Archive of Our Own

He wakes up to a blinding white room, a sharp pain on his nape, and a terrible headache. When he tries to move his arms, he finds himself tied up to a corner of the room. Upon further inspection, he realizes the discomfort on his neck isn't only from the pain, as he tries to move his head and feels a thick, plastic collar digging into his skin. “Man, What kinda bullshit did I get myself into this time?” he wonders to himself.

His head throbs as he gets accustomed to the light, struggling to keep his eyes open as they’re unceasingly assaulted by the brightness. He tries focusing on his own body, the dark gray of his pants helping ease the soreness of his sight. He soon finds that he is kneeling in a painful position, his handcuffed arms making him unable to let himself sit more comfortably.

He scans the room in search of his partner, finding him on the opposite corner, in a similar situation to his own. Though, with a growing uneasiness, he notices that Barnaby seems to be unconscious. Kneeling in the same position, his golden locs cover his face, his head falling down.

“Hey, Bunny!” he shouts a whisper, worried that someone else might be listening. No answer.

“Hey! You ok there, buddy?” he pulls at his restraints, but they remain unmoving. His shoulders start tensing as his anxiety builds up, and he finds it harder to keep a steady breath. He looks at his partner trying to catch a hint of movement, a flinch, anything. The distance between them doesn't help alleviate his agitation, the white vastness of the empty room stretching further the more he looks its way. The seconds keep passing by, becoming minutes, he stops being able to tell how much time has passed. Barnaby’s body seems more lifeless the more he looks at him.

“Bunny...?” he tries activating his Hundred Power. Nothing.

“Bunny!” he shouts, forgetting about his initial caution, the paranoia growing stronger than the concern for his own safety.

Finally, Barnaby's body breaks its stupor, recoiling at the sound.

“Kotetsu? … What’s going on?” with a wince, Barnaby finally opens his eyes. He, too, takes a moment to get used to the uncomfortable brightness they're surrounded by.

“Oh, thank god, you’re fine…” Kotetsu finally relaxes, releasing the breath that got caught in his throat “I don’t know what happened, last thing I remember we were walking home and then—”

“Good morning heroes of Sternbild! Did you sleep well?” an ominous voice resonates across the room, confusing the both of them as they try to find its source. From each of the walls, a black screen appears. A man emerges from the shadows, the blue light of the screen bouncing off his golden mask with a creepy green glow, "I am Angel, the Goddess' Messenger".

The sight of it is like a punch in the gut for Kotetsu; he feels confused, dizzy, and everything starts blurring out. Is he breathing faster? He doesn't know, he doesn't feel like he can breathe at all. He gasps for air, and he thinks about how he can faintly hear Barnaby's voice calling out for him. He tries to focus on it but it seems to slip away the more he tries.

Where am I? What is this? Am I hurt? Am I in danger? What's going on?

Calm down Kaburagi Kotetsu, calm down, what's the last thing you remember? Think about it, what were you doing before you were here?

I was… I was… We…

Bunny and I…

Bunny and I were heading out of rehab training.

It was a nice afternoon, so I asked him if he wanted to go and grab those drinks. He accepted with a smile; his smile is so beautiful these days… like he finally left behind all those things that were weighing him down. I told him about a place nearby that I wanted to visit with him. The sunset framed his face perfectly as he walked by my side, his soft silky hair shining brighter with the sunlight. His sweet voice filled my ears, though the words said were lost to me.

His lovely green eyes met mine, and with a smirk he said:

“Did you hear any of that, old man?”

“Huh- Hey! Stop it with that nickname already”

“So I take it you didn’t.”

“I was listening! You were talking about…”

“Hmm?”

“Come on, don’t give me that smug face” I couldn't help the smile that crept up my face, a familiar warm feeling spreading through my chest.

“As I was saying, I—” a sharp snap whipped between us.

“Good evening, heroes of Sternbild!”

The distorted voice resonated loud and clear, the man it came from appearing behind us.

“Your day of judgment has come”

In one swift movement, he grabbed the whip attached to his hip and wrapped it around Bunny’s neck.

“Bunny!” Before I could react, he pulled my partner towards himself, my hands just barely grazing at his jacket before he was taken from my side. As I started running in their direction, the man pulled out a gun, pointing it at my chest. Bunny stopped struggling and stared at me… I know that expression, I hate it so much; the one that seems to say "don't do anything stupid, please". But I couldn't listen to it, not when that man had my precious partner's life in his hands. There was no time for hesitation.

I activated my hundred power, the bullets becoming a null threat. I charged at them, but quickly realized my mistake when I felt a sharp pain in my chest, the toxin of the dart blurring my vision before long. As always, Bunny was right, and I was a fool.

“Kotetsu!” …that strangled scream was the last thing I heard before I passed out.

Kotetsu squirms against his handcuffs, too tired to put up a real fight, but too angry not to try. He stares at the man in the dark screen, his eyes seething with ire.

“Before you try activating your powers, I’ll have you informed that I took care of them already” he holds up a tiny vial on the screen, a trace of bright yellow liquid remaining at the bottom. A shiver runs down Kotetsu's spine as he realizes it can't be the only dose the man has.

“What do you want from us?!” Kotetsu snarls at the villain, the distance between him and his partner becoming more unbearable by the second.

“Now, now, no need to get impatient, I will explain the rules right away.”

A thin platform emerges from the uniform floor, the object on it warranting immediate silence from every person present.

A gun.

Barnaby has always hated guns.

No matter how many times he assured himself it was all over, the memories of that day could never leave him.

The deafening bang that inundated the silent house. The scalding heat that penetrated his nostrils as he opened the door. The cold stare of the man behind it all.

It was long ago that he lost count of the times when he woke up in a cold sweat, the flashes of that night haunting his sleep, coiling around him like a snake, suffocating him, ready to devour him any second now.

The air in that room was heavy. It carried the odor of his mother and father as they scorched in the flames.

The asphyxiating smell of the gunpowder still seemed to envelop him.

The heroes freeze as they see it. The object sticks out like a sore thumb, dark and cold, its imposing presence makes itself impossible to ignore within the sea of white that they've found themselves in. Kotetsu rips his eyes away from it to look at Barnaby. His partner is frowning, and Kotetsu can feel his discomfort despite the distance between them.

"I won't ask again, What the fuck do you want?!" Kotetsu spits out, every word sheathed in red.

"It's very simple, I only wish to witness your penitence," the gentle voice of the cloaked figure did not match his unnerving words "for your misdeeds as protectors of this city, you will be trialed today”

“Misdeeds? What are you saying!?”

“Do not feign ignorance, Hero,” the man says, his tone shifting to disgust. “The two of you have been acting selfishly, putting your relationship above people’s safety”.

Kotetsu and Barnaby share a puzzled look between them.

“What on earth are you talking about?” Barnaby breaks the silence this time, the troubled tone of his voice lined with fear.

“I do not believe it necessary to remind you of Melissa Jenkins, correct?”

The two heroes became quiet. The incident had happened almost three years ago, but it stung in their minds like a fresh wound. They’d never talked about it, but there was no way they could’ve forgotten, not ever. They could still hear her scream as she was buried under the rubble.

“You understand, then,” the man continues, “that your actions have consequences. You preach about your ‘teamwork’ making you stronger, but it only serves to get in the way of your jobs. It is nothing but poison, and it will take away more innocent lives if you are allowed”

“What do you know about being a hero!” Barnaby spits out, “What happened to her was tragic, but doing this will not bring her back!”

“Of course it will not”, the slight amusement in his tone is nothing but infuriating, “the dead shall never return”

“Is this a game to you?!” Kotetsu says.

“A… game?” the laugh that breaks out sends a shiver up their spines “You dare accuse me of playing games? I knew heroes were hypocrites, but this is simply beyond ridiculous. The only game here is the one you have sold your souls to. Putting lives on the line for television drama, all of you heathens sicken me.”

“What do you even want from us?” asks Barnaby.

