"Did you see this?" Kanda asked from his place bent over in front of the small, well-concealed cabinet. To the naked eye, it was invisible. But Kanda knew what to look for, seeing as Lavi had showed it to him once. "Come here."
"What is it?" Lavi darted neatly around one of the few officers still taking pictures of the so-called 'crime scene' (though there wasn't much crime to be seen) and bent down next to Kanda. The long-haired man growled when some of the irritating yet enticingly scented red hair fell in front of his own eyes. He huffed in annoyance and gently pushed the other away.
"Look. Do you see this little hole?" Lavi leaned in closer, inspecting the expanse of grey wall with only a thin line as to show there was actually something there. An undistinguishable button led, if pressed, to a hidden keypad that would unlock the secrets held within the compartment.
"Yeah, I see, but what-?" He said but Kanda cut him off and grabbed the hand that was reaching to push the button. He pulled the hand back and pointed out the hole.
"Don't touch. Just watch." Kanda pulled a paper clip out of his pocket and bent it so the wire was elongated. He pushed it into the tiny hole under the observant eye of Lavi. It looked like the redhead wanted to say something so Kanda put a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture. He moved so that his ear was pressed flat against the wall right above the opening. Lavi stared at him in confusion before hesitantly doing the same, facing the other to see just what he was doing.
Kanda maneuvered the utensil further in biting his lip in concentration. He finally found what he was searching for, a little malleable edge, and went to push it aside but the paperclip slipped. He removed it with a small sigh and put it back in to try again. His eyes locked with Lavi's, the green eye twinkling at him.
'What?' He mouthed, still half concentrating on his task. The redhead's smile widened and he mouthed back, 'You're cute.'
The lock popped and the door swung open.
Kanda coughed, pointedly looking away. He knew there was a faint blush on his face and he cursed his body for making him act like a fucking school girl.
He just couldn't help it, though. No one had called him cute in a very long time. In fact, the only person who had ever said that was his mother, but even she used the term lightly.
Thankfully, the idiot rabbit was a bit preoccupied at the moment, glaring furiously at the now open safe.
Kanda couldn't help but wonder what the hell he did this time.
Lavi shook his head as he reached in and pulled out a pile of papers and some rolled up blue prints. Kanda followed him as he lugged it all over to the desk centered in the room. He laid it out neatly, accidentally knocking an empty coffee cup off the table. He paid it no mind, instead shuffling the papers around the flat surface, his brow furrowed. The long-haired man began to grow impatient and was about to say something just as Lavi stepped back.
"Nothing's missing."
"That's just dandy." Kanda said snarkily. He was fed up with the redhead now, a bit more than usual. "But, obviously, someone opened the goddamn safe. This hole wasn't here before." To enforce his statement, he slammed the safe door closed and pointed at it.
A few officers had been watching the scene play out and they now ventured over to investigate. One of them, Kanda noticed, was the disrespectful officer from before. He eyed him wearily and retracted his hand.
A smirk spread itself across the douche's face as he sauntered up to Kanda. He had dark brown eyes and lighter hair in contrast. He was actually quite attractive, but it was cancelled out by the air around him that just screamed 'I'm an annoying prick and I hate all of you.'
It really pissed him off.
"Hello there, Kanda~" He elongated the name, rolling it around in his mouth as if checking to make sure it was actually his.
What a dickhead.
He whipped out a notepad and pen as the other two inspected the safe. "What exactly is your theory here?" He asked condescendingly. Kanda's anger grew. Lavi seemed to notice this as well because he walked up and placed a hand on his chest.
"Don't do anything you're going to regret." He murmured.
"I seriously doubt I'm going to regret it." The dark-haired man growled, but remained where he was. He was really starting to hate this guy, but he didn't want to do anything to upset Lavi…
Oh fuck.
He inhaled deeply and gently removed Lavi's hand from his chest. He looked the other in the eye and said calmly, "I'm fine."
"You don't look too fine to me." Kanda whirled on the guy once again. Lavi interrupted him before it spiraled out of control.
