[Fic] The Beginning of All Commotions - Act 9
Title: The Beginning of All Commotions - Act 9
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Greece/Japan, mentions of other characters and minor pairings in later parts.
Rating/Genre: PG-15 for this chapter / Mafia-AU, Humour, Action.
Warnings: Slight crack, gang warfare, language, fight scenes, booze & smoking.
In this act: In which Kiku faces off in a show-down with the final boss real culprit aka 'Mister Movie Villain'. Pikachu, I choose yo- oh wait, that’s the wrong series.
Many thanks again to tinywhitekitty for her awesome beta-ing of this chapter - she is the best bro ever.
~.*.~
ix.
February 14, 2kXX. 17:39 PM
Kiku raced down the street, sending a whirl of withered leaves behind him as he slipped in between throngs of people on the side-walk: teenaged-boys who had just ended baseball practice, trailed closely by two giggling school-girls in grey and red plaid uniforms; a young mother who was pushing a pram, while her son tottered along beside her; a corporate executive strolling with his eyes and fingers glued to his Smartphone, as his Softbank lanyard swung and jingled with the weight of office keys.
As he ran past the grey and white walls of an office block, he caught sight of a familiar figure several metres away, traipsing about at the other end of the street in a dark navy uniform - Officer Jones. Kiku shook his head. No, he could never get his friend involved in this, especially not when it would put Alfred’s reputation and job at stake. It was already bad enough that he’d allowed Herakles to accompany him on his mission.
Ducking in between the crowd and keeping his head low, Kiku slipped away before Alfred turned around and caught sight of him. He continued to race down the pavement, keeping his eye on the trail of flashing green fire and coal-black wings against the sky, as the crow flew on ahead of him, leading him further and further away from the heart of the city.
The crow let out another screech before hurtling itself forward with a great thrust from its wings. Kiku clenched his jaw, tightening his grip around his sword as he ran faster and harder, coming to an abrupt halt when he arrived at a bridge, the dark, murky water of the Thames rushing and gurgling noisily beneath it. He panted, trying to catch his breath, casting his gaze about.
For a wild, frantic moment, he thought he’d lost the creature’s trail. But then, a bell from a distant clock tower chimed, reverberating through the air, followed by a loud, deafening screech sounding from a place high above him. Kiku turned his gaze to rest on one of the bridge towers, spotting the swirl of green flames dancing upwards along it. Standing at the very top of the tower, he could just about make out the silhouette of a man. Without hesitation, he slung his sword over his back, and rushed towards the scaffolding erected around the tower to climb stealthily up the metal structure.
He was already midway up the tower when he heard voices coming from below him. Sparing a quick glance down at the street, he saw that Herakles and Liza had followed him.
“Kiku, wait!” Herakles called, attempting to climb up the metal scaffold after him. “Liza, you stay here, all right?”
Liza only clicked her tongue, a glint of excitement in her eyes as she aimed her camera at him to snap a photo, before pointing it upwards at Kiku, who was already nearing the top of the tower. “Don’t worry Big Guy, I won’t be going anywhere else. Not when I can get great shots from here and-”
Whatever else Liza was about to say was lost to the sudden gust of wind that had picked up around the tower. It billowed fiercely around him as Kiku pushed onwards, up and over the last stretch of steel and metal piping (several metres below him, Herakles was still struggling to navigate himself across a particularly difficult mess of tubes and wires). Kiku vaulted nimbly over the wall from the scaffolding and reached the top, catching sight of a tall figure of a man hunched over at one end of the tower. He was possibly half a head taller than Herakles and of similar muscular build. His hair was carefully slicked into a bold, flashy Pompadour style; a ludicrous caricature of a movie villain.
“I have it, Kyou-san. Pesto managed to secure the item without much trouble.” As he straightened up, Kiku could see the man speaking into his mobile. The crow hovered over him, bright green flames crackling and swirling around its claws and wings in jagged streaks, much like lightning in a mist. Just as the man reached out to retrieve the box from the crow’s talons, Kiku made his move, charging forward at the man, his sword now unsheathed in one arm and the scabbard clenched in another.
