Chapter Text
“So… what did you end up doing,” Koichi asked. “Did you end up drugging her?”
Number 6 squirmed a bit under the blanket, getting more comfortable to accommodate for his aching body. He didn’t respond to the hero, instead letting out a longing sigh. Koichi frowned.
“Number Six. Be honest here. What did you end up doing to Naka?”
6 groaned at Koichi’s uncharacteristically stern tone before saying, “I didn’t do anything . No need to flip your lid, hero . ”
He poked his head from under the soft blue fabric to find Koichi staring at him with a serious, well as serious as Koichi could muster, look on his face. It nearly reminded 6 of Naka’s goofy expressions with how the emotion didn’t quite fit the person. The two were surprisingly similar, 6 noted.
“Oh, c’mon hero. I just spilled my guts to you about a stupid crush I had, and you think I’m about to start lyin’ to you?”
“Well, you aren’t really known for your honesty.”
Number 6 glared at Koichi before he picked the CD case off the apartment floor. He held it out in front of him as if it was going to bite him.
“Yea, so I’m gonna make up an entire story. After I knocked myself out because of this thing, too. Yeah, real logical. Why else would I bolt away from a CD if everything I said was a lie?”
Koichi raised an eyebrow, his round face still full of doubt. He crossed his arms.
“You’d run away from it if you felt guilty about something you did.”
Number 6 dropped the case onto the couch, his hands flying up to grip his face.
He grit his teeth and cried, “I do feel guilty about something I did, but I did not throw her to the bees, alright?!”
He let go of his face again, the pressure from his nails leaving little red crescents in his uncannily smooth skin. He looked back to the case, which had landed on his blanket after he tossed it- again. It sat face-up against the soft blue, almost taunting 6 with more guilt. He sighed once more, his eyes still fixed to the case’s cover.
“It’s just that I feel bad that I left her the way I did. After a movie night where she stupidly fell asleep in my lap, I left her with a half-assed letter and a one way ticket to America. Never saw her after that.” He paused before adding, “what a cruel twist of fate that Captain Celebrity dragged us to the same city that I’d shipped her off to.”
Koichi’s brown eyes widened with surprise as a gasp escaped his lips. He lit up with his typical, sickening optimism and smiled at 6.
“She’s in New York? Then you can see her again! I can have Makoto find her, she’s good at that stuff, and we can have Naka come visi-“
“ Koichi Haimawari, ” 6 growled firmly.
The Skycrawler’s smile dropped as his mouth hung open, the words catching in his throat. He blinked a few times before innocently asking, “what?”
6 hid himself under the blanket again before mumbling, “I don’t wanna see her.”
“Huh? Why not?” 6 couldn’t see Koichi, and although it was a little difficult for him to imagine faces, he could practically see the befuddled look on the hero’s face.
“Why should I? I lied to the girl and got so close to breaking her, just like I did to Pop. She doesn’t deserve the pain of seeing me again. It’ll just… hurt.”
Koichi pulled the blanket from 6’s head so he could lock eyes with him, brown staring into gold.
“I get it, I do,” he said, “but, assuming what you said was true, you didn’t even hurt her. You hurt Pop way worse, and she forgave you… at least I think she did. If she could, then this girl can forgive you, too! Plus, I bet she’d be thrilled to see you.”
6 barked a laugh, knowing full well that Pop did not forgive him. And why would she? He did betray her trust, tried to kill her twice, and put a colony of bees into her skull . Forgiveness was out of the question.
“Your optimism warps your perception, hero. Sheesh, it’s hilarious!”
He raised an eyebrow.
“And wait, what happened to me being on house arrest? Why’re you pushing this meet up so much when you’re basically my captor?”
“…I just think it’d be good for you to get some social interactions from somebody other than me. I’ve been worried about what the isolation is doing to you, Six.”
“Eh, I’m getting almost the same amount of social action that I did during the Villain Factory days. Only a bit less.”
“It’s still not healthy just seeing me. I’m right now working with Makoto to get you access to the CC corp’s workout room. Hopefully that gives you an outlet to blow off some energy.”
6 raised an eyebrow. “Ya think they’ll let me? Really, Koichi?”
“I don’t see why not. You’ve haven’t done anything bad since we came to America. I’m sure Makoto can pull some strings, but you’ll probably still need to wear the, uh, collar and have constant supervision.”