"Martin, I will have you reminded that you are my subordinate. His as well." He gestured at Kanda. "And you aren't doing your job. If you wish to keep up this immature brat act, then you can turn in your resignation papers by the end of the day. The fact that you are good at your job is the only reason you haven't been fired yet for your disrespectful attitude." Martin lowered his head in acceptance of his boss's words and stalked off. Kanda thought he looked like a dog told off by his master.
"Isn't he a police officer? I didn't know he worked for you." Lavi sighed, rubbing the back of his head.
"Yeah, he's just head of security here. I guess he's always wanted to be a cop. Whenever the police show up in this area, you can bet he'll be there, watching from the sidelines…"
"Bleh. Creepy." Lavi just shrugged.
"Maybe. I think it's nice that he has a dream to follow." He looked over at Martin. "Though it will probably never come true. Now let's get back to the topic on hand; how did you know that hole was there?"
"Well…" Kanda hesitated. He really didn't want to discuss it. Mostly because it was a time in which life had been a bit brighter. And if there was one thing he really didn't enjoy doing, it's dwelling on the past. "It's kind of a long story…"
"We have a lot of time, in case you haven't noticed." The redhead leaned against the wall. Kanda followed suit. They stopped their conversation there and just watched the people around them inspecting the area for evidence. Lavi didn't press for any further answers, which Kanda was grateful for.
He glanced at Lavi out of the corner of his eye. He seemed to be off in his own little world, a frown decorating his features, most likely wondering what the hell the person who 'broke in' here wanted.
A sigh escaped Kanda's lips. Lavi looked over at him expectantly. The dark-haired man found that he really couldn't stare into that green eye, so he dropped his gaze almost immediately.
"Fine. I'll tell you." He decided to glare up at the ceiling while recounting the story. "I was only twelve at the time. I didn't really understand exactly what had happened, but the details are still locked up in my brain for some reason.
I was walking down the halls of First Illusion, trying to find my dad's office. The corridors in that place were long and winding to me; I always got lost. It took me a while, but I ended up making it there. When I arrived, I heard strange voices coming from inside. I just thought my dad was in a meeting so I decided to wait for him.
After a few minutes, my curiosity got the better of me, so I peeked around the corner. There were two men dressed in black wearing strange masks on their faces. My father was nowhere in sight.
It was kind of obvious what was going on, seeing as they were bent over in front of the safe. There were a bunch of designs and blueprints in there, just like you have. One of them was using a small tool with a small cylinder attached to the end. A drill. He was trying to take my father's things.
This infuriated me. I wasn't about to let anyone humiliate my family like that. Just as I was about to storm in there, someone grabbed me from behind. I almost screamed. But a hand covered my mouth, silently telling me to keep it shut.
It turned out to be my father. He put a finger to his lips and dragged me away. I wanted to scream at him to turn around and do something about those strangers. I wanted to make sure those scum knew exactly who they were messing with. To show them that nobody screws with a Kanda and gets away with it.
I held my tongue.
Later, he told me that they were just some construction workers or some shit like that. It was obvious he was lying. The slight shake to his hand and the resignation in his voice were both quite apparent to me. I'd known him my whole life; he couldn't slip something like that past me.
I came back after everyone had gone home. I'd told my parents I was sleeping over at a friend's house. In reality, I was typing in the key-code I'd scribbled down on a piece of paper and entering through the back door.
This time, it didn't take long for me to navigate the halls. It seems I'm just better at doing things at night." Kanda chuckled to himself. Lavi, who was cupping his head in his hand, quickly motioned him to continue, intrigued by the story. He rolled his eyes and resumed.
"I found the office, but the door was locked and there were a few 'Do Not Enter' signs posted. It was very unusual. I was able to pick the lock thanks to my grandpa. He'd taught me before he passed away, among other… useful skills." Lavi quirked an eyebrow at that statement, but remained silent.
"The first thing I noticed when I was inside was the draft. It felt like there were a few windows open, but they weren't.
They were smashed in, varying shards of glass scattered around the room. The same as what happened here." He pointed at the broken windows. Lavi nodded and stared out of them for a bit, before giving his attention back to Kanda.
