Chapter Text
It wasn’t that Barnaby expected a grand entrance, trumpets blaring and the red carpet rolled out. He didn’t even expect every head to turn. Barnaby hadn’t made his name in the world yet, after all, even if his parents were well known he was a bit of a nobody. His guardian may be the big boss of HeroTV, but the young blonde man rarely came up in conversation before becoming a hereo – why would he?
Regardless, he didn’t expect such a cold welcome from the heroes when he entered the gym for the first time.
It had taken until he arrived home and sat back on his black chair in the dim room that he realized his approach was all wrong. He had marched right in there, didn’t greet anyone to begin with, and when he wanted a machine he went over and demanded to know how long until the man using it was done.
The man sat up, stood up, and glared at Barnaby. He was big, intimidating, and introduced himself as Rock Bison. He proceeded to call Barnaby a brat and told him he ought to ask if he even planned to be off the machine to begin with. Barnaby had glared back and then stormed off, because he didn’t know what to do.
His life had been a comfortable one. Maverick had given him a sense of importance he wasn’t always sure he deserved, but his good looks and intelligence went to his head, even more so when he attended Hero Academy and gained a small fanclub of men and women.
When he walked into that gym, no one really cared. They gave him half interested looks and then went back to whatever it was they were doing. Blue Rose and Fire Emblem were talking and everyone else was sort of in their own separate areas, which gave Barnaby the idea that they didn’t interact that much. They were rivals, after all. Thinking back on it he wasn’t too horribly surprised no one introduced themselves to him.
He knew who everyone was, though, from his own research and it surprised him when he failed to recognize Rock Bison immediately. Then again, most of the times he had seen photos of him, he wasn’t dressed in workout clothes and his powers were in use.
Barnaby realized he was woefully unprepared for the new life set ahead of him. He cursed softly and turned on his television hoping for a distraction. The news wasn’t really effective, and he kept thinking.
Being a quick learner, it was easy for him to see that the heroes weren’t going to take any bullshit. Barnaby knew how smile for an audience and mesmerize his fans – except the heroes weren’t his fans. They were coworkers and he had never had those. They were people he was going to have to treat with respect if he connected with them at all.
Good thing he didn’t plan to.
Barnaby didn’t like people much, didn’t have time for them even if he had acted like his fanclub was at least semi-important to him. He was too busy researching the criminal organization behind his parents’ death and that in itself was a fulltime job. He didn’t have time to go and hang out at a bar or other social gathering, and he didn’t care if anyone liked him so much as he was able to do what he needed to. So, it didn’t matter that Rock Bison was not happy with him, as long as he did get to that machine.
However, Barnaby couldn’t seem to dismiss the nagging feeling in the back of his mind that said he didn’t want to be totally alone, that said he cared if Rock Bison was pissed. There was a part of him that craved affection, and he hated it.
He went back the next day and talked to no one.
The same went for the third day, when his call bracelet finally went off. That was another thing, too. He had thought he would be in action all the time, but he wasn’t. Major crimes didn’t happen each day, so usually he was at the gym, doing some kind of office work, examining his suit, or being bored out of his skull.
He hadn’t dug up anymore dirt on Ouroboros either. He’d found out years ago that was what the organization was called even if all other major details eluded him. The only things he found surrounding Ouroboros those few nights as a hero were some other disappearances (unsurprising), rumors about some kind of bio-engineered creature (likely an animal morph power of some sort held by a member), and some businesses they owned both on the high end of town and in the slums.
Nothing about it helped him in the end.
The fourth day at work he saw Fire Emblem laughing and teasing a red-faced Antonio, and he began to feel alone again. Barnaby could ignore it, could try to focus on other things, but watching the friendships that did exist between a few of the heroes only made him yearn for something more. Thing was, no one in there really fit as someone he wanted to put effort and feeling into.
His teachers at the academy suggested multiple times that he see a mental health professional and find out if he had some kind of disorder, and he was feeling so out of sorts there in the hero environment that he seriously thought about it.
No, no he wasn’t that pathetic.
Maybe he just needed small talk, and the opportunity came when he walked into the gym and saw Rock Bison sitting on a bench studying a newspaper. That was odd. He was always lifting or something. “Something amiss?” Barnaby asked, voice level, voice cool.
Rock Bison glanced up at him and Barnaby expected a snarky reply. He hadn’t said anything nice to the man, so why should he expect him to answer? And yet, he did. “Possible new details on Wild Tiger’s disappearance.”
“Wild Tiger…” The name sounded familiar.
“Veteran hero,” Rock Bison replied as Fire Emblem made his way toward them. “My closest friend. He’s been missing for weeks, and every now and then there’s some kind of evidence. Seems one of his shoes was found…” he trailed off.
“Absolutely adorable man,” Fire Emblem said, sitting on the bench as well and scooting himself right next to Rock Bison. “If you like older men, anyway.”
Rock Bison acted like he was ignoring Fire Emblem. “Kotet…er…Wild Tiger would have never left voluntarily. He was serious about being a hero. Some fans theorize he gave up and left with his popularity sinking, but I know him. He may not have been very happy, but he wouldn’t leave.”
“Well, what happened when he vanished?” Barnaby asked, tapping his foot as if bored when he was in fact curious. Another disappearance, could it possibly be related to Ouroboros? And a hero, at that? It could be something big.
“Not one thing.” Fire Emblem sighed and lightly poked at the paper with a long pink nail. “He went home one night and didn’t come back the next day. That’s all. We weren’t on a call, nor were there reports of anything happening throughout the city.”
“I see…” Barnaby frowned.
“We all wish we could find him,” Rock Bison began to fold the paper and tried to make space between him and Fire Emblem, who just kept on getting closer. “I’m sure he’s alive.”
“What makes you so sure?” Barnaby asked, and Rock Bison declined to answer.
Thoughts of Wild Tiger haunted Barnaby.
If he could find him, that could be his moment, making him a star hero and earning the respect of the others. He wanted to be something in besides “that hunk avenging his parents”, and King of Heroes or at least a SAVIOR of Heroes didn’t seem so bad.
It seemed like a better idea than sitting in his chair moping.
Barnaby’s mind felt blank more and more often since he began work for HeroTV. He was unhappy, discontent. He wasn’t stupid as to why he felt that way, it was his first time living on his own, living in an environment where he had to make an effort to reach out to others. He couldn’t do that.
