now does our world descend [part I]
Title: now does our world descend [part I]
Pairing: Asami/Akihito
Chapter Rating: R
Word Count: A little over 5000
Summary: Akihito and Asami live in a world of true heroes and villains. [superhero AU]
He cradled the small, warm pile of ashes in his cupped hands as he stepped into the kitchen. His mother stared back and forth between it and his face, uncertainty showing in her typically steadfast gaze.
"Akihito, what-"
"I didn't mean it," he said, looking up at his mother with wide, watery eyes. His voice was soft.
His mother continued to stare down at him with a concerned look, silently urging him to continue.
"Some of the other kids trapped a stray kitten in a cage. One of the boys was stepping on its tail and laughing at it. I told him to stop, but he pushed me away and said that his mom told him to stay away from me because I'm dangerous. And all of them yelled at me to go away. I got so mad and I don't know how it happened, but I... and the other kids ran away in time, but the cat was in the cage so it couldn't escape and I... I..."
"Akihito..."
He balled his small hands into fists and let the ashes fall to the floor. His throat hitched and he let out a small sob. "Why me, mom? Why?"
A lone tear dropped onto the charred remains scattered on the floor. Through his blurred vision, he could see his mother kneel down in front of him. She raised his head with a gentle lift of his chin, her expression impossibly kind.
"I know this is hard for you, Akihito. But even though things seem bad now, you will soon realize how lucky you actually are."
"But I-"
"No buts about it. You've been blessed. You're meant to shine more brightly than anyone else in the whole world."
Akihito sniffled as another tear fell from his eyes. "Really?"
"Of course! You're a beautiful, bright light. And you will do great things when you're older. You'll see."
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The first thing Akihito noticed was that all the lights in the house were off. Second, that the front door was unlocked. Third, the scent of iron. Though the body appeared to be on the second floor, the smell of blood ran thick. A loud creak sounded from the floorboards directly above his head. Akihito's instincts screamed at him to walk away, but he couldn't bring himself to, not when his prey was finally within reach.
He stiffened at the sound of footfalls at the top of the staircase. Akihito quietly made his way behind a nearby couch, peeking around the side of it to watch the silhouette slowly make his way down. He was secretly thankful that his target was coming down to him, sparing him from seeing the victim's corpse. The entire house was dark, so much so that even at this distance, the other man's face was obscured by shadows.
When the man reached the very last step, he suddenly froze, as if sensing him. Alarmed, Akihito instinctively drew energy to his hands, preparing himself to attack at a moment's notice. A soothing heat gathered in his palms. His heart sped up a beat. Akihito would never admit it to anyone, but the charge up was addictive. The feeling was indescribable, like the blood turned into electricity in his veins. If it weren't so harmful, he would probably use his powers all the time just for kicks.
Suddenly, a gunshot echoed throughout the room and a bullet shot through the fabric of the couch he was hiding behind, the bullet missing him by several inches. Jumping into action, Akihito dashed into the hallway adjacent to him, feeling rather than seeing the bullets whizz past him. Taking cover behind the wall, Akihito charged the energy in his palms to their maximum limit. There was an abrupt pause in the torrent of bullets, and Akihito jumped out from his hiding place. He found the gunman crouched near the front door, reloading his gun.
Deciding it was now or never, Akihito stretched out his arm, and with a soft grunt, the heat in his hand exploded outward. A fiery bullet illuminated the walls as it flew past with blinding speed. Though the flame started small, it grew the further it went, as though it burned the very air it traveled through and collected the flames along the way. But as if expecting the attack, the man rolled to the side, just barely dodging the fireball. It instead landed on a rug near the entrance, which the flames instantly devoured. Illuminated in the glow of the fire, Akihito could now make out the man's face. He looked maybe around forty and had a dark complexion, small eyes, slightly sunken cheeks and a stern jaw. Before Akihito could fully commit the face to memory, the man resumed shooting at him and Akihito was forced to retreat behind the wall once more.
In a slight panic now, Akihito wracked his brain trying to think of what to do next. But the sound of glass shattering shook him out of his thoughts. Peeking out from behind the wall, he saw that the man had escaped through a large window near the front door. Akihito ran to the side of the window and looked over the edge to the outside, but saw nothing, no person running away and no indication of where the man fled.
"Shit!" Akihito punched the wall and let out a cry of frustration. Still unsatisfied, he kicked over a nearby trash can. The smell of burning wood caught his attention and he realized the fire he accidentally set was quickly spreading across the floor of the house. "Shit!" Akihito yelled again, this time with a greater sense of urgency. He ran to the backyard of the house to find a hose.
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The day couldn't get much worse. After the police detective chewed him out all morning about "nearly burning down the crime scene" and "getting in the way of the case," he was yet again refused clearance to re-enter the crime scene nor was he allowed to see any of the new evidence the police had gathered. Even the fire captain was pissed at him, since he ended up needing help putting out the fire from last night--and everyone knew he himself almost certainly caused it.
On top of all that, he was now trying his absolute best to ignore the persistent buzzing from his cellphone. There was no way Akihito would be able to endure that man's provocations in his current state.
"Akihito?"
Akihito looked up from his cup of tea and was met with the concerned gaze of the man sitting across from him. Akihito almost blushed. Though the two of them had been meeting at this cafe two times a week for the past couple months now, Akihito still found himself occasionally stunned by the other man's grace and beauty. That a man so glamorous would be so interested in associating with him was something of a small miracle to Akihito.
"Sorry, Feilong. My mind wandered for a sec."
Feilong smiled. "It's okay. You undoubtedly have a lot to think about after a night like that."
"You're telling me! I almost had him! If only this power of mine weren't so much trouble." Akihito huffed and leaned back in his seat. "Why couldn't I get an easy, fun superpower like flying?"
"Though I am perhaps in no position to say this, I have the feeling there is no such thing as an easy superpower. After all, only one in fifty thousand people develop any powers at all. How can something so rare be easy to master?"
"Well, they might not be any easier, but some powers are definitely more convenient. Like I once heard about a guy in Brazil who can freeze the water in the atmosphere and create a literal icicle storm whenever he wants! Something like that would be inescapable!"
Feilong chuckled. "I fear you would have too much fun with a power like that."
