Both of them put their hands to their mouths. Michiru putting both hands to her mouth with Haruka only one. Both looking horrified and disgusted.
"He said he was going to put himself in my younger body and that I would be forgotten. That I wasn't deserving of my own body. That I would get to watch it happen. I saw a woman there. Someone who seemed as crazy as him and who seemed hooked on his every word. I forgot her first name but her last name seemed to be 'Quinn' I believe. Might have been American. But mother, with her last bit of strength attacked father. He dropped the buzzsaw and cut the wire to it but managed to spark a flame inside. She got me out of the house but soon collapsed. I watched our old home burn... like kindling. I look to her as she said her last words. 'Don't be afraid'. Then... she was gone." Michiru begins to audibly cry, Haruka consoles her. Hugging her. Her own look of horror shows on her face, looking to me.
"I'm sorry, that I didn't tell you, Michiru. I just didn't... I didn't want to burden you with this. With... me. It was my war I was intending on facing. I didn't think all of this would happen. Magical girls. Monsters. Guess I still have a lot to learn I suppose."
"Brother, I'm... I'm so sorry. I didn't know that father was... insane. God... I wish I could have been stronger for you. If only I had my powers back then... I knew he was cruel but I didn't know it went that far. I wish you had told me."
"You had a life of your own, Michiru. You are a violinist, a damn good one at that. You have a partner who loves you and you are both Sailor Senshi. You already had so much on your plate already. I didn't want to add anymore to that." Michiru shook her head and grabbed my face at both sides.
"I want you to stop thinking like that. You are my brother. I want to look after you. To help you. Not because it's my obligation, but because you are the best little brother I had as a kid. Even now you still are. Yes, you changed. But I'd be a hypocrite to not say that I haven't too. Me and Haruka will help you deal with this pain. We will work together. As a team. I promise we won't kill anymore, if you promise to not shoulder this burden on your own anymore." I look at her with wide eyes before I begin to smile.
"I doubt I'd be able to stop you anyway," That makes Michiru smile a bit.
"You never could. Haruka certainly can't."
"... He still shouldn't get involved." I look to Haruka as does Michiru. She holds an incredulous look, while I kept my serious one.
"Haruka...?"
"Michiru, I'm sorry but... he's not one of us. He's a mere man. A human man with no powers. He would only get in the way. We need to protect the princess. I get that you want to work with your brother. I've even thought about it too. But he gets hurt more easily. He doesn't have the healing capabilities that we both do." I simply nod my head, in a kind of... sigh at this point I don't know in what way.
"I see. So... what? Are you going to hurt me if I do?" I take a step towards her.
"I didn't say that."
"But I'm sure if it's comes down to it, if push comes to shove, you'll try to cripple me to prevent me from helping." Michiru steps in between us both.
"I won't let that happen, Brother."
"No, sun, I wouldn't. I would expose to Tokyo that Sun Kaioh is the Batman." Michiru immediately turns to Haruka. The look of shock in her face deepens.
"You'd what...?"
"It would be the only thing that stops him."
"By having the police hunt him like a dog?! To push him out of Tokyo?! I won't let you do that!"
"Michi-" "NO!" Her voice booms out of the room.
"He is my brother. I love him just as much as I love you. The fact that you said all that... breaks my heart..." I can hear Michirus voice breaking, a hitch in her voice stops her from speaking as she walks away towards another room.
"Michiru!" Haruka reaches out to her but the door slams hard, again echoing out in my home as she locks it. Haruka grits her teeth as I place a hand to her shoulder.
"Give her some time. I'm sure... she'll see both sides of the argument here." She looks to me with a bit of disbelief. That I wasn't going to try to dissuade her or even make threats to keep going as Batman. Then again, I haven't said my piece just yet.
"Maybe so. But you know how she is." She looks at the door.
"In truth, I don't. In most aspects." Again, she turns her head at me.
"It was 10 long years that I was gone. To make myself strong for her. To be her... knight I suppose. To protect her. Now I'm starting to realize she may have never needed me. She has these powers, her influence, and... she has you." She turns her whole body towards me.
"I was ready to shoulder this war I was making on crime, only for it all to be squandered by these magically imbued villains. Maybe... it would have been better for her if I never came home at all." Haruka has a look of surprise. I'm not so such, so much as... tired for today. While crime doesn't take a holiday. I need one. From the emotional rollercoaster of the past couple of days. I walk past Haruka to the master bedroom as I sit at the foot of the bed and lay there. For a good hour.
I then hear the door open but my eyes remain closed.
"Alfie, I would like to be alone at the current moment. Please."
"You might have to go tell her that." I open my eyes to see it's Haruka.
"Haruka? What are you-"
"I listened to your words. Genuinely I didn't want to get you involved in all this, to protect the princess and Michiru both. But, then you said that last sentence and realized you couldn't have been more wrong." I sit up now in confusion.
"Michiru prayed a lot. To any kami that would listen. Heh, even the Christian one. Begging for you to come back. Her prayers were answered, and luckily she hasn't turned into a religious nut. But I think, as the Batman, she sees this as a way to be with you even more. I admit, I loved being alone with her on patrol. Felt like we could hold the fate of the world in our hands. But with you, maybe she sees that also as a way to alleviate it off me and her a bit. To let you in on our circle. You may be a man. But you are stronger than most. I've seen the newspapers, the reports of you and how you punish criminals. In a way, I admired the Batman."
"Would you say a fan~?"
"Don't push it." She had a twitch in her grin along with a twitch in her brow as I chuckle softly.
"Admire is more appropriate for me. You have an incredible work ethic. You must push yourself to pursue this endless battle. Knowing it'll never end. But you don't let that stop you. I saw your Bat basement. I saw the suture kits. The bullets you removed out of your own body. The blood. You take all this punishment and I realized that you do that so no one has to ever suffer like you and Michiru did. I admire you, Sun."
"Why... are you telling me this?" I was pretty curious to see why she was having this bit of exposition come out. She's never talked this much to me before. Not that I mind.
"Because... I've had a change of heart. Maybe... you could help us. None of us are a detective like you are. We can help on any magical based things while you help with fighting and investigating about the bureau." My eyes show a bit of surprise.
"I... I don't know what to say... I thought you'd honestly stick to your guns on the whole thing."
"Normally I would have, but you managed to find us and use gadgets that could prove useful to our battle. You may not be as strong as us. But... you never needed to be. You had your own ways and we need that. So... my offer stands." I look down at the floors, really in thought on all this as I smile and look up.
"I won't let you or Michiru down." Which prompts Haruka to smile.
"I know you won't, brother." Me and Haruka look to see Michiru leaning against the door frame, smiling that we are coming together.
"Michiru..." Haruka said as Michiru dropped the smile to look at her.
"Don't be hard on her, Michiru. It's over. You don't have to be upset anymore. Let's just all... come together on this. As a team. Could you give Haruka another chance?" She looks to me for a moment, then back to Haruka as she approached her and smiled.
"You're a very lucky woman, Haruka." Haruka smiled to that as she went to kiss her but she felt Michirus finger on her lips instead.
"Not that lucky, but we should get her to Sailor Pluto. Maybe she can assist us with the witches 5."
"I'll follow you twos lead on this." As we get to the garage, I change into my outfit as they are in uniform as I get on my bike and follow them as they jump up high. Looking like the gravity serves them. Magic is... interesting in some aspects, I'll give it that.
(AN: Please leave a review for me! Thank you!)