Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter One

Kotetsu's jaw clenched as he stepped from the darkened tunnel into the stadium. Most of the lights were off. There were no cheering crowds, no vendors hawking their wares, and no partner to aid him. He glared at his foe, waiting for him alone at center field.

Jake Martinez had already defeated Sky High. He'd defeated Antonio. Luck of the draw had determined that Wild Tiger would be his next opponent.

Kotetsu stepped onto the field, knowing that this was possibly the worst match-up of his career. Of his life.

He had seen the file on Jake that Bunny had printed off before Ouroborus made their move. He had seen the copies of Jake's file that the Justice Department had distributed after Ouroborus demanded his release. The files were scarce, with almost no information about Jake's arrest. Almost all of the information they contained was about Jake's time in prison.

Bunny hadn't seemed to notice the slight discrepancy between the files. Kotetsu had nearly missed it. If he hadn't gotten the slightest gut feeling during their first confrontation, he never would have double checked.

He had done what he could to bring attention to the discrepancy. Kotetsu had wanted to tell Bunny. But after his mistake, he knew that his partner would never believe him. Especially when Kotetsu couldn't claim anything more than a gut feeling that he was right.

He wasn't sure that he had made the right decision, but he'd had no idea who else he could trust with the information. Surely only someone in the Justice Department itself could edit the information in a criminal's files? Why else would there be no information on Jake's original arrest?

He had taken both files to the Sentinel and Guide Institute's representative on the council. Kotetsu had never met him. But the man seemed to be a competent and strong Guide. He, at least, had noticed the discrepancy and understood what it had to mean. He had promised to tell Bunny, after Kotetsu confirmed his suspicions.

Both files listed that Jake had been transferred to prisoner isolation around a week after his initial imprisonment and that he had remained there for the rest of his sentence. However, Barnaby's version of the file held one tiny detail that had been deleted from the Justice Department's.

Jake had been transferred to a specific sensory isolation cell. Sensory isolation was only ever used when the prisoner in question was a Sentinel.

Neither set of files indicated that Jake had Sentinel status. But it would have been impossible for the prison to not know after so many years.

Since he had been transferred so quickly after his incarceration, he had likely been suffering from Guide Withdrawal.

There was no way that Jake's status had been missed. Which could only mean that it had been left out of the files deliberately. Then, as soon as Ouroborus made their demands, someone had gone over the file with a fine-tooth-comb to hide any hints to Jake's status.

Jake Martinez was a Sentinel. But Kotetsu had no way of knowing how many of his senses were enhanced. The woman from Ouroborus was most likely his Guide. But Kotetsu had no idea what level of Guide she was.

Kotetsu was about to face off against a Bonded Sentinel.

Alone.

He was screwed.

Kotetsu squared his shoulders and kept his head up. He knew that his chances of success weren't exactly high. But he wasn't going to give up. He knew a thing or two about Sentinel's.

He had spent the entire trip to the stadium with Mr. Saito making modifications to his Hero suit. Without knowing which of Jake's senses were enhanced they had done what they could.

As Kotetsu approached the Sentinel, all of the LEDs on the Wild Tiger suit displayed an intermittent tremor, flickering erratically. All of the tiny servos that usually ran soundlessly whined with each step taken. The usually smooth surface of the suit was rough around the shoulders and other places frequently grabbed by assailants.

Jake's grin stretched.

"Well, well, well," he crooned. "This is a bit of a surprise. The Crusher for Justice is just as dumb as his name! You look like you've done half of the work for me. Did you really like those little 'modifications' would be enough to trip me off?"

"Every little bit helps," Kotetsu said, trying to project a confidence that he didn't feel. "I'm going to do everything in my power to take you down!"

He heard Agnes' voice in his ear, warning him that brute strength wouldn't be enough to break through Jake's force field. Of course, Kotetsu already knew that. But Hundred Power wasn't just strength enhancing. People tended to forget that sometimes.

Hundred Power, enhanced everything about the person using it. Their strength, their speed, their senses. Kotetsu had had a lifetime to learn the ins and outs of his power. To master it's every possible use.

He could beat Jake. If only he could be fast enough. If he could be quicker than Jake's force field, he could beat him.

Kotetsu activated his power and shot forward in a blur.

'Sentinel's are fast,' he thought to himself. 'But Hundred Power was the closest NEXT equivalent to a Sentinel's abilities. He had five minutes of being on near equal footing with Jake. He would have to give it his all!'

----------

"What the hell did he do to his suit?"

Barnaby hadn't been worried about his partner. Wild Tiger was going to lose. He had no doubt about that. He would be the one to face Jake next. He would be the one to bring down the man that had murdered his parents. But Barnaby needed knowledge to prepare for that. He had only returned to watch the fight to study Jake.

But it was Tiger's appearance that immediately caught his attention. The fight had just started and already Tiger looked beaten. Barnaby could barely pull his eyes away from his partner as he entered the room. The sound of the screeching servos was ear shattering to his enhanced senses and the flickering of the LEDs was frustratingly distracting.

"It's really weird," Karina said, her eyes narrowed at the screen. She turned to Barnaby as he approached. "You should dial down your sense of sight and sound."

"What?" Barnaby asked, dragging his gaze away from the screen to raise an eyebrow in her direction. "Why would I do that?"

