the ship."
Shaking his head in reply at the man's vulgar remarks, Abuto opened his mouth to retort when they were alerted to the director's howling.
"A breach?!" Puzzled, both men glanced at the portly man surrounded by a team of researchers as well as the head of security. "No! This can't be happening - not on a day like this!" Kuru wailed, flailing his finlike appendages as he grabbed onto the chief researcher in charge. "You guaranteed nothing like this would ever happen! You said she would never wake up again!"
"Hmm… What do you think's happening?" Kamui asked his subordinate, earning a shrug.
"Can't be good, judging by their terror."
"I-I'm sorry, sir! I don't understand it myself!" The chief researcher blubbered, eyes full of fear. "After the failed experiment, how could she wake up after all this time? Ah…" Whimpering, she ran for the door and began pushing others out of the way. "MOVE ASIDE! I HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!"
"Nugo! Calm down!"
"NO! You don't understand! Everything we did resulted in failure! After locking her away, after all the things I said to her, thinking she couldn't hear me…" Trembling like a leaf, she devolved into hysteria. "She's going to blow this place up! WE HAVE TO EVACUATE! EVERYONE!"
"Huh? The hell's she talking about?" A member from the Aogami mercenaries crowed, his other friends following along. "This some kinda sick joke?"
"If yer tryin' to fuck with us, you've got another thing coming." Snarled another scaly assassin.
"N-No, gentlemen! Everything is alright. My secretary is just feeling unwell is all. Aha…" Laughing weakly, the director turned back to said woman and hissed at her in a low voice. "Keep your mouth shut! No one is supposed to speak of that thing!" Red with anger, the director shook the crying woman by the shoulders. "Now, lower your voice and handle the situation properly! You deal with Subject Rouge, or else they'll have our heads!"
"Hmm… what's all this whispering, I wonder! Makes the rest of us think you've got some skeletons in the closet." Kamui drawled in a soothing tenor - his charisma taking effect as everyone else in the room quieted. Casually leaning back against his seat with his legs propped up, the teenager let out an ear splitting yawn before smiling. "Don't keep us in suspense, Director Kuru. What's this about a breach? Are we under attack? Did one of your grotesque beasts break out and start killing everyone?" Behind closed lids, his bloodlust flared at the possibility.
"C-Captain Kamui." Swallowing thickly, the portly amanto chuckled nervously. "I-I assure you, there is nothing to worry about. Just having a few setbacks in the lab. Technical issues, really." Tugging at his tie, the director cleared his throat as he paced towards the exit. "Apologies, gentlemen! I'd like to call this a short recess! Please, help yourselves with refreshments and refer your questions to our hard working engineers!"
Just then, the lights flickered on and off - followed by a faint explosion in the background. Suspicious, all the rogues and thieves and murderers in the room glared after the fleeing director. Only two were able to give the guards the slip and corner the nervous, fishy man in the monitor room.
"EEP! C-Captain Kamui! Vice Captain Abuto! W-what are the odds of running into you here!" Kuru stammered, his heart sinking in dread as his staff backed away from them - clearly throwing him under the bus so they could escape. "W-Well, I'm sure my staff can guide you the right way to the bathroom, so I'll just-"
"Now, now, director. Don't run off in such a hurry without exchanging niceties. We might be rough around the edges, but we have feelings, too." The older Yato said, throwing a beefy arm around the hyperventilating director as he grinned down at him like a wolf baring fangs. This seemingly friendly gesture was no more than being trapped by a predator. None of the staff dared to intervene, unable to stand up to either Yato men. "Now then, how about you tell us what's really going on? Back there was poor acting, sir. 'Course, you know I say this with respect."
"Urk… w-well, I-"
"Because I like you, director… I'm going to give you until the count of three to spill your guts." Kamui's smile sharpened. "Or I'll do it for you."
"Huh?!" The terrified amanto sputtered. "Please wait a minute-!"
"One~." For those who never heard of the exploits of Harsume's 7th captain, the soft spoken, polite young man could've been mistaken for an angel if not for his sinister reputation and demonic bloodthirst. He was a man to be feared. He would've been Kuru's greatest fear if not for the other cosmic entities he had the displeasure of encountering within these walls. But this man didn't know what he was getting his hands into.
"You have to understand - this is top secret! I can't just disclose this kind of information without permission from the Galactic Health Department…!"
"Two~!" Kamui cheerfully ignored his pleas.
"Oi, spill it, director." Abuto urged with a slightly exasperated, slightly disturbed look. "You don't want to know what happens when he gets to three." Hearing this, the director blanched as he felt a bloodthirsty killing intent emanating from the widely smiling Yato.
"N-No! Even if you threaten me, I won't say anything!" He screeched, his face losing color as he shakily dropped his gaze. "There are worse things… than dying at the hands of you ruffians. There are terrifying things that the likes of you have never even encountered." Abuto raised a brow hearing this, wondering what he meant by that. Kamui, however, couldn't have cared less about what he was talking about and didn't dwell on it.
"Three…" His voice lowered several pitches as the redhead's grin warped into madness. Humming an eerie tune, his hands slowly went for the petrified director. By what seemed like divine intervention (or hell's bells, if one saw it that way), distorted feedback rumbled from the communication system.
"SUBJECT ROUGE HAS INCAPACITATED OUR FORCES! SHE'S HEADED UP THE ELEVATOR! WE CAN'T STOP HER! SHE'S HEADING YOUR WAY, DIRECTOR! N-NO! NO! STAY BACK! AIEEEE!"