“Well, Hero, this is a trial.” he says, his unseen mouth curling up into a vexing grin, “the two of you have walked the same path in unison for far too long. Today both of you stand together; but to reach tomorrow, one of you must succumb”

They understood then, what the villain wanted from them. He wanted to see them kill each other.

Kotetsu has always hated guns.

He still remembered the hot metal pressed against his temple, the sound of the warning shot still ringing on his ears. In the hand of the man restraining him was the power to end his life before he even had the time to blink. As his dark eyes got enveloped in bright blue light, one thought resonated through his head. “I have that kind of power too”.

It was always scary, having a power like that. None of the other kids understood the fear of grabbing your brother's arm and breaking his wrist, of trying to hug your mom and crushing her ribs in. They looked his way and only saw a monster, a freak of nature, an animal.

His power was for saving people. Every day he did everything he could to live up to those words. But no matter how much he reassured himself of that, the fear still lingered.

No one should be able to take another life so easily.

“What the hell do you mean!?” Kotetsu shouts, he knows the answer but he refuses to believe it, not unless the man dares say it out loud. But the answer never comes, as the man disappears into the shadows and the screens dissolve back into their walls. “Come back here you bastard! Who are you!?” Kotetsu pulls harder, trying to break himself out of the cuffs.

An abrupt click interrupts his struggle, he doesn’t even know what it is before his body slams against the floor with a loud thud.

“Kotetsu!” Barnaby runs to his side and Kotetsu stretches his arms in pain. Ah, what a shitty time for that criminal to release them.

“Uughn” Kotetsu groans, leaning against Barnaby as he’s put into a sitting position. Were it not for the nasty circumstances, he would’ve found the skinship pleasant; for now, “comforting” will have to do.

“Are you ok?” Barnaby examines Kotetsu’s face, soft hands traveling across his cheeks and jaw, positioning his head in various angles but careful not to hurt him. Barnaby’s caring gaze traces every inch of him, and he can feel his steady breath with how close they are. As Barnaby’s thumb brushes the corner of his lip, he can’t help but blush; “You are bleeding a little, but your nose doesn’t seem broken”.

“Uh… yeah” Kotetsu says, a little dazed. He tries not to show disappointment when the contact inevitably breaks, “thank you”.

"It's nothing, can you stand up?" Barnaby's already on his feet as he says this, stretching a hand out to Kotetsu before waiting for an answer.

"Yeah I'm fine, just a little dizzy" he scrambles as he tries to stand on his own, but swallows up his pride and accepts the help. "How about you though? Is your leg alright?"

"It's a little sore, but with the way we were bound I'm willing to bet yours are too"

"Hm. Well, what do we do now?"

"I guess we should check for our belongings first, and then we have to inspect the room."

Kotetsu's eyes go wide, his hand flies into view but he stops and sighs in relief when he sees it. "Ah, his ring" Barnaby notes in his head, staring a little longer than necessary at Kotetsu's usual gesture. He feels like he should look away as his partner kisses the ring, but he finds it hard to do so, his expression is soft but passionate and the entire action is captivating. Something pits at the bottom of Barnaby's stomach, a feeling he can't quite place.

Kotetsu snaps back into action, checking his wrists and patting his suit down.

"No PDA, but my phone and wallet are still here, You?"

Barnaby realizes —a bit embarrassed— that he'd been standing in place for a full minute. His PDA is missing as well, but his belongings are also in their place.

"Ah," Barnaby laments himself as he turns his phone on "it's almost dead".

"Heh, lil' Bunny forgot to charge his phone?"

"I stayed up talking with Mattia last night, and I didn't have the time to charge it in the morning".

"Didn't expect you to be so careless".

"There's no service here anyway" he flushes with embarrassment as he puts his phone away.

"We can check the time on mine! I left it charging overnight so the battery is all good".

"But doesn't it heat up when you do that? I've heard it can even explode".

"Eeeeh is that so?"

"Well, it's no use worrying about it now, it's good that we have it to know how much time has passed"

Kotetsu pumps his fist in victory, but quickly composes himself and puts on a serious expression. "Now what?" he asks.

"Inspecting the room"

"Right"

The two look around, to the sea of white. The walls are bare, and so bright even the corners are hard to see. The floor is unusually clean, and just as colorless as the rest of the room. The only evidence of it being a physical space is their own footsteps, the color is subtle, but stands out against the pristine tiles.

"I guess there's only one thing we can really look at huh?" Kotetsu looks back at his partner, frowning.

"Yeah…"

They walk to the center of the room, and stand side by side to the pillar.

"It's the real deal isn't it?"

Barnaby picks up the gun to inspect it, and the pillar goes back to being a part of the floor. They tense up at the motion but compose themselves once they look back at each other. He looks at the gun from various angles, and pulls out the cartridge.

"The real deal, yes" Barnaby sighs in discomfort. He puts on the safety and hands the gun to Kotetsu. Kotetsu frowns, but takes it. He doesn't feel like having it around with the heavy tension of their predicament, so he places it on the floor, right where it came from.

"Hear me out you scummy villain!" Kotetsu screams to the walls, "There's no way we're doing what you want, so take this shit away already!".

The room stays quiet. Barnaby is unsurprised at the lack of a response, but the silence only seems to fire up Kotetsu's anger even further.

"I know you're listening! Don't ignore me!!!"

"Don't bother with that" Barnaby says, right before kicking the gun into a corner. "We don't need to give him the grace"

He marches to the opposite corner, and Kotetsu follows him, grinning at the display of integrity. He'd come so far —Kotetsu thinks— from that hot-headed rookie that would snap at criminals when things got too personal. Kotetsu is proud, but he knows not to make too much of a fuss about it.

The fluffy sentiment doesn't last anyway; as he grounds himself in the situation once more, he's the one that feels heat rush through his body, leftover anger directed at their unseen captor. He knows anger won't help him here, but his blood boils when he remembers the way that "Angel" had put his hands on his Bunny. He takes a deep breath and swallows it down, knowing he'd been foolhardy enough for the day.

"So what now? We're trapped here, aren't we?"

Barnaby turns away from the corner and faces Kotetsu. Whatever he'd been looking at in the walls couldn't have given him much hope, judging by the dread in his demeanor.

"It appears so"

"Do you think we could break out?"

"The walls seem sturdy, maybe we could punch our way out with our powers but whatever 'Angel' is injecting us with seems to be blocking them. We don't know how thick they are either, we could even be underground or underwater, and we have no way to tell how deep if we are".

"So no breaking out huh?" Kotetsu asks, though he knows the answer already. Barnaby shakes his head, they can't break themselves out. "How long do you think they'll take to get to us?"

"Hard to say, it could be a few hours or a couple of days. Worst case scenario…" The silence says everything they need to know.

"Damn it!" Kotetsu curses out loud, "If only I hadn't been so reckless—"

"Stop that, Kotetsu… there was nothing else we could've done." Barnaby leans against the wall, putting his hand over his face as he ponders; "He had all the resources to catch us completely off-guard, yet he chose to taunt you like that instead… shit, he knew exactly what he was doing."

"Still…" Kotetsu sits down on the floor next to Barnaby, digging his fingers through his hair. He's still tense —the situation at hand isn't exactly a walk in the park, after all—, but he can take a moment to breathe with Barnaby at his side. He looks up at him and meets his eyes, Barnaby's gaze immediately softens on contact. The man sighs and sits down as well.

“How's the collar treating you?” he stares at the device around Barnaby's neck, a thick piece of plastic with strange engravings, tall enough to cause discomfort but short enough not to restrict movement too much.

“Hm… not too bad all things considered” Barnaby takes a pause to look at Kotetsu, “May I see yours?”

“Go for it”

The black plastic edge digs into his skin, not enough pressure to choke him, but certainly still an unpleasant feeling. The gap must be less than a finger wide, but it's enough for Barnaby to take a peek into the inner side. It looks pretty much the same as the outer edge, save for a single needle thin hole in the back.

“He's probably injecting us that drug through the collar”. Barnaby grabs him by the shoulders and looks him straight in the eye, “Please try not to rotate it around, I don't want to know what would happen if the needle hit your jugular”.

