Author's note: Okay, warning: this chapter is seriously full of angst! I don't think I've ever written such an angsty piece. I don't know how it happened, but it just did… Oh, and to all my reviewers, thanks loads and do keep reading. (To moi, yes, you're quite right. That's what Athrun would do. The realisation should be in the next chapter, or the next next, I think :) )
Chapter 16:
The creamy vanilla ice-cream melted on his tongue, leaving behind its sweet, milky kiss. He savoured it slowly, taking his time, before he sliced a perfect square of the waffle and speared it with his fork.
"Here's your coffee," Flay smiled. She slipped into the seat opposite him.
"Thank you," Kira raised the cup appreciatively and took a sip. No milk, sugar or cream. Just the way he liked it. The sweetness of the ice-cream accentuated the bitterness of the coffee, and when he slipped another spoonful of vanilla ice-cream into his mouth, the bitterness of the coffee made the sweetness of the ice-cream even sweeter.
Kira glanced up when he heard soft laughter. "You're a man of extremes, aren't you?" Flay smiled, "I've never seen a guy who drinks his coffee black, but enjoys our waffle-and-ice-cream breakfast every morning." Kira merely shrugged.
He ate on in silence, Flay watching him with her chin propped up on her hands. It was a routine they had. Kira always had waffles and ice-cream for breakfast, plus freshly brewed coffee. If he was around for lunch, he would have one of their triple-layered burgers, with pie for dessert and another cup of coffee. And if he happened to pop in for dinner, which was rare, he would order fried chicken which came with a mess of fries, another slab of pie and coffee. Kira didn't like to talk, and Flay acknowledged that fact. So they didn't have many conversations, but they shared an understanding.
Five minutes later, Kira heard Flay clear her throat. "Kira, what exactly do you do for a living?"
He glanced up, surprised, but Flay continued to look intently at him as she pressed on, "What's your occupation?"
Kira shrugged, "I've told you." He took another sip of his coffee.
"Well, 'doing dangerous stuff' isn't the answer I'm looking for. What exactly is your job? What kind of 'dangerous stuff' do you do?" Flay leaned across the table, her clear grey eyes pinning him back into his seat.
Well, I'm an assassin and a contract killer. I infiltrate, I steal and I kill.
He was very sure that Flay wasn't looking for that answer either.
"Why the sudden interest in my job?" He said, pushing around a square of waffle with his fork so that it soaked up the melted pool on his plate. Flay cocked her head, red hair spilling over her shoulder, and pursed her lips. Her eyebrows were knitted together in a frown. Then she said hesitatingly, "because you're always getting hurt, and you always have that unhappy look."
Kira didn't expect that answer. He stared back at her, unsure of what to say, and ended up retorting lamely, "I'm not unhappy. What makes you think so?"
This time, it was Flay's turn to shrug. She fiddled with the hem of her apron, chewing her bottom lip. "Well," she scowled a little, "sometimes, I see you with a frustrated expression. Other times, you're cold and distant. And-" She paused and glanced up at him. A smile graced her lips, but it was a sympathetic smile, "you have a pair of very beautiful eyes, Kira, but there's always this... loneliness in them. It's like you're waiting for something, longing for something."
Well, that was unexpected. Kira bent his head to continue eating, and to avoid Flay's eyes.
After a pregnant pause, in which Kira desperately hoped that Flay would drop the subject, he heard her sigh. "It's fine if you don't want to tell me." He glanced up from his waffles and ice-cream. The usual familiar smile had returned to Flay's face, "Just know that if you ever need help, or if you're looking for someone to talk to, we'll be around." She gestured at herself, then to the back of the kitchen where Sai was working. Sai was her boyfriend, and the two of them ran the place together. Flay had once told Kira that they were planning to raise enough money to get married and have a family. But that'll be in many years to come, Flay had smiled grimly.
"So," Flay clasped her hands together, grinning, "Sai and I were thinking of having a tasting session. Sai's got a couple of new ideas for the menu. Why don't you join us?"