Akihito pouted. His pout threatened to turn into a full-blown grimace when he felt his pocket vibrate once more.
"I'm ordering something to go." Feilong pushed his chair back and stood up. "Feel free to answer that phone of yours while I'm away," he said with a knowing smirk. This time, Akihito really did blush.
Once Feilong was far enough away, Akihito whipped his phone out with a growl. After typing in his passcode, the illuminated screen informed him of his ten missed calls and one text which simply read,
From: Arrogant Bastard
To: Akihito
Where are you?
Akihito hit the reply button.
From: Akihito
To: Arrogant Bastard
Somewhere on Earth.
Akihito waited for the message to send, then powered his phone off.
Feilong returned with a small white takeout bag in hand. "Since we're running short on time, let's get down to business, shall we?"
Akihito grinned sheepishly. "Well, you've probably already guessed what I'm going to ask you."
"Of course. I know that earning the ire of the entire Tokyo police force isn't enough to stop you, Akihito."
Akihito leaned forward, eyes wide with anticipation. "So you will help me?"
"I can't guarantee that I'll be able to get you as much information as last time, but I'll see what I can find out."
"Yes! You're the best!" Akihito had to stop himself from leaping up and hugging the man.
"I wouldn't be so happy if I were you. This guy has murdered five people already. Aren't you at least a little worried? Even with your abilities, you're far from indestructible."
"Yeah, it might be dangerous... But I just can't forgive a guy who kills indiscriminately like this one does. And most police officers don't have any powers at all and they still go hunting for these types of people everyday. In comparison to them, how can someone like me do nothing?"
Feilong observed the boy across from him with scrutinizing eyes. Though he could usually shrug off stares, Akihito always felt extremely self-conscious under Feilong's gaze. He wished he could shrink to ant-size and scurry away.
"I think you have the potential to be very strong, Akihito," Feilong said, finally breaking the silence, "But you're too reckless. You can destroy anything in your path, but you give the enemy too many chances to hurt you just as badly. I don't have any abilities, but if I'm careful, I still think I could overpower you in a fight. There are probably many others who feel the same."
Akihito frowned. "I can't help that, though. My powers don't really allow me to fight defensively. I can manipulate fire and shoot it at people. That's it."
"Really? I wonder about that..."
Akihito threw Feilong a curious look as the other man seemed to ponder something. He abruptly shook his head, as if willing himself from his thoughts, before returning his attention to Akihito.
"In any case, I'm sorry to cut things short, but I really must be going."
"Ah, no worries. I'm just glad you make time to see me at all."
"It is truly my pleasure to do so." Feilong started to get up from their table, but abruptly paused mid-rise. "Oh, and one last thing. Next time you go off on one of my leads, can you at least inform the police where you're headed before you actually go there? What you did last night was really dangerous, you know."
Akihito let out an exaggerated sigh. "If you insist."
"Good. I'll be able to sleep easier that way." Feilong smiled as he begun to make his way towards the exit. "Until next time, hero."
The bell attached to the top of the door jingled as Feilong made his way out. Akihito waved when Feilong walked past the window of the shop and waited until the other man was out of view before slumping into his seat. "Hero, huh?"
It had now been about twenty years since he first developed his powers and sixteen years since his mother had first told him his powers were a blessing in disguise. Up until her death a few years prior, his mother had repeated those words to him countless times.
But Akihito didn't feel anything like the great man his mother spoke of at all. In fact, he still didn't feel all that different from the idiotic crybaby who almost killed the kids down the street in a fit of anger. Lately, he had begun to wonder if he'd ever be anything but very, very small.
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In the upscale Ginza district of Tokyo sat a towering structure of steel and glass. Exactly sixty stories in height, all of the walls were transparent with the exception of the top ten floors, which were tinted black. In true Ginza fashion, the first floor was converted to a luxury boutique filled with exotic top-of-the-line beauty products from all over the world. Floors two to fourty nine all consisted of offices and the highest floor accessible to the public, floor fifty appeared to simply be a reception room.
Beyond the reception desk hid a door, so nondescript compared to the otherwise ornate room that it seemed purposefully unnoticeable. Restriction of entry was so strictly enforced that only a handful of people in all of Japan were allowed through this door. Considering the difficulty of access, it was unusual for the reception room to receive any visitors at all. Thus, when a bespectacled man emerged from behind the door, he considered the guest before him with more than a hint of suspicion.
"What is it that you want?" the servant demanded, voice as severe as his gaze.
The guest's grin was borderline manic, the expression matching well with his blood red dyed hair. "Just wanted to deliver a little message to the King."
"No one is allowed to meet with the King without first going through the proper channels."
"Oh, no need to see him in person. I just wanted to make sure this got delivered to him." The guest extended his arm to give the other man a plain white envelope. There was an intricate wax seal on the back with the emblem of a lion.
The servant's eyes narrowed. The guest casually gave him a small bow, then smirked as he turned back to the elevator.
"The usual place and time," the stranger said before the elevator doors obstructed him from view.
The servant inspected the envelope one more time before retreating back to his lordship's quarters.
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"I will warn you, my lord, the contents of the letter are rather... abrasive."
The two men were currently in the King's personal office on the topmost floor of the building. The King offered his subordinate an amused smirk. "No need to exercise such caution, Kirishima. Whatever it says, I'm sure I can handle it."
Kirishima shot his lord a wary look, but cleared his throat and returned his eyes to the paper in his hands.
"The letter is as follows:
To the King,
Consider this my official bid for a Red Banquet. Know that your long reign will soon come to an end. Your sun is setting, King, and the darkness that follows will smother you and your Firebrand's bright light. If you have the guts to face me, raise your flag.
Signed Seirei Teruya."
Kirishima adjusted his glasses upon finishing his recitation. His lord appeared unperturbed, though he knew there was at least one part of the letter that must have ruffled him.
"What is your opinion of this, Kirishima?"
"Though the seal on the envelope indicates that this is a man of notable power, I still feel this is likely a matter of little concern. I believe that no other man poses a threat to you. That said," Kirishima paused to consider his next words, "That he mentions 'your Firebrand' does trouble me somewhat."