"The lights, the way the suit has been beaten up, and I can barely hear it but it's making a sound when he moves. Everything that he's done to his suit is what my school told us to avoid doing around a Sentinel. They said that it's little things like that that cause the most Zones."

Barnaby ignored Nathan's gasp as he turned back to the screen. Tiger and Jake were fighting. But it was obvious to Barnaby that whatever Kotetsu had done to his suit was more hindrance than help. His movements were jerky and uncoordinated, even worse than usual.

"But Jake isn't a Sentinel." Barnaby stated. "Nothing in his files indicated that."

"But Tiger knows Sentinel's," Nathan said, pulling up the file on Jake the Justice Department had sent them. "He worked with Sentinel heroes for years. Something about Jake made him think 'Sentinel' enough to half destroy his own suit."

"It was probably another of his unfounded gut feelings." Barnaby snarled. "I'm a Sentinel. I would have noticed if Jake was another Sentinel."

"But you're UnBonded," Pao-lin said quietly. Her eyes weren't watching the fight. She nodded to the small box in the corner of the screen where the female member of Ourobourus was narrating the battle. "Bonded Sentinel's use their Guide's power to build shields, don't they? Would you be able to sense a shielded Sentinel?"

Barnaby frowned. She had a point. Only UnBonded Sentinel's and Guide's were able to sense each other. Once they were bonded, their shields made them read almost like normal people.

"I don't know," Barnaby finally admitted. "I've not had a lot of experience with bonded pairs. I don't know if I would be able to tell them apart from a normal person."

His eyes turned back to the screen. Watching as his partner battled the man who had murdered his parents. Tiger had started the fight with speed but between Jake and his damaged suit, he wasn't getting anywhere fast.

Barnaby gritted his teeth. Every time Kotetsu moved, his suit screeched like it was in sheer agony. Reluctantly, he followed Blue Rose's advice and dialed down his senses. If he zoned now, they would probably have to send out for a Rescue Guide to come and pull him out of it. None of them had time for that.

Mentally, he began re-evaluating his enemy. Taking the possibility that he was a Sentinel into consideration. Nathan was right after all. Kotetsu knew a thing or two about Sentinels.

----------

Agnes' videography of Barnaby's daily life was torturous. Every scripted line that he had to recite tasted sour on his tongue. Initially, when tower security had told them about the bomb threat, Kotetsu had been relieved for the excuse to stop play acting. After all, the majority of the time such threats were just that. Threats.

But then Kotetsu remembered the man in the elevator and all his relief had evaporated.

Kotetsu swallowed nervously, watching as Barnaby disarmed the bomb. In the viewfinder of the camera Agnes had shoved into his hands, he could see Barnaby's pupils expanding and retracting as the Sentinel focused.

"Okay," Barnaby said as his eyes darted between the last two wires. He sat back and wiped the sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand. "Now I just have to avoid the trap."

Kotetsu stretched out with a forced air of careless relaxation. As he leaned on his elbow he rested his chin into the palm of his hand. He barely resisted the urge to fidget nervously.

"Okay," he said, leaning forward with the camera, zooming in on the two remaining wires. "Which one? Top or bottom?"

Barnaby didn't answer. He didn't move. Kotetsu's eyes widened, glancing from the bomb's timer to Barnaby.

"Um, Bunny, are you going to choose..."

He trailed off once he got a good look at Barnaby's eyes. They were glazed over and unfocused; staring into the middle distance in the direction of the bomb.

"Shit!" Kotetsu exclaimed as he dropped the camera and scrambled towards Barnaby on his hands and knees. He grabbed his partner by the shoulders and shook him. Barnaby's gaze remained blank. Kotetsu swallowed and glanced at the bomb. The timer had dropped below one minute. "We don't have time for a Zone right now Bunny!"

He pulled the hat off his head and put it onto Barnaby's, tipping it down until it covered his eyes.

"You've not even told me how many of your senses are heightened!"

Barnaby made no move to answer. Kotetsu knew he had most likely zoned on sight but even with that sense cut off, it wouldn't be enough to pull Barnaby from the zone. Kotetsu reeled his arm back and slapped him across the face, as hard as he could without using his Hundred Power.

"Come on Bunny!" He yelled, glancing at the bomb. Less than fifty seconds left. "We don't have time for this!"

Barnaby's muscles tensed a second before he reached up and snatched the hat off of his head. He turned, glaring at Kotetsu as he opened his mouth to shout.

"No time," Kotetsu yelled as he activated Hundred Power. Barnaby's eyes widened, even as his own NEXT aura began to glow. "Go high!"

He jumped, Hundred Power enhancing his strength, and smashed through the roof of the elevator shaft with his fist. Kotetsu was grateful that the shaft went all the way to the roof. He managed to break through to the sky before he lost his upward momentum and began to fall, barely managing to dodge the bomb as it sailed past him into the open air. He landed back on top of the elevator with just enough time to scoop up Agnes' camera and capture the explosion.

After the light of the blast faded Kotetsu sat heavily on the elevator car and collapsed onto his back with a sigh of relief. He reached out to snag his hat and put it back on his head. With a quiet chuckle, he zoomed in on the hole in the roof just as a HeroTV chopper flew overhead.

"Five senses."

He turned to blink at Barnaby in momentary confusion. Then his eyebrows shot up.

"Really? Wow, that's pretty good luck! I wasn't sure what I was going to do if I couldn't snap you out of the zone. I didn't have any time to figure out what senses to stimulate."

