Summary: why Kane and Kirk became enemies

Stories That Must Be Read Before Reading This One-Shot: Everybody Hurts at least, preferably Stuck In The Middle too.

…

"This is supposed to be our base?" Kane stared up at the dismal building in the middle of a forest clearing. "It's in the middle of nowhere, Kirk."

Kane's younger brother clapped his hands together. "That's exactly why it's great. Come on, I'll give you the tour."

As Kane and Kirk walked into the entrance hall, Kane wasn't impressed by the gloomy décor. "Gotta say, your decorating skills need a lot of work."

Kirk swatted his brother on the shoulder good-naturedly. "I didn't decorate this, idiot. This is how it came. I'm not that emo."

"Saying you're not an emo is like saying a giraffe doesn't have a long neck."

This earned him an elbow to the ribs. Laughing, Kane grabbed Kirk in a friendly headlock and rubbed his brother's hair with his fist. "You love me really."

"Sure, sure." Kirk struggled. "Get off me!"

"Never gonna happen."

Eventually, Kirk resorted to tickling. Kane jerked backwards, letting go of his younger brother, and bashed his elbow painfully on the wall. Kirk delighted in watching his brother hop about. "Ooh, the funny bone!" Kane hissed.

"It really is funny," Kirk said amusedly.

"Okay, wise-guy." Kane gently punched his brother on the shoulder. "Show me your base."

"Our base," Kirk corrected him immediately. "ARCHANGEL is our vision, not just mine. I just bought the base. If it weren't for you, ARCHANGEL wouldn't even have passed the development phase. Now we're here, in our very own base!"

"It is exciting," commented Kane, smiling.

"Heck yes it is!" Kirk raised his hand for a high-five. Shaking his head amusedly, Kane slapped his hand. "But seriously, you're the reason ARCHANGEL exists."

"So are you," Kane said. "You were the one who came up with the idea and began implementing it."

They put their arms around each other. "I couldn't have done this without you," Kirk said. "Anyway, I'll give you the tour. I've got this awesome lab space for us, so I can science and you can engineer."

"That's terrible grammar."

"Do I look like I care?"

Kirk showed Kane a small room. "What's this for?" Kane asked.

"I was about to explain." Kirk shot Kane an amused look. "I was thinking this could be an office for us."

"An office?" Kane repeated, looking around the space. "Hmm…well, we could have a bureau over there and two desks on either side of the room."

Kirk slapped Kane excitedly on the shoulder. "Now you're getting it!"

After showing Kane the rest of the base, the older Kennedy brother was getting more excited too. "I can't wait to develop the HECK out of that lab," grinned Kane as they strolled back to the entrance hall.

"I can't wait to see you develop the heck out of that lab," Kirk grinned. "I mean, this place is amazing, right?" He poked his brother's arm. "Say it. This place is amazing."

"It is pretty cool," Kane admitted.

Kirk jabbed his index fingers into Kane's shoulder in rapid succession. "Told you so."

"Yeah, THAT'S mature," grinned Kane.

"It's almost like I'm the younger brother," Kirk deadpanned, making Kane laugh.

"You're such an idiot."

"I know." Kirk stopped walking and gazed happily up at the metal rafters. "Kane, ARCHANGEL is happening. And I can tell it's going to be great."

…

A month later, Kane stopped by their office, which was now furnished with lots of furniture. "Whatcha doin'?" he asked his brother, who was sat behind his desk, scribbling on a piece of paper.

Kirk sharply looked up. "We need operatives, Kane."

"What?"

"Agents," Kirk explained. "We can't be a fearsome organisation without agents of some kind."

"Nobody said we'd be a fearsome organisation," Kane said, frowning, as he came further in and sat down sideways on the desk, peering at his brother. "Are you okay?"

"I haven't slept in three days," Kirk replied, a wild look in his eyes. "We can use animals, right?"

"Animals? Kirk, what are you talking about?"

"The Organisation Without A Cool Acronym," Kirk said, sounding rather manic. "They use animal agents. We can beat them at their own game."

"Kirk, we don't want to beat anyone." Kane stared at his brother.

"Yes we do." Kirk seemed insane. His movements were erratic and his voice jerky. "The OWCA. We have to fight fire with fire. Use animal operatives. Beat OWCA."

"Kirk, what's going on? Why are you so obsessed with the OWCA?"

