Slytherin – Fanatic 911: Howdy Y'all! Sorry for the delay but here's the chapter. There are only two more chapters after this one, though. For the moment, Frizzle!
Frizzle: Alrighty! Disclaimer: Slytherin – Fanatic 911 does not own JunJou Romantica or D N Angel but she does own her own character, Sayuri (Satoshi's twin sister). Now… ON WITH THE STORY!
Krad stirred the cake mixture with a frown on his face and probably more forcefully than he should. The mixture was splashing outside the bowl but he was too infuriated to care.
It was a few days after the heist and he was still mad. There was no way he couldn't be mad. Dark had honestly thought simply saying, 'I love you' would fix things. Of course, it wouldn't. Especially since it was his painting being stolen. Oh, but he had won in the end. After 300 years he had finally caught Dark. And now that damn thief was under the close watch of the Tokyo police force.
Krad knew that Satoshi had undertaken special measures to make sure that there was no chance for Dark to escape. As much as he wanted to punish Dark personally, it was going to be that much more satisfying to see him publicly persecuted.
But still, as Krad was pouring the mixture into the cake tin, he couldn't help but mourn what could've been. Satoshi was on the verge of forgiving the Niwa boy for his actions and he'd be lying if he said he didn't want something similar with Dark. They were two halves of the same whole and yet neither could get their shit together in the past 300 years long enough for them to form a relationship. Well, at least not the type Krad wanted. Maybe catching Dark was a mistake? Maybe he shouldn't have turned Dark over to the police. But it was too late now.
There was a knock on the door just as Krad had placed the cake in the oven. He brushed some flour off the pink apron he was wearing and walked over to open the door. Hiroki stood on the other side, arms crossed and frowning.
"What do you want?" Krad asked.
Hiroki eyed Krad's apron before saying, "You're baking again."
"What do you want?" Krad asked again.
"I just want to ask you about the other night. Christmas Eve."
Krad raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything more as he let Hiroki inside. Well, something like this was going to happen sooner or later. In Azumano he might've gotten away with what he did but the people of Tokyo weren't yet used to flying angels.
Krad closed the door and walked over to sit on the opposite couch to Hiroki. He then crossed his arms and waited in silence for Hiroki to speak. After a few minutes, Hiroki let out a sigh and said, "Why did I see you flying on TV the other night?"
"Flying? Humans can't fly," Krad replied.
"So why did I see you flying the other night? You were obviously chasing after Black."
"Dark," Krad corrected. He flushed and looked away. "And I still don't know what you're talking about. It must've just been a trick."
"Don't play that bullshit with me. We've been neighbours for years now, I know you well enough to recognise you on TV, even if you were flying."
Krad continued to glare at the wall.
"Alright," Hiroki said after a bit, "let's try a different angle. That Bl-Dark fellow who was on TV with you, he's your ex, right?"
"Yes, that is correct," Krad said.
"And your ex is a criminal."
"More or less. He's behind bars now, though."
"Right. And I'd just like to know one more thing." Hiroki took a deep breath before asking, "How in the hell did you start dating someone like that?"
"It's… a long story," Krad replied, turning red. There wasn't any point in opening up to Hiroki.
"I have time."
"Why do you want to know? All of that is… ancient history."
"It's not to you. I mean," Hiroki looked over to the kitchen and all the baked goods that sat on the counter, "there's a reason I've eaten more muffins in the past three weeks than I have in my entire life."
Krad remained silent. He honestly didn't realise how much he'd been baking. He wanted to do something to take his mind off the heist and painting, his usual escape, only reminded him of Dark. Would opening up to Hiroki help? Would Hiroki, who was constantly yelling at him for one thing or another, even care? He couldn't confide in Satoshi or Sayuri, though. They had other things to worry about.
"We've…" Krad started, wrapping his arms around himself, "always been together. For as long as I can remember it's just been us, fated to be with each other for all eternity. And even after he hurt me in the past, I never thought that would change. It was only when I met Satoshi-sama and Sayuri-sama that changed. Both of them helped me accept Dark's feelings when he finally did confess. But then… just when I finally thought everything was okay, he broke up with me. Over the phone, too… I've always known he never wanted commitment but I thought he'd change for me."