Barnaby watched him with narrowed eyes.

"How did you know what to do?" Barnaby asked suspiciously. "The Sentinel & Guide Institute isn't really known for educating non-Guides on how to bring a Sentinel out of a Zone."

"Do you really think you're the first Sentinel to become a Hero?" Kotetsu asked with a shaky laugh, not meeting his partner's eyes. "There's been at least five that I've worked with since my debut. In fact, this is the first time since I started that there's only been one Sentinel Hero."

"I didn't know that," Barnaby said as he settled back to lay on the elevator's roof beside him. "Which ones?"

"Of course you didn't know!" Kotetsu said, happy to move on to a safer subject. "I tried to explain the whole secret identity thing to you before but you obviously didn't listen."

"But that doesn't matter to fellow heroes," Barnaby argued. "We all know each other's identities."

"I'm not going to tell you," Kotetsu replied with a smug smile. "You should watch the old episodes of HeroTV and figure it out for yourself. Or I guess you could cheat and ask Mr. Maverick."

"Or you could just tell me," Barnaby said with a sigh. "I don't care enough to look into it myself or bother Mr. Maverick."

"Then I guess you'll have to keep wondering until your curiosity gets strong enough," Kotetsu said with a shrug. Then he stood and gestured to the hatch in the elevator's roof. "We should probably start to head down. Otherwise Agnes might try to force her way back inside."

Kotetsu was grateful to hand the situation over to the police and the building's security as they met them on their way down the stairs. Barnaby took charge of informing the police on the structure of the bomb and left Kotetsu to inform the building's security about their new skylight.

After being screamed at and banned from the premise for the foreseeable future, Kotetsu was on his last nerve and more than ready to go home. He didn't notice when Barnaby stopped in the lobby, to stare speculatively up at the statue of Mr. Legend.

"What about him?" Barnaby asked, the questioning tone in his voice stopping Kotetsu in his tracks. He turned and stared up into the golden sculpted face of his idol. He couldn't help the way his lips turned up into a smile.

"Well," Barnaby asked, raising an eyebrow. "Was he a Sentinel?"

"Just how old do you think I am," Kotetsu asked in mock outrage. He threw up his hands and shook his head before turning abruptly on his heel to leave. He was barely outside the doors before Barnaby had caught up to him.

"But yes. Mr Legend was the first Sentinel-Hero."

"Finally! There you are!" Agnes practically flew towards him, reaching for her camera. "Give me that!"

Kotetsu backed up quickly, holding the camera up out of her reach. He held up his other hand to ward her away.

"Woah, woah, woah there Agnes! You can't just air this footage. You've got to get Bunny's permission first!"

"That footage is part of my documentary," she said with a growl. Kotetsu dodged backwards, outside of kicking range. "He already agreed to allow HeroTV to broadcast the footage!"

"Okay," Kotetsu said even as he tossed the camera to a confused Barnaby. "But I am 100% sure that Zoning wasn't covered by that contract and that you'll need to discuss the particulars with his Institute advocate."

Agnes stopped and turned to glare at Barnaby.

"You Zoned during a crisis situation?" She hissed under her breath. "Mr. Maverick told me that you hardly ever Zone! I can't air footage of you in a Zone! Do you have any idea what the repercussion of that could be?"

Barnaby's jaw clenched as he glared at Kotetsu and threw the camera. Kotetsu raised an eyebrow in confusion, snagging the camera from the air as Agnes lunged for it. Had Barnaby not wanted to mention the Zone? It wasn't like it could be helped! They had to say something or Agnes could have run off with the camera before they'd had a chance to stop her.

"Give me that," Agnes growled as she leaped forward and grabbed the camera. When Kotetsu did not release it she sighed. "We won't be airing any footage of Barnaby in a Zone. We'll edit around that but I need to get the footage to the van so we can get that done and air it as soon as possible!"

Kotetsu held onto the camera until he saw Barnaby give him a short nod of acceptance.

"Finally!" Agnes cried when he released his hold. She took off, sprinting towards the HeroTV van.

"Why did you do that?" Barnaby demanded as soon as she was out of earshot.

"What do you mean, why did I do that?" Kotetsu asked aghast. "It's illegal for footage of a Sentinel in a Zone or a Guide in a Fugue to be aired without permission from the individual and the Sentinel and Guide Institute. That should have been one of the first contractual clauses that your Institute Advocate discussed with you when you signed your contract with Apollon."

"This more of that information you've gained from working alongside Sentinel heroes?" Barnaby asked, his eyes narrowing. Kotetsu got the distinct feeling that all of Barnaby's senses were focused on him, waiting to detect any signs of a lie.

"Admittedly, it's something that comes up quite a bit in this line of work." Kotetsu said honestly. "Most heroes that are Sentinel's aren't able to take their Guide's out in the field with them. Unfortunately, Zones happen fairly often. But it's not something that Agnes has had to deal with since she took over as director from Mr. Maverick."

"It's not something that happens fairly often with me," Barnaby said with a heavy sigh as he started to leave. "I wouldn't expect it to happen again any time soon."

"Well, we've already seen that if and when it does, I might be able to help." Kotetsu called to his retreating partner.

"I'll make sure it doesn't come to that," Barnaby retorted.