He didn’t know how. The conversation with Rock Bison was a start, he supposed, but he had no idea what else to say to him without there being something to ask about.
He would find Wild Tiger, then, and he began the next day getting permission to do investigative work on the job for the elder hero. He had files on Kotetsu, aka Wild Tiger, to study. There were quite a few damage reports in there and Barnaby started to wonder if he should bring the man back. He had once been a flawless hero but as time went on he was sloppy and destructive and downright bitter to the public at times. He was a hero that didn’t aim to be a star and a television network did not thrive on such a thing, so he was pushed to the back of everyone else as they tried to phase him out.
Kotetsu wouldn’t go.
More and more Barnaby found himself wondering if it was an inside job to get rid of the troublesome hero.
He had to spend the entire first day of his search pouring over those files. The next day he spent actually visiting areas Kotetsu used to frequent, checking the areas where people had seen him and a gas station where his pants had been found. He got few leads, but as long as he had even one, it was enough to go on the next day.
The next day took him to the slums, to where the shoe had been located previously. Before he left, Rock Bison had set his hand on the blonde’s shoulder, accidentally tugging at the stray stands of his curls. “Hey, I know where you’re going, be careful down there.”
Barnaby was so surprised by the contact he forgot to glare, twitch, and pull away. “Huh?”
“Lots of unsavory characters and old buildings. Listen, no one said you had to do this, so…” He was offering him an out, a guilt-free out.
But Barnaby was incapable of forcing himself to stop on such a search. “I’ll be fine.” He did pull away then.
“Call if you need backup.” Rock Bison dropped his hand. “I hope you find him.”
“Me too,” Barnaby straightened out his jacket and left.
He found himself in a place that gave him the creeps. He was in the lowest level of an older part of the city, where he could hear waves slamming against the concrete. It was dark even in the middle of the day and the buildings were indeed old. A partially constructed tower was ahead of him, around him abandoned convenience stores and a shoe repair shop. A couple of windows in the dilapidated buildings were lit up. Barnaby knew they were the homeless of the area, living in the unsafe structures no one in their right mind would ever pay rent for. Those were the folks he saw on the street.
They didn’t really bother him, until he got closer to the tower and a man stepped into his path.
He was an old decrepit man, hair that was black and greasy, no doubt stained. He had on old slacks and a patched up tan jacket covered his upper body. His eyes were dull. “Where ya goin’, kiddo?” he asked in a scratchy voice.
His breath smelled like old milk and Barnaby fought to keep from getting sick. “The tower,” Barnaby answered. He wasn’t sure he’d actually get there, because so far there was no real point in being down there. He’d yet to find anything important.
“Why d’ya wanna go there?”
“I’m looking for someone,” Barnaby answered. Maybe he could get answers if he replied somewhat truthfully.
“In there?” The guy snorted. “You do know what’s in there?”
“Uh…” Barnaby wasn’t quick enough to say that no, he didn’t.
The man held out a hand. “Twenty bucks. I know a looker like you has it on ‘im.”
He did. He had plenty, and was used to needing to bribe people for information. Maverick had always given him money for such without knowing about it. Barnaby still made a face and huffed and puffed because handing over cash too easily was a big mistake.
But he gave the man his twenty, and the old guy chuckled. “They say the Ouroboris ‘er whatever has their monster in there.”
Barnaby’s breath caught.
The man continued. “The one they created, ‘cept they can’t control it and had to lock ‘im away. At night you can hear his angry roars, we all hear ‘em.”
“I…so they did create something?”
“They did boy, they did. An’ they refuse to kill ‘im as if they think he can be trained yet.”
“I see…no one here has seen him though?”
The man stared. Barnaby sighed and gave him another ten dollars.
He pocketed that with the twenty. “Some of the local childrens claim to ‘ave seen him. You see, that ladder on the side?” He turned and pointed at the building, and barely visible on the side was a rusty looking old ladder. “You climb up that, ‘n pry opened the emergency exit, climb up more to a ledge an’ they say you can see ‘im.”
“I…see.” He was so exact.
“You sure you wanna go there, sonny?” the man asked, the edges of his grimy mouth twitching. Barnaby was surprised to realize the man was actually somewhat concerned.
Barnaby nodded. “I think I have to.”
“I see.” He squeezed Barnaby’s arm with a disgusting hand covered in something green. “Well, you best be careful, and thanks fer buyin’ me a week of dinner.” He dropped his hand.
“Uh, you’re welcome?” Barnaby asked, and the man just smiled fondly at him before moving on.
Barnaby watched him go, and then rushed toward the tower. He was unprepared for an actual monster, he knew it, but he doubted that was what was in there. Still, there was something related to Ouroboros, and he had to know. With a good jump he got on the ladder, since it dangled somewhat off the ground.
It shook with every step, threatened to break, and the metal hurt Barnaby’s hands, but he climbed up about two stories to a platform in front of a door. The door was already pried open so he paused, pressing his ear to the outside and listening. Was someone baiting him, ready on the other side of the door to hurt him?
He had his hundred power so it didn’t really matter. Still, he wanted to know.
Hearing nothing, he opened the door to a room lit a little more brightly than expected thanks to the light streaming through the windows. There were a lot of them at that level, and they highlighted the old empty floors and cobwebs on desks and seats perfectly. Barnaby had imagined walking into a dark and scary place. Instead, it was almost welcoming. It even smelled better than the world outside.
Carefully, he walked forward and realized he was still on a platform, not high above the ground. He turned to the wall and saw the other ladder, to the ledge. It was about a story high that time, and the edges of the ladder looked sharp. They looked built to hurt, like going to that ledge wasn’t encouraged.
He was going to have to do it.
Barnaby took a deep breath, stepped forward, reached for the ladder and-
He was pulled off his feet and off the ground entirely. He yelped and struggled, not using his power yet. He wasn’t falling but he sure was dangling over the floor, and he felt someone breathing behind him – something, oh no, had he been wrong?
Before he could think more he was turned quickly.
Barnaby was sure his face drained of all color when he stared at a pair of narrowed golden eyes, surrounded by orange, white and black fur. The orange ears were folded back which wasn’t good. The creature was large, and he noticed it had very sharp teeth as it opened its mouth…
And yelled at him.
“What the HELL are you doing here!?”
“Put me down, right now!” Barnaby struggled in the monster’s grip, panic settling in when he heard it speak. He’d hadn’t been that jumpy to begin with, even if the lift was unexpected, but for some reason the thing having a voice was scary.
