Chapter Text
"You call yourself a police officer?!"
"Shut up! What gives you the right to criticize me, you freaking thief?" Kairi yelled as he threw a punch that Lupin Red caught, keeping them in a deadlock.
What had started off as a fairly slow day was disrupted by a Gangler attack, which led to an encounter with the Lupinrangers (groan), which of course led to a standoff with the red one (double groan). To be honest, Kairi wouldn't mind the thieves so much if all they did was, y'know, steal, but they always had to get in the way.
Their fights always played out like this: Lupin Red swinging in while ordering him to step aside but Kairi would engage in combat in order to get to the Gangler. Lupin Red was a quick one, however, always dodging and blocking his attacks. You'd think that such a defensive fighting style would make things easier for him, but it was frustrating when he wanted to get his job done quickly -- even more so when Lupin Red had managed to steal one of the GSPO's newly acquired Lupin Collection pieces.
His grip on Kairi’s fist tightening, Lupin Red yelled back: "You let innocent civilians get caught in the crossfire!"
Kairi snarled, remembering their earlier melee outside. Fighting both the Lupinrangers and the Gangler while trying to keep the Collection pieces safe was no easy feat, and he'd barely noticed the mother and child who hadn’t evacuated the area because of it. It was a hell of a close call, but he got to them right as the Gangler let loose an attack. Unfortunately they did suffer some injuries, though nothing fatal.
"Who do you think you are? My boss? I got them out, didn't I?!" Bringing his arm back, Kairi swung his foot underneath Lupin Red. He jumped up, just like he thought he would, and Kairi took the chance to tackle him down. With that, the Trigger Machine Biker clattered to the ground. "Besides, you're the one who kept the Gangler alive."
As Lupin Red staggered back up, Kairi could only imagine him leering from behind his helmet. He couldn't help but grin at his little win.
"I... have my reasons," said Lupin Red.
"Reasons, schmeasons." The two of them circled around the Trigger Machine Biker like two predators hunting the same prey. "All criminals have their reasons, doesn't mean they're right."
"Likewise, you half-assing your job doesn't make you just."
Kairi paused as he took his words in, giving Lupin Red the opportunity to charge at him. He hit the wall so hard that not only did the Cyclone Dial Fighter and Trigger Machine #1 fly off his person, he lost his transformation as well. Mentally, Kairi berated himself for his moment of foolishness, but he'd have to dwell on that later.
"What the hell does that mean?" Kairi asked, struggling to find his equilibrium.
Still and silent as a statue, Lupin Red loomed over him. If only he could see his face, then maybe he could make out what was going on in his head. Kairi wouldn't let himself be intimidated, though. At least, he didn't dare show it.
"What do you fight for?" Lupin Red replied in return. Kairi had always known him to be loud and hot-blooded, but his words sent a chill down his body. "Your work is meaningless if you don't have a reason for it."
Not bothering to wait for a response, Lupin Red turned around to retrieve the Lupin Collection pieces. The red of his suit blended in with the red filling Kairi's vision, his footsteps reverberating in disharmony with the blood rushing to Kairi’s ears. Watching on, Kairi balled his hands into fists.
Truth be told, he'd signed up for the police academy on a whim. He never planned on joining the GSPO, let alone actually graduating. The whole peace and justice business had never been his thing, not really. He'd just been a boy who'd lost his brother -- his inspiration, his rival, his everything -- and was simply going about the days as they came, carrying his guilt and regrets like weights shackled to his body.
Then he saw that the police academy was taking in new recruits.
Kairi couldn't say what exactly clicked in his mind that day, but wallowing in self-pity only did so much. After Shori died, the one thing he was sure of was that he didn't want to regret anything like how he regretted his last moments with his brother. Maybe becoming a cop would be his way of making things up to Shori, or maybe becoming a cop would lead him to finally make something out of himself. Regardless of his reason, Kairi fought -- and he fought so no one else would have to go through what he did.
"Meaningless," his ass. That damned thief knew nothing.
Shori, Kairi thought as he picked himself off the ground. The room swirled and his body ached, but he didn't care in the least bit. Are you watching me?
Taking his VS Changer, he aimed right at Lupin Red.
I hope this makes you proud. He shot with no hesitation.