Kotetsu's expression soured but he let his partner have the last word. As he followed the Sentinel to the Apollon truck he felt a stirring in his gut. Kotetsu frowned. He hoped that his partner's confidence wouldn't come back to bite them.

Chapter Text

Chapter Two

Kotetsu was losing. He hated to admit it to himself but there it was. He was faster than Jake. He was sure about that. But somehow, Jake was able to anticipate his every move. Able to dodge or block his every attack.

As always in situations like this, Koetesu found himself longing for Tomoe. Wishing to hear her exuberant cheers. To feel her steadfast assurance that he would be victorious. But, as it had been for the last five years, there was nothing.

He almost reached for her. He was constantly drowning in his loneliness these days without her. But he stopped himself. He couldn't let her absence drown him. Kaede still needed him! And right now, the people of Sternbild needed him! Barnaby needed him, even if his partner wouldn't accept or admit it.

'Focus Kotetsu,' he told himself. 'You can't let this guy win!'

He charged again as Good Luck Mode activated. Jake created a forcefield, almost dismissively, that sent him flying. He heard Good Luck Mode’s ability out message as he pulled himself out of the rubble.

“That didn’t work the first ten times you tried it either,” Jake said, the amusement vanishing from his voice.

Kotetsu glared up at him.

“Why can’t I hit you?”

“I can hear what you’re gonna do before you do it,” Jake said quietly, as if he were confiding a secret. “And that’s why you’ll never beat me.”

His suit gave him the ten second warning and Kotetsu forced himself to stand. He forced himself to focus. To try and find some weakness to attack. He couldn't stop now! He charged forward, racing the clock on his power, and stumbled as it ended right before he reached Jake.

“Oops, time’s up! Too bad!” Jake dodged aside, laughing as Kotetsu stumbled to a stop. “Well, you tried.”

Gritting his teeth with frustration Kotetsu turned and charged again. Attacking again and again. Jake snapped his fingers and a forcefield appeared before him; sending Kotetsu flying. The blow knocked the air out of him. Hitting the ground sent waves of pain washing over his body. But Kotetsu forced himself to stand.

'A real hero never quits,' he told himself. "I can’t let this punk stop me.’'

Kotetsu charged forward again. Jake stood watching him, unimpressed.

“You don’t know when to quit, do you?”

Unexpectedly, the servos in his legs stalled and, without meaning too, he tripped. Kotetsu's forward momentum sent him tumbling, head over heels, and he was shocked to feel the heel of his boot connect with something that gave underneath it. He collapsed to the ground again and Jake was on him in an instant.

"Ow, you slippery punk!" The Sentinel shouted, clutching his head and it was obvious what he was now, as his anger broke through his Guide's shielding. "Now you’re really in for it!"

Jake's assault began anew with a vicious vigor. Before, he had been playing. Attacking just enough to keep the game going until he grew bored. Now, he attacked with purpose. He attacked to cause pain.

"No one kicks me! No one!"

Every word was emphasised with a kick or a punch. Even if Kotetsu had been able to escape the assault, he was now in too much pain to rise. Eventually the vulnerable faceplate of his suit gave way, exposing the left side of his face to his attacker.

Kotetsu was thrown back against the stadium wall; staring, unobscured and unprotected into the murderer's eye's and, once again, Kotetsu found himself wishing that Tomoe would come.

“I really don’t like getting kicked in the head, hear me?” Jake snarled in his face. “You’re so dead Kotetsu! Nobody kicks me like that and lives!”

Jake activated his NEXT abilities and struck Kotetsu again and again with a barrage of forcefield attacks. When the barrage ceased, Kotetsu was flat on the ground, surrounded by rubble. He heard Jake’s footsteps approach and blinked his eyes open.

Jake stood over him, viciously grinning down at him as he raised his fist for the final blow. Kotetsu squeezed his eyes shut as he saw Jake throw the punch. As the punch connected Kotetsu felt Jake’s bare fingers touch the skin of his cheek and, instantly, they both froze.
Jake stared down at Kotetsu, his eyes widening with surprise before he opened his fist and grazed his fingers, almost gently, across Kotetsu's cheek.

As soon as their skin regained contact, Kotetsu felt it. The sensation was weak amongst the pain of his injuries but still it buzzed against his skin. The shocking sensation of a Bonded Sentinel touching another Sentinel's Bonded Guide.

"Kriem!” Jake yelled over his shoulder as he used his forcefield’s to blast the rubble away. “Come here, I want you to check something for me!" With the ground cleared, Jake straddled Kotetsu's chest. His knees dug into Kotetsu's arms, pinning him securely to the ground below him. "Bring the camera!"

"This really is a surprise," he said, caressing his fingers across Kotetsu's exposed cheek. He seemed to revel in the feeling of the slight shocks . Jake gripped the broken edges of Kotetsu's helmet and pulled it apart as Kriem and her Mad Bear camera bearer ran up to them. He leaned down to whisper in Kotetsu's ear. "I really never would have expected a loser like you to be so blessed. NEXT power and a Guide? But then again, I think you might be the worst Guide in the world. Why else would your Sentinel have abandoned you?"

"Mister Jake, did you want some close ups before you finish him?"

Kriem and the Mad Bear arrived and Kotetsu could see the camera out of the corner of his eye, but none of that mattered.

"She didn't abandon me," he hissed with as much confidence as he could muster. "She would never abandon me."