"No, I wouldn't be the right choice. I'm not much of a food critic. You should-"
"Come on, Kira. It's just like a night of fun, that's all. You boys could hang out and catch the game on the television while you're at it. I've got girlfriends coming over to help-"
Catch the game? Kira almost laughed. Yeah, most guys lounged around at night, watching the game. That was what the usual guys in a neighbourhood like that did. But most nights, he was jumping out of helicopters, or attending the party of some rich guy, or scaling walls of private compounds, or shooting the brains out of Rau's unlucky victim. He didn't lie on the sofa to watch the game, like the other guys in the neighbourhood.
Flay was still chattering, her hands gesturing excitedly, when Kira spotted the flash of blonde hair through the window of the diner. He stared across the vacant carpark and saw Stellar, her face half hidden in the shadows.
"-so, we'll have a wonderful time. And it'll take your mind off things, Kira. It'll do all of us good. What do you say?" Flay turned hopeful eyes on him and Kira tore his gaze away from the window.
"When's the tasting session?" He said, pushing aside his now empty plate and downing the rest of his coffee.
"Friday night. Here, at the diner." The sparkle in Flay's eyes was full of excitement and hope.
"I'll try to be there. No promises, Flay. But I'll try." He slid out of his chair, fishing for his wallet, already heading for the door.
"That's all we're asking for, Kira," Flay smiled reassuringly as she stood up and walked him to the door. She refused the bill he handed her but that was part of their routine too. Kira always tried to pay, and Flay and Sai always tried to refuse, but Kira would eventually find a way to get it to them. This time, he slid it surreptitiously under the rag at the counter. Then he gave Flay a friendly kiss on the cheek and Sai a quick wave when her boyfriend popped his head around the kitchen door, before setting off across the vacant carpark towards Stellar.
"Do you have any idea how many guests there were at the party?" Lunamaria exclaimed incredulously. Athrun ignored her, "I also want the statements of all the crew – the waiters, the waitresses, the cooks, the butler, the gardeners and the cleaners. And don't forget the poolside DJ."
Meyrin glanced up from the pad she was busy scribbling on, "that's nearly two hundred people."
"Yes, I know," Athrun replied coolly, "and I want all of them. I don't care how many detectives or officers you mobilize. Get it done."
His subordinates exchanged a look of disbelief, and Luna heaved a sigh before nodding. "Will do, Chief."
Athrun turned to Nicol. "Any leads on the blood sample?"
Nicol frowned. "I'm still running the DNA through the system. The bad news is that I don't have a match yet. The good news is that this guy doesn't have a criminal record, so that narrows down our search. By a little." He raised his hand, with his thumb and forefinger about a millimeter apart, just to show how little progress they were making.
"Keep trying," Athrun said tersely.
He dismissed his agents with a nod and reached for the phone on his desk. Miriallia Haw picked up the phone after three rings.
"Any leads on the chemical trace?"
Miriallia sounded harassed when she replied. "No, Athrun. I'm still analyzing its chemical makeup. You've got to give me more time."
"We don't have time, Miriallia," Athrun snapped, "it won't be long before they realize the drug in that vial is fake. They will strike again soon."
Kira heard the crack of bone splintering when he thrust his fist forward and it connected with his adversary's jaw. The man was thrown backwards by the blow and he slumped down to the concrete ground, out cold. Kira straightened to his full height and stared down at the fallen man. His amethyst eyes were cold and dark, devoid of emotions. Sweat trickled down his brow in rivulets. He brushed the back of his hand over his mouth and saw blood. A split lip.
Two men approached warily and dragged their fallen comrade away.
Kira turned to glare at the men lined behind him. There were six of them, standing at attention against the grey cemented wall. Tall and muscled. Just staring at him with a kind of respect and hatred at the same time. Human punching bags, he thought bitterly.
Kira was in a concrete cell. No windows. Only one door leading out to the rest of the underground facility. No way was anyone going to walk out of that door. You had to be dragged, or carried – that was the only way out of that cell.
