"Oi, brother!" Muramasa looked up from his bar to see Kotetsu standing in the doorway. He looked disheveled, like he had just rolled out of bed.

"Oh? You feel like talking now?" Kotetsu sat at the bar and ordered a drink.

"...Does anyone ever come here besides me?"

"Kotetsu..."

"Alright. Alright. Back when I was in the cellar. They showed me newspaper that said Kaede's dance studio had burned to ground."

"They showed you a fake newspaper article?"

"Seems like it." Muramasa shook his head.

"Did you believe it?" Kotetsu's silence was a good enough answer.

"The guy who showed me the article. He was Alice's older brother. He's the one who kept her locked up and forced her to be silent... He looked a little like Barnaby."

"But he wasn't Barnaby." Muramasa said simply. "Barnaby didn't do this to you. He didn't harm that girl. You can't avoid your partner for the rest of your life... Or the dark."

"... I let him die, brother. If anything, I asked Lunatic to kill him. And if he hadn't, I probably would have killed him myself. It went against everything I believed. It went against Tomoe's wishes. But I wanted him to die." Muramasa was silent. The only obvious reaction was that he had stopped polishing his dish and still hadn't put it down. For Kotetsu's brother, that was shaken.

"You killed him?" Kotetsu shrugged and drained his glass.

"Might as well have."

"Do you regret it?"

"I regret letting him think he'd beaten me. Letting him think he'd won. I don't regret letting Lunatic kill him."

"Is that your new hero? Lunatic?"

"What makes you say that?"

"You're starting to remind me a little of him."

"You don't know him."

"I know what he does. Is that what you want to do, Kotetsu?" Did he? Kotetsu wasn't sure. He'd promised Tomoe he'd protect people. Wasn't taking monsters off the streets protecting people? He was pretty sure Tomoe wouldn't have agreed. But he didn't have powers anymore! He wasn't a hero anymore! He'd already broken his promise to her... Hadn't he? "There's always time to go back, Kotetsu. This town doesn't need another lunatic. But I think a tiger who protects the people he loves is something worth fighting for. Not to mention there are two princesses here who would miss Wild Tiger if he were to disappear... Plus mom, your partner, your comrades, your fans..."

"I GET IT!" Kotetsu slammed some money on the counter and made his way to the door before adding, "Thanks, brother." Muramasa allowed himself a small smile.

…...

That night was the first night Kotetsu had slept alone since he had adopted Alice. She was sleeping in Kaede's room and he could almost hear them giggling. It felt good to hear her laugh. Kotetsu turned on the lights and eased down under the covers. The dream started the moment he closed his eyes.

Promise me that you'll always be a hero, no matter what happens.

Kotetsu watched his wife go up in flames just has she had every night before. Then came the boy. He was screaming and twisting and thrashing like snake. Kotetsu hadn't forgiven him for what he'd done. He probably never would or if he did, it would be a long time from now. But that didn't mean he couldn't save him. Kotetsu reached into the flames and pulled out the flailing figure, only to find himself staring at his own face. His double grinned, "Well, it sure took you long enough! Do you have any idea how much being burned alive hurts?" He glanced at Kotetsu's dumbfounded expression. "The answer's a lot... In case you were wondering."

"This is impossible. I was supposed to save the kid, why did I save you?" The double shrugged nonchalantly.

"You weren't supposed to save the kid. You were supposed to save yourself. You are a hero, Kotetsu. Anything else just isn't you." The truth was, Kotetsu's dream double had been watching Kotetsu through the flames, and every time he chose to watch himself burn, he looked more and more like Lunatic. But he didn't think Kotetsu needed to know that. "So, what are you going to do about Barnaby?"

"Barnaby?"

"You know" Dream Kotetsu made bunny ears behind his head. "Boku wa Bunny janai! Barnaby desu." Kotetsu laughed. He sounded a little rusty.

"I'll call him tomorrow... Am I gonna see you again?" His double had started walking out of the room. Towards sunlight and freedom.

"Only if you look in a mirror." Kotetsu woke up to find himself in his room. The lights were on. He got up and turned them off.

Next Morning

"What are you doing, Kotetsu?" Muramasa had stepped into the kitchen to see Kotetsu going through his newspaper.

"I'm looking for a job."

"You're still injured."

"I'm practically healed." Kotetsu was always like this. Stubborn and reckless. Muramasa breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "Do you think Hero TV would give a job?"

"As what?"

"A teacher at Hero Academy." It wasn't a bad idea. Kotetsu was in great shape, and he was good with kids.

"Are you going to ask for the job now?" Laughter echoed from Kaede's room and Kotetsu smiled.

"Not right now. Those two could still use a tiger around the house, after all."

"Or a father."

"Don't ruin my clever metaphor with specifics, brother!"

"Didn't I think of that?"

"Shut up!"

…...

"Oi Barnaby, I was thinking maybe we could hang out at the mall sometime."

"..."

"There's something I need to tell you."

"..."

"...Um, you don't have a dog."

"..."

"How did the sound of my voice scare it away?"