“I will when you answer me,” it said to him, growling as it spoke and breathing hard through the nose.
“I’ll make you put me down.” Barnaby activated his power, saw the beast’s eyes go wide, and then kicked him hard in the chest to get away. He was released and dropped on the floor as the thing flew back, crashing hard on the floor.
Barnaby spun to look at the doorway he’d entered through. He could easily get out, buuuut…should he? If it could talk and was related to Ouroboros, he’d be a fool to run away just because it was something inhuman. He knew far worse individuals than a talking tiger-beast existed in the city.
Probably.
He was unable to give it much more thought as something slammed into him, knocking him against the wall and trapping him there. Fur tickled the back of his neck as well as that hot breath, and he knew the thing was fighting back. His face was sore where it hit the wall, but that was about it.
No big, deal he had his – wait. Barnaby blinked, because there was another blue glow that wasn’t his. He struggled and for whatever reason, the creature let up enough to let him turn around and face him once more. Sort of. Barnaby’s eyes were level with his white furry chest. He wrinkled his nose at the smell, tried to push it away, but had no luck.
“Hundred power, I see,” the thing growled, and then laughed, a series of horrible snort-like sounds. “You’re out of luck because I have it too.”
“I….” How could an…an animal, he supposed, be a NEXT? He wasn’t sure he wanted to know, so he tried to kick him again and jump away.
He failed miserably when it stepped back, caught his leg, and yanked upward so once again he was dangling in the air, but upside-down. “Don’t think so pretty-boy. You’re not getting out of here that easy.”
“You can’t keep me here!” Barnaby yelled, his face red and heart beating fast. The claws dug into his calf, and it hurt.
“Never said I was going to keep you here. I just said you weren’t leaving that easy.”
“Eh….huh?” He’d expected to be killed or kept hostage or, or something. He glared down at what he could see below him – huge, long feet, like a tiger’s but longer than a cat’s probably should be. Given how big that thing was, he guessed it was for support and balance, but they still looked almost canine. They were orange and black striped, the tip of each toe white, with big dangerous claws poking out.
It sighed and stepped back. Barnaby straightened his head to see it was incredibly wearing shorts. Or at least, attempted shorts – green fabric shredded at the ends, maybe it was once pants, and held in place by a rope tied around the waist. Barnaby was perplexed to see it wearing clothes, studying them as it spoke again. “I don’t want you in here. I don’t want anyone in here, but you just haaaad to go and kick me. No no no!” He shook Barnaby like a rag. “Not in my house.”
Barnaby’s head was hurting, the blood rushing to it, the shake making him dizzy. Even if his power was still working, it wasn’t doing anything for him. He knew that thing was stronger than him, and even if he could keep trying to overpower or trick it, something in his mind told him not to.
It was similar to that feeling that told him he didn’t want to be alone. Nonsensical, something he scoffed at, but couldn’t get rid of.
“Fine, fine, you’re pissed I kicked you. But you need to put me down now.”
“Why should I?” It laughed.
“I am Barnaby Brooks Jr.!” He used his name not only as a way to show his importance, but to see if it was recognized for other reasons.
“That’s great, Barnaby, nice to meetcha.”
Frustrated, Barnaby swung at his stomach with his fists and connected, but the beast didn’t react much. He twitched, Barnaby could see the disturbance in his thick fur, but that was it. “Put me down!”
“You gonna be nice?”
“…Eh?”
“Not going to put you down if you’re just going to be a jerk.”
“I am a HERO! You put me down this instant!” Barnaby wasn’t scared at all anymore. He was pissed.
Then he was dropped. It didn’t hurt that much, he put out his arms to catch himself and kind of rolled once he hit the floor, immediately getting into a crouching position. He was ready to jump, to get away.
“A hero? You’re a hero?” It asked, suddenly interested.
Barnaby glared at its furry legs, and slowly straightened up. He studied the creature in more detail.
Barnaby was a tall guy, but this…had a few feet on him, towering over him and looking gruff as hell even though he was sure he was detecting a hint of playfulness of all things as it spoke. Its muzzle was a little more elongated than a normal tiger, though the rest of the head-shape was the same. It had a pink nose, surrounded by white. The chin was a jutting furry beard with a dark brown coloration near the very edge, splitting apart as it reached the lower lip.
The beast rolled its shoulders and peered down at him. “Well?”
Before answering, he just studied it more. Barnaby was a little uncomfortable as he saw that those eyes, those gold eyes he’d seen when he was first turned around – they held emotion. Feeling. They were both the eyes of an animal and the eyes of a human in a way he couldn’t possibly understand. “Yes,” he finally said, looking away. “I’m a hero, and if you knock me around anymore you’ll end up as nothing more than points for one of us.”
“Charming. What does a hero want here?”
“….”
When Barnaby declined to answer and his blue glow faded, the beast dropped down on all fours, stalking around him in a circle and glaring. “Come on. No one knows I’m here but the local children and I roar at them to make them go away.”
“What’s your connection to Ouroboros, monster?” Barnaby asked, turning in place to make sure he had an eye on the thing at all times. He noticed on the top of its head to the mid-back the fur was clumped, sort of, in long brown spikes. Strange…
It paused, eyes wide and let out a loud, agitated roar that had Barnaby trying not to wince, trying not to show any indication he was uneasy. He wasn’t frightened, but he also didn’t like a large animal roaring at him.
“I am not a monster!” It rushed right up to him, jaws level with Barnaby’s. “Don’t you ever call me a goddamn monster!” Its blue glow faded as well, though he was no less intimidating.
Barnaby stood his ground. “Isn’t that what you are?”
It continued to glare and then suddenly was on him, knocking the wind out of him as he landed hard on the floor. A heavy paw smacked him hard in the face and yet he knew that wasn’t even a fraction of the power it had.
Still, it stung and he knew there were scratches left on his face from the claws. “Get out.” It lowered its head, nose touching Barnaby’s, and Barnaby began to feel fear again. “Get the hell out of here, and don’t you come back again.”
“And what if I do? What if I bring everyone I know?” Barnaby managed to sneer.
Another smack, on the other side of the face, before it blinked and sat back on its haunches, looking bothered. “Do as you will. I suggest leaving and not coming back, you little brat. Go keep calling yourself a hero, and leave me alone.” It turned around and began walking away.