“You sure have a way with words, Bunny-chan” Kotetsu snarks with a nervous chuckle. “This thing's really uncomfortable though, don't you feel like it's pressing on your throat?”

“That's probably just your shirt's neck. Do you really need it buttoned all the way up right now?”

“You got me there” he grumbles as he loosens his tie and undoes the first two buttons of his shirt. Barnaby briefly wishes the collar and the tie weren't blocking the view, but he discards the thought, ‘Now is not the time’.

"So…" Kotetsu asks as he looks into the distance "... What now?"

"Hmm, I suppose we just wait it out."

"That's it?!"

"Well, yes, Do you really think that man can keep the great Heroes of Sternbild from finding us?" Barnaby's shit eating grin makes Kotetsu huff out in amusement.

"Ha! I just thought little Bunny would've come up with a plan by now" he teases, earning a pout and a head turn.

"Oh, shut it! You said it yourself, he's probably listening" there's no bite to it, but Kotetsu shuts his mouth anyway, zipping himself up with a cartoonish gesture.

"Hey, Bunny"

His head flies up to the direction of the sound, startled. Kotetsu looks at him with that stupid busybody air of concern, it makes Barnaby frown something between annoyance and endearment. He blinks a few times trying to gather the situation.

"Uh, hey"

"Are you sleepy? You're nodding off"

"Ah, sorry, I guess I stayed up too late last night"

"What did you and Mattia talk about?" Kotetsu's sing-song tone gets on Barnaby's nerves.

"What time is it?" he changes the topic.

"Hmm" Kotetsu scrambles to take his phone out, he almost drops it but manages to catch it "2:23"

"We woke up at midnight, right? we've been here for seven hours or so"

"No wonder you're so tired"

"I'm… fine"

"Aw, c'mon you can take a nap if you want" Kotetsu stretches out his legs and pats down on his lap "I'll stand guard for a couple hours"

Barnaby looks at Kotetsu, hesitant. He doesn't know what to make of the situation, but it makes him feel all warm and fuzzy. He sighs and complies, taking off his jacket and resting his head on Kotetsu's lap. He doesn't know where to look, looking at Kotetsu seems awkward, but everything else is the same white. He can't help it, he stares into Kotetsu's eyes, and Kotetsu stares back; the annoying expression from before returns.

"Close your eyes"

"Ok"

Close his eyes he does… but as the minutes pass he realizes sleep is not coming.

"I can't do it, I think I'm not even tired anymore" Barnaby tries to sit up, but Kotetsu pushes him down by the shoulder, "You can't force me to sleep, old man" he huffs out.

"No, but I can help you," the grip on his shoulder turns into a caress, "lay down and let me take care of it". It feels a little too intimate but Barnaby likes it too much to say a thing. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes again. Kotetsu starts massaging his scalp with the tips of his fingers, soft and slow.

"You're touching my hair"

"It's relaxing, isn't it?"

Barnaby takes a moment before humming, sinking into the sensation. He can't say he's quite ready to sleep yet, but he enjoys the moment. The last time someone made him feel this way… he struggles to remember when it was, long ago he's sure. But he lets go of those thoughts as his consciousness drifts away.

Tick

Tock

Tick

Tock

Tick

Tock

The clicking sound is the first thing Barnaby hears as he’s stirred awake. He looks up at Kotetsu, whose eyes focus on some distant point on the ceiling.

“Wh… what’s—”

“A timer”

“What…?”

“He put a timer on the ceiling”

Barnaby sits up, and his head shoots up to the source of the sound. In the center of the room, a four sided timer hovers above them. 12:05:13. It ticks down as the seconds add up. Ominous.

"Did he say anything about it?"

"Nope, it just showed up like an hour ago and it hasn't left. I checked on my phone, it's synced up"

"Well, that's just great", Barnaby thinks, three fingers massaging out the developing headache coming from his forehead. He looks back at his partner, whose dead stare is still directed at the timer. "Have you just been looking at the numbers this whole time?"

His gaze snaps back at him, and then he looks to the side, flustered, "Well, it's not like there's a lot else to do, y'know Bunny?"

He knows, but he can't help the chuckle that comes out.

"Aw c'mon, don't bully me, Bunny!"

"Yes, yes, sorry old man" he gets a hold of his laughter, but his face still sports a cheery grin, Kotetsu's pout has that effect on him. "I'll keep you company so you don't get bored"

"No way! It's my turn, gimme your legs"

Barnaby thinks of declining, but the dark bags under Kotetsu's eyes tell him he's not playing up his exhaustion. He sits down and pats on his lap. Kotetsu performs a full body cartoony gesture, and cuddles up into a fetal position, face away from Barnaby.

"Don't play around, just go to sleep already"

Kotetsu interrupts his concert of snores to look up at Barnaby. "I know I said it's my turn but it really is so hard to sleep with the lights on…" he pouts again.

"I can do something about that," Barnaby hums. He takes off his jacket and puts it over Kotetsu's head. "Can you breathe in there?"

"Nnbnff" he takes a pause and peeks his face out, "Not really"

Barnaby sighs. He grabs the hem of his shirt and starts pulling it up. Kotetsu's eyes shoot wide open.

"Bunny?? Maybe I should just use my coat"

"But it's white, it won't block the light at all"

"Ok!" he says with his hands over his eyes.

"You've seen me practically naked, don't be ridiculous" he throws the shirt at Kotetsu's face

"I wasn't on your lap those times!" Kotetsu says, wrapping the cloth around his eyes.

"Be quiet and sleep please"

"Ack! I will! Just stop nagging me"

He settles down and finds a comfortable position, but rest still comes hardly with his pounding heart.

"Ah shit"

"What is it? Are you hurt?" Barnaby says, getting uncomfortably close to look him over.

"N-no I just uh" he pushes Barnaby back and gulps, nervous "I really need to take a piss"

"Oh? That's it?" Barnaby deadpans.

"What do you mean 'that's it'?! This is an emergency!"

"Well, we don't have many options, just do it in the corner"

"Eeeh? I'm not a dog!"

"Well, what else–?"

They turn to the loud whirring coming from the middle of the room, the platform has risen again with nothing but a metal bucket on it.

The two of them share a glance and then stare at the offending object.

"Damn, not even one square of paper?" as Kotetsu says this, he's hit in the face with a half empty roll of toilet paper. Barnaby's barely contained snicker doesn't go past Kotetsu, but he chooses to ignore it and instead grabs the bucket and paper roll and marches his way towards one of the corners.

"You absolutely cannot look!"

"Ok, I won't" Barnaby raises his arms and turns around. Staring at the white walls isn't exactly entertaining, but it's better than making his partner uncomfortable. He glances to the corner he's facing, and finds himself staring at the gun. He turns his eyes away, but there's nothing else to look at. Barnaby closes his eyes, waiting for Kotetsu to come back.

"Ugh, I feel so gross". Barnaby finally turns back; he's met with a visibly disgusted Kotetsu, holding his hands away from his body.

"Here," he reaches into his jacket and hands the item to Kotetsu, "have a wet wipe".

"Always so prepared, eh Bunny-chan?"

"Well, someone has to be"

"Smartass"

A loud growl echoes through the room. Kotetsu's head shoots towards Barnaby. He turns away, but his rosy red ears reveal his embarrassment.

"Aww, are you hungry Bunny?"

"Shut up"

Kotetsu pokes Barnaby's cheek playfully, but then another gorwl comes from himself. Barnaby turns around, clearly trying not to laugh.

"Ok, I get it, we're both hungry. You got anything on you?"

Barnaby pats his jacket. Phone, wallet, lip balm, nail clippers, a small hair brush, anti-bacterial gel and wet wipes. The only trace of food is a half eaten low calorie granola bar. He rips the wrapping apart, revealing maybe two bites left.

Kotetsu finishes patting down his own coat, coming out with nothing but a pocket melted chocolate candy. They bring their hands together, admiring their spoils.

"I guess we can share?"

