[Author's note] Nope. Nope. Nope. I refuse to believe that Eka died at the end of the movie! :")

I've been a huge fan of Oka Antara and Kazuki Kitamura ever since first seeing them in Killers. They really were a dynamic duo. So when I read that they were going to star together again in Berandal (both playing as right-hand men of their respective mafia families), I was really really excited.

I thought it'd also be interesting to explore the relationship between Eka and Uco, and Ryuichi and Keichi.

So I go. How Eka survived after the car chase! :D

This story is dedicated to my friend Saga~

(a little message to Saga, and also to my friends who read my Killers/Berandal crossover...sorry I reused the ending dialogue from that story :") It fit them so well here too.)

Surviving

The sky above him was a pale blue.

The buildings around him were a shiny gray.

And the ground beneath him was splattered with a crimson red.

Eka shut his eyes, willing the pain to go away. He was losing so much blood. He remembered looking at himself in the rear view mirror in the car, and seeing how deathly pale his face was.

I'm going to die, were Eka's thoughts.

The fact was inevitable. The wound in his leg was bleeding endlessly. He was lying on his side on a chunk of ruins from an old building. He wouldn't last another hour.

Hour...how many hours had passed since Yuda left him? Eka couln't even tell. It could have been an hour. It could have been more. It could have easily been measly minutes.

Time was drawn out as he slowly bled to death.

His mind was reeling, playing back the events that led to the one happening now.

Uco and Bangun yelling at each other. Bangun slapping Uco and finally hitting his son so hard that he fell.

And Uco. Uco apologizing before shooting his own father in the head.

And before shooting Eka himself.

Eka tried to hold them back, but he felt the tears start to blur his vision.

Damnit, Uco, how could you?

Although Eka himself may not have been completely honest on his identity in the Bangun family, but he would have thought twice on shooting a person who he'd known as a companion for years.

A companion. Even in the twisted and messed-up world of the mafia, a person yearned for company. And with that company came a bond.

A friendship, perhaps.

But it was all shattered in a second when the bullet pierced his leg.

And then there was the car case. Eka finally retrieving Yuda. Eka revealing his true identity.

Yuda leaving him.

Eka tried not to let it hurt. He couldn't blame Yuda. He knew Yuda's true story. He knew.

But as Eka stared up at the pale, pale sky, he wondered if it all really was okay.

At least he managed to tell Yuda the truth about his true identity. Even if it was at the very last moment.

I'm going to die.

It was inevitable.

I'm going to die very, very soon.

He hunched over, looking at his injured leg. He watched the blood trickle out of the wound. He had wrapped a cloth around it to stop the bleeding, but it was bled through and useless.

His vision was completely blurred and darkening. Not only because of the tears, but also because he was losing consciousness. Or he was truly and finally slipping away.

I'm dying.

He closed his eyes. He didn't want to see the world disintegrate around him.

I am ready.

Or was he?

He tried to ignore the little voice in the back of his mind. He didn't want to have any doubts. He chose this.

He didn't want to let the little voice tell him that he wasn't ready. That he had things he wanted to get done. Things he wanted to do.

He didn't want any dull horror flooding his thoughts, telling him that he didn't want to die.

I'm dying.

Dying.

Eka didn't hear the sound of tires on gravel, coming closer to him.

Dying.

Nor did he hear the sound of a car door being opened.

Dying.

He didn't even hear the footsteps approaching.

Dying...

"Eka-san."

A voice. Right next to his ear.

Eka's eyes flew open. The world was a blurry mess. He couldn't see a thing.

He blinked several times. There was a movement above him. It took his eyes a couple seconds to adjust.

Finally his vision focused on the face of a Japanese man, who was kneeling down next to him.

"Eka-san, are you all right?"

Eka knew that face. He opened his mouth, trying his best to form words. "Ryu...Ryuichi-san..."

It was Ryuichi, Goto's right-hand man. Out of all places, he ended up here.

Ryuichi smiled. "So you're still alive."

"Wh-Why...?"

"Why am I here?" The Japanese man let out a chuckle. "So I could save you, of course."

Eka didn't know what to say. His head was so dizzy. He wondered if he was hallucinating.

He didn't say a word as Ryuichi pulled out a knife. If Eka was still up and well, he would have jumped into defensive mode and slapped the weapon away from the other man's hand. But of course, he was on the doors of death and could barely move.

After removing the soaked-up cloth that the Indonesian applied to stop the bleeding, Ryuichi used the knife to cut away the bits of Eka's pants where the bullet hit.

