Disclaimer: I don't own Tiger & Bunny in any way, shape, or form. I just like to play with the characters.
Summary: Kotetsu and Yuri Petrov have a chat. At 2:00 in the morning. Nothing's wrong with that, right? [AU - Kotetsu still has full use of his powers]. {Part I of II}
It was one of those restless nights. All of the others had gone to bed, or had at least gone back to their apartments, but instead of being tired, Kotetsu felt like wandering. Locking his door behind him, and making sure that his mask was in his back pocket, he let his feet guide him, twisting and weaving through the streets in a haze of... well, nothing.
Which explained why, when he looked up and saw a statue of Mr. Legend, one thought flickered through his brain.
How the hell did I get to the Legend Park?
Kotetsu shrugged, looked around at the moonlit greenery, and took a seat on one of the swings. Planted his feet on the ground, then quickly drew them up. The movement coaxed a smile out from him, and he kept pumping to feel the fresh air in his face. When he was almost parallel to the bar, he jumped, landing on the grass with both feet.
"Just like when Antonio, Tomoe, and I used to play at the park," he remembered, snickering. "God, she hated when we did that... though I think it was the fact that she couldn't join than from any actual concern."
A rattling sound caught his attention. Then a long hissing noise.
That sounds too familiar.
"And that's the same as when it was just me and Antonio," he sighed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. Kotetsu grabbed the mask from his back pocket and started jogging, heading to where there was a low murmur of voices near the pubic bathrooms. Sneaking up over the roof, he studied the situation below; four teenagers with several backpacks of spray paint, brushes, and stencils.
More prepared than we were he thought, taking in the tape one person was holding. However, as this is a public building… I kinda can't let it go.
He jumped down and cleared his throat.
"You guys need any help?"
"Oh shit!"
"Run, it's a Hero!"
Kotetsu laughed as the four grabbed their bags and took off, sprinting down the trails.
"Should at least make them think twice next time," he said, chuckling.
"Wild Tiger?" asked a voice behind him. "What are you doing out here?"
Kotetsu spun around. Standing in front of him was a jogger wearing a soft gray tracksuit outlined in neon-green piping, complete with a neon blue face cover that only showed their eyes. Grey hair was bound into a ponytail, but there were also clips at the sides to keep the wavy hair in place.
"Judge Petrov? Is that you?!"
The man nodded.
"It's..." Kotetsu looked at his watch. "Almost one in the morning. And you're jogging?"
"Best time for it. No one else it out here, it lets me think about the problems of the day, and it tires me out so I can sleep easier." He looked around. "Why are you out?"
"Ah... " He rubbed the back of his head. "I was restless. Ended up in the park scaring some vandals."
"Hmph. Hopefully enough so that they won't try it again."
Kotetsu laughed.
"I don't think they will, they were running as if monsters were on their heels."
Yuri let slip a small chuckle too.
"What's on your mind? I'll assume it's not the vandals."
Kotetsu paused, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking away from that intent gaze.
"Not sure actually." There was a bitter sigh. "Enough so that I can't focus on problems as they come at any rate."
Which is why my brain is all muddled.
Yuri reached out an arm, then hesitated.
"Come on Wild Tiger. Let's go talk on the swings. I don't need to get back home until two."
Do you sleep?
"This is normal?" he asked, the two of them slowly walking over to the swing sets. "I mean what, you'll probably wake up at six, so you'll have four hours of sleep?"
Yuri shook his head.
"I wake up at seven thirty, so I'll have about five hours once I take a shower." Yuri settled into the left swing, so Kotetsu took his swing back. "Now. Talk."
"Not exactly the most encouraging," Kotetsu said, pumping his legs.
"I'm not here to be encouraging," retorted Yuri. "I'm here to be a soundboard, someone you can talk at so you can think through knotted thoughts. You don't have to state what your problem is, but you do need to concentrate on what has hooked your brain."
"I..." Kotetsu stuttered to a stop. "I'm worried about a lot, I guess. I have family, out of Stern Bild, and I want to spend more time with them. I know how it is to suddenly... to suddenly lose someone, and never to see them again, or hear them next to you anymore. Makes what little time I have more precious."