Barnaby's stomach growls again.

Then, the center platform rises again. The noise makes their hairs stand on edge, they approach with caution. In there lies a single serving of scrambled eggs, crowned with two forks. Kotetsu takes one of them and takes it to his face, sniffing the suspicious aliment.

"Does this smell poisoned to you?"

"How would I know that?" Barnaby frowns, but sniffs the food anyway, "Probably… not?" he doubts.

"Well… it's not like we have many options" he gulps, and, to Barnaby's horror, takes the bite into his mouth.

He regrets it immediately. A high pitched whimper makes Barnaby's ears start ringing. Kotetsu quickly takes the fork out of his mouth.

"Are you ok?! Is it poisoned?!" Barnaby grabs his face and tries to see inside his mouth, but it's closed shut as Kotetsu swallows. Barnaby thinks he's about to faint.

"Ouch" Kotetsu slips out his tongue. Four tiny dots start leaking blood out of them. "The fogk ith thuper tharp"

"What…"

"The fork is super sharp", he says, tongue back into place.

Barnaby sighs in relief, then goes to inspect the other fork. Four scalpel sharp prongs rest at the usable end of the utensil. The plate looks normal otherwise.

"I think he's trying to make us fight for the food"

"Are you serious?!" Kotetsu turns to the wall, disbelief and mild amusement written all over him. "That's not gonna work! Puny villain!"

"Let's just eat…"

"Sounds fine by me!"

They sit together, sharing their meal and carefully eating around the very dangerous forks.

"It's been a while hasn't it?"

"Yeah…" he looks up at the clock, "sixteen hours… damn, what time is it?"

Barnaby takes out his phone on reflex, but groans in annoyance, "The battery ran out"

"Oh dang, let me check mine" Barnaby wants to say there's no need, but Kotetsu is already reading the time, "Eleven a.m…"

They sigh in unison.

"The others must be noticing we're gone by now" he says, trying to find the silver lining.

"Yeah! Usually we're at the gym by now, they've probably already called a couple times and- " Kotetsu stops dead in his tracks, smile vanishing from his face, "Oh, right, we'd actually be at rehab right now wouldn't we?"

Barnaby looks at him, looks at the ceiling, and looks at the floor. Finally, he digs his face into his hands and muffles a drawn out whine.

Kotetsu pats his back twice, but then he lights up and snaps his fingers "I remember now! I was gonna get hot dogs with Antonio! I'm sure he's looking for me right now."

Barnaby looks up and smiles, "Really? But you're always late, it's probably gonna be a couple hours until he starts to worry"

"What! Is this about those three minutes again?!"

"Of course it is, I told you, I'm not forgetting that until the day I die"

Kotetsu grinds his teeth and huffs out, but he feels strangely warm hearing that.

"Hey Bunny, who do you think we're gonna see first when they bust us out"

"Hm? What a silly question, I can practically see Rock Bison breaking through that wall"

"That old cow?! Pff- No way!"

"Oh? Who would it be then?"

"Ryan, duh! Don't think I didn't see how he bent down those towers to hold up the building back when you two debuted as a team"

"You actually saw that?"

"Ah Bunny, I wouldn't miss a minute of you on the screen". When he looks at Barnaby, he's red like a cherry. Awareness seeps into his face and he feels the scalding hot of his own flush. "Well, you know! I just. It's not like I had anything better to do that night right?"

"I suppose not" he moves his hand to fix his glasses, but it looks suspiciously like he's just trying to hide his face.

"Hey… what did you do that night when you got home?"

The silence lasts for a while. Barnaby thinks it over, not knowing if he should lie or tell the truth. "No secrets between us", his brain provides. That's right, there's no reason to keep it to himself.

"I wanted to call you, but I didn't" the words almost catch in his mouth, all the feelings from that night tie a knot around his throat, "I did the same the night you got fired. I wanted to call you so bad, but… I thought 'What good would it do to him? I'll only remind him of what he's lost', and then no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't call you"

Kotetsu looks at him, his expression impossible to read. He runs his hand through his nape, and turns his face to the other side. His shoulders start to spasm, a mumbling sound comes out of him… and then he lets go of a hearty laugh.

"Wh- Are you making fun of me?!"

Kotetsu —still laughing— puts his hand on his shoulder, trying to support himself as he's bent over by the feeling. When he finally calms down, he wipes his eyes, tears forming at the corners. But then, something he would never expect in a million years happens. Kotetsu makes a weird face, and then he starts crying. Crying, crying. He wipes his eyes again, but the tears don't stop, so he frowns, and he sniffles, and wipes his eyes again, and then seems to decide there's no use for that.

At that point, he puts his other hand on Barnaby's shoulder, and if this wasn't the second weirdest thing to happen to him today, he'd be putting his hand away, because his jacket is real leather and he's ruining it with his wet hand full of tears and snot. But he doesn't, because this is the second weirdest thing to happen to Barnaby today, and Kotrtsu crying like this is about as off putting as a green elephant juggling while riding a unicycle on the tightrope.

"I did the same thing, Bunny", he manages, "I stared at your picture for so long but I didn't wanna burden you with my stupid old man problems."

"And that's why you're crying??!"

"I'm sorry! I'm just so happy!"

"No! Don't hug me, you're full of snot!"

"We're a couple of idiots aren't we?" Kotetsu ignores Barnaby and envelops him in a tight, wet and gross hug.

"Don't lump me in with you! Idiot!" Barnaby whines, but he makes no effort to get out of the embrace.

“So. I'm your emergency contact huh”

"What-? I mean, yes but when…?"

“Back when…”, Kotetsu fidgets for a moment, twisting the ring on his finger until he can continue. Many months have passed since then, but he still feels a lump in his chest every time he remembers, “After the bomb went off, they called me when stuff went wrong. I didn't have the time to think too hard about it then, but I was a bit surprised”

The question isn't said, but Barnaby can tell what he wants to ask.

“I don't really have anyone else…” he feels his partner's gaze fixed on him, but he doesn't return it “That's what I told myself when I decided to do it. But the truth is, I do have other people that I could've chosen, but there's only one person I truly trust”

Kotetsu doesn't know what to say. Is there anything to say? Perhaps not. It doesn't seem to him like Barnaby is done speaking anyway, so he simply waits for him to fill up the silence.

“By the way Kotetsu… who's your emergency contact?”

“Oh? Um. Well I guess it's kind of a lame answer but it's Rock Bison"

"Rock Bison?!" Barnaby tries not to sound offended, but fails awkwardly.

"Is it that surprising?"

"Weren't you just making fun of him for being unreliable?"

"I was joking! Are you mad at me??"

"No, I just!" He stops. The words he is thinking are much too embarrassing to say.

"Did you… Think I wrote you down…?"

"I… I suppose I was just hoping you did"

"Wouldn't it be kind of a bother? I don't wanna burden you like that, Bunny"

Barnaby frowns. He hates the nonchalant way in which he always brushes off his worries. He knows Kotetsu wouldn't be Kotetsu if he carelessly let other people deal with his issues, but after all they've gone through, it stings to know he still can't be the exception, not when it really matters.

"It's not a burden", he says, and it's charged with a craving he can't get a hold of, "If you're really hurt, if you need someone to help you I want to be the first person to know"

"Aren't you being kind of childish?"

"I don't care if I am"

"There's things i can't let you do for me"

"But why?"

"Why do you want it so bad?"

"You're being unfair, Kotetsu, you keep asking me all these questions but you never want to tell me things like these"

"Don't get mad Bunny! I just don't really like talking about depressing stuff y'know?"

"But that means there is 'stuff' to talk about right?"

Kotetsu clenches his jaw and then inhales deeply. He rubs his hand on his forehead, somewhere between frustration and exasperation. But he knows Barnaby is right. He's stubborn as a rock because he never wants people to get close enough to see all the cracks. If they do, he fears, if they get too close, his walls will crumble, and he'll never be able to build them up again. There's only been one person in his whole life he could trust inside his fort, and when she left, the cracks cut too deep to fix, so deep that he's still trying to hold the pieces together.