"Indeed. It almost feels as though this man takes some personal interest in him. Perhaps the boy accidentally singed this man's hair on one of his botched heroic escapades." His lord let out a chuckle, though the look in his eyes was void of humor. "Regardless, it's been a while since the last Red Banquet, hasn't it? At least two years."
His lord tapped his forefinger on his desk as he considered his options. Kirishima merely watched in silence, awaiting his lord's decision. Finally, he declared, "Raise the flag."
"At once, my lord."
Kirishima turned to leave, but stopped when he heard his lord ask, "Has he turned his phone back on?"
"It still appears to be off. But we do know that he's currently in Roppongi with his friends."
His lord gave him a dismissive nod, which Kirishima took as his cue to leave. He would never vocalize this thought, but sometimes he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the boy whom his lord had developed such an unhealthy obsession with. But when he thought of how much of a headache that boy was, he would inevitably end up feeling a little sorry for his lord as well.
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Akihito downed his third water bottle in the past two hours. He had been up partying until 3AM the night before, and though it was now nearly noon, the alcohol still hadn't entirely left his system. After hearing that he was temporarily banned from any and all police cases, his friends Kou and Takato had dropped by his apartment the previous night and convinced him to go out with them. What started out as a fairly normal night of beer and karaoke ended with Kou vomitting right onto the bar after downing his tenth straight shot of Hennessy.
And now Akihito was headed towards the police department to beg the detective one last time to see the case files. He knew it was likely wasted effort, but it had worked for him a couple times in the past. He paused at an intersection and was about to step into the crosswalk when something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. About a couple blocks down the street to the right of him was a pillar of black smoke with two fire trucks sitting on the road in front of it. Akihito immediately broke into a run.
Drawing closer to the spectacle, Akihito took note of the sign on the front of the burning building and realized it was a plastics factory. He spotted the fire platoon chief observing the flames from a distance and sprinted to him.
"Why didn't you call me?" Akihito demanded.
The chief only spared Akihito a glance before returning his gaze to the inferno. "Sorry, Firebrand, but even you can't do much against this one. Fire might not hurt you, but that smoke will." The chief jerked his head at the black, carcinogenic clouds billowing through the air. "Even if I give you a gas mask, you still won't be able to see shit in there."
"But there must be something I can do! Like, I could keep the flames near the front at bay and make sure they don't reach any of the firemen."
"Forget it. You'd just get in the way."
Akihito glowered. "I won't."
The chief let out an exasperated sigh. "If you insist on being here, then suit up and get onto the tower ladder."
Akihito had to hold back a grin as he carried out his orders. He boarded the ladder's basket with a fireman named Mashiba. Mashiba held the water hose as Akihito used his powers to push the flames away from them and the firemen on the ground. Though his abilities allowed him to faintly sense the flames, with the smoke constantly blocking his view, it was difficult to control the flames effectively. Just as Mashiba was about to give the order to lower the ladder, an explosive boom thundered from somewhere beyond the smoke. Though he could not yet see it, Akihito felt the distinct sensation of an intense rush of heat. A backdraft was charging straight towards them with overwhelming speed. As the red flames emerged from behind the smoke, time suddenly slowed, as if Akihito were looking at the scene frame-by-frame.
Though Akihito knew he could escape the flames unscathed, Mashiba would be swallowed whole. And he could already tell that the flames were moving way too fast for him to stop. There was nothing he could do but watch the other man be engulfed by flames. Akihito knew this. And yet his heart still screamed at him to do something, anything to save him. Moving on pure instinct, Akihito lifted his arms in front of him, his palms stretched mere inches away from the encroaching flames. For a brief moment, Akihito saw white. He felt a huge jolt of energy travel into his palm, then disperse throughout his body. Akihito had never felt such a gigantic amount of energy in him before. It was so overwhelming that it felt as though it might disintegrate every cell in his body. At long last, the sensation faded and when his vision cleared, the flames were gone, as if they had dissipated into thin air. When the smoke began to clear a few minutes later, he realized the fire on the ground level was mostly gone too. Only a few small flames seemed left in the entire building.
Akihito simply stared, unable to comprehend what just occurred. A slap on the back pulled him out of his daze. Mashiba was looking at him with a huge grin on his face. "Wow, kid! Why didn't you tell us earlier that you could do something like that all along?"
Akihito stared at him blankly. "I... didn't know either." He looked at his hands, still outstretched in front of him. What... was that?
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The sun had just dipped below the horizon when Akihito turned into his neighborhood. After taking care of the few remaining flames, the firemen offered to drive him to the station so that he could clean himself up and kick back a little with the crew. His "disappearing fire" magic trick had put him back in the fire captain's good graces easily enough, and he even got a little extra money in his commission. He briefly dropped by the police station afterwards, but despite the praise received for his work with the fire, the police detective still refused to involve him with the case.
While heading out of the police station, Akihito overheard a couple officers whispering about a rumor that alarmed him so much, he almost ran straight to Ginza district to confirm it. He regained his sanity before he could act on that impulse and snuffed the thought from his mind. It was a waste to spend even a second worrying over that arrogant man when his own life was such a mess. Besides, even if the rumor were true, there was nothing he could do about it.
Putting such thoughts on the backburner, Akihito yawned, eager to lie in his bed and turn in early for the night. He wondered if the fire disappearing trick he pulled earlier in the day was the cause for his unusual sleepiness. He looked down at his hands. Was that just a fluke? Or was it some kind of untapped power? He considered getting up a little early the next day to test it out.
Upon reaching the front door of his apartment building, Akihito blanched when he saw a familiar figure waiting for him in the lobby. Steeling his nerves, he stepped into the room.
"It seems you've been busy lately, Akihito. Too busy to answer your cellphone, at least."
Akihito glared at the man, but continued to make a beeline for the elevator. "So keeping tabs on me from a distance wasn't enough, huh? Are you personally stalking me now?"
"How else can I see you when you avoid my calls?"
Akihito stared at the illuminated number above the elevator, which seemed currently stuck on floor ten. He almost jumped when he felt the other man's lips brush against his earlobe, breath tickling his hair. "Is life as a 'hero-for-hire' treating you well, my little Firebrand?"