Multiple monitors showed mass panic as an emaciated girl tore through the facility in merciless pursuit of fleeing scientists and combatants. She moved in a blur of pink and red, her vinyl bodysuit torn and ripped from battle. One hit to her head from an explosive bolt sent her helmet flying, releasing her rapturous red locks that stood up in response to the magnetic field emanating around her. Blood flowed from her head wound, and she paused to touch it. When she saw the blood on her shaking fingers, her entire body quaked with… fear? Disbelief? Whatever it was, it was more than enough to send her into a blind rage as she launched herself at the assailants responsible.
"RAAAAAaa aaaaaaaaaaaah !" A scream so terrible and inhuman escaped her throat, distorting the livestream and causing the lights to flash on and off.
The red visor shielding her eyes made it difficult to make out her features, but judging by her brutally vicious and enormously destructive nature - it was made clear that this girl no older than fourteen or fifteen - was out for blood. Everyone in the room watched in stunned silence as the tiny girl devastated room after room, leaving behind a trail of blood and carnage.
Stopping directly in front of the camera, the blood covered girl turned and looked right at them. Glowing pink eyes burned with hatred and anger as she drew her fist back and crushed the camera to pieces - cutting off the feed entirely.
"Huh." Abuto's articulate remark broke the room's silence. "Well then. Wipe your own asses while you're fixing this. Goodbye. I'm out." With a sarcastic salute, Abuto made for the exit.
"Wait, Abuto." Kamui's easygoing command halted the older man in his tracks. The lieutenant inwardly sighed in exasperation as he sensed he wouldn't be enjoying a good read in his bonsai garden on the ship anytime soon. "Something interesting is finally happening. Not to mention these guys have been such gracious hosts during our stay here. It wouldn't be polite to just eat and run."
"C-Captain Kamui…!" Tears of relief flooded the director as he and his subordinates burst into a collective sigh of relief.
Not this again.
"So, that's your unstable test subject? Funny, I was expecting it to be someone bigger." The captain of Harusame's 7th division laughed aloud. "Well, it sounds interesting! Just for today, would you like me to babysit her? I might consider it if you get on your knees and lick my boot."
"Oh, don't be so modest, Captain." Next to him, the older gentleman with a grizzly beard and graying hair chuckled. "You were itching for a fight anyhow. I can tell by that innocent excitement in your eyes."
"Hmph. Don't be ridiculous, Abuto. Didn't I tell you before that I don't like killing women or children? Not even if they're rabid ones like that brat." Pointing his red umbrella at the others, he sneered. "No thanks to these idiots, they made the mistake of picking a target that crosses both my dislikes. I'm not going to waste my time here any longer." Hearing this, Abuto's shoulders sagged with visible relief.
"Yare, yare. I've known my fair sure of problem children, but this is one tantrum you've got on your hands. I certainly don't miss being a parent, that's for sure. I don't envy being in your shoes." Abuto sighed. "That's too bad for you, Director. Well then, captain. Shall we get going?"
"Sounds good. If we hurry, we might make it in time for the next showing for Thor: Love and Thunder."
"W-Wait! You can't just leave?!" The director sputtered, following after the man with his frightened staff in a tow.
"Oh, but I can. See? Here, I use my left foot, then my right one - and whoosh!" Kamui playfully sped walk towards the elevator alongside Abuto. The frantic staff cut them off before they made it out of the room.
"Please wait! You're pirates, aren't you? W-We have money! State of the art weapons! If you stay and protect us, we'll be sure to reward you handsomely!"
"Don't treat us like some third string mercenaries. That girl is your problem, not ours." Abuto snarked. "If you're really that desperate, why don't you prostrate yourselves before her and offer up your families? Maybe she'll spare your lives and use your kids' bones to pick her teeth." His dark humor was not lost on Kamui, who merely smirked.
"N-No, please…" Crawling on his knees, the director sobbed as he grabbed onto the older Yato's cloak. "You can't just leave us. S-She'll kill us all after everything we did. Please!"
"Don't blubber like that. It's not even funny." Abuto snapped, disgust made clear on his face as he yanked his cloak out of the man's grubby hands. He glared at the rest of the facility staff. "Just pathetic for a bunch of irresponsible cowards to be whining for someone else to clean up their mess. Makes me sick. That's what you get for torturing a little girl to insanity." He clicked his tongue in disapproval. "Go back and ask those other guys for help. I'm sure they'd be more than happy to take you up on your offer. After they're done killing each other for it, anyway."
"They won't stand a chance because she's a Yato! If she were normal, then it would be no problem, but since her body's been amplified by alba crystals, they wouldn't last nine minutes fighting her!" Nugo screeched, her eyes frenzy with terror. "You're both Yatos! You have an obligation to deal with her! Isn't that what your culture is all about - taking responsibility for the fallbacks that the younger generation creates?! Hurry up and do something about it already!"
"NUGO!" The director shouted in horror, cowering even further as this made both pirates stop in their tracks.
"Oi, oi, oi. That's one yappy bitch you got on your hands, director. Want me to break her jaw for you?" Abuto wasn't normally hot-blooded, but after hearing what she just said about their race - he just couldn't let it go. Not just that, but the fact that she admitted that they'd been experimenting on one of their kind - a child, at that - well, he was willing to let some heads roll even if it got him yelled at. Yesh, his corrupt captain was a bad influence on him if he was reverting to his old ways like this.