With a quick flick of his arm, he flung the scabbard at both bird and man, hitting the box free from the crow’s talons. The crow shrieked, swishing its wings as the man swore loudly, trying to catch the box, to no avail. Rolling over the side of the wall, the box pummeled downwards, bouncing off the metal poles only to hit Herakles over the shoulder.
Herakles grunted in pain at the sudden impact, almost losing his footing. By some miraculous luck however, he managed to grab the box with one hand, while clinging stubbornly to the metal pipes with his other arm. The man cursed again, and was about to make his way towards the side of the tower only to have Kiku block his path.
“Were you sent by Monsieur Lafayette?” Kiku asked.
The man froze in his tracks, eyes narrowed into hostile slits and jaw set into a tight line of defiance. Kiku figured the man wouldn’t readily offer a reply, not that he’d expected him to. But years of social graces ingrained in him since as a child continue to prompt such politeness from him, even though it seemed inevitable that he would have to fight this man if he wanted any information. He raised his sword, pointing it at the man, readily himself in an offensive stance.
“Please withdraw,” the man spoke abruptly, his voice low and gravelly. “I have no personal quarrel with you, Honda-san and I doubt that your father would have wanted it to end this way either.”
Kiku’s head snapped up, eyes widening slightly even as he struggled to mask his surprise at the use of the name and of his father.
“How did you…?” The words slipped from him carelessly; he faltered, biting back the rest of the question, a chill running down his spine.
“This is also not a fight you can win. So please, put away your sword and withdraw.” The man dipped his head in an awkward, almost regretful sort of bow.
Kiku blinked, disquiet in his eyes as he considered those words carefully. He lifted his sword once more, tightening his grip around the hilt. “I understand that you’re only carrying out your orders, but I’m afraid I will have to persist.”
And he lunged forward, making the first move to attack. Swinging his blade, he slashed at the man’s right flank. The man was quick to side-step, dodging the blow, only to have Kiku lunge at him again - this time, from the left. Kiku struck out at the man again, but despite his bulkier appearance, his opponent was just nimble, raising his arm to easily deflect the blow. There was a sharp clash of metal against metal before both men pulled back.
Kiku frowned, sword still held before him in a defensive stance. He let his gaze flicker over the man who now wielded a weapon in each hand - twin kodachi-like daggers, encircled with the same bright-green flames which the crow possessed.
“Elettro Daga!” the man yelled out as he raised both daggers. “Honda-san, once again I will ask you to withdraw.”
“And again I apologise, but I will have to decline the request.”
A pause, and then another resigned sigh. “Very well, then.”
The two circled each other slowly and silently, their gazes still locked on each other and-
With a flurry of movements, the man rushed at Kiku, swinging both daggers in two cutting motions as he let out a loud cry: “Sciopero di Fulmine Celeste!”
Kiku parried the first blow easily, pivoting swiftly to avoid the second strike before twirling around and drawing his blade back to cut at the man’s left side-
-only to hear a loud screech as a dark shadow fell over him; a flash of black feathers and hooked talons, a beak tearing into skin-
Gasping sharply in pain, Kiku stumbled, a searing heat burning at his left shoulder. He had not taken his eyes off both the man and crow, but he knew that his wound had re-opened; he could already feel the blood seeping through the bandages.
He continued to watch as the other man began to move, circling slowly around him, daggers now held in a reverse grip. A moment’s respite and then, Kiku lunged forward once again, swinging his sword in a wide arc. The man avoided the slash at the very last second, spinning around to drive his daggers in swift downward strikes - the first one ripping through fabric and grazing over flesh.
Kiku flinched when he felt the sting at his left cheek and again at his injured shoulder. But he didn’t stop, dodging the second strike, before he spun on his heels again and lunging forward in a sudden burst of speed, dealt a hard blow to the side of the man’s ribs with the flat of his sword. A sharp crack and the man grunted in shock, coughing and hacking painfully. The crow screeched furiously, diving forward to place itself before its master.
“Kyou-san was right about you,” the man chuckled, spitting blood as he wiped a hand over his jaw. “If I did not have these boxes, I might not be able to defeat you.”