Akihito stepped away as he leveled another annoyed glare at the man. "Don't call me that! You know I hate it. And I should ask you the same. How is life as an evil sociopath treating you, Asami?"
"Fairly well, actually."
Akihito scoffed. "I wouldn't be so sure, not if the rumors are true."
Asami raised an elegant eyebrow, more amusement than curiosity shining in his eyes. "Oh?"
"I overheard some police officers talking about it at the station today. 'The Blood King raised his flag, declaring the first Red Banquet in years.'" Akihito looked Asami in the face. His expression hadn't changed. "Is that true?"
Asami studied Akihito for a moment before responding, "Yes."
Unwanted nervousness fluttered in Akihito's chest. "Who's the challenger?"
"All I know is that the name he currently goes by is Seirei Teruya and that he's a native Okinawan. Kirishima is attempting to gather more information, though the task is proving surprisingly difficult."
"You don't know his power?"
"No."
"Yet you seem confident."
"Over ten years as King says I have reason to be."
Akihito resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Asami was such a pompous ass. But even Akihito had to admit, he did have a point. "Well, it's true that whatever power this man does have, it can't be even half as demeaning and unfair as your power is. But even if you're not worried about the fight itself, considering how public this whole thing is, don't be surprised if the police show up on the day of to haul your ass to jail."
"It might hurt you to hear this, Akihito, but the police will know and they will do nothing." The certainty in Asami's voice sent a chill down Akihito's spine. "No, I'm not worried about the police nor the Red Banquet. But what does worry me are these meetings you've been having with that mysterious informant of yours. Naming the next victim when even the police cannot? You have to wonder who his sources are."
Not this again. Akihito opened his mouth to bark back some glib response, when a sharp ding announced the arrival of the, thankfully empty, elevator. Akihito stepped inside and pushed the button for the seventh floor, not at all surprised when Asami crept in with him. With a sudden swiftness, Asami strode forward, forcing Akihito to back away until he hit the wall of the elevator. He tried to escape through the side, but Asami trapped him in the corner, caging him between his arms.
"Are you sure you really know who that man is?"
"I've already told you! He's a Chinese expatriate. He was a freelance journalist in China and now works as a translator and information broker in the expat community."
"Yes, you have told me all that, and it still sounds extremely suspicious. Do you even know what he was expatriated for?"
"No. You might not be aware of this, but normal people don't butt into other people's business like that!"
The elevator sounded a second ding and the doors opened to the seventh floor. Akihito tried to force his way out, but Asami wrapped his arms around him and pushed him against the wall with a hard thud.
"Asami!"
"Tell me that you won't meet with him."
"No way!"
"Akihito-"
"Despite what you might think, you don't own me, Asami! You can't dictate who I can and can't meet with!"
Asami's eyes hardened and Akihito instinctively steeled himself. He nearly flinched when Asami finally moved, but he only leaned forward to bury his face in the nape of Akihito's neck. Missing his chance to leave, the elevator door closed shut.
"Why can't you, for once, just indulge my desire to keep you safe?"
Asami gently pressed his lips against his neck, and Akihito softened in his arms. Despite himself, he felt some of his outrage wilt at the other man's words.
"Asami... just trust me. I guess you do have reason to be suspicious, but I promise he isn't going to hur-aah!" Akihito let out a startled yelp as he felt Asami bite him on the tender flesh of his neck. Akihito's eyes flitted to the elevator door, praying to the gods that the doors wouldn't fly open for some unsuspecting passenger.
"Asami! Geez, what are you... mmph." Akihito let out a sound closer to a moan as Asami sucked hard on a sensitive spot above his collarbone. Akihito reflexively leaned into the touch, his hands raking up Asami's chest to circle around the back of his neck. Asami's mouth trailed across his jawline and hovered just above his slightly parted lips, Asami's tongue darting out to probe the small opening, demanding entrance.
Ohhhh fuck it, Akihito thought. He pushed all objections to a small corner of his mind and gave into the demand, letting Asami in fully, losing himself in the feel of Asami's tongue entwined with his.
Lips still locked and keeping one arm curled around his waist, Asami's free hand snaked down Akihito's back and into his jeans. Asami stroked his palm against the curve of Akihito's asscheek, his thumb caressing the soft, smooth skin it found there, before roughly squeezing it. Akihito arched his back in reply, his emphatic moan muffled by the other man's mouth.
Asami broke their kiss and looked down to admire Akihito's moist lips and his pleasure-addled gaze. "You become more and more pliant with our every encounter, my Akihito."
Asami leaned down for another kiss. But Asami's words drudged up a memory buried in Akihito's subconscious. Regaining clarity, Akihito's eyes quickly reassumed their previous indignation. He jerked his hand down to intercept Asami's kiss inches before it could connect. "Wait a minute..."
Akihito stared into Asami's eyes and saw a glint of amusement shining in them, confirming his suspicions. He grit his teeth, and gathering his strength, he wriggled out of Asami's embrace and roughly pushed him away.
"You...! I remember now! You did this to me once before! You're just trying to butter me up so that I'll agree not to see Feilong tomorrow!"
Asami half-turned away from Akihito before letting out a soft chuckle, only making Akihito even angrier.
"God, I can't believe you! You manipulative bastard! That's the last time I'm ever letting you make me feel bad with that 'I just want to keep you safe' line! You still think you can play me... but you can't!"
Unable to think of a more clever comeback, Akihito pushed past Asami and pressed the open door button, furiously marching out once the doors let him loose. Shooting one last glare at his lover, Akihito yelled, "And you're NOT allowed into my apartment!" Then stomped through the hallway to his unit.
Asami still wore a faint smile as the elevators closed on him once more. He pressed the button for the ground floor and casually leaned against the wall of the elevator as it descended. Reaching into his suit pocket, he pulled out a worn, brightly colored cellphone. Upon activating it, he encountered the lock screen and paused for a moment before recalling the passcode and entering it in.
His eyes widened in surprise, which then quickly morphed into self-satisfaction, upon seeing that the phone's home screen background was a stolen picture of himself sleeping. Feeling rather smug, he made his way to the contacts list, his high deflated somewhat upon seeing the name Arrogant Bastard attached to his cell number. Making his way further down the list, he finally came upon the name he was searching for.