"And what about now?" Hiroki asked. "Why is he bothering you now?"
"He said… he said he loves me and that he came all the way to Tokyo to tell me that. I want to believe him and I think a part of me does but… he's hurt me so many times in the past, I just don't know what to do…"
Hiroki crossed his arms and stared at Krad for a good few minutes. Eventually, he said slowly, "In the end, what you do is up to you. I can't make your decisions for you. With that being said… I think you should dump him once and for all. If he's hurt you before, there's no guarantee he won't do it again this time. I said this before but, you don't take shit from anyone, don't let this guy be the exception. It will be hard but… I think you'll be a lot happier if you let this loser go."
Krad bit his bottom lip and stared down to his hands as he nodded. That was easier said than done. How could he let go of his feelings for someone who was literally his other half?
Hiroki stood up and patted Krad's shoulder. "That's just my own opinion, okay? In the end, it's your decision."
Krad waited until he heard the door behind Hiroki close so he was left alone to cry.
-JunJou Romantica-
With everything that had happened in the past few weeks, Sayuri had completely forgotten about the foreigner that had come into the shop the other day. So when he actually did show up a few days after the heist, she was surprised. She still had a feeling in the back of her head that she'd seen him before but even after a few weeks, she couldn't put her finger on it.
The man walked around the shop, examining the paintings on the wall before walking over to the counter. Sayuri smiled and said once he was close enough, "Welcome, what can I do for you?"
"You have a lovely smile," the man said.
"Th-thank you," Sayuri replied, her cheeks turning pink.
Could this guy be a stalker? Was he after her? No, if anything he'd only be interested in her because of her brother.
"Um, can I help you somehow?" Sayuri asked.
The man examined Sayuri for a moment before nodding. He pulled out an envelope from his coat and said, "Can you please read this? I… don't have any confidence that what I'll say will change your mind."
Sayuri took the letter. The front of the envelope had her name spelt out neatly in a cursive script.
The man bowed to her before walking out of the shop. Once he was gone, Sayuri opened the envelope and pulled out the letter. The front page of the letter was in the same writing as the one who'd written her name but… There was another, smaller piece of paper behind the first. The page had drawings of complex designs and the writing was in… Latin? It was a spell, written by a Hikari. It outlined basically a way to turn an artwork human.
Human?
"Argentine," Sayuri said.
-JunJou Romantica-
Dark never expected it to be Krad's painting. He always knew that Krad was good with his hands like all the Hikaris were, but it never occurred to him that maybe Krad might have painted Angel's Despair. Emiko and he had wondered where it came from since it had just seemingly popped up at the National Art Gallery. For it to have been painted recently, though, wasn't something they considered. Had he known from the beginning that it was Krad's painting, he definitely wouldn't have taken it. He wanted to get back into Krad's good book, not alienate him further.
But he never intended to get caught. He'd only dropped his guard for a moment, but it had been enough for Krad. Enough for Krad to knock him out then hand him over to the police. Why he had given him to the police, he didn't know. It certainly made it harder to escape, though. With Krad, all he'd have to do was distract the blonde for a second then all he'd be able to make his getaway. But now… There were at least six different cameras focussed on Dark, three guards outside his cell and no doubt some sort of mechanism or trap that would deadlock the room if he tried to escape. Of course, that wasn't to mention the fact that he was no doubt being kept in the deepest, most secure part of the police station. In short, he was trapped.
He wondered what was going to happen to him. He wasn't exactly a normal, human citizen. Satoshi knew that as well. He couldn't just face trial and be thrown in jail. Maybe Satoshi would bust him out at the last minute? No, it was more likely that Daisuke would come for him. He could only pray that when Daisuke came for him he wouldn't get caught.
Dark, who was lying in a steel cot, sat up when he heard noises outside the room. The policeman that was standing in front of the door moved aside as it opened and Satoshi stepped into the room. The door was shut and locked behind him and he slowly walked up to the bars of Dark's cell.
"I knew that even with all our preparation we wouldn't catch you," Satoshi said. Dark was still unused to seeing him without glasses.
"But here I am."
Satoshi smirked. "Krad was never going to let you get away with it. Not here, not after four years, and not with his painting."