Eka could only stay as limp as a fish.

"It's pretty bad," Ryuichi murmured under his breath as he inspected the bullet wound.

"Obviously," Eka managed to breathe out.

Ryuichi laughed. A small laugh to lighten the mood. Then he turned serious again. "Eka-san, there are still fragments of the bullet in your leg."

"I took out the biggest piece that I could," Eka answered, using up his last energy just to reply.

Ryuichi tore his eyes away from the blood to look at the man in front of him. They locked eyes. Then he spoke slowly. "I'm going to need to take out all the fragments before I clean out the wound."

Eka could only nod weakly. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, preparing himself for the pain.

Still, a scream escaped his mouth as the last of the bullet fragments were removed, and he found himself gripping onto the Japanese man's shoulder for support.

Then the wound was cleaned and patched up. Ryuichi crushed some painkillers and helped Eka take them.

"Are you ready to go?" Ryuichi asked.

"Go...Go where?"

"Safehouse." Ryuichi smiled. "You'll stay there until everything is over. I have a friend there ready to give you the rest of the medical treatment."

"H-How about you?"

"I'm simply waiting for Keichi-san's orders."

There was a silence.

Ryuichi continued, "Keichi-san and I are going to Bejo's place. Try to find Uco-san too."

"Yuda—" Eka started.

Ryuichi nodded. "Yuda-san too."

Another silence.

Finally Eka said it:

"Why are you saving me?"

To the Indonesian man's surprise, instead of a reply, he felt himself leave the ground as Ryuichi picked him up and began carrying him to the car.

"Wa-Wait—" Eka felt small and pathetic in the Japanese man's arms. What would Bangun say if he saw him like this? Even if Bangun was gone— "Stop—Put me down—"

"You can't walk, or the wound might open again," Ryuichi said firmly. He looked ahead. "Stay still. Or I'll drop you."

Eka stayed still.

After opening the car door, Ryuichi gently lay Eka down on the seats in the back. After making sure the leg injury was tightly wrapped and devoid of bleeding, Ryuichi got into the driver's seat and turned on the engine.

How does it feel to prepare yourself to embrace death...and escaping it?

Eka tried to put his thoughts together.

How does it feel to survive like this?

"Ryu..."

How does it feel?

"Ryuichi-san."

Ryuichi blinked as he turned around in his seat to look at Eka. And Eka was looking at him.

"How," Eka began, the words tumbling out, "how would you feel if Keichi-san shot you...Like Uco shot me?"

Ryuichi stared at him.

"To be hurt by the person closest to you?"

More staring.

"—by the person that trusted you—who depended on you—who you protected and looked after for years and..."

Eka couldn't continue. It hurt too much. He swallowed, trying not to let his emotions take control.

Ryuichi was silent the whole time.

What the hell is wrong with me? Eka thought. Why am I confiding in this man? Why am I telling him everything? This is embarrassing. I need to come up with an excuse—

"I would feel the same way as you do now," Ryuichi said calmly, interrupting his thoughts.

Now it was Eka's turn to stare.

"Years I've worked for Keichi-san. Till I feel like I recognize his movements and the way he thinks. But..." Ryuichi shook his head. "I don't understand him completely. Not yet."

Eka said nothing.

"If he were to suddenly shoot me...I would feel the same way you do. Hurt. Betrayed. But Eka-san, you need to understand this...If Uco-san really wanted to kill you...wouldn't he have shot you in the head? But instead, he shot you in the leg."

Eka's eyes widened.

"Hesitance." Ryuichi's expression softened. "Uco-san was hesitant in hurting you."

Hesitance.

"He still cared for you," Ryuichi finished.

Eka was silent as he let the word wash over him, relief slowly flooding his body. He had no idea how much he needed to hear that.

Perhaps not all was lost.

Ryuichi pulled on a smile. "As for your question earlier. Why am I saving you? Because I am the peacemaker here in Indonesia. Simple as that."

And he turned around in his seat again, looking out of the window. Grabbing onto the wheel, he released the breaks.

Eka mustered up his strength to say steadily and clearly:

"Arigatou."

And there was just a short silence before Ryuichi caught his eye in the rearview mirror. His smile grew as he said, "Sama-sama."

end

[translations]

"arigatou" - "thank you" in Japanese

"sama-sama" - "you're welcome" in Indonesian

Gareth Evans himself said that Ryuichi is the peacemaker in Indonesia :D

This story can also be found on AO3, under the same name :)