[Multichapter] The Watches Series: Apocalypse (10/15)
Title: The Watches Series: Apocalypse
Authors: tsuchi8562
Beta: andreja1989 <-- as always arigatou ♥
Pairing: SakurAiba, MatsuMiya, OhnoxOC
Genre: Fantasy, Drama, Romance
Rating: PG-15 (this chapter)
Disclaimer: No, we don't own anything... We're just Border Watch's glaziers
Summary: It looks like the end of everything they knew... Will their world collapse?
*MASTERPOST*
Stupid Gray one. Why did he even dare to interfere? Ninomiya got the scumbag who took Jun away from him and that stupid idiot had to spoil everything! But it's definitely not over yet. Kazunari will think of a way to have his revenge and this time he will make sure nobody be there to stop him.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid! FUCK!!!" The Dark Watch officer hit the wall with his fist. Ignoring the pain, he hit it few more times until the rage left his body and all that left was emptiness.
Emptiness... Ohno...
Was it really true? Sakurai raised this matter when he tried to put some common sense in Nino... Earlier Matsumoto was chasing ghosts... Is he really somewhere here?
"Bullshit." Kazunari whispered to himself and sighed. There is no way he would be able to leave the emptiness just like that. And even so, every officer in the world knows his face and he wouldn't be able to hide forever. Nino decided to stop thinking like Sho and focus on his goal. He didn't care about their investigation anymore. It didn't have any sense anyway anymore. Right now he had to kill the hatred and pain he felt and in order to do that he must murder Saitou. Now it won't be that easy as before, since the head of Tokyo's Light Watch knows about Kazunari's plans but Ninomiya will think of something.
The air became chilly and rain started to pour. The Dark Watch officer didn't want to go back to the hotel but he didn't have any other choice. Only hope he had was that he won't meet Sakurai. Fortunately he managed to sneak inside his room without having to talk to anyone. Nino fell on bed and stared at the ceiling, trying to clean his mind from every thought. All he needed right now was clear mind and to get it he has to rest and take at least few hours of sleep but of course he was wide awake. His thoughts ran to Matsumoto. Kazunari wondered did he fight tooth and nails for his life or maybe he didn't even have a chance... Maybe Saitou just surprised him and everything ended fast?
"Did you hurt a lot?" Ninomiya whispered to the empty walls and sighed loudly. Jun's face appeared in front of his eyes and didn't want to disappear no matter what he did. The younger one's eyes were piercing right through him, his gaze was almost painful.
"I miss you, princess...." Nino almost heard Matsumoto's yell he shouldn't be calling him that. Some tiny part of him wanted to accept the fact that Jun is dead and nothing he will do can bring him back but he managed to silence this voice. Of course, he is not able to turn back time or make the younger man come back to him but at least he can make his murderer pay for what he had done. Kazunari took a deep breath and sat back up. There is no way he will sleep anyway, so he decided to drink something stronger. Maybe this will help him relax?
The biggest problem was that the head of Tokyo Light Watch knows about his plans and he will be very cautious now. Ninomiya has to think of something the latter won't expect, something really shocking... He needs to move away a bit and look at the bigger picture... Bigger picture? War between Watches... Recent events all over the world show that the situation is tougher with each passing minute. Only one small spark is needed to lit the fuse and make everything explode. What if Nino was that sparkle? What if he in some way starts the war? Be the loyal Dark Watch officer and fight with the enemy? Suddenly Kazunari got energy and optimism, somehow excited about the idea. Right now he was able to clash with anyone, even the stupid Gray ones when they interfere. If they interfere that is...