Feilong.
Pairing: Asami/Akihito
Chapter Rating: R
Word Count: A little over 5000
Summary: Akihito and Asami live in a world of true heroes and villains. [superhero AU]
He cradled the small, warm pile of ashes in his cupped hands as he stepped into the kitchen. His mother stared back and forth between it and his face, uncertainty showing in her typically steadfast gaze.
"Akihito, what-"
"I didn't mean it," he said, looking up at his mother with wide, watery eyes. His voice was soft.
His mother continued to stare down at him with a concerned look, silently urging him to continue.
"Some of the other kids trapped a stray kitten in a cage. One of the boys was stepping on its tail and laughing at it. I told him to stop, but he pushed me away and said that his mom told him to stay away from me because I'm dangerous. And all of them yelled at me to go away. I got so mad and I don't know how it happened, but I... and the other kids ran away in time, but the cat was in the cage so it couldn't escape and I... I..."
"Akihito..."
He balled his small hands into fists and let the ashes fall to the floor. His throat hitched and he let out a small sob. "Why me, mom? Why?"
A lone tear dropped onto the charred remains scattered on the floor. Through his blurred vision, he could see his mother kneel down in front of him. She raised his head with a gentle lift of his chin, her expression impossibly kind.
"I know this is hard for you, Akihito. But even though things seem bad now, you will soon realize how lucky you actually are."
"But I-"
"No buts about it. You've been blessed. You're meant to shine more brightly than anyone else in the whole world."
Akihito sniffled as another tear fell from his eyes. "Really?"
"Of course! You're a beautiful, bright light. And you will do great things when you're older. You'll see."
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The first thing Akihito noticed was that all the lights in the house were off. Second, that the front door was unlocked. Third, the scent of iron. Though the body appeared to be on the second floor, the smell of blood ran thick. A loud creak sounded from the floorboards directly above his head. Akihito's instincts screamed at him to walk away, but he couldn't bring himself to, not when his prey was finally within reach.
He stiffened at the sound of footfalls at the top of the staircase. Akihito quietly made his way behind a nearby couch, peeking around the side of it to watch the silhouette slowly make his way down. He was secretly thankful that his target was coming down to him, sparing him from seeing the victim's corpse. The entire house was dark, so much so that even at this distance, the other man's face was obscured by shadows.
When the man reached the very last step, he suddenly froze, as if sensing him. Alarmed, Akihito instinctively drew energy to his hands, preparing himself to attack at a moment's notice. A soothing heat gathered in his palms. His heart sped up a beat. Akihito would never admit it to anyone, but the charge up was addictive. The feeling was indescribable, like the blood turned into electricity in his veins. If it weren't so harmful, he would probably use his powers all the time just for kicks.
Suddenly, a gunshot echoed throughout the room and a bullet shot through the fabric of the couch he was hiding behind, the bullet missing him by several inches. Jumping into action, Akihito dashed into the hallway adjacent to him, feeling rather than seeing the bullets whizz past him. Taking cover behind the wall, Akihito charged the energy in his palms to their maximum limit. There was an abrupt pause in the torrent of bullets, and Akihito jumped out from his hiding place. He found the gunman crouched near the front door, reloading his gun.
Deciding it was now or never, Akihito stretched out his arm, and with a soft grunt, the heat in his hand exploded outward. A fiery bullet illuminated the walls as it flew past with blinding speed. Though the flame started small, it grew the further it went, as though it burned the very air it traveled through and collected the flames along the way. But as if expecting the attack, the man rolled to the side, just barely dodging the fireball. It instead landed on a rug near the entrance, which the flames instantly devoured. Illuminated in the glow of the fire, Akihito could now make out the man's face. He looked maybe around forty and had a dark complexion, small eyes, slightly sunken cheeks and a stern jaw. Before Akihito could fully commit the face to memory, the man resumed shooting at him and Akihito was forced to retreat behind the wall once more.
In a slight panic now, Akihito wracked his brain trying to think of what to do next. But the sound of glass shattering shook him out of his thoughts. Peeking out from behind the wall, he saw that the man had escaped through a large window near the front door. Akihito ran to the side of the window and looked over the edge to the outside, but saw nothing, no person running away and no indication of where the man fled.
"Shit!" Akihito punched the wall and let out a cry of frustration. Still unsatisfied, he kicked over a nearby trash can. The smell of burning wood caught his attention and he realized the fire he accidentally set was quickly spreading across the floor of the house. "Shit!" Akihito yelled again, this time with a greater sense of urgency. He ran to the backyard of the house to find a hose.
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The day couldn't get much worse. After the police detective chewed him out all morning about "nearly burning down the crime scene" and "getting in the way of the case," he was yet again refused clearance to re-enter the crime scene nor was he allowed to see any of the new evidence the police had gathered. Even the fire captain was pissed at him, since he ended up needing help putting out the fire from last night--and everyone knew he himself almost certainly caused it.
On top of all that, he was now trying his absolute best to ignore the persistent buzzing from his cellphone. There was no way Akihito would be able to endure that man's provocations in his current state.
"Akihito?"
Akihito looked up from his cup of tea and was met with the concerned gaze of the man sitting across from him. Akihito almost blushed. Though the two of them had been meeting at this cafe two times a week for the past couple months now, Akihito still found himself occasionally stunned by the other man's grace and beauty. That a man so glamorous would be so interested in associating with him was something of a small miracle to Akihito.
"Sorry, Feilong. My mind wandered for a sec."
Feilong smiled. "It's okay. You undoubtedly have a lot to think about after a night like that."
"You're telling me! I almost had him! If only this power of mine weren't so much trouble." Akihito huffed and leaned back in his seat. "Why couldn't I get an easy, fun superpower like flying?"
"Though I am perhaps in no position to say this, I have the feeling there is no such thing as an easy superpower. After all, only one in fifty thousand people develop any powers at all. How can something so rare be easy to master?"
"Well, they might not be any easier, but some powers are definitely more convenient. Like I once heard about a guy in Brazil who can freeze the water in the atmosphere and create a literal icicle storm whenever he wants! Something like that would be inescapable!"
Feilong chuckled. "I fear you would have too much fun with a power like that."