Barnaby had so many questions. He needed to know about Ouroboros, needed to know why that thing was there in that terror, who it was, what it was, and why it played with him instead of killing him.
Cats did tend to play with food before killing it, though…
His face hurt.
Barnaby forced himself to turn away and went back to the door. He expected to be stopped. He expected to be thrown into the wall again and laughed at in the creature’s rumbling deep voice while he smelled breath that held the scent of long-dead fish.
Instead he walked out the door, climbed down the ladder, and got the hell away from that tower.
Barnaby arrived home a shaky mess.
Once he had gotten out of the lower levels of the city, he was able to keep himself composed, keep his head held high, and even managed to sign a few autographs. No one questioned his roughed up appearance and he knew he looked like hell from some of the looks he was getting. There wasn’t a thing he could do about it.
As soon as he was in the dark privacy of his own room he crossed his arms over his chest and took deep breaths. Just what the hell was that? After walking away it seemed like a bad dream, but it was very much real.
Eventually he managed to get himself to the bathroom, and was horrified by the deep scratches on his face. They weren’t dripping blood, but they sat there on his cheeks, red, angry and painful. His hair was a bird’s nest, face and hands dirty from being on the floor. He smelled bad too, he was sure, and so he took a shower.
The water stung on his face but he cleaned anyway, and once out, activated his power again. There was no need for those scratches to stay. Then, a couple of aspirins and one sleeping pill later, he was sitting drowsily in his chair and staring at the news again. The usual business unfolded on the screen in front of him, tails of a robbery here, assault there, political this and that he should really pay attention to, and a “heart-warming” story about a little girl getting an armored car.
No one was aware of what lurked in that city, what lurked in the tower, no one but children and a bum. And as distressed as he should be over it…
Barnaby was glad. He felt guilty for it, but he was happy no one except some homeless kids knew. It was his own little secret, his own project he didn’t have to share with anyone. He couldn’t, because the others would not hesitate to reveal that creature to the world for various reasons. As long as he was kept fairly secret, Barnaby could learn about him somehow, find ways to extract information as he pleased.
It seemed interested in him being a hero, so perhaps if he played on that, somehow…
His head pounded and he yawned. The day and his medication had really taken it out of him, and he reclined back in his chair rather than go to his bed. He never felt right sleeping in a big bed like that. It was too big, like it asked for someone else to be there and he had no interest in sleeping with another soul. His chair was much better suited for him.
He felt himself fading, and tried not to plan because he was sure he would forget it when he woke up. He had to go back, had to make contact, make it understand it needed to comply with him…
Barnaby’s eyes closed without him realizing it, and his tired mind traveled to random thoughts, of food, of movies, of people he had seen on the street, and before he slipped off, those golden eyes.
He didn’t make it back the next day.
Barnaby was fully ready to go to the office, do some paperwork, and then hit the road again, but a call came in for a massive structural fire and several trapped people, so off he went. While he was happy to help, a bit of joy nudging into his heart when he pulled a boy and a kitten from the fire, he just didn’t want to be there. It downright tormented him, having to be there when he had something much more pressing to do.
Answers about Ouroboros existed in the form of a monster that looked like a genetically engineered tiger, and he desperately needed to question him. And if it took time to get the answers he wanted and needed? He’d been desperate for twenty years, so what was another few days or weeks to him?
It wasn’t that simple because he still felt urgent about it.
After work he was scheduled to be at a dinner, where Maverick showed him off. Barnaby smiled and shook hands, answered questions perfectly and held his head high. He kept a distance from others as usual except for when he saw a face he knew to be very important.
Maverick shot proud smiles at him all through the evening and Barnaby knew he was doing well in hiding his true feelings about it being an utter waste of time.
Finally he was free and it was dark out. Night time. He cursed as he arrived home and changed from a suit into his black t-shirt and jeans. He was going to have to medicate himself to sleep again, because he could do nothing but think about going back to the tower and he couldn’t go that until the next day.
…Could he?
There were certainly no rules about where he had to be at night. Barnaby sat forward in his chair, considering the intelligence of his plan. The slums were a dangerous place at night, but he had his power. But then, someone else there might too. The only way to get past that would to be very sneaky or blend in, and the latter was more realistic. He could be smooth and quiet, Barnaby was trained in stealth, but then again, those people survived on it. They were probably more able than him in that regard, loathe as he was to admit it.
Still, if he dressed correctly, brought a light and a small pack containing things like a first aid kit and water, he should be able to get there…
He had to do it. Barnaby stood and went to his room, finding the oldest jacket he owned instead of his nice red one. He found a ratty jean one and located a newsboy cap he’d gotten at some point in his life, pulling it snug on his head. His hair looked too nice, but there was no helping that. As long as he looked like anyone else, he was okay.
Barnaby stood in front of his door, thinking about if he really should go so late. But again, he knew he had to. He left his apartment, left the building, took a walk to the subway, and boarded the line that carried him far down the levels.
He arrived at the tower without incident. He had expected to be watched or even roughed up, but as he made his way through the quiet old area, he saw some people talking, a couple of women smoking cigarettes and laughing quietly, and a couple of kids shining flashlights on the ground, looking for bugs they told him.
It was like a normal neighborhood, just older and poorer. Barnaby knew it was ridiculous to admit he had major misconceptions about poor people but, he sure as hell did. He tended to think of them as thieves and liars.
No one stopped him as he walked down the old road, to the tower, and climbed right in.
It was dark in there, but he swallowed and kept going. Ouroboros, he just had to remind himself, Ouroboros.
He turned on a small flashlight so he could walk to the floor, and then….and then what? He didn’t actually know how to find the thing, or if it wanted to be found. He saw nothing as he let the beam from his light float around the room. There was abandoned furniture and that was it.
Well, maybe he had to ask it to come. “Beast!” he yelled before catching himself. Oh well, he’d already yelled once, so he did it again, louder. “BEAST!”
He was answered by a snarl that echoed from all around him, and suddenly he found the darkness very intimidating. He had no way of knowing where it would come from. He could hear something big running toward him but couldn’t pinpoint the direction. Another snarl, and he hoped like crazy that it wasn’t pissed he came back.
As he had sort of expected, it slammed into him and made him drop the flashlight. It hit him from the side and he went down, turning himself on his back as quickly as he could. He wasn’t planning on being submissive – no way! – but he was going to show he had no intentions of fighting back.
