To DPshadow and Skye222AnimeGurl I'm glad you enjoyed A Life We Truly Live. I hope you enjoy this twoshot as well. It plays on an idea I had for these two when I was rereading Air Gear.
Title: Truth
Rating: T
Genre: General
Warning: Blood, violence, cursing, OOCness for Akito.
Summary: "I did it just to see what would happen." The truth of the legendary battle is revealed. First part.
Fragmented
8. Truth
"Ikki…you guys listen for a minute. Before he gets back I have to warn you. Don't interrupt okay? I need to tell you this. You think you're smarter than them. You're not. You've already been caught in their little game. Or at least, you've been caught in his. Just like I was."
Up until two years ago, Akira had thought that of the two personalities inside his best friend's head, Agito was the one to fear. But on the day of the Fang Regalia battle, of which few knew the details of, he had discovered the truth. Now, even when he was back in the G-Men, he still feared Akito more than Kaito. The kid was evil, and enjoyed every last minute of it. He made Kaito seem almost honest and trustworthy.
The Fang Regalia battle was supposedly surrounded in mystery and legend, one of those things few knew the details of and many were afraid to ask. Even Genesis and Sleeping Forest didn't know the full details. And, truthfully, Akira was quite fine to keep it that way. What had happened there was worse than humiliation, it was blatant manipulation and a sound beating. Until now. He had to stand up, at least for them.
According to legend, the two riders of the Bloody Road had engaged in a mythical battle that had come incredibly close, but Akira's determination and courage outdid the Fang King's fury and betrayal and he had claimed the Fang Regalia. If his opponent had been Agito, that would have been fact.
But it hadn't been. Akito, for reasons Akira still did not want to know completely about, had switched with his other half and decided to show him who the Fang King truly was out of the three of them. Akira had underestimated him and made so many mistakes. But even if he hadn't, he knew Akito still would have gotten what he wanted. The kid was a master, better than his brother.
The first mistake was going to another room to battle. Stupid modesty had caused that. He hadn't wanted fame: he had wanted to help Ren, to make her smile. Agito had followed him there, that angry, dumbstruck expression on his face. They had stood there, face-to-face, Akira expressionless, Agito furious. At least, he had been. Agito had lifted his hand and, to Akira's surprise, switched over. Instead of the timid, confused, and upset look he had been expecting, the golden eye was cool, amused, and… curious? That innocent smile was on his face. For a moment Akira had been shocked at the similarities between the brothers, something he usually didn't see.
The second mistake was holding back. He had purposely slowed himself down, held back his strength. He had no qualms about beating Agito but he would feel some shred of guilt over Akito. And Akito noticed, took advantage of it. He moved just as slow, but hit even harder, slicing like a blade. Then, just when Akira had gotten angered at the slow, playful attacks, the barrage began. He couldn't even defend himself. Fangs and hooks gouged out flesh and blood and no matter how hard he tried, none of Akito's blood landed on him.
Akito stopped briefly and spoke for the first time since the battle started. "Why are you so weak Udou-kun?" Even his voice had changed, cool, sly, vindictive. "Was this how you planned to defeat Agito: with half-assed, pathetic attempts? You have no right to run the Bloody Road. Bow on your knees and lick your blood off my Regalia, you worthless nothing!"
The third mistake was responding, even internally. Akira threw himself into the fight, no longer testing himself, no longer waiting. He was running the Bloody Road as he knew it and still, Akito did not get hurt. The fourth was inwardly giving up, as he had begun to do.
Finally, when Akira was a mess of bloodied flesh and bone on the ground, Akito stopped fighting and rested casually against a scratched wall. The brown-haired teen grunted as he struggled to his feet. Akito didn't stop him, merely looked on.
"Wh-Why?" Akito tilted his head.
"Why what?"
"Why aren't you fighting? Why does Agito even exist if you can do that?" Akito shook his head
"This was only temporary. I had to make certain we'd win. What's about to happen next is the start of the game." With that, he began to rub dirt on his skin, ripping his clothes similar to how AT wheels would. He gouged painful injuries into his chest and arms. Taking a blade from his pocket, he sliced on his legs, not even wincing at the blood that dripped down. It looked as though he had been torn apart by the Bloody Road, not Akira.
"Game?" Akito nodded, that innocent smile now a calm, playful little grin.