"Then where is she Crusher? Kriem came for me. Who would come for you?" He sat up and beckoned his Guide closer. "Come here Kriem, I want you to do a reading to confirm something for me."

Her eyes widened in surprise but she wasted no time. She pulled off her gloves and knelt on the grass beside Kotetsu's head. Leaning forward, she firmly wrapped her hands around his jaw, tilting his face until he was forced to stare up into her eyes.

Their eyes met and, for the first time in five years, Kotetsu felt the mental touch of another Guide. She was strong, he realized. She sliced through his ragged shields like they were cobwebs.

"You're right Mister Jake!" Kriem exclaimed, looking up at her Sentinel with awe. "He is a Guide!"

"I was sure," Jake said reaching out to stroke his fingers against Kriem's cheek. "But thank you for confirming it. Now I want you to do something else for me. I want you to find his Sentinel."

-----------

Antonio's NEXT ability was unconducive to surgery. When he was unconscious, his powers tended to activate at the slightest provocation. Invulnerable skin was difficult to operate on. Which meant, Antonio had to be awake during surgery. Usually, as soon as the procedure was over, he allowed himself to put under to rest and recover.

But he had learned that Kotetsu was going to be the next Hero to face Jake and Antonio was uneasy. There had been something off about Kotetsu since their first confrontation with Jake. Something other than his obvious argument with his partner.

Before Antonio had left for his fight, Kotetsu had gone to speak with the Justice Department’s Council Representative from the Sentinel and Guide Institute! His friend had gone out of his way to avoid other Guide's for the last five years and as far as Antonio knew, the avoidance wasn't only on Kotetsu's side.

Antonio hadn't even realized that Kotetsu had gone Offline after Tomoe's death. It wasn't until the Sentinel and Guide Institute had begun trying to test Kaede and making threats about challenging Kotetsu’s custody that everything had hit home for him.

Kotetsu's Sentinel had died. But Kotetsu had survived. Antonio hadn't even realized that there was anything other than tragic about it until it had been used to threaten his daughter's childhood.

Antonio had done some research after learning about Kotetsu's new status. What he could find on the internet told him that Offline Guides were uncomfortable for other Guides to be around. Apparently, Online or Offline, all Guide's had an innate Guideness. But something about an Offline Guide was inherently wrong. But nothing that Antonio had been able to find would clarify what it was.

He knew that in one of their phone battles with Kotetsu an Institute Representative had claimed that Offline Guide was hazardous to the health of everyone around them. But Kotetsu continued to deny them access to test Kaede for Sentinel or Guide gifts. When The Institute had threatened to challenge Kotetsu's custody, Antonio hadn't known what to do. He'd tried to convince Kotetsu to reach out to TopMag's legal department. But when Kotetsu had, it was for a reason Antonio never would have expected.

At the age of five, Kaede had been transferred to her Grandmother's custody. She had cried the entire way to Oriental Town. It had broken Antonio's heart at the time, to see his closest friend's family so thoroughly broken. He couldn't have imagined how hard it had been for Kotetsu.

He knew that his friend had harboured an intense animosity towards the Institute ever since. So for him to approach their Council Representative now, something clearly had to have been wrong.

And it was. Antonio had been thoroughly trounced by Jake. He had remained awake through his surgery and after. He hadn't wanted Kotetsu to fight. But there wasn't much he could do while stuck in a hospital bed. At the very least, he could watch.

But when Kotetsu finally managed to land a blow, Antonio didn't feel any excitement. His friend was exhausted and an easy target. He saw Jake's furious assault and couldn't resist screaming obscenities towards the television. But there was nothing that he could do to stop the beating.

Then, abruptly, Jake stilled. Antonio saw him lean close over Kotetsu and reach out. Then he called for the woman over his shoulder and the picture shook as the camera approached the two on the ground.

As the camera drew closer Antonio could see the figures more clearly. Jake had Kotetsu pinned, his helmet torn off and abandoned on the turf as he stroked Kotetsu's face. Antonio felt his heart drop into his stomach.

He fumbled for his cell phone beside his bed. Once it was in his hands he hit Agnes's contact as quickly as he could. The phone rang and rang, as on the television, Kriem directed the Mad Bear to take a close up of the two fighters.

"She didn't abandon me," Kotetsu hissed, his eyes furious, as the camera focused on him. "She never would have abandoned me."

"What could you possibly want right now," Agnes demanded as she answered the call. On screen, Kriem dropped to her knees beside Kotetsu's head.

"You have to stop the broadcast," Antonio demanded. Kriem gripped Kotetsu's face and stared down at him. "Right now! Before they-"

"You're right Mister Jake! He is a Guide!"

"Before they do that." Antonio finished weakly.

------------

"Impossible," Barnaby said. "There is no way that he's a Guide! I couldn't have not sensed him!"

But Barnaby's assurances died out with Kriem's statement.

"Unless," Nathan said quietly.

"He's bonded too," Pao-lin finished.

His partner was a Guide. That was how he had known how to pull a Sentinel out of a Zone. Why he had known about the contracts that the Institute drew up for all Sentinel's and Guide's when they were employed. His partner was bonded to a Sentinel.

"He's not my Guide," Barnaby said, his eyes narrowing as he frowned.

"Well obviously," Karina snapped. "If he were you wouldn't look so shocked right now."

"But he doesn't have an Institute contract," Barnaby added weakly. "He doesn't have an Institute advocate."