For Kotetsu, there is a Before and an After. Before his life fell apart, and after his heart was ripped away. Even Before, it had always been hard to let people get close, because he was dangerous, because he didn't want to hurt anyone. But After, he learned what it was like to be hurt. He can't bear to go through it again, and he couldn't bear to let someone dear go through a loss like that. He knows where he stands with Antonio, he can be sure that no matter what happens to him, his friend will be able to stand on his own two feet and move on with his life. He doesn't have that certainty with Barnaby.

But with a heavy heart, he thinks about the hospital again. With no promises, with no declarations, with no commitment, Barnaby's state had managed to completely undo him. It was like standing at the edge of the door again, holding the knob while her voice behind him set every hair on his nape on point. Is he fated to make Barnaby hurt that way? He knows it's possible, he knows and he can't forget the face he saw the day his death came close. If pain is inevitable, is there any point to try to keep his fort standing?

He sighs.

"I really don't want to talk about it right now but… When we get out of here, I don't think I'd mind making you my emergency contact."

"I can work with that"

"Apple"

Kotetsu's voice echoes in the bare walls of the room.

"You're that bored?"

"We haven't said anything in two hours! Aren't you?"

"You always start with apple"

"Photosynthesize" he grumbles. That's right, he knows his polysyllables.

Barnaby huffs. The longest word he could think of and it still gave him an "e".

"Empty"

"You always pick 'y'!"

"You always pick 'e'"

"Hmmmmyyyyyy… yesterday"

"Is this revenge?"

"Just answer"

"Yearn"

"Huh… knock– wait, that's 'k', uh. Nowhere"

"Everywhere"

"That's cheating!"

"Exasperating"

"Good"

"Duet"

"Torture"

"Torture?"

"That's a word!"

"It's an odd pick, and also your third 'e'"

"You're keeping track?"

"'Every' time"

"Those are two words"

"I don't care, the 'e' is yours this time"

"Ack!"

"Give up?"

"Earful!"

"Lion"

"News"

"Sleepy"

"Y… yellow?"

"Warm…"

"M– You ok there bunny?" his partner's head bumps on his shoulder.

"Just… tired" he seems to be dozing off. Kotetsu checks his phone, 12:46, not offensivly late, but they've had a long day as it is.

"Lay down, Want me to give you another massage?"

"No, I think I'll manage"

And he does, Barnaby is asleep in no time.

With a loud click, the lights go out.

Kotetsu's head shoots up, he thinks about getting up to investigate, but his partner's sleep is sure to be light after so little time to set in. He looks at the timer, the eerie red numbers emanate a slight sheen on the ceiling, so he knows the power hasn't gone out. His eyes turn to the upper corners of the walls, and he sees two small white dots he hadn't noticed before, one on each end. Cameras, he figures. He stares at one of them, his eyes heavy with fatigue and anger.

As if to mock his struggle, the wall in front of him lights up with the image of the night sky. A line of text parades across the screen in bright yellow, "A good night of sleep is only enjoyed in the dark".

"He's just messing with you, Kotetsu", he reminds himself. His fingers thread through Barnaby's hair, trying to find some anchor to ground him back on Earth. He closes his eyes, "Don't fall asleep, don't lose your cool, just breathe". He slides his hand down Barnaby's head, the thick hair product he usually wears broke down the prior night, and by now the locs are back to their natural state. Smooth and soft, almost vulnerable. But it's ok; as long as they're together they can push through, so Bunny can afford to be vulnerable, and maybe he can, too.

24:05:12

That's the number displayed on the timer looming over them. They're starved, thirsty, dirty and exhausted. The clock keeps ticking, but there's no sign of their friends coming in to rescue them. Kotetsu looks up to the timer fingers combing through the hair of his slumbering partner. Second by second, the timer marches on, the tick-tock eating away the minutes and the hours as they wait for nothing to happen.

He wonders if he'll ever see Kaede again. Kotetsu yearns for the bustling noise of a bar on a Saturday night, the laughter of his friends when he tells an embarrassing anecdote over lunch, the scalding rays of the sun burning his skin on a hot day. Even the dumpster he'd once spent the night at seemed better than this, because at least then he knew it would be over as soon as he got the strength to stand on his feet and leave. But this is no dumpster. He's trapped in an empty room, with death in the center as the only way out. And what's worse, his partner, his Bunny, is trapped with him in this hell.

They would never be able to hurt each other, that he has no doubt about, but what is the alternative? From the start they've agreed to stall for time, until someone on the outside could find them and break them out, but at the pace things are going, they might not have enough time left to wait. “Angel” has a knack for these things, he knows exactly how much food to give them to keep them awake but hungry, knows how much water they need to stay alive but thirsty, knows exactly how to make them feel like they're going crazy but they need to stay alive just a little longer.

The more he stares at the timer, the slower it seems to go. Every second feels like an eternity away from each other. Tick… Tock… Tick... Tock…

He pulls out his phone. It's probably a bad idea to waste its energy, but he needs to think of something else if he wants to keep his sanity. He scrolls through his camera roll, the pictures of his family bring a bittersweet smile to his face. He needs to stay alive, for their sake, and for Barnaby's sake.

He looks at the clock, even though the timer gives him an easier way to check how long it's been, looking at the hour makes him feel more at ease somehow.

4:29

Kotetsu frowns.

That doesn't make any sense, the last time he checked the clock the timer displayed 22:47, and his phone said 2:32. How could the clock skip an hour? As he thinks about this, his clock changes from 4:29 to 3:30. His eyes shoot wide open.

Kotetsu stuffs the phone in his pocket, and shifts his weight to lay Barnaby's sleeping body on the floor without waking him up. He gives him one last look before standing up, Bunny's chest rises and falls as his undisturbed breath pumps air into his lungs.

He stands up and makes his way to the farthest wall, and when he gets there he starts banging on the tile. The screen whirs itself back on, and he takes a few steps backwards to take a good look at the man in it.

“What the fuck is this about?!” Kotetsu points to the timer.

“Oh, found my little clock trick have you?” Angel purrs, and the mocking singsong tune of his chatter gets on Kotetsu's nerves, “It's amazing is it not? How easy it is to change the time in someone's phone with today's technology. You should have seen the look on your face, your confusion is simply a delight to witness”

“Why would you do that!”

“It felt like forever did it not? The way time ticked so slow. But I will be nice and tell you how long it's really been”

Suddenly the timer stopped, and a new timestamp ticked itself in its place.

72:15:36

Kotetsu's heart sinks. He and Barnaby have been here for three days. Seventy two hours, and no sign of the other heroes getting anywhere near them. He feels nauseous. Is there any hope left? Can they really wait it out at this point? The villain could be lying, but even if he was, Who could say how long it had been, or how long it would be?

Now is no time for questions, he needs to do something. He stares at the corner next to him, the gun is sitting right there.

It feels heavy in his hand, and just touching it makes his heart race. He walks up to the center of the room, and faces the villain straight on.

“Have you finally made up your mind?”

“Yes”

Kotetsu takes a deep breath, points the gun at his target, and empties the cartridge.

“NO!!!”

Barnaby's throat strains as the scream tears its way out. The first gunshot startled him awake, and every bang after it made him feel like his heart was ripped out of his body. He runs to the center of the room, expecting the bloody corpse of his partner to lay there, but Kotetsu is standing on his two feet, pointing the gun to the wall in front of him.

Barnaby can't believe his eyes, but he wastes no time pondering before he tackles his partner down.

"What are you doing!!!" Barnaby screams, his fists shaking in their grip around Kotetsu's shoulders. The eyes that look back at him are unfocused, surely tired, his breathing heavy and uneven. Barnaby doesn't get to see it for long before he's on his back, Kotetsu's flipped them over and is now looking at some distant point in the wall.

"This shit's empty now", he lifts the gun up before tossing it away, it makes a cracking sound as it touches the ground. "We're not gonna play your stupid game, let us out NOW!".