At this moment Ninomiya couldn't care less about The Border Watch. They have their own troubles with murdered vessels, so they won't get involved in the battle between Light and Darkness. Their work is to protect The Treaty after all... There was one thing Ninomiya didn't predict... He was in Rome, capital of Italy, very near the Vatican. Saitou was here as well and nothing showed he will leave anytime soon, at least Takahashi said so. If he wants to get his former boss, the war should start here, that's for sure. How Nino can persuade anyone from Rome Dark Watch to fight with him if he doesn't know Italian and most probably nobody here know Japanese? Language barrier is quite serious problem here but not impossible to break. Kazunari sighed and rubbed his temples. From all that thinking his head started to ache and he still needed to stay focused.
"Who speaks both languages here?" The Dar Watch officer asked himself and suddenly an obvious name appeared in his mind. Shouge Sachiko. Ninomiya didn't meet her even once, but he heard quite a lot about her from Sakurai and Aiba. If she is here and makes further research, she must speak Italian. But she still is a Gray one and there is no way she will help him. That woman is from the same sort as Sakurai, thinking they can change anything by themselves... War is just the matter of time. Sudden soft knock broke his way of thoughts.
"Stupid Gray one..." Kazunari murmured and slowly walked towards the door. What Sakurai could possibly want from him? "Listen, I made myself clear..." Nino started while opening the door but stopped in the middle of the sentence when he say nobody on the other side. The Dark Watch officer frowned and looked around, getting suspicious. Who knew where he stays at? Ninomiya was about to get back to the room when his eye got caught by a piece of paper lying on the ground next to his feet. He took it and quickly went back inside. Trying to understand what was going on, Kazunari opened the note and read the only sentence which was written on it.
Bench near the river, in an hour.
Grinds inside Nino's head started working real fast. Small bit of hope filled his heart but this was definitely not Matsumoto's handwriting. Somebody wanted to meet him in secret, he didn't even write his name on the note. After some thought there could be two people who wanted to see him. First one, more obvious, was Sho who wanted to talk some common sense in him, explaining for the hundredth time the same things about the vessels and his poor Aiba. Second was his old coworker, Takahashi. He was the only person he met at the pointed place. But why the Light Watch officer, moreover Saitou's right hand, would want to see him in the middle of the night? This was definitely a set-up. Head of Tokyo Light Watch was whether afraid of him or wanted to teach him a lesson so he wanted to lure Ninomiya out of the hotel. It was very obvious trap but Kazunari couldn't afford not to take the bait. This was his only chance to embody his revenge without troubling himself with Italian Dark Watch... Nino looked at the clock and sighed. He still have a bit time before he would have to leave so he took out his knife he has hidden in the bag. There was no way he will go there unarmed.
"Let's get through with this..." Kazunari shoved his phone in his pocket and went out the hotel, slowly heading to the river. The air wasn't that chilly, just small breeze hit his face, making him dive deeper in his jacket. The streets were empty at this hour; it looked like no officer wanted to fight tonight. Having eyes on the back of his head, Ninomiya reached the bench and sat on it, waiting for whoever wanted to come. When the set hour passed and nobody appeared, the Dark Watch officer started to get a bit impatient but he stayed on his place. He didn't have any place to go anyway. Hotel room reminded him Jun too much and his shirt, which was still lying on the bed still smelled too intense. Chasing thoughts away Nino looked at his watch again and seeing he was sitting here for over half an hour already made him even more upset. Was he stood up? Was all of this some kind of stupid joke? The Dark Watch officer looked around one last time and got up, ready to go back to hotel. It was getting colder and tiredness hit him with double force.
"I apologize for keeping you waiting, but I needed to make sure you are alone." A voice appeared out of nowhere. The Dark Watch officer slowly turned around, realizing everything a split of a second before he saw the face of the latter.
"I should've known it was you. Seitou sent you here to finish what he couldn't earlier that day, Takahashi-kun?"
"God no! I had to talk to you off the records... You know, this piece of shit put a bug on my phone and I couldn't just tell you everything when I saw you before." The Light Watch officer inhaled some smoke from the cigarette he was holding.