Red hair. A Yato girl. No older than fourteen or fifteen… no, it couldn't be. It wasn't possible.
Come to think of it, how old is she supposed to be by now?
"...What did you say?" Kamui was strangely calm, but he was no longer smiling. Cobalt eyes were void of emotion as he turned his attention to the female researcher, who gulped as he started towards her. "I'm talking to you, oi. What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"
"Y-You heard me." Nugo replied, trying not to appear as intimidated as she felt - but to no avail. He could see right through her. "W-What's with your change in attitude, sir?" She attempted one last bravado. If she had to die at the hands of a filthy thug like him, at least she could deal one final blow. So long as it pushed him to save the others - their life's work - then so be it.
"Ten years ago, traffickers brought us a Yato girl to conduct research on…" The chief researcher blabbered on. "She was part of a project that was scrapped years ago. We infused her alba crystals to make her the perfect lifeform." She said, "The result became the psionic mutant that you're seeing." She inhaled shakily. "In our arrogance, we believed we had complete control over her. So we tried to have her contact dimensional deities so we could communicate with them. But she… she rejected its attempts to create a symbiotic bond inside her, and it damaged her mind. It wasn't long after that she fell into a coma, so we had to resort to… other measures."
The sister clones. Ten thousand of them. She thought to herself but wisely (or foolishly) decided to keep that information to herself. Of course, seeing as she was about to die a dog's death, perhaps it didn't matter in the end.
"Is she someone you know?" Breaking into a haughty grin, she paused to gauge his reaction. "Come to think of it. Now that I see you up close, I'm starting to see a resemblance." Years of manipulating her test subjects with her psychology degree taught her to look out for subtle signs. She sensed a shift in his energy, as well as how his jaw ticked the slightest at her mocking words.
"Ten years ago, she was just a tiny thing when she first arrived. Filthy, beat up, bone-thin like she'd been starving for weeks. Even though she must've been left to fend for herself before she came here, she'd been crying like we took her world away. She kept saying, 'Nii-chan, Nii-chan will come back. Onii-chan will save me' and 'Papi's gone and mommy's dead, but Onii-chan always saves me when I'm in trouble." She took sick satisfaction in seeing the color drain from his face.
"Boss…" Abuto uttered, trepidation crossing his voice.
"Ah, I remember now… she once said her brother's name was Kamui…" Six ruby eyes stared at him in cold amusement. "That's you, isn't it? You're her Nii-chan, right?! I've always wondered what sort of person she was talking about! To think she was telling the truth after all this time! Here I thought she created this 'Nii-chan' in order to cope with what we were doing to her! Ahahahaha!" Cornered like a wounded animal, she spat this in his unreadable face. She broke down in laughter, bitterly amused and defeated at the irony of dismissing her words as lies.
"It took two years to break her. She really did believe that you would come save her. It was so annoying hearing her parade about her 'strong and kind' Onii-chan." Nugo callously informed, aware of his hands slowly wrapping around her blue neck. Her eyes pierced his as she watched him crack. "No matter what we did to her, even when we carved her open - mutilated her, did things to her that made her cry and scream, she kept saying those ridiculous things." Imitating her high pitched voice at the time, Nugo repeated the same words for the man to hear - forcing him to reimagine what she saw all those years ago.
"You'll be sorry for bullying me! Papi will be mad when he finds out! And Kamui…! Kamui will get you!" Five year old Kagura shrieked as she struggled against her captors as they dragged her away. "Nii-chan! Where are you?! These people are scary! NII-CHAN I NEED YOU!"
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"Cowards! When my Nii-chan comes for me, he'll beat you up for hurting me! We'll find pappy together, and then we'll go to the blue planet mommy was talking about!" After the latest surgery that left her bruised and sore, five year old Kagura glared up at Nugo from the cold floor. She tried to hold her tears back even as she choked out. "Kagura… Kagura promised she wouldn't cry anymore! No matter what you do to her!" Swollen eyes filled with unshed tears as she wailed. "That way, Nii-chan will definitely save me… and he'll love me again, because Kagura is a good girl! Kagura won't ever make trouble for him again!"
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" Let me out of here! I don't like this place - it's too hot!" Left in the gas chamber all by herself, little Kagura banged on the glass that allowed them to watch her without her seeing them. Red solar panels blazed down on her tiny form - driving her to delirium as she moaned in agony.
" I'm scared! Please… let me out! It burns!" Coughing as gas filled the room, she became more fearful and hit the glass harder - but it was built to withstand the strength of ten Yato men. "Nii-chan… where are you? These people are making me do bad things! I'm sorry I won't be a weak girl anymore! I'll do anything - I'll cook from now on. I'll clean from now on. I'll do whatever you say! Just don't leave me alone here!" Bursting into terrified tears, she cried her brother's name at the top of her lungs.
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Six year old Kagura laid unmoving on the operating table, thin as a rake and hair falling out in clumps. Tubes were connected to her body to keep her alive, but she looked closer to death than she ever was before. Light died from her eyes, and the last remnants of her hope fizzled out as a single tear rolled down her cheek. A shadow fell over her as a team of doctors raised their surgical tools above her. Her eyes, once full of defiance and anger, held nothing but hollow defeat.
"Kam …"
That was the last time she ever spoke.