Barnaby looks up at him with worry. He's never seen Kotetsu like this, so completely undone and hopeless. The echo of his words doesn't last long, and the silence that follows seems to stretch far and further, leaving only Kotetsu's panting and his own heartbeat creeping up his ear.

But the silence doesn't last forever, and what breaks it is somehow worse than it. The now familiar whirring comes from the center of the room, where a second gun lies. He wishes he could go back to the silence for a couple minutes more.

Kotetsu gets up from his lap, and runs to the pillar. He holds the gun in disbelief, Barnaby can't see his face but he can almost feel the quiver in his lip as he approaches him. Kotetsu roars out a scream from the core of his lungs, so hard it seems like his throat will tear. He throws the gun against the wall with all the strength he has left, and then he's on his knees, sobbing like a little boy.

"What happened?" Barnaby kneels next to him, hand on his back, trying to soothe the man out of his breakdown, "Are you ok? What's going on?"

Kotetsu doesn't face him yet, but one trembling hand points to the ceiling. Barnaby can't believe his eyes when he looks up. It takes him a moment to understand what he's looking at, but once he does he feels like the ground is coming down beneath him. Seventy two hours. They've been here for three days. He thinks back to before he fell asleep, of how exhausted he was and how much it felt like he shouldn't even be thinking of sleep until much later. He feels the hunger in his stomach and the dryness of his mouth, the sticky sweat clinging to his clothes and the stubble pricking at his cheek. The deep horror of it all threatens to get into his head and never leave, but he snaps out of it; he can't let it break him down, not with his partner still shaking next to him.

He wraps him up in a tight embrace, trying uselessly to protect him from this threat he can't even touch. But Kotetsu accepts it all the same, buries his face into Barnaby's chest and, for what feels like the first time, lets him in. He's wanted it for so long, for this man to lean on him in his time of need, but he now curses his selfishness; he never wants to see his love like this, unable to put himself together and smile his worries away like he always does. He knows it's out of his hands, but the guilt claws at his core anyway. Why would he ever wish for something like this?

"It's okay" he holds Kotetsu's head with all the softness he can find in him, "you just need to sleep, we can figure this out later".

Barnaby kisses the top of his head, like his father did when he bruised his knee and cried all day. The gesture is unbefitting, but with Kotetsu's softening weep he decides it doesn't matter. If his partner needs it, he will make it be; even if it means sitting on the floor, rocking back and forth, cradling him gently like he would a bird with a broken wing.

"It's okay", he whispers, "I'm here, I'm with you, I'm still with you. We can get out of this one" he chants as he sways from side to side, hoping that if he says it enough times, Kotetsu will believe him (that he himself will believe it).

He wakes up to a hand stroking his hair. Barnaby's hand, he knows that much. His face is so angelic that he thinks the threat might have been only a cruel nightmare, but his sore back and numb limbs, the stench of body odor and bleach, and the blinding light overhead yank him back to reality.

"Are you awake?"

With his help, Kotetsu sits up and nods. He doesn't feel ready to get back on his feet, but Barnaby doesn't push him to, taking his place on the wall next to him.

"Sorry about.. all that earlier. I don't know what came over me"

"It's ok… if it had been me finding out i doubt I would've had a better reaction"

He gives a weak smile, but he can tell Barnaby doesn't buy it.

"Do you know how long I was out?"

"The timer says 10 hours but…"

"Right" his tone is bitter, but he hopes Barnaby knows the feeling is not directed at him. He rubs his hand over his mouth, pensive. "What now?"

Barnaby doesn't seem to know either.

"What do we know about this place? That has to give us a start at least"

"Yeah… the walls are screens, the floor and ceiling have stuff stored in them, or some other way to transport stuff into the room. He can mess with our phones. Maybe he's an engineer of some sorts?"

"Maybe, but he's giving us that drug too…"

"Hm… just a guy with some contacts? I don't know, I feel like he's more familiar with the tech part of this shtick."

"That's true, even the collars seem more elaborate on the mechanical part.

"Speaking of the collars, don't they seem familiar to you?"

"How so?"

"Like… I don't know, I feel like I've seen them before"

"In a case file perhaps?"

"No, like.. oh!" Kotetsu says, snapping his fingers "Bison told me he and the other guys got strapped to some of these ! He showed me a picture and all, those had bombs though.

"What!? When did that happen?"

"Back um… back at the Justice Tower…"

Barnaby frowns. He knew the other heroes were trapped while they fought H-01, but this was his first time hearing of any bombs. At the moment he was more worried about Maverick, and then about Kotetsu's near death experience.

Rotwang, that man who claimed to understand his parent's motives better than him. He knows better now, but looking back at the way their legacy was defaced by him is always painful. And now this, could it be possible that "Angel" had connections with the man? Or even worse…

"Do you think 'Angel' might have something to do with… my parents' work?"

"It seems possible at least"

"Someone with ties to Rotwang or my parents, and with Melissa Jenkins"

They both tense up at the mention of her name. Maybe what Angel says is true —Barnaby thinks—, their relationship is a liability. Does the thought of the other being hurt or in danger make the lives of civilians come in second place? It scares him to think so, but he can't deny the way his judgment can be clouded by these worries. Selfish, he knows that's the way he's been all his life, but in his line of work there's no room for doubts.

"Was there really no way for us to save her?" Barnaby asks, so quiet he hopes Kotetsu couldn't hear him. Twelve seconds was all it took. In twelve seconds, he heard the rumble of the concrete; in twelve seconds he saw the silver thread of his partner's wire reach into the dust; in twelve seconds he ran as fast as his legs would let him, sending them both to the ground, and away from Melissa's vanishing scream. He didn't hesitate for a second, didn't even think of the life he traded. That day, that moment, there was only Kotetsu, there was only the world-shattering fear of losing him. It makes him ashamed just how certain he is that he would do it all again if it ever need be.

"Hey…" Kotetsu's voice makes his train of thought come to a full stop, "I know what you're thinking, and you're wrong". His hand lands on his shoulder, as reassuring as always, "I watched the footage maybe a thousand times… I wasn't gonna reach her in time. The only thing you did was save my stupid ass".

"Your ass isn't stupid, only your brain", he says, and for the first time in hours and hours, Kotetsu laughs.

“There’s no use beating ourselves over this, but we can figure out why he mentioned her, can’t we?”

Barnaby nods, “She was single, no close relationships with any of her coworkers. If this man knew her, he must be a relative, right?”

“Stop, stop! Both of you stop! Stop talking about her!” the screen lights up on the wall, the man slamming his fist on the desk, “You two don’t get it, this is not the point, you will never learn at this pace”

A restless whirring takes up the room, all four of its walls come to life, they proyect noisy static before settling on a single image. From different angles, they see the children of the orphanage playing in the yard. Their faces bright under the warmth of the sun, oblivious to any danger that might come near them. It's not clear if the video is live footage or a pre-recorded film, but the mere presence of the cameras is an unacceptable invasion. The video changes, the screens all show a single shot, the inside of the chimney, lined from top to bottom with explosives. The room lights up in red, the timer in the center matches the one shown in the bombs.

05:00:00

The countdown starts.

Bile fills Barnaby's throat. He runs but doesn't make it to the bucket, emptying his stomach somewhere on the floor. He coughs and chokes, trying hard to get some air into his lungs. Kotetsu's arms wrap him from behind, his fists pressing rhythmically into his sternum. His airway opens, and he sucks in a deep breath. He feels like crying, but tears don't come out, the only thing he can feel is the scalding burn from his stomach to his nose. His arm reaches behind him, grabbing on to Kotetsu to keep himself from falling. The whole world is spinning, the ground beneath his feet is giving way, everything around him is crumbling down. Everything but Kotetsu, who stands firm and keeps him steady, roots him back into place.

He shuts his eyes tight, waiting for the nightmare to end. The only thing he feels is Kotetsu's hand, once again trying to comfort him. He knows it can't, not this time; but it's all he has.

