Chapter Text
The setting sun outside cast warm shadows over SOL Technologies’s conference room; Akira Zaizen sat opposite from Ryoken, hands steepled together and resting on the table. They had been discussing the current matter for days and tonight was the time to see their plan through. Finally, everything could come to a close.
“Kogami-kun. I will ask you one last time. Are you sure this is what you want to do?”
Akira’s gaze held a hint of concern, but he held himself with an air of professionalism, all business. Given what they were about to do, Ryoken preferred that rather than worry.
“Yes.” Ryoken replied, leaning back on his seat.
His subordinates, the Knights and Spectre, sat around him; their faces, like his, revealed nothing, but Spectre’s eyes were burning into him, saying more than words. He wouldn’t stop Ryoken but Spectre was certainly not overjoyed with his choice. The Knights had decided to follow through with this, as they had for some time, but they also disagreed with one decision in particular.
Ryoken’s eyes were unwavering when he met Akira’s.
“This is the right thing to do. I will not be able to see it through without your cooperation. Perhaps I should be asking if you are sure, as well,” He crossed his arms. “After all, there is every possibility SOL Technologies will gain a bad reputation, after this.”
Akira shook his head.
“I am aware of the consequences. But I believe this will be good for the company in the long run. Those people purposely hid what happened, ten years ago…They should also face retribution,” He nodded, unfaltering. “SOL Technologies should come clean about everything so we can continue forwards.”
“Then we have an agreement.”
Ryoken shut his eyes in concentration. This was it.
“I will speak about the Hanoi Project and the Tower of Hanoi, tonight. And then…”
No turning back. No more hiding.
Takeru sighed, staring at the ceiling from his spot on the bed. His actual bed, back in his hometown; It had been a month since the fight with Ai ended and he had finally come back to stay.
He was glad to be with his Grandparents and Kiku again--he had a lot to catch up with them. Reinstating back in his old school had been the hard part; most everyone remembered him as an antisocial delinquent who had beat more than ten other guys at the riverbank. It was rather surprising to them how different he seemed now: more approachable, friendly even. It took at least a few days for the shock to pass and for him to get to talk more to his other classmates. He was doing his best to get along with the class and having Kiku around helped. At least now she could help him with schoolwork when he got stuck, bless her heart.
He was...happy , for the most part: rising for school, cooking breakfast for him and his Grandparents (something that earned him a smile from his Grandmother, even as she said she could have done it); being surrounded by the familiar scenery, sitting by the pier with the salty sea breeze hitting his hair and talking with Kiku beside him after school; training in his Grandfather’s Dojo again, seeing the pride in his Grandfather’s eyes at his growth (they had even laughed together about something trivial after a training session and Takeru hadn’t know how much he’d missed that until then). He was happy here, he...was.
Despite all that, a part of him missed Den City. He had experienced so much there, good and bad, experiences that let him stand stronger today (or kept him awake at night, even now, Flame’s voice in his mind). He had made friends he treasured, like Aoi, Kusanagi...Yusaku.
Yusaku, who hadn’t even said goodbye to his face before he suddenly took off. All Takeru had got was a short message and Kusanagi telling him Yusaku was gone already, after he had defeated Ai.
‘He’ll come back.’ Kusanagi had reassured him, even when his smile looked as concerned as Takeru felt.
Takeru wanted to believe, in his heart, that Yusaku would surely return; he’d come back stronger than ever. But Takeru couldn’t help but worry, couldn’t help wondering why Yusaku had to go off on his own. Why not let someone, anyone , even if it wasn’t Takeru, go with him. With Ai gone, Takeru could imagine the pain he was in; the need for locking himself away from the rest of them. He just hoped Yusaku remembered he had them to come back to, that he wasn’t alone .
A strange emotion set in Takeru’s chest whenever he thought of Yusaku leaving on his own and not even talking to him. He tried not to think too much about it, though: Yusaku had his reasons. He always did.
Takeru grumbled, shaking his head. His mind was too heavy with thoughts and it was the last thing he needed. He sat up, crawling over to the spot in front of the TV and turned it on. He needed a distraction.
Zapping through channels, he wasn’t finding anything that held his attention. He was about to give it up when he landed on what he assumed was a news channel. What made him do a double take was the the face he saw on TV; his mouth fell open when the man spoke, voice all too familiar.
“My name is Ryoken Kogami.”
Why was he there?
“But most of you know me as Revolver,” Wait . “Leader of the Knights of Hanoi.”
He wasn’t—
"I am here tonight to reveal the truth about something that happened ten years ago. A project that my father, Kiyoshi Kogami, former SOL Scientist, lead. It was referred to as the Lost Incident...or Hanoi Project.”
He was.
Takeru was frozen on his seat as he listened, in disbelief that Kogami Ryoken was on TV talking about the Lost Incident. Ryoken sat very still, fingers steepled on the table before him, as he spoke about the details of the incident.
Managing to look away from Ryoken for two seconds, Takeru noticed Akira standing just to Ryoken’s right and three other people to his left, which Ryoken identified as part of the project and as the Knights, Baira, Faust and Genome. Ryoken spoke about the perpetrators of the incident, the torture of six children to achieve its goal, all in a matter of fact manner. Takeru’s stomach still churned a little.
“I will not speak the names of the victims, to preserve their privacy. But in shedding light on what happened then, I am hoping for it not to repeat itself, and for the victim’s families to know of the truth that was hidden from you. I will make certain this transmission reaches you.”
Ryoken glanced back at Akira, who nodded at him to go on.
“SOL Technologies, at the time, covered this incident as to not damage its reputation. I have spoken with Zaizen Akira, current CEO of SOL, and we have come together to make sure the people who hid the truth face retribution for it.”
Akira stepped forwards, eyes meeting the camera.
“Those people are being apprehended as we speak. Proof of their actions has been presented to the authorities earlier today. Those people are—”
Takeru watched as the mugshots were presented; the people who had made sure the news didn’t get hold of the Incident, who covered everything up. His blood boiled.
“I am aware this might make many of you see SOL differently,” Akira continued. “But I have hopes with this, the company can come clean about everything and we can start anew, with nothing to hide.”
Takeru was sure this would be a blow for SOL. He didn’t linger on that thought, though, because Ryoken kept going.
“The Tower of Hanoi was my father’s last resort to eradicate his own creation. The Knights of Hanoi were formed for this very purpose. I…”
For just a moment, Ryoken seemed to falter, changing the way he gripped his hands.
“I committed many crimes for the sake of my father’s ambitions. But they were still my actions, my choices , that caused many people to be hurt. If I had not been stopped, all those people would have been sacrificed.”
“What are you doing, Revolver…?” Takeru muttered, hands curled in fists, shaking on his lap as he sat on the edge of his seat with his eyes glued to the TV. Ryoken wore a careful, cool facade, like he was talking about the weather, but Takeru found himself dreading what he would say next. He was baring everything in the open.
Why? If not because he was about to--
“Back then, I was blinded by my loyalty to my father. I believed our actions to be justified. I did not care who I had to harm, who I had to sacrifice, for our goal.”
His eyes shut, as if contemplating his words, or perhaps to give himself a moment to breathe. When he opened them again, there was a strong conviction in his gaze.
“But I will not hide from my misdoings. I came tonight to show you who I am, behind the mask. I…along with the rest of the Knights of Hanoi…”
He placed a hand to his chest.
“...will be handing ourselves over, to pay for our crimes.”
Takeru’s stomach sank.
“....What the hell…”
Takeru’s fingers curled so tight that they hurt, nails digging into his palms. He slammed his fist on the table in front of him.
“What the hell, Revolver?!”