Violently slamming the woman's head against the wall with enough strength to crack open her skull, Kamui pressed his weight down on her. Dark rage shadowed his face as he added more weight to her spine, deriving pleasure in watching her scream. But even as he began to suffocate her, she still managed to mock him through bleeding, broken teeth. Abuto watched in disbelief as he watched his usually composed and cheery captain prolong torturing this woman. The older man was no stranger to witnessing Kamui losing his temper, but never like this. In fact, the latter almost never went out of his way to physically harm women. Not unless they were attacking him or if they happened to be in the way during his fights. This was a whole new side of him Abuto never knew he possessed.
"Hehe… you must really despise her, Kamui-san. Maybe you can give me the answers I've been dying to hear." Nugo rasped as muscled hands began to throttle her - slowly and painfully. "Why-HURK! Why… weren't you there to give her the hugs she cried for…? Why didn't you come for when she needed you most?" Saliva pooled from her mouth as he choked the living daylights out of her. Her survival instincts kicked in as she flailed and struggled against him, clawing at his hands as she desperately tried to breathe. But it was pointless a she couldn't even hold a candle to his monstrous strength.
Kamui had nothing to say, but then no words were needed to be said. He was no longer smiling. If Abuto hadn't known any better, he would've thought Kamui wasn't the slightest bit affected by this heartless revelation, but this was not the case. His jaw was rigid, his breathing was erratic, and light was devoid from those eyes of his as he regarded her with cold, murderous intent.
"Bastards! You're sick, all of you." Abuto snarled, eyes blazing with unrestrained anger as he reared on the cowering researchers. The director tried to make for the door, only to be grabbed by the neck by the older pirate. "Don't try to worm your way out of this, you pig!" Both men were startled when Kamui threw Nugo to the ground. She tried to crawl her way to freedom, followed by Kamui who stalked her like a predator toying with his prey.
"Yes. Maybe we are monsters… but are you really so different? Your hands are just as filthy as ours. A moment ago, you didn't even care until I said she was a Yato." Wheezing, the six-eyed amanto reached for the doorknob - only to have her hopes dashed when Kamui stomped on her neck. She cried out in pain.
"AAAH!" Tears flooded her eyes as she went on to utter. "We… may have done… what we did to achieve results, but it was… never personal. What we did was for the sake of advancing civilization for the rest of the third world planets. We have… families living there, too." With the last of her strength, she gripped the captain's dirty boot and turned to him with a cruel laugh as though she knew who truly won. "And from all the things that child said, it's clear you threw yours away without a second thought."
A deadly shadow fell over Kamui's face then, and Abuto knew in his heart that everyone here had sealed their fate.
"If anyone did this, it's you. 'Nii-chan'. For abandoning her, for leaving her to rot in this place all these years. Serves you right to have to put her down like the mad dog she is now." Her smile became broken as she closed her eyes, accepting her fate as his fist raised above her face. She saw it then - the eyes of Death himself. "This is the monster you helped us make."
Her last words ended with a choked gurgle. Kamui made her death slow and agonizing. He took his time crushing her neck bones, watching the lights go out in her eyes as he dug his fingers into her throat and slowly - excruciatingly tore out her vocal chords. Everyone but Abuto screamed as they tried to flee the redhead who pursued them with the wrath of seven gods. For ten awful seconds, there was nothing but screaming and bones snapping. Then - silence.
By the time the bloodbath ended, the computers and steel walls were dyed a brilliant red. Gore tainted the floor. Hanging from the young man's hand was a severed head - his mouth still open in terror. The only one left alive was the director, who was reduced to a pleading, sobbing mess as he cowered in a corner. He shrieked as he watched Kamui lick the blood from his fingers before rounding on him. This was the first time Abuto had seen him kill without an ounce of enjoyment.
Still… What was it about that girl that made Kamui react the way he did? He vaguely recalled seeing her before, but he didn't remember faces very well. Abuto wracked his brain for answers but unearthed nothing. He really was getting old.
"SPARE ME!" The alien fish bawled. Abuto thought it was weird seeing a fish cry, but that was beside the point. "I-I had nothing to do with this! T-There's no way I could've known she was someone you knew…!"
"Tell me what you know." It wasn't a request, but a demand. Unlike his previous cheerful tenor, the captain's voice sounded dull and deeper than before. The underlying threat made Kuru painfully aware that if he didn't say something - anything relating to that girl - his face would be caved in faster than the place that was coming down. He wanted to bemoan the loss of his business - all those years of backdealing and climbing up the ladder - going down the drain before his very eyes. All the money he could've made! Wasted!
"A-Ah, I-I only know what Nugo gave me in the reports!" He spoke quickly, his bulbous throat bulging. "S-Subject Rouge's psionic range is limited to fifty meters! S-She uses telekinesis by manifesting vectors, so dropping objects in her vicinity is highly dangerous!" He was rambling now out of sheer desperation to preserve his life. "L-Like other Yatos, she's susceptible to corrosive substances! Especially solar energy! B-But years of exposure to it has left her debilitated and immunocompromised!" He sputtered. "Y-You saw her earlier! She could barely move without relying on her powers!" He licked his lips, panting. "T-That means anyone strong and fast enough to get past her defenses o-only needs to hit her once. Here." The director gestured to the back of his head. "The occipital ridge is her weakest area. Or anywhere around the area. One good blow to the head ought to do it…!"