Before Kiku could ask what he’d meant, the man reached into his jacket to pull out a small silver and green box. A green flame crackled to life from the single ring he wore over his right index finger. As he punched the flame into the box, the lid popped open, releasing a bright burst of flames and what looked to be another bird-like creature. A huge, brown falcon now joined the crow to hover before him, wings slicing through the air like knives.
“Pesto, Zitoni. Danza Spirale di Morte!”
Kiku never got the chance to ponder further about the oddity of the flames and creatures. Or why his opponent seemed to have a knack for yelling out battle cries (in Italian too, even though the man was clearly Japanese) at the top of his lungs before attacking, as if they were pawns in a bizarre virtual game… well, almost.
The creatures were all over him in a blinding flash; diving at him with their beaks and talons, a fiery whirlwind of agony as they clawed viciously at him. Dodging and striking with his sword as deftly as he could, he tried to fend them off, but they were too fast. Even as he fought against one of them, cutting and slashing with his sword, the second creature would swoop in to snap at him from behind or from the side.
Not far below, Herakles continued his climb up the scaffolding. He could hear the sounds of the fight; the bone-chilling shrieks of the birds and the periodic flash of eerie green flames. Beads of sweat trailed down his jaw, his arms already twitching from the effort of the climb. But he pushed on stubbornly, until he was finally close enough to haul himself from the scaffolding and over the wall to the top of the tower.
A bright flash of green illuminated the far end of the tower. Jerking his head towards the source of the light, Herakles saw a falcon darting out from a small box held in the hands of a tall, burly man wearing the most flamboyant hairstyle he’d ever seen (one which his father would probably approve of, no doubt).
Another sharp screech pierced the air, followed by what was, unmistakably, Kiku’s cry of pain.
Despite his fatigue from the strenuous climb, Herakles straightened up and sprinted towards the fight. A tiny part of him was quite certain that was the last thing Kiku would have wanted him to do - he did promise not to run blindly into a fighting mob again. But then again, this was neither a mob, nor was he running recklessly into it. And he really couldn’t bring himself to stand idly by and watch as the birds continued their vicious attack…
Herakles tripped over what seemed to be broken metal tubes and pieces from the scaffolding - leftovers probably, from previous reconstruction works - and stumbled to his knees, dropping the wooden box he’d been clutching onto.
The wooden box fell with a loud clutter, the metal clasp snapping open upon contact with the hard ground and drawing the attention of the crow. The creature let out angry caw and lurched towards him, the flames around its claws and wings crackling with greater intensity.
“Herakles, stay back!” Kiku tried to rush forward to stop the crow from attacking, only to clench his teeth against the pain when the falcon ripped into his shoulder. He slashed at his tormentor with his sword, yet again to no avail as the bird merely flew out of reach.
Herakles felt the adrenaline rushing in his vein, his heart thumping in nervous anticipation as the crow steadily approached him, flames flickering menacingly. He cast his gaze around frantically, searching for any makeshift weapon to fight the creature with. Just as he was about to reach for one of the broken pipes, his eyes fell on the wooden box again, its contents now strewn out before him on the ground.
The stuffed cat lay on its back, still wearing its creepy smile (almost as if it were grinning at his current predicament and surely at his impending doom). But right beside the toy were other things he hadn’t noticed before: two smaller square boxes - one orange and one blue, both framed with black and silver - similar in construction with the one the burly man had been holding.
As Herakles crouched to grab the nearest box, his shoe crunched lightly against another object, and lifting his foot, he caught sight of two other things on the ground - silver rings. Desperation and instinct drove him to reach for one of the rings, and just as the crow dived at him, lashing out with its deadly beak and claws, Herakles punched the ring to the box.
Please, let it work.
For several excruciating seconds, nothing happened. Herakles felt his heart sink in dismay, steeling himself for the onslaught of the crow’s attack, when the box abruptly opened, releasing a bright burst of orange before him. Engulfed by the sudden upward surge of flames, the crow let out a furious shriek, before it began to burn, feathers slowly disintegrating into ashes amidst the dying crackle of its own green flames.
“Pesto, return!” At the command, the crow shrank away from the next wave of orange flames, slowly dissipating into nothingness as it retreated back into its box. In that single moment of distraction, Herakles saw his chance and took it, grabbing the remaining items on the ground.