He smelled the fish breath too close and too strong and the eyes practically glowed before him, narrowing and then-
And then they went wide. “Oh. It’s you. You’re back.”
“Well, at least you’re observant,” Barnaby said with a sigh, sitting up as it backed off. He searched for the flashlight, unable to find it. It was close by. He could tell by the way the light had settled on the monster’s paws.
“Why would you come back?”
“I can’t be the only one who comes back, the local kids-“
“And then I scare them away. I’ve never had to physically hurt anyone except you, not since, well, not for a long time and all.”
Barnaby stared at him. “Curiosity.”
“Curiosity killed the cat, you know.”
“Good thing I’m not a cat,” Barnaby said, getting to his feet.
“I know that! But I am, and I don’t need you bringing trouble.” Some of the ‘bite’ he had in his voice when Barnaby first found him was coming back.
“I won’t. I promise.” He felt a little guilty, since he had no way of knowing if he would keep that promise. “I just want to talk to you.”
“You want to talk to me?” It sounded surprised.
“Yes, I…you see, I’ve been investigating Ouroboros, and I’ve heard that you are, ah, the monster they-“
He was answered by a loud growl. “Don’t call me a monster!”
“Well-“
“And I get it, investigative work, so I’m just a tool for your use?”
“Er…” What did the creature expect? Did he think Barnaby came over to play!? “You see…”
“Tell you what, little blonde bunny! How about you stay here with me for a while?”
“Blonde bun-what? Why would I stay here? Why would you need me to stay here?” Oh, coming back may have been an absolutely terrible choice after all.
“Not like a prisoner. I just get bored, you know, don’t talk to much of anyone.”
“Why me?”
There was no response for a long minute, and then an agitated huff. “Will you stay or not?”
“I…how long?”
“I don’t know. Not terribly long.”
Staying in that dirty place where he had none of his comforts, missing work, missing other hints about Ouroboros, it all made him annoyed. Why should he spend time hanging out with a lonely monster?
…It hit him hard, realizing that the only time he hadn’t felt so alone in a long time was the day before when he got knocked around by the cat, followed by that very moment he was standing there being asked to stay.
“Fine. But this better get more comfortable soon.” Barnaby slowly leaned down to pick up his flashlight upon locating it, hoping he wouldn’t get attacked for moving. He wasn’t. “I’m sure you are fine circling some place on the floor and lying down, but I’m not.”
“….You make such assumptions. I don’t do that, and I’m not a monster – so don’t call me that!”
“What do you want me to call you?”
“I…hmmm.” He tapped his furry chin with a big finger…toe? Whatever. Barnaby didn’t need to dwell on that. “Maybe you better just call me Tiger.”
“Creative.”
“Better than monster,” Tiger snapped, eyes glaring again. He really, really hated being referred to as a monster, and Barnaby made sure to remember that.
“Right, then. I’m Barnaby Br-“
“You told me yesterday! I’m calling you ‘Bunny’.”
“Huh!?” He was insulted! Bunny? That wasn’t his name, and sounded silly! “Don’t you dare!”
“Too late, Bunny. Sorry but we’re doing animal names here, and you’re cute and angry and full of kicks…”
Barnaby was fuming, but he mentally told himself ‘come on, calm down, you need to be somewhat nice to your lead until you get what you want’. “I hate it.” He sighed and looked up. “But I can’t keep you from calling me that.”
“Sure can’t!” Tiger chuckled, and though it was just as grumbly as his voice and every other sound, it definitely had an air of happiness. “Want me to show you to the bedroom?”
“You have a bedroom?”
“I made sure I had one. I like to be comfortable.”
He really didn’t seem like an animal… “Wait, -the- bedroom, I have to share a bedroom with you?”
“You don’t have to, but that’s where the blankets and pillows are.”
“…Blankets and pillows!”
Tiger was getting onto two legs, and once he was up he paused and gave Barnaby an odd look. “You really think I’m exactly like a wild animal, huh?”
“Well…”
“I don’t sleep on cold floors, eat raw meat, and I do NOT lick my own ass, just so we’re clear.”
Barnaby felt a headache coming on. What had he gotten himself into? “Fine, fine, look, I’m tired so, just…just lead the way.”
“Poor tired lil’ Bunny,” Tiger chuckled again. He approached Barnaby and stretched out one paw, resting it on Barnaby’s head and gently petting him, much to his embarrassment. It didn’t feel bad, though. It was the touch of someone who cared and felt bizarre coming from a beast. “Better get you some shut-eye and in the morning we’ll see about your questions,” he said, and then yawned.
Barnaby got a good look at those teeth and shivered. “Yea…yea, sounds good,” he said. When Tiger’s paw left his head and the beast began to walk again, Barnaby frowned and followed.
He wished there was more light.
Barnaby had to keep the flashlight trained on Tiger’s tail to follow him, and he was getting more lost the farther they went. He hadn’t thought the tower would have actual hallways and the like, for some reason, but they were walking through them, through doorways, down a few flights of stairs…he was sure in the daylight he could find his way out just fine, but as it was? It would be possible but difficult.
Given the pitch black around them, he was very surprised see a soft glow from a room up ahead. “You DO have lights?”
“I have a lot of candles,” Tiger grumbled in response. “I don’t mind dark but sometimes at night I like it a little brighter, plus they smell nice.”
“Where did you get them?”
“I get out of here, sometimes, and I know where to go for things…”
That was vague as hell, but Barnaby didn’t ask. He could guess from there. Tiger could probably sneak out quite well on a dark night, after all there wasn’t much lighting outside the tower. The lower level in that area had been neglected quite badly, with a few street lamps that barely worked.
Tiger led them into what appeared to have been a hopeful office room. It wasn’t that large, but it sure looked comforting.
A collection of candles sat on the old desk, in various holders. They were tall and scented, smelling like coffee of all things. Next to the desk was an absurd amount of mayonnaise…Barnaby diverted his attention to the ‘bed’.
It was more of a nest, pillows and an old mattress and who knows what else covered by a lot of old looking blankets. They were covered in fur but otherwise looked fairly clean. He had pictured Tiger doing something similar to dumpster diving to find things he could use, but those things didn’t look like they’d been junked.
He remembered some of the old abandoned storefronts in the neighborhood and it clicked. Things had been left behind when the store owners gave up; he’d seen it before. Tiger raided those places, he had to have done that, right?
He raided them and built himself a little lair.