"That is because Wild Tiger is registered as an Offline Guide," said a new voice behind them.

The heroes whirled around. They had been so focused on the television that they hadn't heard the door open or the pair that had entered. Both men wore suits. The shorter of the two had a briefcase and a limp. Barnaby's eyes narrowed.

"With all due respect Guide Finch," Barnaby recognized the Institute's Council Representative and his Sentinel even if they had never been formally introduced. "That's bullshit. Wild Tiger couldn't possibly be offline."

"After today, I find that I agree with you," Finch said. "Unfortunately, before today the Institute's relationship with Wild Tiger had been hostile on both sides. His registration update as Offline was never questioned and no one was eager to be exposed to an Offline Guide. All of our contact the last few years had been over the phone or email until today."

"How could anyone possibly think he was Offline in the first place?" Barnaby demanded, turning squarely towards the Guide. Finch's Sentinel glared at him over his Guide's shoulder until Barnaby relaxed his posture. "Wild Tiger is incredibly empathetic towards others. It's one of his more defining and annoying characteristics."

"I believe the representative sent to evaluate him might have been biased," Finch said regretfully as he opened his briefcase and pulled out a few files. "The Institute is already preparing to investigate her case records after my call earlier."

Finch held up a familiar folder and Barnaby frowned. He hadn't even noticed that his file on Jake was missing.

"Wild Tiger approached me today before the first council meeting. He told me that he wasn't sure who he could trust and he gave me this file." Finch held out his hand and his Sentinel handed him a second file. Everyone in the room could see the Justice Department's seal. "He asked me to compare the file that Mr. Brooks had printed off before Ouroborus made their demands, to the file that the Justice Department handed out afterwards."

As Finch flipped the folders open the heroes huddled close to be able to read the papers. It only took a moment for Barnaby to notice the discrepancy.

"Sensory Isolation. They put him in a Sensory Isolation Cell. The prison knew that he was a Sentinel."

Finch nodded.

"The Sentinel and Guide Institute has no record of Jake Martinez being recorded as a Sentinel. It's possible that the man managed to avoid registering but more likely that the name is an Alias. Wild Tiger brought me this information because something about Jake seemed off." Finch laughed. "He told me that it was a-"

"A gut feeling," Barnaby said weakly.

Of course, when it came to Guide's, such things weren't called 'gut feelings'. A Guide's Intuition was one of the first senses that young Guide's learned to perfect. For some young Guide's, their empathic abilities turned their intuition into a nearly precognitive ability.

The sound of screaming from the television brought all their attention back to Kotetsu's current predicament. Jake still had his body pinned but Kotetsu was fighting, struggling, to get free. Kriem was leaning over his face, forcing his gaze to meet her eyes even as Kotetsu demanded and pleaded with her to stop.

"Oh dear," Said Finch, shifting uncomfortably as he pulled a cell phone from his pocket. He began scrolling through his messages. "It's a good thing the Institute has been requesting most Sentinel's and Guide's not watch. Mr. Brooks you should probably go."

Barnaby bristled. But before he could manage a reply Finch's Sentinel, Reese, put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's never easy to watch a Guide die."

All at once Barnaby felt his heart drop into this stomach. He'd known that Kotetsu would lose but...He turned, his eyes wide and horrified to stare at Sentinel Reese.

"Even if they are a criminal."

"Kriem?" Nathan asked, shocked. "Why do you think something is going to happen to her?"

There was silence for a moment. Barnaby felt a sigh of relief building but he contained it. As the silence dragged on, Barnaby thought about his partner and how impossible it was for him to be Offline. How being a hero was everything to him. His caring nature. How he wanted to save everyone, even the criminals they were sent to apprehend.

How his wife had died five years before.

"His Sentinel was his wife, wasn't she?" Barnaby asked. Finch nodded, his face drawn with sadness. "But how? How could he still be shielded? Did his bond transfer to someone else when she died?"

"It's very rare for a Guide to survive the death of their Sentinel," Finch said glancing uneasily at Nathan and the girls. It was rare for such information to be revealed to anyone who wasn’t a Sentinel or a Guide. "A Bonded relationship is so symbiotic that it’s difficult for one to live without the other. And that isn't taking into account the emotional backlash that the death of such a pillar would cause. Usually in the few cases where a Guide or a Sentinel survives the death of their partner, there is a child or other dependent involved. The majority of those Guide's and Sentinel's, after the bond to their partner is severed, their minds and senses are blown completely open. All of their shielding dies with their partner. But occasionally..."

Finch trailed off, looking highly uncomfortable. His eyes were on the television, watching as Kotetsu struggled underneath Jake as he tried to force Kriem away.

"Occasionally," said the Sentinel Reese, taking up where his Guide had been unable to continue. "A Guide loses their partner and they go Offline. Their shielding is gone but their minds are still closed. Something about the stress of the loss destroys the Guide's natural empathetic ability and, usually, their ability to empathize at all."

"And you've all thought WILD TIGER was Offline?" Nathan exclaimed. "You are a bunch of morons!"

"But if Tiger isn't Offline and his Sentinel is dead then how come Barnaby couldn't sense that he was a Guide?" Karnina demanded.