Ah. The collar. Whenever 6 leaves the apartment, Koichi has to clip a bulky electric brace around his neck. Usually, villains in the process of reformation get a cuff clipped on their wrist or ankle, but 6 demonstrated very clearly to the police that he could melt his way out of those. It was much harder for him to get the glorified shocker collar off. He hadn’t ever figured out a way to safely detach his head from his body.
“Makes sense. I’m still a murderer, after all. Can’t blame CCC for keeping me on a tight leash. Wouldn’t want little old me ruining their brand if I happened to go nuts.”
Koichi looked towards 6, but not at him. His eyes look past through him.
“I’m sorry they still treat you like this,” he said. “Yea, you’re grumpy and have a bit of a short fuse, but you’d never snap and hurt someone again. I wish they could see that.”
6 put a hand on Koichi’s shoulder, eyes full of pity.
“That’s just the way the world works, hero. If it was fair, the news would’ve dropped the whole ‘is the Skycrawler a hero or villain’ debate a long time ago. And you’re not a murderer, not like me.”
“You’ve got a point,” he laughed, organizing the sewing equipment he’d abandoned when he had to go wake the ex villain up from the bathroom.
“Just know that I’m trying to help you. If they say you can’t go to the gym, my offer to teach you sewing still stands.”
He got up to put his sewing basket away, before adding, “And so does my offer to reunite you and that girl you told me about.”
“Drop it,” 6 bit back, more aggressively than he intended.
With a stupid smile, Koichi laughed, “Alright, alright! Consider it dropped.”
“Wait. Haimawari.”
Koichi stopped, the basket balanced between his palms.
“Hmm?”
“How’re you sure I won’t snap?” His voice wavered a bit as the words came out.
And always on brand, a warm smile tugged on the Skycrawler’s lips.
“I dunno,” he laughed, “but I can just kinda tell. Maybe it’s cuz you really really wanted me dead before, but now seem fine living in the same apartment as me. I think you would have snapped a while ago if you were still dangerous!”
And with that, Koichi drifted out of 6’s vision, leaving the scarred man alone with his thoughts. It hurt only having an outsider’s view of himself to go off of, especially one as positive (and positively moronic) as Koichi. How could he believe 6 wasn’t dangerous anymore when not even 6 himself was sure he wasn’t a threat?
He grabbed the sides of his head, gripping his skull through his skin. He wished he could grab the mass of gray matter within and lob it into the wall.
“Stupid brain.”
And stupid Koichi , he added in his mind, just in case the hero was still in earshot. Not that he cared about insulting the guy, he just didn’t necessarily want him to pop his head back in and try and make more conversation.
Truly, how could Koichi think it would be okay for 6 to see his goddamn crush again? Wouldn’t she be mad about being sent away? Being ghosted? She’d hate him if she saw him again! And god forbid she see beneath his facade and discover the blood caked on his monstrous claws.
No. Koichi was right. She might be upset at first, but knowing Naka she would be thrilled to see him. It wasn’t Naka’s reaction that 6 was scared of.
With a final, big sigh, 6 picked up the CD case again. He cracked it open, hoping Koichi had a player. Listening to the songs held in the little, holographic disc might soothe 6, or at least clear up his mind. He hoped so. But really, who was he kidding? All this would do would make him miss her.
He went to close the case again, not wanting to face the unending loneliness, when something fell out. 6 picked up the rectangular sheet.
With an eyebrow raised, he read aloud, “Summer Set List? Huh. Bet Naka’s already got tickets.”
He went to put the paper back in the case, but curiosity caught his hand.
“Wonder when the New York show is. Bet it already happened.”
His eyes widened as he scanned through the dates, next to the words ‘New York’ sat a string of numbers. A date. One that hadn’t already passed. One that was very close, indeed.
“It’s tomorrow ?!”
He held the paper out in front of him, his eyes wide with disbelief. His heart skipped as a thought burbled in his mind. He could go to the show. Sneaking out would be reprimanded, but probably not too badly if he did nothing wrong, besides leaving the apartment at least. Maybe a whole week with the collar locked on, but really, who could blame him when Koichi’s been begging him to let off steam? Yet, his stomach quenched with anxiety, remembering his earlier thought.
Naka probably already had tickets. Unless 6 was lucky, she would be there too.
He slipped the sheet back into the case and shakily closed his eyes.