"I…" Dark looked down to his hands, "I didn't know it was his. If I had…"
"It's too late for 'if's now. The police are trying to decide what to do with you. You're a criminal so you should go on trial. But, you did fly. Some scientists are pretty interested in learning how."
Dark felt the blood drain out of his face and he swallowed thickly. "Scientists? As in…?"
"As in experiments. Don't worry. I'll do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen. It wouldn't be good me, either."
If scientists got their hands on Dark, the secrets of the Hikaris could be discovered. He had to rely on Satoshi so that something like that didn't happen.
"We've been trying to find out who your accomplices are, by the way," Satoshi said, crossing his arms and leaning against the bars.
"Accomplices?" Dark frowned for a second before he realised who Satoshi might be referring to. "You mean Dai-"
"Your accomplices," Satoshi cut in. "We… haven't had any luck so far, though. All we know is that you must've had outside help of some sort."
Satoshi had to know that Daisuke and Emiko were his 'accomplices'. He'd know where Daisuke was and how to contact him. So why wasn't he saying anything? Did, even after four years of separation and hurt, he still have a soft spot for the red head. Surely he must. Why else would be acting like this?
"Well, you're not going to get anything out of me," Dark said, smirking. Looks like their trip to Tokyo wasn't fruitless after all.
"Guess we'll just have to keep hunting then," Satoshi said. "Also, your brother's tried to visit you a couple times. He's, and I quote, 'very shocked to find out that his precious Onii-chan is a thief'."
"Brother?" Dark let out a loud laugh. "Oh yes, I imagine he would be. Any chance I can see him? I'm sure he's worried sick."
"I'm afraid we can't allow that. I'll pass on my apologies to him. He seems… nice."
"I think you'd get along if you gave him a chance."
Satoshi pursed his lips. After a moment he said, "We're meeting to… discuss your situation on New Year's Eve."
"Like a date?" Dark couldn't wipe the grin off his face.
Satoshi glared at Dark and let out a huff before replying, "It's the only time I have free in the next few weeks. No thanks to you."
"Good luck," Dark said. And he meant it. He didn't want to see Daisuke in pain again.
"Thanks," Satoshi muttered. He then looked to the guards before turning back to Dark and saying, "You have to take it slow with him.
"Slow?" I don't know, I think he's pretty eager to get back in your good books."
"I meant with Krad, you idiot. You can't waltz back into his life, wink a little, flirt a little, and then expect him to fall in love with you again. You need to take things a lot slower."
"He's my other half. I think I know what I'm doing."
"Do what you want." Satoshi stood straight and stretched. "I was just trying to give you some advice. Anyway, I really should be going. I'll say hi to your little brother for you."
"Thanks. Tell him I'll be alright. I'll get out of here soon."
"We'll see about that."
With that, Satoshi nodded at the guards before exiting the room and leaving Dark once more.
-D N Angel-
Despite having giving up on Dark years ago, Risa couldn't resist going to the National Art Gallery on Christmas Eve. Luckily, Takeshi went as well so it all worked out in the end. But with as many heists that she had seen, both first-hand and on the TV, she never, never, expected him to get caught. She had, of course, seen the blonde angel before on a few of Dark's heists some years ago. But even with the combination of him and Satoshi, they'd never been successful. They'd done it this time, though.
She'd seen it with her own eyes but she still could hardly believe it. That blonde angel had taken down Dark then handed him over to Satoshi. Takeshi had gotten the biggest scoop of his career so far and she hadn't been able to do anything but watch in silence.
A couple days after the whole event, she went down to the police station to ask Satoshi if she could talk to Dark. She hadn't expected him to say yes and he didn't. But she had to try.
On her way out, she'd seen Daisuke hovering around, looking as if he was debating whether or not to go in. She said hi once she spotted him and when she asked why he was there, he just said he was there to see Satoshi. It wasn't until she was almost home that she realised he might've been lying. But what reason would he have to see Dark?
But all of that led up to how she found herself lying on the couch, watching bad daytime TV. She was still on break so she had no school work that needed to be done and Takeshi was too busy trying to get any form of statement, from either the police or Dark, to see her. She wanted to do something, anything, useful but she was at a loss.