An expressionless Kamui kept staring at him, making Kuru even more petrified as he couldn't get a read on what this violent, unpredictable man would do next. So he kept speaking.
"B-But… do not make light of her! Reports I've read said that Subject Rouge has been shown to be highly aggressive and responds poorly to provocations!" Trying not to be obvious about stalling, the grimy fish inched his way towards the door. "Her emotional state is directly tied to her powers! O-Once she's enraged, her rampage won't stop until every living thing has stopped moving or until someone more powerful can subdue her." The piscine alien warned them. "She might not be at top form, but the more she feels threatened, the more destructive she becomes - even at the cost of her own well-being!"
"So the more fearful or angry she becomes, the more her power grows." Abuto summed it up. Stepping around the corpses, he stood next to Kamui without taking his eyes off the frightened director. Both men could clearly see that he was trying to make one last futile attempt to escape. One that the lieutenant put an end to by binding his hands and feet (er, fins) and tying him to the desk so he couldn't leave. Ignoring the fish's indigent cries to be released, the older man turned to his young superior - unsure of what to say.
They heard gunfire and screaming going off in the background, followed by a violent tremor that shook the ceiling above them. It seemed the girl had already gone ahead of them while they were talking.
"...Just when I thought it was starting to get boring around here… I was wondering who I'd have to fight next," Hair fell into his turbulent eyes as he raked messy fingers through his locks, uncaring as blood got all over him. "… Who'd thought it would be her of all people?"
Seeing the bewilderment on Abuto's face, Kamui shook his head with a halfhearted snicker.
"There is only one girl I know who's naive and gullible enough to get herself this deep into this kind of shit." Kamui gritted out. He looked frustrated, which was rare when he usually enjoyed the prospect of beating someone to death. "My stupid little sister, Kagura."
Kagura.
Abuto finally remembered now. That was the name of the pudgy little girl who used to cling to Kamui when they were just brats. He remembered her attempt at protecting her brother from bullies before she was kicked away like trash.
"Kagura…" Kamui repeated in a voice so somber that Abuto had to crane his neck to hear him. His expression was one of conflict - bordering on mortification. In all his years of knowing him, Abuto had never seen his captain look quite as disturbed the way he did now. Not since he was a child. For a moment he swore he saw pain flash across his face. The crew would've paid good money to see this unexpected development unfolding before them. In fact, he'd join them and watch this from the front seats. Alas, he had the misfortune of being caught up in this mess.
"Ahaha… I never imagined she'd grow up to become so twisted." A light cackle left his lips as he clutched his head as though he were having a headache. His shoulders started shaking so hard that for a moment, Abuto thought he was crying. But of course - he was laughing .
"Agh, so infuriating! Interesting! So that's how it is? This must be fate's way of toying with me!" Kamui broke into a psychotic grin, his blue eyes rampant with a hunger for vengeance and thrill. He stopped laughing all of a sudden and turned to his rattled second-in-command. "Take this maggot back to the ship. I'm not finished with him yet." he emphasized with a sharp kick to the director's gut, causing the latter to cry out in pain. Wiping his bloody hands on his black silk shirt, Kamui tossed him his cloak and unsheathed his umbrella. Abuto followed him as he exited, one arm under the fish man's belly and another lighting a cigar.
"Are you going to kill her?"
"Hmm. Maybe I should? Who knows~ I'm just doing what my Yato instinct is telling me to do." His scarlet braid fluttered behind him. "So don't interfere. She's mine to punish. After all, it's a big brother's job to put naughty little sisters in their place." Glancing over his shoulder, he gave him a smile that promised pain and bloodshed. "It's like what Housen said all those years ago. If I don't meet my opponent head on with all my strength, it'll do them a disservice. That said, I hope this will be at least somewhat entertaining. I'm sore from sitting all day!"
It was no secret that his captain was unstable. He was a walking contradiction. What he felt and what he said lived on different ends of the universe. No one in their right mind could hope to understand the turbulence that raged inside that bloodthirsty, jokester commander of his. Not even he could fully comprehend him.
"...On Earth, I hear it's considered an act of mercy to put someone's suffering to an end by making their death swift and painless. Ten long years of being locked up in here, tortured to insanity… it's more than anyone can endure." Abuto intoned, taking a long drag of his cigar before puffing out smoke. "You saw her on the monitor. That crybaby sister of yours - the one who clung to your robes and glared at me back in Rakuyou - is long gone. Reduced to a mindless beast." He said, closing his eyes. "Whatever you decide to do, I hope you don't regret it." He wasn't good with words like this, or being sentimental - but seeing the haggardness of that girl and her desperation against an unwinnable battle made his chest ache. It was truly a shame. "You loved her once. So you have to make a choice. Give her a gentle death, or prolong her suffering for as long as you want. So, what will you choose, Commander?"
Although Kamui remained silent as though to consider his words, he didn't reply or turn back. He kept walking straight ahead towards the elevator.
"Yare, yare…" Abuto groused, staring up at the ruined ceiling. "The things I do for money. Tch. I deserve a raise."
Blood roared in the redhead's ears as he marched down the abandoned corridor. His mouth was set in a tight line. His fists were drawn tight to his sides.
It would be easy to track her down. All he needed to do was follow the bloody trail of death and destruction. And then he would find her.