"I've never thought it was actually possible," Finch said quietly, his eyes never leaving the screen. Kotetsu had stilled, his teeth gritted as he glared up into Kriem's eyes. "There are stories...but they're fairy tales. However, it seems like it's the only possibility. Somehow, Wild Tiger is still shielded. That should be impossible…if the bond was broken."

On screen, Kriem's eyes widened and her skin went ashen as she started to scream.

------------

Kotetsu collapsed on his bed, resisting the urge to scream his frustration into his pillow like a teenager. He didn't need empathy to know that his new partner was full of himself. Or that he was just as happy with this situation as Kotetsu. He toed off his shoes and turned over until he was able to worm his way underneath the blanket.

Kotetsu pulled the blanket up over his head and, finally, allowed his shoulders to shake. He had been using his irritation with Bunny to distract himself since he had waved goodbye to Kaede at the train station. To keep himself from completely falling apart.

"Kaede could have died today," he whispered to the void in the bed beside him. "I wasn't quick enough and she could have died."

He laid in silence, shivering. There was no answer. His senses stretched out, seeking the Sentinel that had been his anchor for over half of his lifetime. They found only the void.

Kaede had talked about nothing but Barnaby the entire trip to the train station. He would have rather listened to her talk about her crush on the skating kid again. A crush on anyone but his new partner. But it gave him something to think about. Something to focus on other than imagining Kaede crushed beneath a pile of rubble.

Kotetsu had offered to ride home with her on the train. Just to see her for a little while longer. To be able to see that she was still alive. Kaede had silenced him with a glare.

"I can ride the train on my own Dad!" She had said and he could imagine that he could still sense her irritation. "I'm not a little kid anymore!"

She had left him alone on the platform and hadn't waved goodbye to him until the train was leaving the station. Kotetsu had had to fight the urge to chase after the train, keeping her in sight for as long as possible.

When he'd gotten home he had gone straight for the fridge, only to find that he was completely out of beer. He'd stood in the kitchen for far too long, contemplating going out and restocking his supply. In the end he'd decided that it wasn't worth it.

Beer probably wouldn't have been strong enough to overcome tonight's empty feeling anyway and he had promised himself, a long time ago, that he would never lose himself to something stronger.

Laying in his bed, he didn't bother getting out from under his covers to undress. Kotetsu popped the buttons on his vest and shirt, throwing them carelessly in the direction of his clothes basket. He pushed his pants down and kicked his legs until they had fallen off the edge of the bed.

His bed was soft and warm. Kotetsu closed his eyes, trying to even out his breathing. He tossed and turned, his lips pulling down in a frown. After two restless hours, his eyes snapped open and he sat up. Wrapping the blanket around his shoulders, Kotetsu stood and padded down the stairs. He put a worn disc into the player and collapsed on the sofa as he turned on his television.

He pressed play and watched as the video started. The picture was a little shaky as it focused on two teenagers, still in their school uniforms. He turned the volume up and laid back with his eyes closed.

Tomoe had claimed she'd known he was her Guide at first sight. It had taken Kotetsu a little while longer to realize. Sometime after classroom cleaning duties, fights, and new friendships; Kotetsu realized that he had begun to bond with the student council president. Tomoe had laughed when he'd told her and if he hadn't been able to sense her incandescent joy he would have been embarrassed.

Years later, as Tomoe lay in a hospital bed, shielding her emotions from even him, Kotetsu had clung to the memory of that joy.

"Go, they need you," she had told him and he couldn't tell what she was hiding behind her smile. "Be their hero."

He had gone. He had saved civilians and earned points. He’d wished later that he hadn't.

Kotetsu felt it before he got the call, the call that he'd been dreading, and dropped everything. He'd bolted past the media to where Ben had agreed to wait with the car. They had rushed back to the hospital as Kotetsu ripped off his costume in the backseat.

He had been reaching for Tomoe, clinging to their bond, pouring every ounce of power he had into holding onto her, ever since he had felt that first slip. He clung tight to the fraying line between them, pouring both Hundred Power and his mental powers into his grip, the whole way to the hospital.

He had cried for Ben to drive faster; all the while hoping that they would make it in time. Praying that he was wrong about the fraying bond that he was struggling so hard to keep together.

That Tomoe wasn't already gone.

After the funeral, the Sentinel and Guide Institute had sent an evaluator to his house. A Guide that he hadn't known.

It was highly unnatural for a Guide to survive the death of their Sentinel, she had told him. He hadn't been able to feel her disgust but he hadn't needed to when she wore it plainly on her face.

It was different, to be near someone and not know what they were feeling. If he hadn't still been able to feel his paternal bond with Kaede, Kotetsu would have been completely numb to the world.

He’d almost given in when the evaluator demanded to test his daughter. It was something usually done just before students entered High School. But with a Bonded pair for parents it was more likely that the genes would have been passed on.

But he saw the way that the evaluator looked at him. The way she avoided being within distance for him to touch her. The way she seemed almost fanatically desperate to see Kaede.

He remembered the rumors from his childhood, of the Institute taking Sentinel and Guide children away from their parents.

"Don't bother coming back," He'd snarled as he threw her out of his house. But that hadn't been the end of it. Kotetsu had almost laughed when he had gotten the notice that he had been officially registered as Offline. He had lost all will to laugh when the Institute began to threaten his custody of his child.

Kaede had been too young to understand his reasons. All she had known was that her Mom was gone and that her father had sent her away. On the train to Oriental Town, Kotetsu had held her tightly as she sobbed against his chest. He hated to leave her behind but he would rather see her rarely than be kept from ever seeing her again.