His swing settling back to its original place, Kotetsu took the time to wipe away tears.
"It's hard when it's sudden," Yuri said unexpectedly. "The pain is more drawn out, of course, when there's a long time spent battling... demons, but at the end, it's almost a relief. Welcomed."
He speaks like someone who's intimate with that type of pain...
"There's also a person that I like," continued Kotetsu. "I don't know if h-they'll like me back, but if they don't, then I've ruined our friendship for nothing."
"If they turn against you, then they weren't a friend in the first place. And a partner, male, female, or neither, both... they should always be a friend first. What happens when they're not..." Yuri sighed, looking up at the moon. "It's... it's not pretty. One will think the worst thoughts of the other, then punish them for it, no matter that it's not true."
I can't tell if he's speaking from things he's seen in his role as a judge, or from events in his personal life. If it's in his past, I hope it was nothing that he grew up with.
"And... I guess the other big thing on my mind is my job. Well," Kotetsu smiled at Yuri, "you know I want to help people."
"I do. You're one of the few Heroes who wear their heart on their sleeve, and clumsiness notwithstanding, is committed to seeing the job through. The only other one I can depend on like that is Sky High."
"But… but it's not enough! It's never enough when someone Lunatic keeps escaping!" The chains rattled as Kotetsu gripped them. "And he's killed how many more people? All they're doing it fanning flames of hatred. Blue and green ones that will take over the city."
"Lunatic..." Yuri didn't sound happy to be talking about the vigilante. "On one hand, as a judge, I agree with you. Nobody is outside of the law, and by killing others, they have marked themselves as a murderer."
"I hear a 'but' coming," said Kotetsu, staring at the man with a frown.
How can you even agree with what he's doing?
"But," Yuri said, nodding in deferment, "as a human who has seen people kill once, kill again, and keep killing... there seems to be some logic that if those killers are dead, more lives will be saved."
"I might buy that," said Kotetsu, his voice icy, "if Edward had not nearly been barbecued. The kid killed someone, yes, but it was because he was trying to help. Doesn't that count for something? What if I couldn't hold onto a someone during a rescue, and they fell and died?! Wouldn't that be the same thing? Wouldn't that make me a killer?"
The last word ringing in the air, Kotetsu let out a huff. He dragged his shoe in the dirt and looked away from the burning stare.
"... sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. You're here at a godforsaken time trying to help me, and I'll I'm doing is shouting at you."
"Apology accepted." Yuri's voice was unshaken, confident. "As for Edward Keddy... I agree with you, actually. I think Lunatic made a mistake there... even though the man was seen trying to kill one of the city's Heroes."
Kotetsu winced.
"... but, I truly believe that was because he's been imprisoned unfairly. I've been speaking with the other judges to gather laws that may need to be updated, and the one that's kept him imprisoned is one of them, certainly. In the meantime, since he was a minor when the... incident occurred, I've been working on allowing him to receive a clear record when he leaves, along with a new name if he so wishes."
"That's..." Kotetsu couldn't contain his grin. "That's wonderful! That means Edward could try to become a Hero even! Thank you, it'll mean so much to me and Origami Cyclone!"
And Ivan would have all of that blame lifted from his shoulders!
"It will, won't it." Yuri's statement wasn't a question. "Did this... " there was hesitation. "Did my being a soundboard help you?"
Kotetsu thought about the question, mulling over it.
"... yes... I think it did actually." He beamed at the judge. "Is there anything, anything at all, that I can help you with?"
"No, I'm fine." Yuri rose from the swing and began to stretch, first his arms, then his legs. "Anything that I would want to get off my chest is covered by privacy laws."
Oh, right...
He starting to run in place.
"I'm off then. Have a good night."
"Night," said Kotetsu, waving as the judge jogged away. "That was... huh. That was actually productive. I didn't think Judge Petrov would be such a good listener."
A massive yawn had him looking at his watch again.