Akihito pouted. His pout threatened to turn into a full-blown grimace when he felt his pocket vibrate once more.
"I'm ordering something to go." Feilong pushed his chair back and stood up. "Feel free to answer that phone of yours while I'm away," he said with a knowing smirk. This time, Akihito really did blush.
Once Feilong was far enough away, Akihito whipped his phone out with a growl. After typing in his passcode, the illuminated screen informed him of his ten missed calls and one text which simply read,
From: Arrogant Bastard
To: Akihito
Where are you?
Akihito hit the reply button.
From: Akihito
To: Arrogant Bastard
Somewhere on Earth.
Akihito waited for the message to send, then powered his phone off.
Feilong returned with a small white takeout bag in hand. "Since we're running short on time, let's get down to business, shall we?"
Akihito grinned sheepishly. "Well, you've probably already guessed what I'm going to ask you."
"Of course. I know that earning the ire of the entire Tokyo police force isn't enough to stop you, Akihito."
Akihito leaned forward, eyes wide with anticipation. "So you will help me?"
"I can't guarantee that I'll be able to get you as much information as last time, but I'll see what I can find out."
"Yes! You're the best!" Akihito had to stop himself from leaping up and hugging the man.
"I wouldn't be so happy if I were you. This guy has murdered five people already. Aren't you at least a little worried? Even with your abilities, you're far from indestructible."
"Yeah, it might be dangerous... But I just can't forgive a guy who kills indiscriminately like this one does. And most police officers don't have any powers at all and they still go hunting for these types of people everyday. In comparison to them, how can someone like me do nothing?"
Feilong observed the boy across from him with scrutinizing eyes. Though he could usually shrug off stares, Akihito always felt extremely self-conscious under Feilong's gaze. He wished he could shrink to ant-size and scurry away.
"I think you have the potential to be very strong, Akihito," Feilong said, finally breaking the silence, "But you're too reckless. You can destroy anything in your path, but you give the enemy too many chances to hurt you just as badly. I don't have any abilities, but if I'm careful, I still think I could overpower you in a fight. There are probably many others who feel the same."
Akihito frowned. "I can't help that, though. My powers don't really allow me to fight defensively. I can manipulate fire and shoot it at people. That's it."
"Really? I wonder about that..."
Akihito threw Feilong a curious look as the other man seemed to ponder something. He abruptly shook his head, as if willing himself from his thoughts, before returning his attention to Akihito.
"In any case, I'm sorry to cut things short, but I really must be going."
"Ah, no worries. I'm just glad you make time to see me at all."
"It is truly my pleasure to do so." Feilong started to get up from their table, but abruptly paused mid-rise. "Oh, and one last thing. Next time you go off on one of my leads, can you at least inform the police where you're headed before you actually go there? What you did last night was really dangerous, you know."
Akihito let out an exaggerated sigh. "If you insist."
"Good. I'll be able to sleep easier that way." Feilong smiled as he begun to make his way towards the exit. "Until next time, hero."
The bell attached to the top of the door jingled as Feilong made his way out. Akihito waved when Feilong walked past the window of the shop and waited until the other man was out of view before slumping into his seat. "Hero, huh?"
It had now been about twenty years since he first developed his powers and sixteen years since his mother had first told him his powers were a blessing in disguise. Up until her death a few years prior, his mother had repeated those words to him countless times.
But Akihito didn't feel anything like the great man his mother spoke of at all. In fact, he still didn't feel all that different from the idiotic crybaby who almost killed the kids down the street in a fit of anger. Lately, he had begun to wonder if he'd ever be anything but very, very small.
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In the upscale Ginza district of Tokyo sat a towering structure of steel and glass. Exactly sixty stories in height, all of the walls were transparent with the exception of the top ten floors, which were tinted black. In true Ginza fashion, the first floor was converted to a luxury boutique filled with exotic top-of-the-line beauty products from all over the world. Floors two to fourty nine all consisted of offices and the highest floor accessible to the public, floor fifty appeared to simply be a reception room.
Beyond the reception desk hid a door, so nondescript compared to the otherwise ornate room that it seemed purposefully unnoticeable. Restriction of entry was so strictly enforced that only a handful of people in all of Japan were allowed through this door. Considering the difficulty of access, it was unusual for the reception room to receive any visitors at all. Thus, when a bespectacled man emerged from behind the door, he considered the guest before him with more than a hint of suspicion.
"What is it that you want?" the servant demanded, voice as severe as his gaze.
The guest's grin was borderline manic, the expression matching well with his blood red dyed hair. "Just wanted to deliver a little message to the King."
"No one is allowed to meet with the King without first going through the proper channels."
"Oh, no need to see him in person. I just wanted to make sure this got delivered to him." The guest extended his arm to give the other man a plain white envelope. There was an intricate wax seal on the back with the emblem of a lion.
The servant's eyes narrowed. The guest casually gave him a small bow, then smirked as he turned back to the elevator.
"The usual place and time," the stranger said before the elevator doors obstructed him from view.
The servant inspected the envelope one more time before retreating back to his lordship's quarters.
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"I will warn you, my lord, the contents of the letter are rather... abrasive."
The two men were currently in the King's personal office on the topmost floor of the building. The King offered his subordinate an amused smirk. "No need to exercise such caution, Kirishima. Whatever it says, I'm sure I can handle it."
Kirishima shot his lord a wary look, but cleared his throat and returned his eyes to the paper in his hands.
"The letter is as follows:
To the King,
Consider this my official bid for a Red Banquet. Know that your long reign will soon come to an end. Your sun is setting, King, and the darkness that follows will smother you and your Firebrand's bright light. If you have the guts to face me, raise your flag.
Signed Seirei Teruya."
Kirishima adjusted his glasses upon finishing his recitation. His lord appeared unperturbed, though he knew there was at least one part of the letter that must have ruffled him.
"What is your opinion of this, Kirishima?"
"Though the seal on the envelope indicates that this is a man of notable power, I still feel this is likely a matter of little concern. I believe that no other man poses a threat to you. That said," Kirishima paused to consider his next words, "That he mentions 'your Firebrand' does trouble me somewhat."
