Chapter Text
As he waited for a text back, the alchemist had found himself giving in to the pull of his social media timeline. He scrolled, occasionally resting his thumb on a post that looked somewhat interesting, the light of his dark screen illuminating his face. Rui had been working on another project, commissioned by one of his closest friends. It laid next to him on his desk, nearly finished, postponed until Mizuki responded to his inquest.
He was growing bored. It was certainly late at night, technically early morning, so starting another project was against his best judgment. Rui really did not want to go to bed before finishing what he’d started earlier, and he knew Mizuki was likely awake as well. It shouldn’t take long for him to get a response back.
The device was a long-range taser gun. As an inventor living in such a dangerous place, it was only natural for Rui to put his focus on crafting weapons. His mother had been proficient in the craft, after all, and had made a name for the Kamishiro family. Thus, it wasn’t difficult for him to get business. He made enough to sustain the small apartment he lived in. It wasn’t in the greatest part of town, but that made it all so much easier to sell his inventions. Due to a lax government presence, people were more prone to buying protection for themselves. Though, people wouldn’t need to protect themselves if the people in charge actually cared. It was an unending cycle.
Rui tried not to care. He made enough money to get by, all while doing something he enjoyed and was good at. The empty feeling in his heart was kept hidden away.
A particular post caught his eye. He paused, staring at the blurry white-and-blue photo. Pegasus, the subject of the photo, was becoming a rather notorious figure in the area as of late. Nobody was sure who he actually was, but he would announce himself by the name “Pegasus,” claiming to be the defender of those in the backstreets of NEO Shibuya. He seemed to have a good nose for tracking down rogues, because he was always there when a civilian was caught cornered by the beasts. He was said to be quite an eccentric fellow, friendly, but would always flee the scene after the job had been taken care of. He was dubbed as an odd vigilante of sorts, but as much fame he was gaining, people still remained cautious of him. Perhaps it was due to his secrecy.
Rui had become embarrassingly absorbed by this individual. Pegasus had a sense of righteousness that was to be admired, of course, but the mystery of it all is what pulled the alchemist in. Nobody knew his true name, nor knew where he came from. It was generally believed, however, that he was a vampire. He certainly was not human, at the very least. Rui could recall his immense strength, as well as the way he fought. He never had a weapon, using only his limbs in battle. This feat would be near-impossible for a human going up against a rogue.
When Rui was dedicated to figuring something out, he would see it through to the end. He had quite a strong sense of curiosity, sometimes leading into obsession. So, it wasn’t hard to believe that he had witnessed Pegasus a couple of times. Perhaps it was stupid of Rui to wander into the night, in search of danger, just to catch a glimpse of this enigma. He was never able to exchange words, but he saw the way he fought. The alchemist was mesmerized.
A small buzz from his phone pulled him out of his thoughts. Mizuki, as expected, returned his text even in the dead of night. He smiled, finally able to put this project to the test. He set his phone aside and picked the small taser up, rolling it over in his hand. Flicking open a small hatch on the finger of his mechanical arm, he revealed a small screwdriver, and screwed open the hatch on the back of the gun. After a bit of rewiring, he shut it, satisfied with his work.
The taser gun was a rose gold, with a gentle pink shine. He knew Mizuki would like the look of it. Rui was never given any design parameters whenever his friend would come to him for a new gadget, but he always managed to make them a device that would fit them the best.
Mizuki and Rui went far back. He really only had two friends, though one of which had been of limited contact for a few years. Mizuki’s presence kept the alchemist’s loneliness at bay, even if he kept them at an arm’s distance. He had found himself to be proficient at driving others away, but he wasn’t sure if he could ever cope with losing the bond he shared with Mizuki. They had been growing into the person they’ve always strived to be, after all, and Rui did not want to ruin what Mizuki had been working so hard toward. In some way, he felt left behind. He couldn’t beat himself up over that, though. An outcast was simply the kind of person he was, there was nothing he could do to change that.
Right?
Rui passed the taser between his hands. It was lightweight but compact, something that was easy to hide in clothing. He needed to test it out before calling it finished, but that wasn’t something he could necessarily do in his apartment. Sending an electric charge flying through the air of his residence would not be the smartest idea. He stood from his chair, picking up a few tools and sliding them into the shoulder bag laying next to his desk. Rui slung the bag over his shoulder, turned his lamp off, and left the room, taser in pocket. He grabbed his keys before exiting his apartment, making sure to firmly lock the door before traveling any further. Living only on the third floor, his descent was short, and soon he found himself at the bottom of the stairs. The ground was wet from the earlier precipitation, forming foul puddles of oil and polluted rainwater. He was thankful that his boots were outfitted with a nonconducting material, so he wouldn’t have to worry about electrocuting himself. He would just have to make sure nobody else was around.
Rui turned the corner, entering the alleyway behind his apartment complex. It was relatively out of the way, and offered a large area for him to test his inventions outdoors. Rarely he found others back here, so he was able to fire off his devices as much as he wanted without endangering any passerbyers. The low lights flickered as he ventured deeper, swinging his bag from over his shoulder and hanging it up on a loose nail in the wall. He tapped his chin, surveying his surroundings, before his eyes landed on a garbage can. That would be his target. Just to make sure, Rui walked over and checked inside the metal tin. It only contained garbage. To be expected.