"Jeez, two already? Were we really chatting for that long? Maybe Judge Petrov's got the right idea, heading home and all." Kotetsu set out on the western path, the same one that Yuri had taken when he'd jogged away. "Huh. The wind's a little brisk this late at night. I guess that's why he was wearing that mask-scarf thingy."
He'd only been walking for a few minutes when a shot rang out.
"Shit!" he cursed, pouring on the speed.
That came from where Yuri went!
Kotetsu ran, slowing down slightly when he saw the black silhouette of a body on the path. As he got closer, the darkness became lighter, turning to gray.
"Yuri," he said, looking around him even as he knelt down. "Yuri, are you okay? What happened?"
The judge let out a small groan, eyes fluttering open to focus on Kotetsu.
"...trap..."
That one little word had Kotetsu standing up, half turned around when something hit him in the back and exploded, forcing him to his knees.
"Good," rang out a woman's voice. "We have a Hero already."
"Not good," rasped Kotetsu, "when you hurt the Hero."
"Gorden, another. Then that thing we discussed."
Kotetsu grunted as another explosion went off right between his shoulder blades. Then, while he was panting on the ground, something cold was slipped over his neck.
"You're... you're gonna be in trouble," said Kotetsu, standing up and activating his powers.
...wait? I don't feel anything? Where's my power?!
"Yeah, nice try," laughed Gorden. Before Kotetsu could throw off the stunned revelation, and wonder how it had happened, a powerful right hook hit him in the stomach, and a sweep took him out at the feet. He fell heavily to the ground, bouncing his head off of the walkway.
"Stop that!"
... zats nice... yuri's sokay...
"Shut up."
"What do you want with us?" demanded Yuri, his voice low and angry. "If you hadn't noticed, we're not carrying wallets, so it's not like you're going to get a lot of money."
"Good thing we don't care 'bout that. You're bait."
bait... for what?
"Bait? For whom?"
"Lunatic," answered a woman's voice. "Gorden, take Tiger. What's your name?"
"Yuri Petrov."
"Great. Yuri, get up and walk slowly. I have a gun, and if I even think you're going to do something stupid, I'll shoot you."
Something grabbed Kotetsu around his left arm and heaved, straining it.
"Get up."
Floundering to his knees, then wobbling to his feet, Kotetsu clawed at the metal that was around his neck.
Off! Gotta get this off of me!
"It's an anti-NEXT collar," cautioned Yuri. "Don't touch it, many of them explode when tampered with."
There was a low whistle.
"Interesting... and how to do you know about these, Yuri?"
"I'm a Stern Bild judge. How do you think we convict criminals who have NEXT powers? Ask them nicely not to escape before they're incarcerated?." There was a scowl. "While we use the non-exploding type, I've still seen these. And the aftermath of their use."
Kotetu was prodded forward, the two criminals at his back..
"Hands out Hero. We're heading to the tree line, so no funny business."
"Let me help him," said Yuri. "And we can get this over with faster."
Gordon and the woman laughed.
"Hah, do you hear him? 'Get this over with.' He's got a death wish!"
Kotetsu felt a shoulder underneath his arm.
"Sorry," Yuri whispered. "I got you into this mess, so I'm going to get you out."
Yuri adjusted his position, briefly touching the wristband that was around Kotetsu's wrist.
"Move it assholes!" yelled the woman, cocking the gun. Kotetsu's headache, inflamed by the piercing voice, was worth it; she had inadvertently masked the sound of Barnaby answering the call. "Get to the tree line and sit down. We're going to wait here for Lunatic to show up."
And for Bunny.
"And what makes you think he will?" asked Yuri, helping Kotetsu lean against a tree, then taking a seat on the green grass himself.
"Because if he doesn't, we're going to kill one of you, and that should bring them out of hiding."
Kotetsu tried to get his breath under control.
Feels like I was hit by a truck.
"What did you... hit me with?" he gasped out, rolling his neck to look up at the two kidnappers. Gordon was squat and slightly muscular; the woman was petite and slender. Both of them wore black bodysuits with masks.