“Kiku, here!” He ran towards the two men, tossing the second box and ring to Kiku, who had already anticipated the move. Ignoring the burning pain of his injuries, Kiku darted away from the falcon, reaching out to catch the box and ring. The falcon lashed out at him once more in a flurry of feathers, but not before he whirled around to face the creature again.
As he punched the ring to the box, sky-blue flames sprung to life, surging forth from the box in a massive tidal wave. Unlike Herakles’ box, which had only released bursts of wildfire, the blue flames gradually took the form of a creature - a snow-white fox with amber eyes, its tail split in nine.
The fox let out a sharp yip, leaping into the air to meet the falcon’s dive, its nine tails fanning out like a shield before Kiku, nullifying the attack with its blue flames. Then, flicking its tails in one swift movement, the fox sent a wave of blue fire crashing over the bird. With a defeated squawk, the falcon fled, feathers burning just as the crow’s did, disappearing back into its box.
The man swore angrily, holding up his daggers once more as he readied himself for an attack, but Kiku was quicker. Like a whirlwind stirred back to life, he lunged at the man, knocking both daggers out of his opponent’s hands, before pivoting on his heels and ramming the pommel of his sword into the man’s chest. Hacking painfully at the force, the man staggered backwards.
“It’s over,” Kiku said grimly, lowering his sword and turning to face the fallen man-
(A sudden chill creeping down his spine, cold fear wringing around his heart.
A flashback… a dream? )
-only to stare into the menacing, black barrel of a Glock 18 pointed straight at him.
Shit.
He froze, cursing inwardly at himself for letting his guard down and assuming the man had carried no other weapon beside the daggers and the boxes. Before either man could move, there was a sudden blur of grey and blue and Herakles rushed at the man, knocking him away from Kiku just as he fired a few shots. Bullets zinged past, ricocheting off the sides of the wall with a sharp ping.
The man lashed out with his arms, trying to break free but Herakles didn’t loosen his grip, swinging his free hand into the other’s face, smashing him against the wall. The man fired another shot, missed again as Herakles threw a second punch at him, throwing him off-balance over the wall. The man fell, but not before he grabbed Herakles’ sleeve, dragging him off the tower and plunging straight into the dark, murky water of the Thames.
“Herakles!” Kiku yelled, rushing towards the edge. He swept his gaze over the surface of the water, searching for any sign of the two men, before he scaled over the wall. Pausing only to judge the distance, he leapt off the edge, diving head-first into the river.
Silence lingered heavily in the air in the temporary lull, save for the sounds of water lapping against the sides of the bridge.
A single arm finally shot up from the water, before Kiku finally broke through the surface, coughing and gasping for air, his right arm curled tightly around Herakles’ unconscious form. He struggled to keep his grip tight around Herakles and after nearly fifteen minutes of struggling through the river, he managed to reach the riverbank where Liza was standing and watching them anxiously.
Kiku crawled out of the water, Herakles’ arm slung over his shoulders. Liza rushed over to their side, and together with her help, they dragged Herakles back onto shore, laying him flat on his back.
“I don’t think he’s…” Liza ran a shaky hand over Herakles’ face, voice trembling slightly as she paled. “He’s not breathing-”
Fear began to gnaw at him as Kiku bent over Herakles’ cold, limp form, running his hands up and down the unconscious man’s sides, before bringing his fingers to gently press against his neck, searching for a pulse. He pressed his ear to Herakles’ chest; searching, listening for a heartbeat, a breath… anything. He placed his hands together and pushed, compressing the chest.
Paused. Listened again.
Nothing.
Kiku hesitated, panic coiling within his guts now, his mind clouding with distress.
“Forgive my intrusion,” he whispered as he tilted Herakles’ head back, his face only inches away now. Realising what he was doing only as he did it, he pressed their lips together, fingers pinching the nose shut. He breathed into Herakles’ mouth once; released and listened again. Breathed into it a second time, pushing air into his lungs again, silently willing him to breathe, please…
Herakles gasped then, coughing up water, squirming weakly in his hold. Kiku felt a rush of relief, bringing his fingers to check the other man’s pulse. He couldn’t feel any yet and Herakles did not seem completely conscious or breathing well. So he lowered his lips to Herakles’ once more, breathing into his mouth… only to realise after several minutes that not only could he feel Herakles finally moving beneath him, but he could also feel a hand at the back of his head, fingers carding gently through his hair.