"Indeed. It almost feels as though this man takes some personal interest in him. Perhaps the boy accidentally singed this man's hair on one of his botched heroic escapades." His lord let out a chuckle, though the look in his eyes was void of humor. "Regardless, it's been a while since the last Red Banquet, hasn't it? At least two years."
His lord tapped his forefinger on his desk as he considered his options. Kirishima merely watched in silence, awaiting his lord's decision. Finally, he declared, "Raise the flag."
"At once, my lord."
Kirishima turned to leave, but stopped when he heard his lord ask, "Has he turned his phone back on?"
"It still appears to be off. But we do know that he's currently in Roppongi with his friends."
His lord gave him a dismissive nod, which Kirishima took as his cue to leave. He would never vocalize this thought, but sometimes he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the boy whom his lord had developed such an unhealthy obsession with. But when he thought of how much of a headache that boy was, he would inevitably end up feeling a little sorry for his lord as well.
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Akihito downed his third water bottle in the past two hours. He had been up partying until 3AM the night before, and though it was now nearly noon, the alcohol still hadn't entirely left his system. After hearing that he was temporarily banned from any and all police cases, his friends Kou and Takato had dropped by his apartment the previous night and convinced him to go out with them. What started out as a fairly normal night of beer and karaoke ended with Kou vomitting right onto the bar after downing his tenth straight shot of Hennessy.
And now Akihito was headed towards the police department to beg the detective one last time to see the case files. He knew it was likely wasted effort, but it had worked for him a couple times in the past. He paused at an intersection and was about to step into the crosswalk when something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. About a couple blocks down the street to the right of him was a pillar of black smoke with two fire trucks sitting on the road in front of it. Akihito immediately broke into a run.
Drawing closer to the spectacle, Akihito took note of the sign on the front of the burning building and realized it was a plastics factory. He spotted the fire platoon chief observing the flames from a distance and sprinted to him.
"Why didn't you call me?" Akihito demanded.
The chief only spared Akihito a glance before returning his gaze to the inferno. "Sorry, Firebrand, but even you can't do much against this one. Fire might not hurt you, but that smoke will." The chief jerked his head at the black, carcinogenic clouds billowing through the air. "Even if I give you a gas mask, you still won't be able to see shit in there."
"But there must be something I can do! Like, I could keep the flames near the front at bay and make sure they don't reach any of the firemen."
"Forget it. You'd just get in the way."
Akihito glowered. "I won't."
The chief let out an exasperated sigh. "If you insist on being here, then suit up and get onto the tower ladder."
Akihito had to hold back a grin as he carried out his orders. He boarded the ladder's basket with a fireman named Mashiba. Mashiba held the water hose as Akihito used his powers to push the flames away from them and the firemen on the ground. Though his abilities allowed him to faintly sense the flames, with the smoke constantly blocking his view, it was difficult to control the flames effectively. Just as Mashiba was about to give the order to lower the ladder, an explosive boom thundered from somewhere beyond the smoke. Though he could not yet see it, Akihito felt the distinct sensation of an intense rush of heat. A backdraft was charging straight towards them with overwhelming speed. As the red flames emerged from behind the smoke, time suddenly slowed, as if Akihito were looking at the scene frame-by-frame.
Though Akihito knew he could escape the flames unscathed, Mashiba would be swallowed whole. And he could already tell that the flames were moving way too fast for him to stop. There was nothing he could do but watch the other man be engulfed by flames. Akihito knew this. And yet his heart still screamed at him to do something, anything to save him. Moving on pure instinct, Akihito lifted his arms in front of him, his palms stretched mere inches away from the encroaching flames. For a brief moment, Akihito saw white. He felt a huge jolt of energy travel into his palm, then disperse throughout his body. Akihito had never felt such a gigantic amount of energy in him before. It was so overwhelming that it felt as though it might disintegrate every cell in his body. At long last, the sensation faded and when his vision cleared, the flames were gone, as if they had dissipated into thin air. When the smoke began to clear a few minutes later, he realized the fire on the ground level was mostly gone too. Only a few small flames seemed left in the entire building.
Akihito simply stared, unable to comprehend what just occurred. A slap on the back pulled him out of his daze. Mashiba was looking at him with a huge grin on his face. "Wow, kid! Why didn't you tell us earlier that you could do something like that all along?"
Akihito stared at him blankly. "I... didn't know either." He looked at his hands, still outstretched in front of him. What... was that?
-------------------------------
The sun had just dipped below the horizon when Akihito turned into his neighborhood. After taking care of the few remaining flames, the firemen offered to drive him to the station so that he could clean himself up and kick back a little with the crew. His "disappearing fire" magic trick had put him back in the fire captain's good graces easily enough, and he even got a little extra money in his commission. He briefly dropped by the police station afterwards, but despite the praise received for his work with the fire, the police detective still refused to involve him with the case.
While heading out of the police station, Akihito overheard a couple officers whispering about a rumor that alarmed him so much, he almost ran straight to Ginza district to confirm it. He regained his sanity before he could act on that impulse and snuffed the thought from his mind. It was a waste to spend even a second worrying over that arrogant man when his own life was such a mess. Besides, even if the rumor were true, there was nothing he could do about it.
Putting such thoughts on the backburner, Akihito yawned, eager to lie in his bed and turn in early for the night. He wondered if the fire disappearing trick he pulled earlier in the day was the cause for his unusual sleepiness. He looked down at his hands. Was that just a fluke? Or was it some kind of untapped power? He considered getting up a little early the next day to test it out.
Upon reaching the front door of his apartment building, Akihito blanched when he saw a familiar figure waiting for him in the lobby. Steeling his nerves, he stepped into the room.
"It seems you've been busy lately, Akihito. Too busy to answer your cellphone, at least."
Akihito glared at the man, but continued to make a beeline for the elevator. "So keeping tabs on me from a distance wasn't enough, huh? Are you personally stalking me now?"
"How else can I see you when you avoid my calls?"
Akihito stared at the illuminated number above the elevator, which seemed currently stuck on floor ten. He almost jumped when he felt the other man's lips brush against his earlobe, breath tickling his hair. "Is life as a 'hero-for-hire' treating you well, my little Firebrand?"