"Gordon's NEXT power is a gunner stunner; makes you feel like you've been poleaxed. We figure that someone might have heard the gunshot, but we had no idea it'd be a Hero."
Great
"Why do you even want Lunatic?"asked Yuri. "You do know he will kill you if you murder someone, right? Or is this a suicide pact?"
"We've both had a brother murdered by that bastard. He wants to kill the killers? Needs to start with himself."
"So you're becoming vigilantes..."
Knew it...I knew this would happen.
"I say we start with the mouthy jogger." said Gorden. "Kill him, Lunatic should come flying in."
I can't let them do that!
Quietly, Yuri began to laugh. It progressed to being louder and more obvious, his shaking shoulders hitting Kotetsu and getting the attention of the captors.
"You're laughing? Geez you're sick man. What's so funny about your death?"
The laughter subsided, but Yuri was still snickering.
"I find this comedy of errors funny because you've grabbed the wrong person."
The wrong person? What does he mean by that?
The two criminals exchanged glances, confusion clear in their actions. Kotetsu wanted to tell them that they weren't the only ones, but he bit his tongue.
"How so?" the woman finally asked, pointing the gun at Yuri.
"I'm not the innocent bystander you think I am." There was a slight hesitation, the a soft sigh. "I'm most likely on Lunatic's list myself as my hands are colored red."
Oh...
There was a moment of silence, then cursing from the woman as Gorden scratched his head.
"I don't get it," he said. "If we kill him, we're still murderers, so Lunatic should still come after us."
"Or he could offer you a job as a vigilante, and thank you for taking someone off his list," Yuri pointed out. "It'd be better to just release us, and give up on this stupid plan."
Wait, is this just a lie to make them let us go?
"So..." Gorden looked at the two men sitting down in the cold grass. "We kill the Hero then. Should be easy, he's already got the collar on."
What?!
"No..." breathed Yuri, darting a quick glance at Kotetsu. "No, that wouldn't work at all."
Come on, listen to Yuri!
"... hmm. You might have hit the nail upon the head here Gorden." The woman got closer to Kotetsu, then grabbed him by his shirt, dragging him up to his feet.
She's got some muscle for being so tiny.
"If Lunatic thought they were as guilty, he would have killed them already, therefore, they must be clean in his eyes."
Let me go!
"Maybe he justifies them since they balance out with true acts of heroism." Yuri shot back, desperation evident in his voice.
"Shut up. Murderer."
Yuri flinched. Kotetsu grunted as the gun traveled along the side of his face, then jammed i so hard that he could feel his pulse beat against it.
Shit shit shit this is not going well. Come on Bunny, ya gotta hurry!
She pushed him back to the ground, and he rolled, coming up against a tree.
"Legend Park," Kotetsu gasped out. "If I'm gonna die, this is a good place for it."
"No!" shouted Yuri, surprising all of them. "No, it's fucking not!"
"... come on Gorden, we're wasting too much time on this. Get ready to stun incoming flames."
She pointed the gun at Kotetsu and fired.
...fuck... that hurts...
He had his own flames of pain burning in his chest, and suddenly it felt that there was too much air and not enough air at the same time.
Kotetsu coughed, spitting blood out onto the ground as he wrapped his hands around the shot, trying to put some pressure on it. His hands only succeeded in scrabbling at the spot, painting themselves in thick, sticky liquid and nothing much else.
"Wild Tiger!"
...Yuri?
The judge's face was blurred, and there was a rushing sound in his ears that blocked out most of the sounds coming from around him. Kotetsu gasped, trying to fill his iron lungs with fresh air.
"Hang... help's... the way!"
"... joking ...? ... only thing ... should be Lunatic."
Too heavy. It's all too heavy.
He let his eyes close, sending tears streaming down the sides of his face.
Kaede. Masabaka. Mom. Bunny. I'm sorry.
Kotetsu could feel himself lose consciousness, and there was nothing he could do about it.
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to send out a Wild Roar!
Letter from the Soup - L for Logic (and Lunatic!)