“Bunny, you’re staring.”
“Of course I’m staring! Where do you expect me to sleep?” He wasn’t sharing a blanket nest with anyone, let alone Tiger!
“Don’t want a big stuffed animal, eh?”
“Not so much, no.”
Tiger flicked his ears as if agitated and went over to his bed. He gathered up an assortment of pillows and a couple of blankets, red and pink in color. “Here…now, you can stay by the desk, or go to another room if you want to.”
Normally Barnaby might have chosen to go to a room alone. But at the moment, he wasn’t sure he felt good about it. He didn’t know if anything else was in the tower and as he debated his ears caught another sound.
He knew they were near the water in that part of the city, especially so low down, but he hadn’t thought much about it. There, he could hear the waves hitting the wall just outside the building. They crashed against the wall but it was soothing.
Maybe the tower was the perfect place for him to be by himself and do his thinking, Tiger aside. He took the blankets and pillows and carried them a few feet away from the nest, putting them down on the dirty floor with a cringe and starting to arrange them. “How long have you been here?” he asked, still surprised by how clean that stuff was.
“Not too long.”
“Why are you down here?”
“Where else am I supposed to go?”
Barnaby shrugged. “You act so, so human. Maybe with some help you could live in the city…” Even saying it he knew it was ridiculous. Tiger was a talking beast, he would become a public attraction. Barnaby didn’t know what else would be done with a talking animal, because how could one live in a normal house or normal apartment and be….normal?
“Can’t go back up there yet.”
“Back?”
Tiger snorted. “I told you I haven’t been here too long. Where did you think I came from?”
“That’s the whole thing, I don’t know,” Barnaby said with a sigh and grabbed the blankets. It was chilly in there after all.
“Oh, yea…”
“This whole thing is so bizarre.”
“Obvious little Bunny, aren’t we?”
Barnaby scowled. “Please, don’t call me that.”
Tiger’s eye’s sparkled with amusement, again looking more human. But he diverted his gaze, went down on all fours, and approached his nest. He let himself plop down with a long sigh and rested his head on his paws. “I like to sleep with those candles lit.”
“Um, okay.”
“So there.”
“I wasn’t arguing,” Barnaby said, suppressing a little laugh. He was enjoying himself? Why? Barnaby could bicker with anyone he wanted, he was sure, but he got such enjoyment from going back and forth with Tiger. It was confusing and his headache began to grow.
“Cool,” Tiger had mumbled before falling silent. Barnaby looked at him and saw his eyes were closed. He wondered if it was intelligent to drift off in front of him.
Tiger wouldn’t hurt him. Barnaby let his eyes shut and soon dozed off.
Cold woke Barnaby up the next morning. He was shivering like crazy, barely aware of the beam of sunlight streaming through the one small window in the room. All he knew was that he was freezing. He felt around him for the blankets – he’d kicked them off, of course- and pulled them back up quickly. Despite knowing where to find said blankets he couldn’t remember where he was right away. It didn’t feel like his place, the lingering coffee smell was all wrong and there was too much noise from the sea.
He sat up and looked around, spotting Tiger immediately. He was sprawled out on his back, mouth half open with his big pink tongue hanging out. One front paw was raised a little, twitching. His whiskers twitched too and Barnaby knew he was nowhere near awake.
Well, he still felt cold and tired, so he laid back down and fell in and out of sleep for an hour until he heard movement. He sat up quickly and – and Tiger had just shifted to his side, furry cheek smushed into a little pink pillow with a yellow smiling sun on it.
Barnaby shook his head and waited for him to wake up.
And waited.
And waited some more.
And still all the damn cat did was change positions with various loud groans and purrs. He would kick one hind leg out, or reach with a front one and dig his claws into a blanket, yawn and hide his nose under a paw.
Typical, lazy-ass cat.
Still Barnaby waited, bored. He didn’t want to wake him up, surprise him, and get mauled. It gave him time to think at least. He was able to arrange his thoughts, and focus on the issue that had quickly gone to the back of his mind – the investigation that had led him to the tower to begin with.
It had to be almost noon when Tiger finally stirred. Barnaby had been so bored he was getting tired again, nodding off as he pulled blankets tighter around him.
Tiger sat up, eyes half closed and groggy. A low, irritated growl escaped him as he raised his head and sniffed the air. His ears twitched and he immediately looked at Barnaby, eyes wide and on alert. Barnaby blinked back and soon enough Tiger relaxed.
“Morning little Bunny.”
“Good morning.” He didn’t bother to tell him to stop with the nickname. “About time you woke up.” Barnaby sat back up.
“You can’t talk,” Tiger said, getting on all fours and stretching his bulky furry body out with a toothy yawn.
“I’ve been awake, waiting for you.”
“You should have woken me up!” Tiger scratched the back of his head with his hind leg.
“I didn’t know if you would react like a surprised animal.” Barnaby was to the point.
“Of course not.” Tiger glared.
“I’ve spent a night here.” Barnaby got to his feet. “So, will you answer some of my questions at least?”
“What about breakfast?”
“Soon.” What the hell did Tiger have in mind for breakfast? Barnaby tried not to think about it. He cleared his throat, suppressing the desire to launched into a hundred questions about Ouroboros. “What do you know about Kotetsu Kaburagi?”
Tiger nearly fell over. “Eh!?”
“I knew it! You know something. I was looking for him when I learned about you, and I refuse to believe I followed his clues to you for no reason.” Barnaby crossed his arms. He wished he’d waited until he had something to drink, at least. His throat was dry and the taste in his mouth was terrible. “So what’s the connection between you and Kotetsu, or, the hero Wild Tiger?”
“Why were you looking for him?”
“Because he’s missing and people are looking for him?” Why the stupid question?
Tiger didn’t look at him. “Ko-Kotetsu is, he’s okay.”
“How do you know?” Barnaby walked briskly to Tiger, his mind buzzing with excitement. “Did you have something to do with it?”
“You could put it that way. Listen, he’s fine. But he needs to stay where he is right now.”
Barnaby had to suppress an urge to get violent, because he wasn’t being answered straight and it was frustrating. “How do you know?” he repeated.
“Because I put him where he is!” Tiger roared and turned to face Barnaby finally. “If I reveal him now, he’ll be destroyed pretty fast.”
“But why?”
“I can’t discuss this with you yet.”
“I’m getting sick of your games, cat.”