Risa had tried calling her sister twice but the other hadn't picked up. At this point in time, she was heavily debating whether or not calling Sayuri would be a good idea. If she managed to speak with her, she might be able to get some information about Dark. The temptation led her to pull out her phone and open the contacts page for Sayuri. Her finger hovered over the call button, though, and that was as far as she got.
"And in other news," Risa looked over to the TV and saw a reporter talking, "the 'Phantom Thief Dark' was captured the other night, trying to steal Angel's Despair from the National Art Gallery. He's still in police custody where officers are attempting to figure out his true identity. The credit of the thief's capture goes to Inspector Satoshi Hiwatari, who simply stated that he was doing his job."
Risa sat up with a slight struggle and frowned at the TV. Did Dark even have a true identity? It wasn't something she ever thought about before.
She looked back down to her phone. Sayuri must know something. Without any more hesitation, she hit the call button. She then held the phone up to her ear and waited with bated breath for Sayuri to pick up.
After a few rings, there was a short moment of silence and then, "Hello? Harada-chan?"
"Sayuri-chan!" Risa said, smiling. "Sorry for calling so suddenly, I was wondering if you had a moment to talk."
"Of course," Sayuri replied. "What did you want to talk about?"
"Actually, I don't know how much you know but I wanted to ask about Dark. Your brother, Satoshi-kun, is in charge of the case, right?"
"Oh, Dark, well, I can't actually say much on the matter. Nii-san can't say much."
"Right, of course. I should've known. Sorry for calling you."
"No, it's fine, Harada-chan. It's just because the investigation is still ongoing. He hasn't even told me much. All I really know is that they're still debating about what to do with Dark. Whether they should put him on trial or… Well, the scientific community is curious about how he managed to fly."
"Oh," was all Risa could say. "Thanks for the info."
"That's fine. I actually have to go now. I need to get back to work."
"Yeah, sure. Thanks for all your help, Sayuri-chan. I hope we can hang out again soon."
There was a small pause on Sayuri's end before she replied, "Yeah, me too."
Risa then said goodbye before hanging up. She stared at the screen of her phone before locking it and lying back on the couch. Dark would be fine, right? Satoshi wouldn't let scientists get to him, right? She could only hope so.
Risa's phone started vibrating in her hands, causing her to jump. She sat up once more and answered, "Hello, Risa speaking."
"Risa! It's me, Riku!"
"Riku? Riku! How are you? We haven't spoken for a couple days."
"I'm fine, just a bit busy at the moment actually."
"Busy? With what?"
"I'm busy packing. I managed to get a couple days off work so I'm coming to Tokyo. I haven't even told Daisuke yet. I want it to be a surprise."
"Oh, I can't wait to see you. It feels like it's been ages. I'm sure Niwa-kun will be really surprised, though."
"That's what I'm hoping for. I haven't really spoken to him since he went to Tokyo. I know he's been busy but…"
Risa slowly stopped listening to her sister. Riku was coming up to Tokyo at the exact worst time. Satoshi and Daisuke had only just started talking again. If Riku came up now, Daisuke might lose his chance to get Satoshi back. Or… he could use this opportunity to break up with Riku.
Risa couldn't decide for Daisuke what to do. Like with Dark, she could only sit back and hope the right decision was made.
Slytherin – Fanatic 911: Well, that chapter's finally done. It was hard to get started on it because I wasn't sure how to write the KradXHiroki scene. Originally I had planned to have Krad crying but I don't think that would fit with his character. Him being unsure about his actions with Dark was fine, I was just a bit nervous about Hiroki. I think it turned out well, though. But once I got the chapter started, it was easy enough to complete. I think I got it done maybe in under a week? Or just over, I can't remember.
More importantly, though, I have written the rest of Junai Angels. Chapters 15 & 16 will be posted in the next couple of days. When I started this year, I decided I really needed to buckle down and finish the fics that needed to be done. So I wrote the rest of Junai Angels and will be posting the last two chapters in the next couple days and sometime soon, will be posting the rest of Natsuyasumi V2. And, once those two are dealt with, I'll post a note on The Thief's Escape about what I'll do with that one in the future.
Before I start posting some fics that I've been working hard on over the past few years, I wanted to tie up some loose ends that I have in the D N Angel fandom. I'll likely talk more about the whole thing in Chapter 16, so for the moment, your feedback is always appreciated.
Ja Bye Bye Ne
-.-