"I'm not obsessed," answered Kirk, rifling through papers on his desk. "I think we should get baby animals. Get pregnant females, have them give birth to the babies, take the babies here, and train them up straight away. We could even use the children of OWCA's own animal agents! That would really mess them up!"

"That's barbaric!" Kane gasped. "Kirk, you're not thinking clearly. I need you to-." Kane reached out and put his hand on Kirk's shoulder, but his brother lashed out and hit Kane on the chin, making him stagger back. He stared at Kirk with more shock than pain. "What the-?"

Kirk didn't seem sorry. He just gazed sadly at Kane for a moment before he ran back behind his desk and grabbed the piece of paper he had been writing on. Kane walked slowly forwards and took Kirk's arms. His brother didn't resist as Kane gently led him out the room. Neither of them spoke until they reached their bedroom. "I think you need a rest," said Kane.

"I don't need sleep, I need agents," Kirk snapped.

"Hey, just go to sleep," Kane said, helping his brother into bed. "Maybe something will come to you in sleep."

Kane tucked Kirk into bed, just as he had done when they were children, and began walking away. As he did, Kirk's voice called softly, "I'm sorry for hitting you."

"It's okay," Kane replied without looking back. "I know what lack of sleep can do to someone's mind."

…

Two weeks after that, it looked like Kirk had forgotten his plan to use baby animals as operatives. He said no more about it, and after a while, Kane also forgot about it.

Until one day, when Kane walked into an unused room and found at least six baby animals of different species, including a dog, a cat, and a turtle. Feeling both rage and confusion surge through him, Kane picked up the tiny kitten. It wasn't even old enough to see; it was hairless and blind.

"Kane!" gasped Kirk's voice.

Kane spun round to see Kirk in the doorway, looking both guilty and surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," snapped Kane. "What are you doing with these baby animals?"

"Training them," Kirk replied. "Like I said I would. They're all children of OWCA agents."

Kane stared at his brother, feeling a stab of nausea hit his stomach. "Please tell me you're joking."

"I said I would!"

"I thought that was the sleep deprivation talking!" Kane couldn't believe his eyes and ears. "I can't believe you'd actually go through with this!"

"What was I supposed to do?" Kirk snapped. "You weren't helping me get agents!"

"We don't NEED agents!" Kane gently placed the kitten on the floor again and took an angry step towards his brother, who took a cautious one back. "We're a SCIENTIST organisation! Why do we need operatives?"

"To fight OWCA!" Kirk suddenly shouted. "We have to fight OWCA or it'll crush us!"

"Why will OWCA crush us?" Kane yelled. "Because you decided to steal their agents' kids! If you hadn't created the problem in the first place, it wouldn't need a solution!"

"You're so naïve, Kane!" Kirk bellowed. "Wake up and meet the real world! OWCA sees any organisation like a threat. It's only a matter of time before they decide to take us over and run us how THEY want. I can't let that happen, Kane! This organisation is my life!"

"It was mine too! Until I found out my psychotic brother is kidnapping week-old animals!"

"I'm not psychotic!" shrieked Kirk. "I'm just doing what needs to be done!"

"None of this is necessary," Kane snapped, gesturing at the baby animals behind him. "You've robbed these poor babies of their parents and their chance at an ordinary life. That's definitely not necessary."

"I knew you wouldn't get it," snarled Kirk. "I tried to convince myself that you would understand why I'm doing this and that you would help me, but now I realise I didn't know you as well as I thought I did."

"You don't know me at all!" Kane yelled. "If you knew me AT ALL, you'd know that I would never help you with this!"

"So what are you going to do?" taunted Kirk. "Leave?"

"Of course that's what I'm going to do," Kane snarled back, surprising both brothers.

"Really?" Kirk's voice changed to become lower and quieter. "You'd let this plan come in between our brothership?"

"Yes," replied Kane, equally as quietly. "As long as you're obsessed with this plan and beating OWCA, I can't stay here. You're becoming too extreme. I wanted to start this organisation with you because I loved the idea of being able to invent and do research with no restraint or limitations. I didn't want this organisation to become what you've turned it into."

With that Kane stormed past his brother and stopped in the doorway. "I'm sorry, Kirk. I'll always love you, brother, but I can't condone this."

Kirk turned away. "Fine. Leave. Turn on me, just like Kegan did."

Kane did not rise to the bait. "Goodbye, Kirk."

As Kane walked down the corridor, the eyes of both brothers filled with tears.

This was not what either of them truly wanted.

…

*cries* SO SAD! Has this helped you understand Kirk a bit more?