His eyes fell on the one standing at the end of the line. He was the tallest. Hard muscles moved under dark tanned skin and black hair in a buzz cut. His chest was large and brawny underneath the black sweat-shirt he wore. He looked like a bouncer at a raucous pub, maybe Stellar's club. Kira smirked. Clearly a challenge had presented itself. He crooked his finger at his chosen opponent and beckoned him forward.
The bouncer just stared at him and pointed at himself unbelievably. Kira nodded and gestured towards him again.
He stepped forward hesitantly and Kira sank his fist right into the bouncer's face. The sudden strike sent the big man down onto his knees and he didn't see the roundhouse kick. He went sprawling onto the hard concrete when Kira swung his leg and caught him in the side of the head.
Surprise had made him slow in responding. Dumb even, Kira mused to himself, shoving his elbow into the guy's face. Plain stupid. He directed his disgust, hatred and anger into well-aimed punches and kicks. Until he was spent and crouched down beside the fallen man, panting heavily. The bouncer was sprawled across the floor, an arm thrown up to protect his face. Blood was trickling from his lips and brow, his hair matted by sweat and caked with blood.
All of a sudden, he pounced, retaliating with a sharp elbow strike to Kira's ribs. It hit its mark and Kira stumbled back, doubling over in pain. Blind agony shot through his side. His opponent sensed an opening and began to attack with ferocity, kicking and punching vigorously.
It was all Kira could do to keep his face from being smashed in. His muscles were burning. Exhaustion slowed him down. He couldn't strike back, he couldn't even defend himself.
Kira found himself trapped in a corner with the bouncer advancing on him quickly. A punch in the stomach had him doubled over. "Not so tough huh, little boy?" The bouncer breathed heavily, "You think you can throw us around, beat us senseless like that? You're just some genetically-modified hybrid!" He brought his knee hard into Kira's face and Kira heard a crunch. Then he was dropped and he fell painfully onto the ground. His entire body screamed from fatigue and agony. There was a throbbing pain in his nose. Probably a nasal fracture.
A kick to Kira's head left him dazed and confused.
"You little son of a bitch," the bouncer stood over him, leering. "If you were not Rau's best project, you think you could come and go as you liked? You're just some kind of mutant freak, you know? Some kind of pet that Rau likes keeping by his side."
Kira felt it then - that rush of adrenalin and fury that surged through his blood and made his body tingle with anticipation… and bloodlust. The pain and throbbing faded and in an instant, he was up again. Blood trickled steadily from his nose and into his mouth, but that only made him even hungrier. His amethyst eyes were dark, so dark that they had almost turned black. A lifetime of bitterness and anger threw forth. He leapt forward, swinging for the man's head and caught him in the ear. The man stumbled back, his eyes glazing over. Kira crouched low and swept him off his feet with a swift kick. He crashed heavily onto the ground and lay there, winded.
And exposed.
Kira began his assault. He flung himself onto the prone man and jabbed his elbow hard into the beefy face. Again and again. Pummeling him. Wiping that obnoxious grin off his annoying face.
Until exhaustion began to take its toll on him and he couldn't lift his arms anymore. He sat, straddling the fallen man, panting heavily. Despite the fatigue, he felt more energetic than ever. More alive than ever.
Gradually, he willed his breathing to slow and became aware of a shocked silence that had engulfed the room. He whipped his head around and saw the rest of the men eyeing him with wary and terrified eyes.
And Kira laughed. He stood up, stepped over the body of his adversary and laughed so hard that tears ran down his cheeks to mingle with the sweat and blood on his face.
"W-What's so funny? You think killing him is a joke?" A man said, staring at him with wide eyes. He backed away when Kira took a step towards him, but Kira kept going, forcing him towards the wall until his face was only inches away from Kira's.
"You're a monster," the man gasped. His eyes were wide and panicky.
"Yes," Kira laughed, his voice shaking with mirth as the tears, sweat and blood streamed down his face, "You're right. I am a monster."
Author's note: There, that's done! Poor Kira, I'm a little sorry that I'm putting him through all this now. Don't forget to review review review!