The halls were eerily silent, and there was no sign of life. Half the lights were broken or barely working. Which was why he was mildly surprised when he stepped off the elevator to find a stranger traversing the hall without an iota of interest to his surroundings. He appeared to be a lone survivor. It must have been pure, dumb luck that he hadn't crossed paths with his sister.
Another Yato? Kamui noted the blue umbrella in the stranger's bandaged hands but made no move to call out to him or make eye contact. Judging by his washed out clothes, he looked to be no more than a vagabond or a hired contractor. Although he was masked in bandages, Kamui could see the shadows haunting his tired blue eyes. He could tell that the man was older than Abuto - at least around Housen's age. He didn't seem interested in fighting, let alone talking to him - and frankly, neither was he.
Just as they were about to pass each other, Kamui heard a faint chuckle.
"Dishonest as always - the fallibility of a warrior's pride." The stranger rumbled in a voice low like thunder. Kamui gave pause, feeling the hairs on his neck stand on end as he turned around and saw part of the stranger's face. Dry old lips stretched into a mocking smile as the man locked eyes with him.
"How long do you intend to dissociate yourself from your own heart?" Beneath the shadow of his hood, the old man's pale blue eyes bore into his and his faded copper hair - tarnished to silver - shone dully under the ceiling lights. Mischief brought back a little life in those aged eyes as he cut another jab at the young man. "Even now, you're still that lost little rabbit you were ten years ago."
No matter how much time passed, Kamui always did dislike being treated like a kid. He didn't show it outwardly, but his temper flared at being taunted out of nowhere.
Disconcerted, Kamui felt his bones rattle at this geezer's audacity. Just as he turned around to face whoever dared to say these words. The lights flashed off and on - and he was already gone. Gone without a sound into the blackness of shadows that not even the sharpest gaze could penetrate.
"Tch… was I just imagining it? Crazy geezer." Clicking his tongue in irritation, he shook away the distraction and trudged onward.
It didn't take long for him to finally find her. Steel doors to the conference room were pried open, bathing everything in amaranth light. He happened upon her finishing off what remained of the mercenaries and pirates that were foolish enough to take her on without aforethought. She stood alone amid a mountain of corpses, broken weapons, and shattered light fixtures. Thulian energy vibrated around her like a hummingbird.
She looked like a skeleton - nothing but skin and bones. Her scarred back looked so small. He could see her ribs sticking out. Lengthy, thin dull red hair fell in knots past her sunken stomach. It was even longer than his.
A dull ache, followed by sinking dread weighed down his stomach like a bag of rocks. He cringed inwardly, wondering when he'd gotten stupid enough to allow feelings like this surface now - of all times. After all, hadn't he emptied himself out that rainy night he left his family behind?
Whatever the case, he crushed those feelings with an iron fist - killing his heart once again.
Kamui took a deep breath, calming down enough to fix whatever sorry look his face was wearing before setting out what he needed to do. Raising his purple umbrella at his unsuspecting opponent, his finger slowly squeezed the trigger.
Click .
The noise alerted the girl into spinning around to face him with wide, uncomprehending eyes. He greeted her in his usual manner whenever he faced off against enemies. A big smile on his face.
"Hello, my stupid little sister."
The moment she heard his voice, she knew in the recesses of her frantic mind that the red demon had arrived. He was dangerous. He was a different color from the rest of the scary monsters who tried to kill her. Amid the grainy environment, this blue-eyed shadow was vaguely shaped like a humanoid rabbit.
What was this?
Subject Rouge barely had time to react just as the strange demon with the purple umbrella released a barrage of gunfire on her. Extending her vectors like limbs as though to hug herself, bullets ricocheted off the shield as she vaulted a fallen beam for cover. A stray bullet managed to hit her ankle - slowing her down as she left behind a trail of blood.
"Riddle me this," The monster called out into the darkness, his blithe voice echoing. " Did that baldy not take care of you like he was supposed to? I see that killing our mother wasn't enough. He's as useless as ever, I see." She could hear the vitriol as he continued. Although she couldn't understand the language he was speaking, she wasn't oblivious to his mockery. "Even with this flashy light show, you still fall short." Crawling on her hands and knees, she traversed to get out of his line of sight. "I'll give you one chance to stop what you're doing. Because like I told you before..."
In her mind's eye, she was brought back to a fuzzy image in her past. One that haunted her with falling rain and a grainy image of a boy sneering up at her on stairs.
"I have no use for weaklings."
Cruel words that were once spoken to her before. The meaning was lost to her, but a familiar ache returned. One she didn't realize she already experienced. Her breath hitched in her throat, and that proved to be her undoing. She didn't even see him come up behind her with a playful lilt in his voice.
"There~ you~ ARE!" Fist raised, a manic gleam shone in his eyes at the opportunity to strike her medulla oblongata. But when she threw her hands up to protect herself, he saw many faded scars from previous mutilations. WIthout meaning to, he hesitated. This gave her the opportunity to roll away at the last second just as his powerhouse punch created a crater a breadth away from her head. Somersaulting into a headstand, she curled her legs before bucking him as hard as she could into the high ceiling.
Seeing his head lodged into the ceiling and his body still, she took a moment to recover from her wounds. Blood dripped from the deep gash in her stomach, and her legs were trembling like a colt's just from attempting to stay standing. Her senses went haywire just as she barely dodged a large column thrown her way.