“Kotetsu can’t trust you until I can trust you. You got it? Or do you want the situation to be worse?”
Raising his hands to either side of his head, Barnaby was unable to keep from yelling. “I don’t know what the situation is! I won’t until you tell me!” He squeezed his eyes shut. He wanted to berate himself for wasting his time with the monster, but he didn’t know if he was wasting it for sure. Barnaby would want to know someone better too if he had to protect someone valuable to him, and from the soft way Tiger spoke he was sure there was some kind of affection there. But he didn’t have that time to waste!
Soft fur brushed his hands and when Barnaby opened his eyes he noticed Tiger’s paws on either side of his head as well, trying to tug his hands away. “I’m sorry.”
The golden eyes were sad, and it made Barnaby ache. “It…It’s fine.” It wasn’t. “But I’m a hero. Out of so many people in the city, I’m someone you can trust.”
“It’s not that easy, little Bunny.” His grip was firm on Barnaby’s hands as he lowered them. “…Breakfast?”
“I suppose,” Barnaby grunted, sullen. Tiger dropped it for them both and it was too fast, but he had to deal with it. “What do you have, anyway?”
“I don’t have a kitchen or whatever, so I have to get things that don’t require cooking or the fridge.”
“I see…”
“So I have a lot of mayonnaise and canned tuna. You like your tuna in water or oil?”
Barnaby groaned.
Tuna in water, chunky, with so much mayonnaise it made Barnaby’s stomach turn. That was Tiger’s breakfast and apparently all other meals as well. Barnaby didn’t see how he could be healthy enough to live off that, but at one point Tiger hauled a pile of beef jerky out of a box for them so there was probably other food he didn’t know about.
The other parts of the tower he saw were what he expected. Office rooms, bathrooms, break room, hallways, some finished and some unfinished. Tiger wouldn’t let him go higher than the seventh floor because he said it was dangerous. Barnaby believed him. As possible as it was that Tiger could be hiding something, Barnaby knew the place was an abandoned project. Such structures were often a little unsafe. Unless he strongly suspected something, he wasn’t going to ignore Tiger and go up there.
Tiger took them to a small dock outside the tower, walled off from the world around them and thus safe for Tiger to be outside.
“I come out here for air,” he had explained. “It’s salty and not that fresh because of the city, but it’s better than the dusty stuff in there.”
Barnaby had to agree.
Tiger told him about the people in the slums as they walked up and down the hallways. “I have to watch over them a little. A lot of assholes out there take advantage, you know? Not everyone can afford to live in or even get out of Stern Bild, so they wind up making their own little areas, one of which is here. They have to steal sometimes, they have to lie, they have to beg, but they’re not bad people.”
“I have to admit, I was surprised it was so safe when I first came down here.” Barnaby took note of everything around him, so he wouldn’t find himself lost at any point.
“When you have a, ah, ‘monster’ to keep away the bad guys, it sure helps. They don’t have to worry about getting attacked as much.”
“How come they don’t have more help from the police?” Barnaby asked meekly. He’d learned a lot at the Academy, and hell even on his own, but it was different to experience the real world. Stern Bild had enough problems as it was, so why should the citizens above bother with what they considered ‘dirtbags’ and often too low for even basic charities?
“Police don’t care. Well, that’s not fair of me to say. Some probably do, but they’re often stretched thin as it is. Something worse is always happening or about to happen. Even the other heroes care, we all do, but it’s hard to know exactly what to do-“
“We?” Barnaby stopped and raised an eyebrow.
Kotetsu continued looking ahead, and answered way too fast. “We as a population, I mean!”
“Hmmm.” Barnaby knew he was lying, but he let it slide for that moment. It was not forgotten, but he wanted Tiger to continue.
“Anyway, they needed some help down here.”
“I see. Why do you help them?”
“I want to help people…isn’t that enough?”
Barnaby couldn’t help but feel like he’d heard or seen that quote somewhere, but he failed to remember. “Okay, but-but Tiger, I thought you were trying to hide here.” Or something. “Won’t more people learn about you? Because I imagine you’re not protecting people by watching from your tower.” He looked at Tiger, who walked beside him on all fours.
Tiger shook his head. “I’ll deal with that when it comes up.”
“Not a very good plan.”
“I don’t need all of the city knowing about me. And yes, true, the more I involve myself in their welfare, the sooner I will be exposed. But I can’t just keep out of it either.”
There was a lot more to Tiger than Barnaby could have fathomed. Again, he was so human. He thought things through – sort of, it seemed he could easily get himself into a situation – and he had empathy. A lot of feelings, in fact.
Barnaby started to say more but his call bracelet went off. He’d forgotten about it, and he looked at it with a frown. “I have to go…” He didn’t have to answer it to know he was being called for something important.
“What!?” Tiger stopped walking. “Why?”
“You’re intelligent, and know about heroes.” More than he was probably admitting… “So you know we get called into action, right?”
“Uh, oh yea.”
“My call band is going off.” Barnaby held his wrist in front of Tiger’s face. Tiger sniffed it. “So I have to go.”
“Will you come back?” Tiger asked, watching Barnaby pull his arm away.
He looked a little desperate. “I will, I kind of have to come back.”
“For information.”
“Yes…”
Tiger regarded him in such a way that Barnaby found himself unable to read him. Then he shrugged. “I’ll be waiting for you later than, Lil’ Bunny.”
Barnaby nodded and immediately set about leaving the tower. He felt guilty doing so, actually felt bad. He didn’t want to leave Tiger behind, he’d rather he came with him even though that was ridiculous. Of course he would be returning, but he still couldn’t shake the feeling he had.
He left his few items behind at Tiger’s. He didn’t need them, in fact it was best they were there so he could bring other items he needed over. In the meantime he just made his way to Apollon to see what was going on.
A phone call was in order, too. Barnaby had a funny idea…and just an idea, he didn’t know…but he needed to see if he was right. After he dealt with the call he needed to take another look at videos featuring Kotetsu.
He needed to know what his voice sounded like.
Barnaby had a bad feeling as he walked around the Apollon building. The call was over and done with. The situation that time had been a bank robbery, though the robbers had some pretty nasty guns on hand and it took a great deal of time and planning to get close to them without causing damage to the building too.
In the end Barnaby grabbed a lot of points, but not as much as he wanted to. Dragon Kid dropped in and stole the show, and when she smiled at Barnaby he only offered her a scowl. She made a confused face and jumped away. There was no point in lingering so Barnaby went to his transport and changed for the ride back.
