Night Hunters

Chapter Seven: The Red King

"Everyone has two faces to themselves—two different sides of the same coin." - Kuroko Tamaki

XXXXXX

Takao Kazunari was unusually silent as he listened to what Tamaki had to tell him that night as the two were on the graveyard shift for guard duty that night. Not many wanted to take the graveyard shift for guard duty, as it is really creepy to just sit in the silence and listen to the droplets of water dripping from the ceiling to the water puddles. However, taking the graveyard shift also allows them to talk without any fear of anyone from overhearing.

"I see..." Takao murmured, wrapping his arms around his legs. "So Shin-chan..."

Tamaki eyed him from where she is sitting on the crate with her back against the wall, saying nothing for several moments. "You're not wrong about him," she said at last. "The Shin that I knew is a good man, if a little eccentric." She smiled to herself, remembering their Academy days and the weird looks that fellow students often gave them, with the weird things that Midorima often carries around with him. Ever since the Red King had came into power, Tamaki hadn't seen Midorima listening to that horoscope as avidly as before. "He used to have this weird hobby of collecting the weirdest things, and even follows the daily horoscope reading like it's the Holy Bible." She smiled sadly. "That's...the Shin that I knew."

Takao sighed. "I don't know what he's thinking anymore," he admitted. "Is he good? Or bad? I don't know."

Tamaki shrugged slightly with one shoulder, not really looking all that bothered. "I don't know. But I think that everyone has two sides to them—good and evil. I won't call ourselves righteous and stuff—heavens know that we've done some pretty bad stuff ourselves throughout the past four years. Everyone has two faces to themselves—two different sides of the same coin. I think that people are like that." She looked at Takao who looked really upset. "But at the very least, I think you and the others can rest assured that Shin isn't like them. If he is as heartless as what the entire kingdom assume, he wouldn't have begged me to save you and the rest of his squad. Besides, I think I kind of understand what he's thinking." Tamaki admitted. "It's just like when the Red King had first came into power. We can't leave. I don't think you have any idea how cruel and merciless that the Red King could be."

"I think I got an idea of just how cruel he can be." Takao murmured, recalling faintly his time spent in captivity before Tamaki had broken him out. "Why did things turn out this way? Teiko used to be so peaceful. We never had to fear for our lives to this extend before. Even if we win, can we really return the kingdom to what it had once been? The damage is too great."

Tamaki said nothing for several moments. "There isn't some definite right or wrong that everyone lives by," she said at last. "You gotta make your own 'right' in this world, and live by your own rules." She tightened her arms around her knees. "I think that people's lives are like this." She admitted.

There were the sounds of soft footsteps approaching them just then, and both Tamaki and Takao turned only to see Shigehiro and Haizaki walking towards them. Tamaki and Takao nodded to them in acknowledgement.

It had been this way ever since Tamaki and Haizaki have successfully managed to escape from the Royal City and the Royal Guard with the help of Tamaki's division. Whenever either one of them had something to tell the other three without letting the entire base knows, they would usually use the graveyard shift for it, since they are usually the ones taking the shift.

"...I've been asking around." Haizaki was the first one to break the silence. "No sign yet."

Shigehiro frowned, looking concerned and worried. What with one thing and the next... "It's been four years, Tamaki," he said, turning towards the teal haired girl. "Do you think he's still alive?"