"It really blew my mind that someone would have done this, on one of the highest floors, no less. I ran over to the safe where I had seen those two idiots before and knelt in front of it.
Everything looked fine to me, except for one thing…"
"There was a hole in the safe?" Kanda nodded thoughtfully.
"Exactly. I found I could pick the lock without too much difficulty. Just like now, there was nothing out of place. I'd seen everything that was in that safe before; my father had showed me on multiple occasions since I was going to end up taking over the company soon enough.
I confronted my father about it the next day. I didn't tell him I'd broken into his own company, though. All the security cameras had caught me on tape, but it just so happened that the security guard on duty was one who I'd met many times before and I knew just what he liked… It only took a box of doughnuts to shut him up.
Anyway, I told him I was putting my foot down. That if he didn't tell me what was going on, I was going to find out for myself.
Then my dad did something totally unexpected. I thought he was going to get angry or be disappointed or something, but his eyes widened in fear and he just looked at me as if I'd grown a second head… I'll never forget that look…
He grabbed me by the shoulders and sat me down, right then and there. He took my chin in his hand and gazed into my eyes. I could see the worry and fear and desperation barely concealed in their depths. And then he said 'Yuu. Under no circumstances are you to investigate this. Do you hear me? I forbid it. If I find out that you did… I won't hesitate to throw you into the pits of Hell.'"
"Wow. Your dad has your same sense of humor." Lavi joked, trying to lighten the suddenly dark mood.
It didn't help.
"There was something else… Oh yeah. He had this small piece of paper in his hands and he couldn't stop messing with it. In fact, for the next month or so, I saw him reading it over and over again. But only when he thought no one could see him. When he wasn't obsessing over that note, he was all smiles. Ridiculous."
"So you think my company was fake-robbed by a piece of paper?" Lavi once again tried to cut the tension and once again failed miserably.
"No. You just wanted to hear the story. That's how I knew to look for that hole."
"Really… So it's like history repeating itself?" Kanda blinked at him. The redhead had become serious.
"It seems that way." Lavi sighed and removed that stupid green headband he always wore from around his forehead. He ran a hand through his silky red tresses and Kanda found himself wanting to do the same. It just looked so soft. His hand twitched at his side, itching to reach out. Thankfully, Lavi began to speak again before he could do anything.
"If this is the same thing that happened to your father, wouldn't there be a note as well?" He said, pushing himself off the wall and turning to face the other. Kanda nodded. There was a brief pause.
"I'll check the safe; you look through those papers again." Kanda practically ordered. The redhead didn't even bother responding. He was very excited by this new prospect and basically bounced over to the desk. The long-haired man watched after him for an elongated second before snapping out of it and reopening the safe.
He searched the small space for about a minute. He felt up all of the sides for hidden compartments or a button, but it was futile. There was only so much room to hide a note in there.
"I got nothing." Kanda said, resting his hands on the desk beside Lavi.
"Yeah. Who knows? Maybe that note was just some kind of kinky se-" Kanda punched him in the side before he could finish that sentence.
"Anything. Let's talk about anything but that. Never ever mention that." Lavi nodded, clutching his side in pain.
"Mr. Bookman, Mr. Kanda. We're going to need your statements, please." They turned around to see two cops with similar expressions of boredom on their faces. Lavi peeked at Kanda, smiling resignedly.
"Sure thing."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Night had fallen. It was darker than usual due to the black clouds blotting out the moon and stars, leaving nothing but a thick mass of air hanging over the city. It was cold, too. The wind bit at the heels of those who dared to go out in such weather. It seemed to favor the trees, though. They all let out simultaneous groans with each passing blast.
It was an especially dangerous night. Even the weather had caught onto an underlying menace lurking in the shadows. There was something out there, hiding, waiting.
Kanda shivered. His hands clutched the makeshift railing surrounding the broken windows to prevent idiots from falling out.
"What are you doing?"
Speaking of idiots.
Kanda threw a short look at him over his shoulder, forcing himself to not let his eyes linger on the sight.