"I love you" Barnaby whispers. The room has been quiet for the past hour, neither daring to confront the suffocating truth of their situation. Kotetsu turns his head towards him, he knows what Barnaby said, but he can't bear to let it be true. "I'm in love with you. Always have been"

"Why are you telling me this" he clenches his teeth.

Barnaby doesn't answer. Instead, his gaze is fixed somewhere on the opposite wall. Kotetsu follows his eyes, to the black object sitting on the scarlet floor. So far, and still, way too close.

"Stop that, Barnaby" his hand is on his partner's shoulder again, not in reassurance, but as a desperate restraint.

"Why"

"You can't be talking like this is your last chance", his free hand finds the red jacket between its grasp. "We're gonna get out of here, and you're gonna tell me that you love me, and I…" he can't manage the rest of that sentence, not yet, "There will be time for this, I promise. But not here, not now"

"You promise?" the words strain with the weight of his frustration, "Don't try to placate me like that, I'm not a child. You and I both know you can't promise a thing right now."

The leather catches under his fingernails.

"Well, maybe I just don't want my partner to get himself killed"

"You're one to talk"

"What does that even mean?" Kotetsu spits out, but a pang of guilt churns in his stomach.

“Let's think about this from a pragmatic point of view.”

“Barnaby—”

“If you die—”

“We are not doing this!”

“IF YOU DIE—” Barnaby grabs his shoulders, looking directly at his eyes, commanding. His voice is so loud, yet its frailness is obvious “...if you die, Kaede will be alone.”

Kotetsu isn't sure how long the silence lasts, but he holds his stare towards Banaby’s the whole time. The green eyes tremble in their place, but his gaze doesn’t falter, doesn’t let go of his; with unwavering resolve.

But he can’t back down either, he can’t doubt for even a second, he can’t give his partner an opportunity to take the burden. Not this time.

“She wouldn’t be alone.” and though he means his words, he knows he isn’t saying the true reason for his refusal “She has my mom, and my brother, and Antonio—”

“She needs her father”

“She’ll live even without me”

“What about you?”

“What about you?” he points his finger at Barnaby’s chest, his other hand resting on top of his. Barnaby stares at it for a moment, at the silver band around one of his fingers; its gleam so lively it seems to mock the ache that its owner’s words cause. “I’ve lived a good life, I had a wife and a family, I got to do what I loved for 12 years, I even got to meet someone as wonderful as you.”

“Kotetsu—”

“You still have a life ahead of you... I—”

“I don't want it!” he yanks Kotetsu’s hand away from his chest, his grip so tight his fist trembles at the effort “if you’re not in it I don’t want to live it”

“Barnaby…”

“What about 'me'?” Barnaby points at himself, his voice breaking for just a moment “How could you ask something like that?”

“Bunny…” the grip on his hand softens, and Kotetsu grabs both of Barnaby’s arms, pulling him closer. They sit on the floor again, tight against the wall; as if the room would close in on them to get them right next to the other side, to the deadly weapon lying as still as the last time they saw it.

“The others will be here at any moment now.” he finally says, not daring to look at Barnaby.

“... yeah”

He grabs on to his own ankles. He wants to burrow his face into his knees and pretend none of this is happening, that he'll open his eyes and be back home. But he doesn't. Because if he does… He glances to the side. Barnaby's eyes are still locked to the gun. He feels sick just thinking about it. His precious Bunny, still on the floor, his skin cold, golden locs tinted crimson by his—

"Bunny…"

"What is it, Kotetsu?"

"If I don't make it out alive—"

"What? You can't say th—!"

"Listen to me!" he doesn't even notice when Barnaby's lips are under his hand "If I don't make it out alive, please promise me you'll find someone else to love. Don't wait as long as I did, forget about me and be happy."

A small bit of his hand gets scratched off when Barnaby rips it away from his face. He locks their fingers together, such a twisted gesture, but he can't let go of that grasp.

"How can you say something so stupid?"

"It's not stupid! I know what it feels like to—"

"Then you know why it's a stupid thing to ask!" he can feel the way Barnaby shakes through their connection. "I could never forget you. No matter what, I will never stop loving you"

There's no way to win this. If he dies, Barnaby will hurt until his final day. If Barnaby dies… Kotetsu doesn't know if he could make it out of this room.

"We can't both make it out of here. You know that"

“Kotetsu, you can’t leave me!”

“Bunny…”

“NO, you can’t leave me alone, I can’t live without you!”

“Barnaby…”

“If you die I will kill myself!”

“Don’t say that”

“Then don’t die!”

“You know I can’t promise that”

“You have to! You have to promise we’ll get out of this together, you can’t—”

“Barnaby”

"I know you can't promise you won't die, I know what kind of job we have… But not like this, if you leave me like this…" he reaches out to Kotetsu's other side, and Kotetsu's hand is around his in no time.

"Bunny…"

“Please… you promised we would go get drinks together, we promised” the crystalline drops that have been building up on his eyes finally break free, running down the bridge of his nose and landing unceremoniously on the tip of his shoes.

Kotetsu's breath is erratic when he presses his forehead against Barnaby's. He wants to say yes. He wants to say that their friends will bust through the wall any moment now, that there's only a few hours or mere minutes between them and their freedom. He wants to hear Barnaby's laughter, on the dinner table, after he fumbles his order to the waiter and drops his drink all over his brand new suit. He wants to be anywhere but here, anywhere else that the two of them could be together. But he's not. And the timer keeps ticking.

“You have to swear, you need to swear to me we’ll get out of this”

“I—”

“Please”

But none of that matters when Bunny says the word. Because even if he could say no to that voice, even if he wanted to, he can't be here. This can't be real.

"I swear, we’ll leave this place together”

They sit in silence, fingers locked together, shoulder to shoulder. Their hair tangles together at the place where their heads meet. Steady breathing, still as they've ever been, as if time will forget to pass if they too stay unmoving. But the clock ticks, and they need no more than to shift their sights up to see that.

Kotetsu rubs his thumb over Barnaby's knuckle, gentle.

"What's the first thing you wanna do when we get out?"

Barnaby fidgets with his pinkie before answering, tickling the small hair growth on Kotetsu's finger.

"I want to see the kids" he breathes out, "We should take them to a restaurant, they never eat anything fancy. We should take Kaede too, I'm sure she'd love to hang out one of these days"

"Yeah" Kotetsu says. A traitorous teardrop rolls down the side of his cheek, "I should really spend more time with her. It feels like she's gotten so big since the last time i saw her, she's gonna be a woman in the blink of an eye"

"When winter comes we should go skating"

"We should. It's still warm right now, maybe we can go camping too"

"That would be nice. I've never gone camping before."

"Really?"

"Yeah"

"That's no good!" he sniffles before he can keep talking, "We gotta go, i can teach you how to fish, and how to light a campfire, and how to skip rocks"

"Is skipping rocks really that important to camping?"

"Of course it is! I'll show you Bunny, we're gonna have so much fun"

"Yeah" Barnaby holds his hand closer, his voice raspy and shaky. He buries his face into Kotetsu's shoulder, coarse, dark hair digging into his cheek. He breathes in Kotetsu's smell, the musky sweat creeps up his nostrils, but so does the ever so faint scent of sandalwood and pine "I can't wait".

Kotetsu is shivering. He can feel it through the fading warmth of his palm, he can feel that his partner's body wants to give up. He looks up to meet his puffy eyes. So much different than he usually looks, even with the room tinted red he can see how pale he is, how his cheeks have started to sink into his face, his lively spirit unraveled by the hunger, the exhaustion and the pain. He slides his hand to the side of his face, and Kotetsu softly burshes his lips against his wrist. A shaky gasp, and then their eyes meet again.

"Can you kiss me?"

Yes. He doesn't need to answer, their faces drawn together in a blink. It's desperate, and it's raw, and it's helpless, and it's everything they need.

Kotetsu's hands are all over him, sneaking under the hem of his shirt, sliding across the edge of his belt. He throws his jacket out, and zips down Kotetsu's vest, discarding it still buttoned up to the coat. Hands go down to his partner's waist, pushing their hips together. A grunt, and a moan, he can't tell who's it was. He breaks the kiss, his lips trailing down to kiss Kotetsu's neck, but he comes to a dead stop when he meets hard plastic instead.