"So, you still have some fight in you. Kicking your brother like that - that actually hurt, damn it." Grinning ear to ear, the red demon wiped the blood from his mouth as he sauntered towards her. He looked unphased by what happened save for a few scratches. "How cold, little sister. You don't even remember who I am, do you? Am I to play with you just like old times?"
Confusion clouded her senses for a moment as she lowered herself into a defensive position, baring her teeth at him with a snarl. A high-pitched shriek left her lungs - shattering glass and causing the metal infrastructure to groan. She saw his face twist into a grimace as he clutched his ears, apparently pained by her ear-grating screech.
"Aaaaaah !"
For the first time this night, she faced him head on- directing all her hatred and rage at the person before her. Because even though she couldn't remember anything, even though she didn't know anything at all - every bone and fiber in her body wanted this thing dead .
Yes.
She would kill this red thing even if it resulted in her own self-destruction. Even if it was the last thing she would ever do.
Red tears wept from lurid pink eyes as her pupils spun into a dizzying tomoe before vanishing entirely. She released a psionic pulse from her mind as she locked gazes with him, freezing him in place. Tilting her head, she controlled his movements and dangled him mid-air, trapping him in an invisible grip. It was brief, but she registered the mute shock on his face. His disbelief. He couldn't even think to struggle as she closed her small fist - squeezing the life out of him. It was hard to hold him still - he proved stronger than the others combined, and it took all she had just to keep him from breaking free.
With a violent swing of her arm, she threw him around like a rag doll. She rammed his body into the floor, the ceiling, the walls multiple times until she exhausted herself. She was dismayed and shocked as he stood back up and popped his neck, brushing the rubble off his silk clothes as he shook his head at her.
"Hm… so you can't even speak, can you." He sounded a touch disappointed before shrugging. "Well, whatever. Try and catch this!" Dragging up several bodies by the hair, he flung them in her direction with the intention of throwing her off balance.
Activating her tendrils, she deflected them with ease. Her eyes widened a fraction as a chandelier was thrown her way - threatening to crush her. Digging her feet into the rubble, she concentrated her energy into lifting a fallen pillar and swinging it right back at him like a baseball bat.
"Yes! " Kamui crowed at first before realizing it wasn't that kind of game. "No! Oh, shi-!" He barely had time to open his umbrella and brace himself for impact.
Furious at the tenacity of the stubborn demon who refused to stay down, she magnetized rubble and sharp projectiles and threw everything she had at him. The fight was one that couldn't have lasted for more than ten minutes. They exchanged blow for blow, strike for strike. Their fight took them through steel walls and several floors. Every room they went through was unrecognizable by the time they were both covered in wounds.
"Oya. Just where are you aiming? Enough of this and clean up your mess!" Kamui jeered, light on his feet as he dodged a series of strikes. His vermillion locks came loose from the confines of his braid as he kicked away chairs and slammed his umbrella against her pink force field. So great was his strength that it bounced off and wedged into a nearby body. Resorting to his brute force, he slammed his fists over and over against her defensive wall. Each hit connected directly to her senses, making her nerves vibrate every time he struck her psionic limbs.
Disoriented, she lost concentration and let her guard down. This allowed the red demon to break through with a wild look in his eyes. Fingers dug into her scalp as he yanked her by the hair, ripping out a handful of red strands and making her yelp in agony as he threw through the giant aquarium. Water and crustaceans flooded the room and into the lobby.
Shivering wet and very enraged, the subject let out an infuriated shriek as she struck at him with those corrosive tendrils of hers - becoming more unhinged when he danced out of her reach - fifty meters. Her increasing frustration made her miss and left her open to more attacks. He swiftly dodged an incoming blow to his head and swept down to kick her in the stomach, causing her to nearly vomit and sending her flying into the far end of a wall. For a moment she was stuck between pipes and the crater before her body collapsed onto the ground.
Exhausted, bones broken, and unable to stand - the fallen subject could only struggle to brace herself on her arms as heavy footsteps resonated. Terrified, she broke into a cold sweat. Her breathing grew faster as she listened to him approach.
"It's almost cute how hard you're trying to kill me. You're so pitiful I could hug you." That deceptively gentle voice belied thorny words of contempt. "But don't you know? No little sister can surpass her big brother. Give it up already. I've beaten you."
WHO ARE YOU. I DON'T KNOW YOU DON'T KNOW YOU YOU YOU YOU
"Yahh… yoah… youuu…" It took all she had just to speak, but there was something about him that stirred up strange emotions inside her. Past knowledge of their language briefly registered in her brain. Her vocal chords hadn't been used in so long. She didn't understand why, but the very sight of him was enough to make her forget the agony of her wounds. Her stomach roiled in revulsion as images of a family with their faces crossed out flashed through her mind. She wanted to scream as pieces of a boy's familiar face started coming together… matching with the person before her.
Pupils minimized in horror as she violently rejected the memory. NO.
"Kagura."
That voice saying that name brought her more pain than the wounds that inflicted her body. Biting back a screech, she clutched her head hearing his familiar voice - mocking her with the same gentleness she used to l- no! Once again, she buried those feelings as best as she could - suffocating them. Blood, death, mommy's body - rain, rain, rain-! NO MORE RAIN!
Don't make me remember! The little girl inside her screamed to be left alone - her former self. The girl who was once "Kagura". I wanted to forget those things! Don't uncover them! Stop it please! STOP IT NOW!
Her friend's vengeful presence pulsed in her head, echoing fragments of her past thoughts the night her innocence died.