"Don't waste my time, tell me what this is all about and let's get over with it." Ninomiya sat back down on the bench and accepted a cigarette handed to him by the latter. He was more and more curious but he still looked around from time to time to check if no surprise waits for him.
"I won't beat around the bush then. You perfectly know what's going on in all three Watches. War is just around the corner and it's important to be on the right side. I want to invite you to our meeting."
"Woah, not so fast. You want me to plot some strategies with Light Watch? Maybe you didn't notice but I am on the other side..."
"I am on the same side." Takahashi smiled and showed his card with Dark Watch sign. Kazunari frowned and looked at the latter, trying to catch anything from the situation.
"Nice story, but I am not buying it. Tell Saitou that if he wants to drag me in some stupid game he should do it himself and not sent his puppy." The Dark Watch officer got up again and wanted to walk away but his former coworker stopped him.
"Wait... Listen, I understand it is hard to believe in but at least give me five minutes and I will explain everything."
"You have three..." Ninomiya stayed but he didn't sit next to the other man. His curiosity was way bigger than common sense.
"I got contacted by Italian Dark Watch few months ago. They figured out something's going on here, in Vatican but they couldn't prove anything. You know, my sister got married with this Italian guy and lives in Rome... Well, anyway they needed a trusted person in practically every part of the world... They gave the best perspectives so I agreed."
"And you simply threw away your ideals and changed sides? Sounds fishy..."
"You know how it is right now... Kill or get killed, eat or be eaten... I just want to survive, no matter on which side. Recently I heard that Gray ones pooped out on everybody and they are waiting till we kill one another. Without anyone trying to hold us down... This means open war. I heard you attacked Saitou today... Listen, I won't say anything more than just one question... Do you want to join us?"
"What do you mean by us?" Nino had to ask. Things are getting more interesting with each passing minute.
"Italian Dark Watch. To be honest it's not only Italian anymore. We have quite a few people from around the world. Different colored, if you know what I mean. Our leader thinks that the fights should start here, right in the core. I would really like to tell you more, but one - I used all three minutes already and two - it's not my job to do that. So I will ask again. Will you join us?" Takahashi looked at the other one, waiting impatiently for any answer. Ninomiya was more confused than before. On one hand he had perfect solution for all his problems but on the other - this was way too easy. Suddenly he bumps on his old colleague who happens to be a traitor and gives him all the answers on the golden plate. Only thing better would be Tokyo's Dark Watch leader's head... What if it's Saitou's trap? What if he wants to not only take revenge but also sent him to the emptiness for treason? The silence prolonged since Kazunari didn't know what to do. In the end he decided to take a risk and follow Takahashi. In best case - he will get in the middle of the war, in the worst - he will at least try to kill Matsumoto's murderer, even if with bare hands.
"Okay, you won. I will go with you but I can't promise I will stay. You can count on my discretion but only on that. Am I clear?"
"Yes, you are..." Takahashi looked at his watch and cursed quietly. "Come on, we're already late." He turned around and walked fast, making sure Ninomiya is following him. Everything seemed like a dream. Kazunari watched the latter's back just not to get lost and at the same time he looked around to check if it's not a trap. He was taken to some old, wooden building which looked more like a barn than anything else. Inside, at least twenty people were talking quietly. You could hear at least five different languages, including Japanese.
"You're late!" A woman scolded Takahashi and smiled brightly when she saw Nino. "At least you brought him, so you are forgiven. Welcome, Ninomiya-san. I am Arisa, this idiot's sister. Please, sit down. We were waiting only for you two." Before Kazunari could say anything, he was pushed towards a stool and dragged in the middle of some conversation which was taking quite a lot of time, due to all needed translations. With all said sentence it became clearer that Nino's former coworker was right. This secret organization, which members called themselves Crusade, prepared for a battle with, first, Italian Light Watch and then with every White officer around the world. From the conversation Kazunari deduced who is the most important here and, for his surprise, the guy was talking with sense. He was shocked how easily they trusted him and shared with the most secret plans.