"What happened here and now is something that only the three of us will know. You can tell other people if you'd like. I doubt they'll believe you though, especially after I leave you with these." With that, he untied the laces of his skates and stepped out of them, ripping his socks into rags and tossing them in a pile of rubble. Akito looked down at his former best friend and grinned. "Welcome to the battle for the sky, Fang King. Let's see how you do."
"What are you doing?"
"If you can declare a fight over the Fang Regalia, you surely can handle its responsibility right?" He began to stumble away, looking the clumsy boy that everyone saw and knew. "Enjoy yourself," called the blunette as he opened the door. "Agito will come to reclaim them eventually." With that, he was gone, laughter echoing in the tunnels.
…
Ikki looked at Akira, deadpan. "You're shitting me."
Akira shook his head. "No. Akito brutally kicked my ass. Don't know why, kind of afraid of finding out. But thanks to a few simple changes, he managed to manipulate the entire AT world in one way or another."
"So he even manipulated us," pondered Buucha. "He placed himself in Kogarasumaru and let Agito work from there."
"Um, actually it could have been anyone." Akito was perched on the railing of the roof. He was smiling. "You were just the easiest team we had come across to fix it for. It brought the most hype and effectively pushed you into the path of the Sky King fight. As Ikki-kun said, you would not have been able to face such strong opponents quickly if we hadn't." He was still using that damn playful voice.
Buucha looked offended and Akira scowled. "You are a bastard."
The grin widened. "Well, I had to get something from Onii-chan besides insanity didn't I?" He yawned and stretched, leaning dangerously back on the metal. "I'm surprised you're telling them now though, considering the battle's over."
Akira glared. "Unlike you I wasn't using my team for my own gain."
Akito wagged a finger at him playfully. "But Ikki-kun is using us for his own gain. The only difference is that we all have the same goal, in essence. Or at least, you all do." He gave a chirp of a laugh. "Besides, you were part of Genesis and they were just using you." Akira's eyes widened, causing Akito to laugh again. "Didn't think of that, did you?"
"How does Agito put up with you?" he exclaimed in fury. Akito hummed and laughed.
"I accept Agito's homicidal tendencies so he accepts my fondness of manipulating humanity into such interesting situations."
"Interesting situations, huh? Was that how you thought of it when you created Agito?"
Akito scowled, the first negative expression he had shown at all since he had come back from the bathroom. "You really are as stupid as Agito calls you aren't you?" he asked scornfully, jumping down to the rooftop. His tone was ice and dark, just as it had been two years ago.
Akira smirked. He felt in control of the situation now. "Answer my question, will you?"
He got an indifferent shrug. "It was painful, disturbing, confusing, and a whole mess of other emotions." His scowl became thoughtful. "Though when I look back on it, I guess it must have been interesting to Onii-chan."
Akira inwardly swore. Lost the advantage already. "So why did you do it? I'm interested?"
Akito shrugged again. "Doesn't matter really. It's over now."
"Will you tell me then?" It was Ikki who asked now. They both turned and Akira could see he was on the edge of barely controlled fury. "Will you tell me why you twisted all of us around your little finger and spun the AT world out of whack and hid the fact that you could have killed any of us whenever you felt like it?" Kazu, who had been silent thus far, shied back. He didn't like that look.
Akito, unsurprisingly, was unruffled. "The answer's really obvious if you think about it for three seconds you know."
"Answer. The. Question." Each word was ground out. The rest of Kogarasumaru was moving back now.
"Okay, if you insist." He smiled crazily. "I did it just to see what would happen is all. I just wanted to see what ripples there would be if I threw the stone in." Akira had been expecting it but the blow to his heart was still painful. Ikki, having snapped, launched himself at the blunette.
Akito sighed. "What a nuisance." Without warning, he kneed Ikki in the stomach and tripped him, knocking the older boy to the ground. The others let out gasps of horror. Akito rolled his visible eye and smirked coolly. "You're the one who said I could kill you whenever I felt like it. Not that far off but still."
"Traitor," Ikki growled, getting back up.
"I'd say that hurt my feelings but I really don't feel like lying today." Akira caught it, the faint tremble in his former enemy's voice. Akito fixed Ikki with a hateful stare, full of darkness, envy, and pain. "You're just like all the others in the end Minami Itsuki. You're nothing but a hypocrite in denial." The emotions vanished from his stare and voice and he grinned again.
"Now if you want to kick me off, that's fine. We're out now, so why should I care? But it'll leave your team unable to compete. You could invite Akira but I'm pretty sure Onii-chan would come and kick your ass." He twirled innocently. "So, what'cha gonna do, Kogarasumaru-kun?"