And that Herakles seemed to be kissing him, tongue flicking slowly over his lips and-
“Ow,” Herakles gave a soft yelp of surprise just as Kiku jerked away stiffly, the two finally breaking apart. “Did you just pinch my nippl-”
“I… I’m glad you’re all right, Mister Karpusi.” Kiku said, rubbing the back of his hand over his lips in an awkward, near-mechanical manner, feeling his face grow warm as his cheeks coloured slightly.
Herakles chuckled, slowly sitting himself up. “Sadiq likes to call me the ‘stubborn mule’ who refuses to do him a favour by falling off a cliff and smashing my head into pulp at the bottom. Maybe the bastard’s right sometimes… uh, about the stubbornness, I mean. Not the mule.”
Kiku could only smile wanely at that, before turning his gaze back to scan the river once more.
“Do you think he’s…?” Herakles began.
“I’m not certain, but as I was unable to find any sign of him, we’ll have to assume he found a way to escape somehow.” Kiku frowned, pulling out the small blue box from his now-drenched coat. “And I think Yao will have a lot of explaining to do, starting with these.”
Just as he was about to place the box away, he heard what sounded like a soft click, and was momentarily, blinded by a bright flash.
“‘The kiss of life: forbidden love unearthed in the unlikeliest of places.’” Liza murmured excitedly as she snapped several more photos of both Herakles and Kiku, who could only stare back at her, nonplussed. “You two do look good together in a shot. I’m really looking forward to the photoshoot, to say the least.”
Kiku blinked, lips parted mid-way as if he was on the verge of voicing his thoughts. Allowing himself a soft laugh instead, he flopped back to lie against the grass, wincing as the dull throbbing of his injuries and fatigue finally caught up with him.
“Are you all right? We should get you to a doctor, you’re still bleeding.” Herakles was leaning over him now, concern pooling within those green eyes (almost like the sea, flecks of blue and hazel visible in the sunlight… a-ah, he was being immodest again wasn’t he, staring away like that-)
“No, I’m fine,” came Kiku’s soft, tired reply. “It’s just been a really long day. But thank you Mister Karpusi, and to you as well, Miss Héderváry, for everything.”
There were still questions swirling in his mind - the strange flames and creatures, the boxes… how did the man know his name, his father? - more so than when he’d first begun his mission.
But for now, the chase was over and he could rest a little, exhaustion steadily wearing him down as his vision began to grow dim and hazy.
“Kiku? Kiku!”
He would search for the answers another day.
epilogue
previous act
_____
Notes:
The Glock is a series of semi-automatic pistols. From what I’ve read, a Glock 18 pistol is not for sale to civilians, and is only available for use to the law enforcement, the military…. and well, organised crime syndicates, I suppose :/
'Mister Movie Villain' is Kusakabe Tetsuya, from Katekyo Hitman Reborn! (guess who’s a COMPLETE geek for that series?!). And yes, that was Hibari he was talking to on the mobile :P
The “strange” boxes and animals with flames are Box Weapons, specialised boxes that are build to carry weaponry, which comes mostly in form of armaments, although many are fashioned after animals. The flames serve as a direct power source and each Box Weapon Animal possesses its own unique abilities.
Kiku's Box Weapon animal is a kitsune (fox-spirit). In Japanese mythology, it is said that the more tails the kitsune has, the wiser and more powerful it becomes. When it gains its ninth tail, the kitsune's fur changes to gold or white.
Kusakabe’s battle cries are directly translated from English to Italian for the lulz:
Elettro Daga - Electro Daggers
Sciopero di Fulmine Celeste- Divine Lightning Strike
Danza Spirale di Morte - Spiral Dance of Death
It amuses me greatly whenever characters in Shounen Jump series always start a fight with a ferocious battle-cry, and helpfully announce their secret moves before attacking. Shounen wouldn’t be shounen otherwise, amirite? Lol.
The fight scenes were inspired mostly by this theme, and it turned out much longer than I initially planned it to be and threw some logic out the window at the same time ^^;