Lloyds was not happy with him.
Barnaby entered his office to be lectured immediately, because he had taken a while to show up and was not readily available for everything. “I don’t know about this little side project you’re doing,” Lloyds had grumbled. “Leave Wild Tiger to the police, you’re a hero and HeroTV needs you.”
“I thought the people of the city needed me?” Barnaby asked spitefully, even if he didn’t care about them all that much.
“Certainly, but you’re not here for them either,” Lloyds pointed out. “I don’t mind if you keep searching, but it’s not your priority. The police have been looking for Tiger for a while now, if he’s out there, they’ll find him.”
Barnaby wanted so badly to say something. He knew the tower had not been checked. He knew no one bothered to poke their heads in the poorer areas, because why would Kotetsu be there?
“I do believe this is my priority, Lloyds. My history in searching for Ouroboros has provided me with some sort of investigative experience.” It didn’t matter that he hadn’t had any luck. Ouroboros was skilled at hiding. Most people didn’t seem to realize they existed.
“Barnaby,” Lloyds sighed, “…this isn’t all from me. Maverick contacted me when he tried to stop by your place early this morning and you weren’t there. You weren’t here, so where were you? Shouldn’t you be telling your guardian?”
“Sorry, sir, but I’m no longer so young that I need a guardian to know where I am.” Barnaby did feel a small pang of guilt, since Maverick had always been so good to him. Perhaps he could tell Maverick of his findings, he would be excited for Barnaby, he just knew it! He could trust Maverick. And having him on his side would get Lloyds off his back.
“Maybe not,” Lloyds continued. “But as CEO of HeroTV he needs to-“
“I’m going to go talk to him on my own,” Barnaby declared, eyes blazing and jaw set firm. “I will call him, and straighten things out.”
Lloyds watched him and let out a defeated sigh. “Do as you will, Barnaby, but you can only pull this sort of thing so often. Guess you’d better get it out of your system now.”
Barnaby nodded and left, wanting to laugh. Lloyds wasn’t giving him a free pass because he wanted to, it was because he had to. Barnaby had the power of Maverick behind him, and he wasn’t afraid to invoke it when he needed to. Really, he was surprised Lloyds had the audacity to argue with him on it. Kotetsu needed to be found, right?
He had opened his phone to call Maverick while he left the building, but before he could dial the numbers another call came through. He didn’t recognize it. It could be anyone from Apollon or HeroTV, so he reluctantly answered. “Hello?”
“Barnaby! It’s Rock Bison!”
“Oh.” He didn’t know what to say. “Well, what is it?”
“Just wondering if you’ve found any evidence on Kotetsu, you know, because we haven’t exactly had a chance to catch up and talk about it.”
“What I have found I am keeping to myself.” Barnaby knew Rock Bison was concerned, but he was unwilling to share with him. He had no idea if Rock Bison would try to contact anyone else, or insist on going with him to see Tiger, or anything. And Barnaby was yet still unsure if there would even be a damn reason for Rock Bison to know about Tiger.
“But you have found something, yes?”
He almost ignored the question, but he couldn’t really dodge it. “I have leads, and I have ideas. That is all I can say at the moment.”
“You know, of everyone who you can share this stuff with..well, like I said Kotetsu and I are close friends. I’d really like to know if there is some news about my friend.” Rock Bison sounded agitated.
“Right, but I don’t have anything solid,” Barnaby said, choosing his words very carefully. Because it was true, he didn’t. “I am going to find some videos of Kotetsu to watch, that’s my next step, and after that- unsure. If you expect me to share more with you right now, you’re better off hanging up.”
Rock Bison sighed. “My friend isn’t an excuse for you to get points and attention.”
Barnaby stopped walking, biting the very inside of his cheek in an attempt to not get pissed, because at the moment he was getting frustrated. “Does it even matter if he is? For points, I am interested in finding him even sooner.”
“…I suppose that makes sense.”
“Yes. I’m sure there are some videos in his file, or online from interviews, and I need to see those immediately.”
“Fine. But listen, when you find him, I’d like to be the first person you call. He’ll be busy calling his daughter, no doubt, which means you’ll be free to tell me.”
Daughter? “Okay.” Maybe. “I need to go,” he said, and hung up before Rock Bison even had a chance to answer. He wished the man hadn’t gotten access to his phone number, but he wasn’t calling to harass Barnaby or ask annoying favors, so for the moment it wasn’t really a big deal.
He looked at his phone, remembering he was going to call Maverick. In his current mood, he decided it was okay if it waited. Talking to Rock Bison made him feel even more impatient about getting home to his chair and computer.
On the way he wondered if he was losing it. There was no reason to be matching Tiger to Kotetsu, name thing aside. He had no proof Tiger was Wild Tiger, but something told him to think about it anyway. He didn’t know Kotetsu personally, and so he didn’t know his personality enough to compare it to Tiger’s.
Yet…he knew that Kotetsu was a hero who had put more thought into saving people than he did damage fines and common sense. Reading about him gave Barnaby a certain kind of warmth that he didn’t know how to explain, but he could feel it creeping on him when he was with Tiger.
Tiger was very interested in the fact Barnaby was a hero, and he spoke as if he had been one or knew one, maybe even worked with one. He wasn’t so serious and Barnaby had flipped through enough to know Kotetsu was kind of a goofball. He’d seen him acting like an idiot on TV too. It wasn’t like he’d never heard Kotetsu’s voice before, he just hadn’t paid attention as he should have.
Then there was the gut feeling. Barnaby didn’t get ‘gut feelings’. He relied on learning and analyzing a situation, drawing small clues if that’s all he had and thinking them over, unfolding a possible story from them and pursuing those ideas to see where they went. But when it came to Tiger and Kotetsu, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had found Kotetsu. He just had no idea how he became what he became.
Once seated in his chair Barnaby wasted no time in looking up a video of Kotetsu, from a few months ago when he appeared on a late night show. He stared hard, immediately recognizing his shade of hair as the spikes of fur that jutted from Tiger’s head and neck. And Kotetsu’s beard – the dark markings on Tiger’s jaw! Too close…
Then he spoke, and Barnaby closed his eyes so he could take it in properly. He listened to Kotetsu as he was serious, as he laughed, as he got annoyed by questions about points, as he sighed and hummed.
Oh yes.
He knew that voice!