Akihito stepped away as he leveled another annoyed glare at the man. "Don't call me that! You know I hate it. And I should ask you the same. How is life as an evil sociopath treating you, Asami?"
"Fairly well, actually."
Akihito scoffed. "I wouldn't be so sure, not if the rumors are true."
Asami raised an elegant eyebrow, more amusement than curiosity shining in his eyes. "Oh?"
"I overheard some police officers talking about it at the station today. 'The Blood King raised his flag, declaring the first Red Banquet in years.'" Akihito looked Asami in the face. His expression hadn't changed. "Is that true?"
Asami studied Akihito for a moment before responding, "Yes."
Unwanted nervousness fluttered in Akihito's chest. "Who's the challenger?"
"All I know is that the name he currently goes by is Seirei Teruya and that he's a native Okinawan. Kirishima is attempting to gather more information, though the task is proving surprisingly difficult."
"You don't know his power?"
"No."
"Yet you seem confident."
"Over ten years as King says I have reason to be."
Akihito resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Asami was such a pompous ass. But even Akihito had to admit, he did have a point. "Well, it's true that whatever power this man does have, it can't be even half as demeaning and unfair as your power is. But even if you're not worried about the fight itself, considering how public this whole thing is, don't be surprised if the police show up on the day of to haul your ass to jail."
"It might hurt you to hear this, Akihito, but the police will know and they will do nothing." The certainty in Asami's voice sent a chill down Akihito's spine. "No, I'm not worried about the police nor the Red Banquet. But what does worry me are these meetings you've been having with that mysterious informant of yours. Naming the next victim when even the police cannot? You have to wonder who his sources are."
Not this again. Akihito opened his mouth to bark back some glib response, when a sharp ding announced the arrival of the, thankfully empty, elevator. Akihito stepped inside and pushed the button for the seventh floor, not at all surprised when Asami crept in with him. With a sudden swiftness, Asami strode forward, forcing Akihito to back away until he hit the wall of the elevator. He tried to escape through the side, but Asami trapped him in the corner, caging him between his arms.
"Are you sure you really know who that man is?"
"I've already told you! He's a Chinese expatriate. He was a freelance journalist in China and now works as a translator and information broker in the expat community."
"Yes, you have told me all that, and it still sounds extremely suspicious. Do you even know what he was expatriated for?"
"No. You might not be aware of this, but normal people don't butt into other people's business like that!"
The elevator sounded a second ding and the doors opened to the seventh floor. Akihito tried to force his way out, but Asami wrapped his arms around him and pushed him against the wall with a hard thud.
"Asami!"
"Tell me that you won't meet with him."
"No way!"
"Akihito-"
"Despite what you might think, you don't own me, Asami! You can't dictate who I can and can't meet with!"
Asami's eyes hardened and Akihito instinctively steeled himself. He nearly flinched when Asami finally moved, but he only leaned forward to bury his face in the nape of Akihito's neck. Missing his chance to leave, the elevator door closed shut.
"Why can't you, for once, just indulge my desire to keep you safe?"
Asami gently pressed his lips against his neck, and Akihito softened in his arms. Despite himself, he felt some of his outrage wilt at the other man's words.
"Asami... just trust me. I guess you do have reason to be suspicious, but I promise he isn't going to hur-aah!" Akihito let out a startled yelp as he felt Asami bite him on the tender flesh of his neck. Akihito's eyes flitted to the elevator door, praying to the gods that the doors wouldn't fly open for some unsuspecting passenger.
"Asami! Geez, what are you... mmph." Akihito let out a sound closer to a moan as Asami sucked hard on a sensitive spot above his collarbone. Akihito reflexively leaned into the touch, his hands raking up Asami's chest to circle around the back of his neck. Asami's mouth trailed across his jawline and hovered just above his slightly parted lips, Asami's tongue darting out to probe the small opening, demanding entrance.
Ohhhh fuck it, Akihito thought. He pushed all objections to a small corner of his mind and gave into the demand, letting Asami in fully, losing himself in the feel of Asami's tongue entwined with his.
Lips still locked and keeping one arm curled around his waist, Asami's free hand snaked down Akihito's back and into his jeans. Asami stroked his palm against the curve of Akihito's asscheek, his thumb caressing the soft, smooth skin it found there, before roughly squeezing it. Akihito arched his back in reply, his emphatic moan muffled by the other man's mouth.
Asami broke their kiss and looked down to admire Akihito's moist lips and his pleasure-addled gaze. "You become more and more pliant with our every encounter, my Akihito."
Asami leaned down for another kiss. But Asami's words drudged up a memory buried in Akihito's subconscious. Regaining clarity, Akihito's eyes quickly reassumed their previous indignation. He jerked his hand down to intercept Asami's kiss inches before it could connect. "Wait a minute..."
Akihito stared into Asami's eyes and saw a glint of amusement shining in them, confirming his suspicions. He grit his teeth, and gathering his strength, he wriggled out of Asami's embrace and roughly pushed him away.
"You...! I remember now! You did this to me once before! You're just trying to butter me up so that I'll agree not to see Feilong tomorrow!"
Asami half-turned away from Akihito before letting out a soft chuckle, only making Akihito even angrier.
"God, I can't believe you! You manipulative bastard! That's the last time I'm ever letting you make me feel bad with that 'I just want to keep you safe' line! You still think you can play me... but you can't!"
Unable to think of a more clever comeback, Akihito pushed past Asami and pressed the open door button, furiously marching out once the doors let him loose. Shooting one last glare at his lover, Akihito yelled, "And you're NOT allowed into my apartment!" Then stomped through the hallway to his unit.
Asami still wore a faint smile as the elevators closed on him once more. He pressed the button for the ground floor and casually leaned against the wall of the elevator as it descended. Reaching into his suit pocket, he pulled out a worn, brightly colored cellphone. Upon activating it, he encountered the lock screen and paused for a moment before recalling the passcode and entering it in.
His eyes widened in surprise, which then quickly morphed into self-satisfaction, upon seeing that the phone's home screen background was a stolen picture of himself sleeping. Feeling rather smug, he made his way to the contacts list, his high deflated somewhat upon seeing the name Arrogant Bastard attached to his cell number. Making his way further down the list, he finally came upon the name he was searching for.
Feilong.