"We have no time for tests. And if you tell anything about it, you're dead. Simple as it is." The leader answered on his doubts. Ninomiya thought he will be forced to place an oath or get through some battle baptism but nothing like that happened. Nino didn't understand practically anything from the meeting. Not only because of the translation but also because their plan sounded insane, even for him. His craving for revenge, however, made him push all doubts aside and follow instructions. It looked like serious battle, the ones you learn about on history classes or read in books. Kazunari stopped worrying when he was assured that he will get Saitou in his hands. Who cares what will happen to the rest? Who cares how world will look like? It's already shitty because Jun is not here anymore. The latest plan pointed his place in the front, but a bit on the left side. This way he will be able to search for the person he wanted to be dead the most. Nobody asked any questions, they just let him do whatever he wants as long as he will fight by their side with Light Watch. He even got a gun! After everything he was just simply let out, walked back to the hotel with set meeting in two days from now, in the same place, at the same time. When his head hit the pillow, the sun was already showing up its face from behind the horizon. Fortunately he didn't have any dreams and could get some decent rest.
***
"I told you it's none of your business. I also said I don't want to see you ever again so why did you come here?" Ninomiya said calmly, even though his blood was boiled in his veins. Sakurai stayed quiet for a while and looked at the latter with those shiny eyes filled with compassion and pity.
"I just wanted to check how you are and share the newest information I got from..."
"Cut the crap, you wanted to check if I am not plotting how to slaughter that piece of shit. Well, keep calm. I won't kill him in any of dark streets of Rome or any other city." I will do it right in sunlight, during the battle you never dreamed of. The Dark Watch officer added in his mind. The last thing he wanted to do now was having this conversation but still, looking at their past, Ninomiya had respect for Sakurai. Both men were standing in front of the hotel, Kazunari was leaving and Sho was just getting back. For a longer while neither of them said a thing, they were just staring at each other, not sure should they continue their conversation or just go their own ways. Finally the older man broke the silence.
"I know how you feel but killing Saitou is not a solution..."
"And what is? Listen, maybe I didn't say that clear enough so I will use the opportunity and tell you something. I don't want to see you again. I don't want to hear your stupid theories about dead guy suddenly appearing and killing people without any sense. You just go and do your job and I will do mine."
"And what is your job? Finding the murderer who killed Nila, Masaki and Matsumoto-san. And you are blinded by some stupid evidences which could be simply placed there by the real killer. Please, think about it! Why..."
"All you can do is ask questions! I will get that scumbag whether you like it or not. I don't need your approval anyway. Now excuse me, I have some things to do." Ninomiya bowed gently and passed The Border Watch officer, but he didn't manage to walk far, as the latter stopped him.
"Don't make that mistake! Come on! What happened to the coolheaded officer I used to work with?" Sho tried to convince him to stay and think everything over once again. He wanted an answer? He will get it.
"What happened?! Saitou murdered Jun, that happened! I won't let him get away with it!"
"Why you keep holding to that lie? You think this will make you feel better? Killing innocent person just because you can't think straight?! I didn't think you are such low creature... Matsumoto wouldn't even consider thinking about something like that!"
"How dare you..." Nino hissed through clenched teeth and mad sparks filled his eyes. How Sakurai could use Jun's name in such case? The Dark Watch officer's hand grabbed the gun in his pocket tighter and fought with urge to take it out. "Let me go."
"No. I won't until you promise me you won't lay a finger on your old boss."
"I said let me go. NOW!" Blood in Kazunari's veins started to boil again. He didn't even hear the latter's response, when his fist flew in the air and landed on Sho's jaw. Pain spread in his hand but he couldn't care less. Neither for ache nor The Border Watch officer, lying on the stairs in front of the hotel.
"Don't follow me." Ninomiya spit the words and disappeared in narrow alleys of Rome. It was time to prepare to the war and he had no time to lose.