Lavi was standing there in his business suit. Well, only half of it. He was wearing his dark pants and shoes, but instead of his sleek black jacket, he was covered in an extremely baggy sweatshirt with I New York written across it in large letters. The long sleeves hung limply at his sides. Due to the new lumps on his chest, Kanda assumed his arms were crossed underneath the cloth. He even had a beanie perched atop his head, smoothing down his fiery hair.
"N-nothing." He coughed, quickly turning back to the city-scape before him. Lavi made an indistinguishable noise before coming up beside him. The redhead stared out into the black of night.
"How can you stand out here like this? It's freezing cold, not to mention the fact that we're hundreds of feet off the ground right on the edge of a cliff." Lavi complained. Kanda chuckled.
"It's a building, rabbit."
"I know." Kanda couldn't help but notice when Lavi scooted closer to him. "Why are you out here? I thought you were leaving." The long-haired man frowned at his partner.
"I was. Until-" He stopped. "It's hard to explain. Something just feels… off."
"You too? I thought I was being a paranoid freak." Kanda blinked in surprise.
"I guess you're not as stupid as I thought."
"Is that supposed to be a compliment? 'Cause I'm not feeling it."
"It's the best you're going to get from me."
"I'm hurt, Yuu-chan."
"Don't call me that!"
"It's your name, isn't it?"
"Yes, but-" The wind howled without warning, breaking up their bickering. It blew hard; Kanda's hair and Lavi's sleeves with it. They both backed away from the broken windows, hoping to keep their lives.
"Can we stay here tonight?" He asked, not wanting to go out in that weather, especially with something strange lurking out there.
"Definitely. Everyone's gone, anyway, except for the night guards. And I really don't want to find out what's going on out there…" Lavi shoved his arms through the sleeves and pushed them up to his elbows. "Come on. We can sleep in the lounge." He beamed happily. "Lots of comfy couches and chairs in there!"
"Yeah, sure." He didn't protest when Lavi grabbed his hand and dragged him away, casting one last glance back.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Out in the darkness, a lone man stood at his window. A phone pressed to his ear.
"I think that it has started."
"I know. I don't need you to remind me." The voice on the other end was angry and sarcastic.
"Calm down. It won't help if you get all riled up."
"I'm not-!" A sigh. "I'm not riled up."
"Sure, whatever you say." The man grew serious. "We need to figure out what to do. They can't stay here. You know what's going to happen to them if they hang around too long."
"GODAMNIT ALLEN I FUCKING KNOW." The white-haired man stared sheepishly at the phone now held an arm's length away from his ear. After that, the yelling stopped and only a stream of agitated grumbles still came out of the receiver. He deemed it safe enough to put back against his ear.
"Hehe. Sorry. I know you're stressed out about this. I'm sorry you have to deal with it, but hey. You're not the only one!" He sing-songed the last part.
"You really are an idiot." Another sigh. "But… thanks… So, you got a plan?"
Allen smirked. "Of course. Who do you think you're talking to?" He turned away from the window and placed a hand on his hip. "Do you know how far along they are on their little design?"
"I'd say that they're almost finished. Just a few touch ups to go."
"Exactly. And one of the requirements for the competition is for it to run on sunlight for a week, right?"
"It's called solar power, and is this actually going somewhere?"
"Yes." Allen pouted, refusing to speak.
"ARE YOU GOING TO TELL ME." He had to pull away from the phone again. His eyes closed in annoyance.
"Yes yes yes, my dear, just calm down." He huffed into the phone. He quickly continued, talking over the 'my dear' complaints coming from the other end. "It's really quite simple." He opened his eyes.
"We send them on a road trip."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Eh, been a while. Or maybe not a loooooong wwhile, but still a while.
I know I said I was going to update sooner, but life came and bit me in the ass… aorry about that XP
I'm going to have to stop making promises I cant keep. BUT KNOW THAT IM NOT GIVING UP ON THIS STORY. I'll always end up updating even if its been three months (ugh I hope that doesn't happen again)
So yeah… this is kind of the legitimate beginning of the story, where the plotline actually starts! EXCITING, HMMM? And if you notice any mistakes, don't hesitate to tell me in a:
rrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeevv vvvvvvvvvvvviiiiiiiiiiiiieee eeeeeeeewwwwwwwwww