He turned back, creating a several foot gap between himself and the container. The alchemist pulled the taser gun from his pocket and released the safety lock. It was designed for long-range, so he wouldn’t need to get so close to his target. If this design worked well, he may consider creating a device like this for himself. It would make for good protection if he ever needed it.
Rui pointed the taser at the bin and squeezed the trigger. He braced himself for a recoil of any sort, but nothing seemed to happen. His heart beat faster. Had he squeezed it hard enough? He tried again, but got the same result. He felt his hands begin to shake. Something was wrong. Re-engaging the safety feature, Rui turned away from his target and traveled back toward his bag. He took a deep breath. This was fine, he just had to take a look inside it to figure out the problem. It was nothing to worry about, nothing catastrophic had happened.
He leaned against the wall, popping his finger screwdriver back out. Taking a look inside, he examined the wires. Nothing seemed out of place there. He closed it back up, moving to shuffle around inside his bag. He removed a couple of tools and then lowered to a squat, setting down the ones he wasn’t currently using. The alchemist tinkered with the machine, fully absorbed by his work.
Just as he latched the device back together, Rui was forcefully grabbed and shoved from his spot on the ground. He gasped, a spike of adrenaline speeding into his system. He collided with the asphalt, squeezing his eyes shut from the sharp pain of the impact. A roar and a loud crash was heard from a short way away, in the direction he had once been. The grip on his arm remained.
Finally, Rui blinked his eyes open. He was laying on the dirty pavement, a figure couching over him. As his vision cleared, he realized that the person whose hand was so tightly holding onto him looked familiar. Although his focus was turned away from Rui, the alchemist recognized the high blue collar obscuring the lower half of his face, and the long pink and blond hair. His heart raced.
Pegasus?
Breathing heavy, he tore his gaze away from the vigilante, eyes darting toward the direction Pegasus was facing. In a cloud of smoke, Rui could make out a large shape. Two sharp, golden eyes peered back at them. What emerged was a dark creature with long, pointed ears and a lion’s mane. Thick drool dripped from its unsightly fangs, mouth twisted in a snarl.
This was a rogue. Rui was not unfamiliar with rogues, but he had not been in such close danger with one in a very long time. Fear welled up inside him, refusing to let him move. It was getting harder to control his breathing.
“Hey!”
His eyes met two scarlet ones.
Pegasus’s eyebrows were furrowed. He seemed to be thinking deeply about something, but time for that was running out. With the beast regaining its senses, he had to act fast.
Rui felt an arm reach under his back and another underneath his legs. Suddenly, he was lifted into the air, and he let out a yelp. The surprise knocked some sense into him, and Rui was finally able to move, instinctively wrapping his arms around the neck of his rescuer. Eyes wide, he stared back at the rogue, who was now barreling toward the two of them. Pegasus had just barely gotten the frozen alchemist from certain death, but neither of them were in the clear quite yet.
The beast pounced once again. Rui held on tighter, Pegasus swinging the both of them out of the path of the rogue with a swift sidestep. As the rogue slid against the wet pavement, Pegasus darted around a corner, eyes scanning the area. In just a few moments, he found a spot next to a crate, and gently placed Rui down.
“You stay here,” he spoke once again. His voice was loud, somewhat grounding Rui. He nodded, swallowing thickly. Pegasus had barely waited for an answer, however, already turning the corner and charging back toward the beast.
Everything was happening so fast, the alchemist barely had any time to think. He brought his palms to his face, rubbing his eyes hard. He would have been dead if Pegasus had never appeared when he did. Fear still coursed through him, but he tried to control his breathing. He lowered his hands, covering his mouth with one. What should he do? He couldn’t just sit here, and let himself be saved. After all, this was his closest encounter with the vigilante, and he was not going to let him run off after taking out the rogue. Letting out a nervous sigh, Rui cautiously peered around the corner.
The rogue now had a deep gash in its foreleg, maroon blood trailing to Pegasus. The blood dripped from his hand, soaking up his sleeve. A cloud of dust was dissipating, curling around the paws of the beast. In a flash, Pegasus was on the move once again, his fingers outstretched, revealing sharp claws. He struck the beast across the eyes, causing it to thrash wildly, its large head colliding with its attacker. Rui’s heart dropped as he watched Pegasus get thrown into the wall of his apartment building, falling down onto his hands and knees on the ground. The pained growling of the rogue subsided as it began to roar, a single, intact eye locating Pegasus.
Get up, get up! Rui found himself urging, unsure if it was directed towards himself or the vigilante. He had to do something. Mind whirring, he reached into his pocket, quickly sliding the taser gun out. This might not even work. It might not even fire. Doubts were creeping into him, a sick feeling rising in his stomach. Even so, this was all he could do.
Hands shaking, Rui disengaged the safety and lifted the gun, pointed at the rogue. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a brief moment, before steadying the gun and locking onto his target. The alchemist squeezed the trigger, and to his surprise, he felt the jolt of the gun discharging. A deafening screech echoed off the walls of the alleyway. Rui dropped the taser and covered his ears, wide eyes staring at the electrocuted beast. After several seconds, it collapsed onto the ground, flashes of electric current tapering out. Heart beating fast, Rui watched its body dissolve and disintegrate into the thick air.
It was over. Wasn’t it?
Relief never returned to him. His eyes wandered over, spotting Pegasus lying face-first on the ground. He wasn’t moving.