"Sorry", Barnaby manages when he catches his breath. Kotetsu cradles his face, and he strokes the back of his hand softly, right over the scarring scratch he made a couple hours ago.

"Don't worry about it… We can do this some other time"

He nuzzles his face into Kotetsu's ear, hiding his tears.

"Yeah… let's just stay like this for a while…"

"As long as you need, Bunny"

Time is still ticking. Five hours turned to four, four turned to two. One hour, half an hour. Every time one looked up, precious minutes of their life would be shaved off, discarded like dust off a shelf. Their time here has been so torturous it feels like years, yet now that the deadline creeps up on them, every second feels as fleeting as a melting snowflake.

00:10:00

Time is what they're missing the most right now.

They take a look at each other. They know exactly what happens now.

Barnaby gets a head start, his sprint faster even after his injury. Kotetsu barely manages to tackle him, holding on to his hips for dear life. A kick to the leg, then a fist to the head; Barnaby struggles to get away, but Kotetsu doesn't budge.

He changes strategy, sliding down where he's thinner than Kotetsu's hold, only for a second, only enough so he can sneak a hand in. With the help of his legs, he turns around and uses his arm inside the grapple to lever himself free.

He pins Kotetsu's legs under his feet, but he struggles to keep a hold of his arms. Using his left leg he clamps down on Kotetsu's thighs, and with his right he puts a knee over Kotetsu's hand. The other swats at him, throwing his glasses across the room and managing to scratch his face, but with both hands free Barnaby overpowers him. Biting down on Kotetsu's tie, he undoes the knot and takes it, his busy hand shaking with the effort of holding back Kotetsu.

As he tries to figure out a way to tie Kotetsu, he almost misses the click coming out of his collar. The thick plastick clanks loudly when it reaches the floor. His eyes go wide.

By the time he activates his powers, Kotetsu has already broken free, and he's running towards the gun. Tie still in hand, Barnaby goes after him. He has one minute, one minute to take it away before Kotetsu's invulnerability wears off. They tumble to the ground, Kotetsu is shorter but like this he can stretch enough that Barnaby can't reach. Kotetsu is above him, and then he's above Kotetsu. They roll across the floor unevenly, grabbing and scratching and punching, until they reach the wall. Kotetsu is pinned back, but he still has the gun, he uses every part of his body to keep Barnaby away, dragging him down by the shoulders, stepping on the edge of his belt, using his other leg to try to push him away by the stomach.

But then, Kotetsu's eyes turn back to their usual brown. Barnaby panics, he draws back, he can't risk hurting Kotetsu, but then Kotetsu puts the gun to his throat, and he's back to trying to get it away from him. He manages to put his hand between the muzzle and Kotetsu, he can't take it away without taking one of Kotetsu's fingers with it, but the bullet won't reach him as long as he stops it.

They're stuck like this, Kotetsu can't flee out of Barnaby's encasing figure, and Barnaby can't make a move without hurting Kotetsu.

They hold their positions, struggling very little until Barnaby's powers run out. Kotetsu snaps his head backwards, hitting Barnaby right on the nose. He doesn't back down an inch, but he's startled enough for Kotetsu to turn around and hold him down. He pins both of Barnaby's wrists with one hand, but his other arm gets too close to his face, and Barnaby bites down, hard. The gun flies out of his grip.

Barnaby stands up, running towards it, and Kotetsu grabs him from the side. But he can't stop him, his feet are barely touching the ground, and even if they were, Barnaby's legs are way too strong to stop him from running, let alone walking. So he does the only thing he can think of.

"I'm so sorry", Kotetsu whispers, before kicking Barnaby's knee as hard as he can.

He folds over in pain, and a curse escapes his lips. It can't be over, not yet, he pleads to himself, but when he opens his eyes, Kotetsu is pinning him down once again, using his discarded necktie to bind his arms.

"Please, No!" he begs as Kotetsu walks away from him.

“I’m sorry I broke my promise…” the gun looks completely out of place in his hand. Even more so as he lets the barrel take its place under his jaw.

“Don’t fucking do it Kotetsu”

“Hey lil’ bunny…” Kotetsu whispers as Barnaby desperately tries to free himself from his restraints. His hands are trembling while he holds his finger over the trigger "please take care of Kaede for me".

“KOTETSU!” Barnaby shouts, the piercing scream almost impossible to hear under the loud and thundering bang.

He wishes he had done things differently. That he had spent more time with his daughter, that he hadn't made his mother so worried for him, that he hadn't pushed his brother and his best friend away. He wishes he had been a bit more selfish, that he had let himself love Barnaby, his Bunny, that he had let himself love out loud instead of keeping those feelings caged deep inside him.

But he is being selfish, he supposes, bitter regret clawing at him as he finally realizes what his death will mean. He thinks of Barnaby dressed in black, he thinks of Kaede, Muramasa, Antonio and Anju crying for him as they say their last goodbyes. He thinks of himself, that day eight years ago when he was the one burying the love of his life. He could never wish that pain on anyone else, and yet here he is, dooming them to the same fate.

He regrets so much he can't think of it all, even as time seems to slow down around him. But it doesn't matter now, does it? It will all be over soon. He's surprised to find he doesn't feel any pain, but he is thankful to have one last mercy for himself.

It's all over now.

Suddenly the room fills with a million colorful paper cutouts... confetti?

“¡Congratulations heroes, you have passed the test! Now if you’ll excuse m e I ’ l l b e…”

The monotone voice fades out as Kotetsu’s own heartbeat fills his head, rumbling in his ears, his breath becoming so fast and erratic he feels like he could faint at any moment. He can't hear anything but the maniacal cackle of that sick bastard under the incessant thump of his chest. Is this a joke? Is it supposed to be funny? Ironic? Kotetsu doesn't know, but he can think of nothing else as he gasps for air, fruitlessly.

He is about to collapse when he feels something pull at his shirt, followed by a sharp pain on his forehead.

He winces and looks up, immediately regretting it as his eyes meet his partner’s. Out of everything that happened today, he didn’t think any of it had hurt as much as looking at Barnaby’s face right now. Blood dripping down his nose and tears gathering up at the corners of his eyes. His penetrating gaze trembling as he scowls back at him in disbelief.

“How could you” with his hands still tied, Barnaby can only grip Kotetsu’s shirt, so hard that his knuckles start turning white; “how dare” he chokes his own words down as he can no longer keep himself from screaming, burying his face on Kotetsu’s neck in a pointless attempt to muffle the noise.

Kotetsu tries to the best of his abilities to untie Barnaby without pushing him away, feeling those hands claw at his back once he is successful. Not knowing what else to do, he embraces him back, restlessly whispering apologies in his ear, for as long as he can before the tightness of his throat keeps him from making any sound.

He holds Barnaby in his arms, the man he knew to be taller than him now feeling so small in his grasp. The hands on his back don’t loosen their grip, trembling in their place, desperate as he feels Kotetsu will vanish if he lets go. So Kotetsu doesn’t let go. A warm dampness builds up in his shoulder, and he hugs Barnaby tighter, finally letting go of the tears building up in his own eyes.

At some point they end up on the floor, dozing off into a dreamless sleep as the adrenaline rushes out of their systems, the exhaustion taking over their bodies.

He wakes up to the sound of sirens, with a full body ache and a dull soreness in his throat. Several sets of arms pull them apart as countless voices seem to ask him questions he cannot hear. Numerous hands examine his whole body and hold him up, his own strength insufficient to let him stand on by himself.

As the numbness starts to fade out, all he can focus on is his dear partner’s face. The curls that usually frame his face are undone, his hair drenched in sweat. His once lively skin now pale as porcelain. His well kept fingernails chipped from grasping at his back. His eyelids red and swollen from crying.

His heart sinks as those green, languid eyes glance back at him.

He will not be forgiven for this.