Why did you leave me take me with you I loved you but you betrayed me i loved you but you threw me away i loved you why didn't you save me why weren't you there when i cried now i hate you.
Magma boiled in her head.
hate you HATEYOUHATEYOUHATEYOUHATEYOU!
Unforgivable,the other girl within her sneered, fueling her grudge. This traitor caused us pain. He betrayed us!
Pain? Betrayed...? Was she supposed to know who this demonic rabbit was? Subject Rouge tried to remember if such things occurred, but the larger part of her was afraid to know. Terrified of opening those doors.
I will help you forget. Her dark reflection coaxed. You only need to listen to me, because I am the only one who will never betray you. I will help you erase him. He's in our way. Kill him. Kill him right now and the pain will stop! Urgency rattled the injured girl into action as she trembled to lift her head from the ground. Blood trickled from her mouth as she gasped, her darker reflection rearing its head as she flooded her head with what to say and how to say it.
"Y…our face… tha… voice…" She could barely speak, let alone understand herself, but it was enough for this man to widen his eyes in astonishment. Enough for his breath to hitch in his throat, if only for a second. Even though the fog that consumed her, she was at least able to say one thing. One thing that would make this person shut up.
"STOP SHOWING THEM TO ME!" Red madness engulfed her once more as she flung herself towards him with her powers unstable and on the verge of ripping apart her body from inside out.
The man. Not the monster. Only looked at her calmly before closing his eyes with a sigh, drawing his fist back for the final blow.
"Behave yourself already."
.
.
.
This felt familiar.
Fire blazed in the background as sprinklers went off, recreating a rainstorm that mirrored that unforgettable night in Rakuyou.
Five minutes passed as a drenched Kamui kneeled over his defeated little sister, waiting for her to take her last breath. Her face was bruised beyond recognition, and her limbs were twisted and broken. Her half-lidded eyes, once a brilliant blue hue that sparked innocence and joy, were now murky and dulled a fleshy pink. Beneath her shattered rib cage, her heart stuttered with painstaking effort to live. Despite her collapsed lungs, her chest continued to rise and fall with aching effort.
Slowly, he pressed the barrel of his umbrella into the girl's forehead and poised to pull the trigger. His face was cold as he stared at her face - so thin and gaunt but alive - unlike him. Several times he tried to squeeze the trigger, but something stopped him every time.
An unsettling chill gripped his lungs every time he tried, making it hard for him to breathe.
"Ah… mui!" A one year old Kagura beamed as she ran towards him with open arms. That was the first time she ever said his name. Kind of. But he was proud anyway, especially since it was his name he said before their stupid father's. The jealous old goat sulked the rest of that day.
"Nii-chan… uwahhh!" Nose running and eyes red, a three year old Kagura blubbered as she held up a ripped up stuffed rabbit. "Sadaharu...! Sadaharu's broken! Please make him better!" All she could do was wail and tug at the hem of his shirt until he gathered her into a hug to calm her down.
"Mommy! Mommy! When Kagura grows up, she'll become Kamui's bride!" Four year old Kagura declared proudly at their amused mother as she flung her arms around his waist, grinning up at him adoringly. "Because! Onii-chan is cool and kind. Because Kagura loves Nii-chan more than anyone else in the world!"
"Damn it." He bit his lower lip so hard that it began to bleed. His hollow laugh echoed into the empty hall.
He couldn't do it, after all. Not like this.
"...Why?" His voice was soft now. Without realizing it, his own gaze was vacant. "Why won't you just die?" He realized it was stupid of him to expect an answer. She was staring right through him, unseeing and likely hallucinating. She probably didn't even realize he was there.
Water dripped from his face and onto the girl's pallid cheek, giving him the impression as though he were crying. How ironic. More droplets followed, but even so, she didn't stir.
"It's meaningless if I kill you now - trying so hard to live even in your pathetic state." An exasperated sigh left his cracked, bleeding lips as he knelt down to scoop her into his arms - trying to be as gentle as possible as she flinched whenever he brushed against her wounds. It was a foreign sensation, holding someone like this again. Too many years had long since passed since he needed to treat something with gentleness. Not even the women he slept with compelled him to be as careful the way he was now. Glowering at her tiredly, he envied her being able to sleep through the havoc she caused at a time like this.
"What a hopeless sister you are. This is what you get for being stubborn." Walking off with her head buried in his chest, he unintentionally shielded her from the water as best as he could. "Don't blame me later on if you wish you'd died sooner."
That night the crew of Harusame's 7th crew would witness something so momentous it would be repeated to their families for years to come. They would say their young captain led them to find many treasures across the galaxy, but none appeared more valuable to him than his lost sister he himself carried all the way back to the ship. They would claim that the redhaired man, with a brilliant smile on his face, threatened to kill everyone within a ten foot radius if the doctors allowed her to die in the infirmary. They would insist that he gave them the order to blast Sector 101 to pieces until there was nothing left. Leaving behind the dark and dismal place as well as its inhabitants to be forgotten in space.
Most of all, they would tell them that it was the first time they ever saw him as a "human".
A/N: The Yatos need their own spin-off series. Kamui needs to be the villain protagonist or something. Go ahead, I dare you to change my mind. Anyway, it's out in the world so I got my angsty kamui/kagura feels out of my chest. Not sure if I'm going to continue this because this was really just a vent fic. But well, this happened.