Chapter Text
Within a plain movie theater, a being, glittering and vaguely humanoid, prepared for her guests. The being seemed to float across the theater, setting up drinks and snacks by each chair. She checked the controls of the chairs and made sure the recliners worked smoothly, and then, backlit by the glowing blue screen she clapped once. Instantly, mist floated over the scene. With a burst of light, the current captains and vice-captains of Toman began appearing in chairs with shouts of confusion. Unperturbed by the ruckus, the being began to hum. As she did, a calm set out over the crowd. They watched attentively as the being flitted around, guiding each of them into their seats.
"Hello! Welcome to my theater.” She smiled widely and received a couple confused smiles in return. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. I am a Watcher, designation C4S02. I am in charge of recording your universe and its variants." A few gave polite greetings as well, but most just stared at her warily.
The Watcher took all this in stride. “You all may be wondering why you're here.” Many nodded in confirmation.
“I brought you all here to react to some of the stories I have recorded." A few protested, and others seemed excited. She held up a hand for silence. "I know everyone here is busy, which is why my theater is a space-time pocket. When you leave, no time will have passed in the real world. So you can all go back to what you were doing."
Kisaki raised his hand, prompting a scowl from Takemichi and Chifuyu. Even the Watcher seemed to tense, before smiling warmly at him. “Yes, Kisaki?”
He seemed uncomfortable with the easy use of his name, but quickly asked his question regardless. “C4S02-san, why would you show us these stories? What reason do you have for doing so?”
C4S02 shrugged. “It’s my job,” she said. “I just do what I’m told.”
Kisaki nodded, reluctantly accepting the unsatisfying answer.
“Okay,” said C4S02, “the events will play on the screen, but I will need a narrator to read the recorded text.” There was a lot of uncomfortable shuffling. C4S02 laughed, “not to worry, the dialogue will still be played so you don’t need to worry about butchering your friends’ voices.” A couple of people laughed here, but still nobody volunteered.
That is, until Draken stood up. “C4S02-san, I can read it.”
C4S02 looked delighted and appeared directly in front of him. “Draken-kun! How wonderful, I’m happy to have you.” She dragged him over to a comfortable looking chair to the side of the screen. “Here’s the book and please,” she looked at him imploringly, “call me Cas! All of my friends do.” Draken nodded slowly, still bewildered by the rapid series of events. “Great!” She smiled widely and placed a hand on the screen, “Let’s begin, then.”
Draken took a breath in tandem with the screen blinking to life and an older Hanma Shuji appeared on screen as Draken began to read.
The path is an old friend, by now. He doesn’t need light to help him get to his destination. He tucks the two cans of beers closer to himself as he slowly walks towards his destination.
Cemeteries at night are the stuff of nightmares for people. Not for Hanma, for he has made himself acquainted with it for the past two years, coming here almost every other week if he can. A fugitive on the run has little freedom, be it in time or place.
Everyone was confused by the focus on someone so new to Toman and still very distrusted, but none more so than Kisaki Tetta, who was hurriedly calculating whether or not this would damage his standing in Toman. Funnily enough, no one blinked at the Reaper becoming a fugitive.
He sits down in front of the headstone once he arrives, puts the cans down and smiles at the name carved onto the stone. “How have you been? Sorry I couldn’t come here last week. I was…” He pauses, then smiles. “Well, I wasn’t doing anything. Just didn’t feel like coming. You’re not mad, are you?”
“Headstone?” whispered Takemichi, who was huddled by Chifuyu as they both stared at the screen intently.
Chifuyu whispered back, “Do you think it is who I think it is?”
Takemichi shrugged. “Who knows?” he grumbled. “Stupid Hanma covering up the stupid headstone.”
He waits for a few minutes, staring into nothing in particular. “I think you’d be happy to know that Mikey is doing spectacular. He just defeated both Brahman and Rokuhara in one go. Now there’s nobody standing against him to take on the rest of Japan. The Three Deities era is over.”
Takemichi inhaled sharply, shaking Chifuyu who smacked him in retaliation. “What is it?” asked Chifuyu, half-annoyed and half-excited.
“That is definitely Kisaki’s grave.”
“Shit. Wonder how he died.”
Kisaki seemed to be wondering the same thing himself, having come to the same conclusion. In hushed tones, he explains the situation to his vice captain and to Hanma so that they can school their reactions when the time comes. Fortunately, no one else seemed to notice any of their reactions.
The other members are chattering excitedly about Mikey’s victories. Mikey himself just looks smug, which prompts an eyeroll from Draken, who continued reading without further interruption.
In the dead of the night, the sound of the can being popped open is loud. He takes a small sip. Then, he sits in vigil.
Hours pass in silence until he hears a noise in front of him. He cranes his neck to peek, curiosity burgeoning to see who’s brave enough to come here other than him at this time. There, by the plot parallel to the one he’s sitting on, two rows away, he sees a figure.
At the sound of tears, almost everyone in the room is turning to look at Takemichi. That is, everyone but Mikey who, suddenly laser-focused on the screen, sits up and exclaims, “Takemichi?”
Under the moonlight, he makes out short, light hair and a small build. The person is crying miserably, shoulders shaking and head tilted down. He sits back down properly, curiosity satisfied. They must be someone who experienced a loss recently, because the headstone looks new.
Here, Draken’s eyes do flick up for a moment, as if reassuring himself his friends are all okay. He lingers on Takemichi a moment before returning to the book. Everyone is worried now, speaking in low tones as they try to figure out who this newest death is. Except Hanma and Hamada, who just look bored with the situation now that they’ve processed Kisaki’s death; and Kisaki, of course, who certainly appears worried but is probably calculating how long he has been dead to figure out how it happened. Takemichi and Chifuyu are gripping each other tightly, the former looking only minutes away from joining his on-screen counterpart.
Somehow, the crying sounds familiar.
"No shit." somebody snarks.
He closes his eyes, tries to drown out the increasingly annoying noises his neighbor is making.
They don’t stop for ten minutes, twenty minutes, half an hour, an hour. He’s beginning to wonder how long a person can cry until they die of dehydration, and if it's time to end his vigil early.
At this, there is a round of chuckles at Takimichi’s expense. "You're going to drive the zombie away!" Hakkai heckles.
They’ve almost reached the two hours mark when they finally stop sobbing…
“Two hours?” exclaims Chifuyu, his elbow nailing Takemichi in the side.
…winding down to tired sniffles that probably wrenches the heart of a softer person.
Hanma lights his fifth cigarette that night.
The other Hanma, watching this play out, smiles in amusement. It really is just like him to not give a shit, huh?
“Sorry I couldn’t come by earlier, Draken-kun.”
Draken stops reading for a moment as the room explodes into shouting. Amidst the chaos, he struggles to continue reading.
He almost dropped the cigarette, stunned into disbelief.
No one is paying attention to his words. Mikey has not moved, clearly still in denial as Kisaki offers false condolences. Mitsuya is raging at Hakkai who is desperately trying to both comfort and placate him. Sanzu is nonplussed but still dutifully supporting a dumbfounded Mucho. Hanma and Hamada are both evidently surprised at the reveal, not having expected it and, breaking down in Chifuyu’s arms is Takemichi. Takemichi who had already fought so hard to save Draken’s life before. Chifuyu tightens his hold on his partner.
The Watcher takes her hand off the screen and the images quickly disappear. “That was a tough reveal,” she said sympathetically. “Let’s take a break, shall we?” Draken stops reading immediately, instantly moving to Mikey after exchanging passing nods with Chifuyu.