Chapter Text
(There's an unusual and most unexpected collaboration between two of the polar opposites of the Arcobaleno.)
"Skull, come to my lab."
"Please don't kill the Great Skull-sama with your tests again!"
"Just shut up and come."
The scene was a normal thing in their household.
Only once behind the sealed metal doors reinforced with Flame repellant mechanics, was the script temporarily cast aside.
"Any injuries, Skull?"
"None, Verde-senpai! Don't worry!"
Why would they act in front of their fellow Cursed, you wonder?
Well, it would be suspicious if a mere biker is on familiar terms with the World's Greatest Scientist, especially when the two have never met and are from different countries, right? (Disregarding the fact that Skull de Mort is the world's Best Stunt-biker and many times World Record holder on his field.)
"Be careful would you? I don't have Sun Flames like Reborn, all I have are those extracted from my test subjects." Verde sighed, checking on the machines to make sure nothing is amiss. His guest didn't bat an eye at the knowledge, despite being a 'former civilian'.
"It's a good thing Cloud Flames multiply Flames too, right?" Skull grinned nonchalantly. "My Flames propa- pro-"
"Propagate."
"Propagate, yes! They do that to themselves all the time, so I always have Flames to spare!"
The green-haired scientist rubbed his temples. "Deuce, if you don't stop overestimating your Flames and take good care of your health, I will use Doodle Suit to alter your taste buds whenever you come down for cake."
"Y-YES! SORRY, CLOVER-SENPAI!!"
It was normal, at least for them.
Trey Clover is one of the brightest scientists of his era. And though he could never dream to reach the level of the genius prodigy that is Idia Shroud, builder of living AI Ortho Shroud, he is respected as one of the few capable of getting close to the other man.
Deuce Spade is a strict policeman with a passion for Magical Wheels. His personal policy is upholding the rules wherever and whenever. Although he could be harsh, others admire him for his gentleness towards animals, children and the elderly.
It was a less-known fact that esteemed scientist Trey Clover is a full-time baker, managing the bakery to help with his family's business. It also pays to have a glutton of a boyfriend who buys a ton of cake every day.
Only a few knew that the 'cruel cop' Deuce Spade is living with his mother and taking care of her. Good thing his lover likes coming over to help her clean the house. He'd prefer it if they didn't share embarrassing pictures of him however...
It wasn't long after they graduated Night Raven. Trey was tasked with experimenting with the Mirror Gates by Malleus Draconia himself.
The reason?
The Child of Man. Yuu. Enma Yuuken. Ramshackle's Prefect. The Beast Tamer. Whatever you want to call him.
Ever since he and Grim returned to their world, Malleus couldn't (wouldn't) wait for their visit. He is not a patient man.
And no one could refuse the Draconic Fae.
Trey tapped on the smooth surface, silently saying the name of Yuu's home country, hell, even their world.
It was still a swirling black. It still did not work. It has been two years.
"Clover-senpai?" Deuce peeked his head in.
Aside from Riddle and Che'nya, the underclassman is on of the regular visitors of his office.
"Ah, hello." Trey replied, removing his lab tunic. "Lunch already? That was awfully fast."
"You're just too focused on the task, senpai." The navy-haired man chuckled. "I brought curry. Floyd-san insisted you have some this time."
"What do you mean by 'this time'?" Trey huffed in amusement.
The two spent the afternoon cooped up in the older man's lab. One tweaking with his bike. One testing and writing down his findings.
"~Mirror Mirror on the wall...~" Deuce hummed a song Epel taught him a few years back, mind focused on adding the finishing touch to his bike. Only Trey noticed the odd glow from the magical Gate and stepped back, having a foreboding feeling.
"~Hold my hand and take the fall~" Blue fire lit up on the other side of the glass. The scientist was too shocked to speak. All it took was a song?
"Deuce? Where did you hear that song?" Golden eyes darted between his junior and the unstable Gate. It's going to explode.
"Hm? Epel, he said the song originated from an old folklore from the Land of Pyroxene. Something related to the Beautiful Queen-"
"Deuce, we have to go." He clamped his hands on the other's shoulders, but a loud cracking sound had him freezing. Fortunately, the younger man glanced at the experiment as well, and by pure instinct, pulled his senior behind the motorcycle right as black flames burst through the glass.
The next thing they knew, they were floating in an endless void.
Orange fire overtook their vision.
The two were together when they woke up, the bike that shielded them laid there on the soft grass beside them.
They nearly had a joint panic attack when they couldn't feel their magic anymore.
It was gone.
Trey had tried to cast a spell, but the ruby stone was now useless.
Deuce had a breakdown realizing he couldn't activate his bike.
But when Doodle Suit was used on a nearby tree, its leaves turned autumn orange, just how Trey had willed it to be.
It was concluded that there was another source of energy inside them, one different from Magic, but as its base, it was similar.
"Clover-senpai, it worked!" The one-wheeled vehicle roared to life, for some reason emitting strange gas-like purple wisps of fire. The engines glowed a neon purple, when before it was crimson red.
"Strange..." He muttered, hopping onto the bike and letting his junior drive them to civilization. And Yuu told them his world doesn't have magic. Maybe he wasn't aware of the existence of this odd energy?
(A lot of people gawked as they passed. Maybe they shouldn't have brought the bike into the town. It looked too advanced compared to the old-school cars and carriages around.)
Yuu's world is much more behind than they gave it credit for.
Until the two stumbled upon a newspaper board.
"Senpai... Yuuken said that his current time is from the year 201X, right?"
"I'm not sure. He never told us that."
"We're in 198Y..."
"...Fudge."
Ok so setting up an acceptable base of operations was harder than they imagined it would be. They hardly have anywhere to stay as it is, and legal jobs requires legal documents. Even a creating fake ID would require money and/or connections. All of those which the duo doesn't have.
So they resorted to the less than legal jobs. It's not like they aren't familiar with that already, what with their time at Night Raven.
(Also they have mafia boyfriends. That's not exactly 'normal' either.)
[A new era has begun: The Second-coming of Da Vinci takes the world by storm!]
Trey had taken the moniker 'Verde' because it was simple, and it meant 'green' in a language he had learned back home. That alone made a lot of people speculate about his nationality. Most thought he was Italian, which helped because he was going incognito in France (the place they landed in).
[The Greatest Daredevil to ever walk the Earth: Immortal Stuntman Skull de Mort!]
Deuce on the other hand joined a traveling circus some time after they split. His skills in stunt-biking and charming personality drew a lot of people to the shows, and soon he was well-known internationally.
Trey had modified their Magicam to receive signals even in another world, so they could regularly catch the other up and give updates on their situations.
They spent four years in that world. Four years with only each other to trust. Four years with no lead whatsoever, and no progress on the Mirror Gate project.
It was frustrating.
Trey Clover adopted the cold and cruel persona of Verde, only ever smiling behind closed doors, and only to his junior. His tests became more and more insane, more inhumane, after he discovered what was called "Dying Will Flames" by the Underworld. He still wasn't getting any closer.
It was lonely.
Deuce Spade laughed day and night. He laughed and grinned even as he bled and his flames knit his flesh together. He couldn't let them know he knew of it. They only wanted that power. And because of that, he couldn't let himself be attached, even as his soul wept from the lack of bonds.
Until that man came.