As impossible as it seemed, the world had gone on. At first, Kotetsu tried to live by his Sentinel's last request. He tried to be the best hero that he could be. He tried to resume his normal life and be the King of Heroes.

But with his daughter sent away and an empty void where his wife and Sentinel had been, it was hard.

He had fallen hard through the rankings. He had always prioritized the victims over the camera but he had never seemed to scorn it as he did now. In only a few years, Kotetsu went from King of Heroes to the very bottom of the charts.

But, he didn't care about the charts. Tomoe had wanted him to help people, to be the hero for them that he couldn't not be for her.

As he listened to an old recording of Tomoe's voice as they prepared to leave for a festival, his senses stopped searching. For a short while they stopped reaching into the void that his Sentinel had left behind. For a short time Kotetsu sat, silent and still, just watching and listening.

The video continued, a compilation of every bit of footage of Tomoe that Kotetsu had been able to find, playing on repeat over and over again. Kotetsu listened to the last remaining fragments of the first person he had ever loved and, eventually, fell asleep.

Chapter Text

Chapter Three

"Now I want to do something else for me. I want you to find his Sentinel."

"No," Kotetsu protested, struggling against the pair. "You don't understand! You can't!"

"She must have been desperate for a Guide," Jake said, wrapping a hand around Kotetsu’s throat to silence him as he leaned all of his weight onto Kotetsu’s arms to keep him still. "Only a desperate Sentinel would have bonded with a Guide as weak as you."

"We won't hurt her," Kriem said as her finger's dug into his cheeks, holding his face steady. "We just want to congratulate her on finding a suitable method of dealing with such a lacking Guide."

"You can't," Kotetsu choked out. It was hard to breathe with Jake's weight on his chest. Hard to speak with the hand around his throat. He met the Sentinel's eyes. "She'll die, you can't let her."

"Like Kriem said, I won't hurt her," Jake said with a grin. "I just want to give her the good news that she's free of you in person."

"Don't," Kotetsu cried as Kriem forced him to meet her eyes again. He could feel her mind invading his own. Felt as she found the worn and frayed line that had connected him to Tomoe. "Please stop!"

But she had already Tranced. Her mental presence abandoning her own body to invade Kotetsu's mind as she followed the line that connected a Guide to their Sentinel. She was beyond listening to the physical world.

Kotetsu fought, pulling on every Guide ability that he hadn't been able to use since Tomoe died. He tried anything and everything to knock her out of her Tranced stated. To make her stop following a line that would end with her death.

But he could not gather enough power. Every ounce of his strength went into holding the bond together. All of his power held onto Tomoe. He wasn't able to stop Kriem.

"She's very far away," Kriem whispered. Her eyes were glazed but unblinking. "It's so cold and so dark. How-how can she be so far away?"

"Please," Kotetsu sobbed, his eyes full of tears. "Stop her, she's going to die if you don't!"

"Kriem," Jake's weight shifted as he realized. He released Kotetsu to reach for his guide. "Stop."

But it was too late. Kriem had found the void at the end of the line.

Kriem's eyes widened and she began to scream. The Empathetic wave of pure terror that she projected was enough to stun even her own Sentinel. Jake fell to the side, freeing Kotetsu just enough that he was able to raise his arms.

He didn't have time to remove his gloves so Kotetsu did the next best thing. He reached up, grabbed Kriem's head, and pulled her until their foreheads touched. Her skin had gone icy cold but Kotetsu needed more contact. After all, he was woefully out of practice.

For five years Kotetsu had been unable to use his Guide abilities. In those years everything that made him a Guide had been focused solely on holding a line in tact that fed directly into a void. Tomoe was somewhere on the other side of that dark and cold abyss. Every year since Tomoe's death, the void had swallowed everything, and Kotetsu had been willing to feed it.

One day, Kotetsu knew he would die. He knew that, eventually, that void would take him too and the line would lead him to Tomoe.

But he couldn't...he wouldn't let that void kill someone else.

The line was already fraying from his attempts to knock Kriem out of his head. Kotetsu felt his whole body shaking with grief as he let it go.

It took barely an instant for the line to snap and Kotetsu's final tie to his Sentinel vanished.

His shields dissolved. He could feel himself projecting his grief and devastation but he didn't have the time to try and regain control over his abilities. He could feel Sternbild’s panic but he managed to push through it. He forced himself to sit up, never breaking his contact with Kriem. His battered and abused body protested every movement but he managed somehow. If he broke the connection, her mind would be lost forever.

Kriem was cold, goosebumps covering her exposed flesh. Her eyes were wide and glazed over with fear. Kotetsu shifted his grip, pulling her to sit beside him and holding her limp hands to his cheeks. He gazed into Kriem's eyes and reached out with his mind.

Kotetsu sat on the edge of his bed, gazing down from the loft towards the front door. He could feel the draw, pulling him in, beckoning him to the door. Kotetsu stood and slowly walked down the stairs, glancing around as he did to take in the memories displayed on every inch of the walls.

The majority were memories of Kaede's childhood. Before Tomoe had died. Before she had been sent to live with her Grandmother. Kotetsu swallowed, his eyes watering as he caught sight of a wall completely covered with memories of Tomoe. Forcing his eyes away he jumped down the last of the stairs.

He had a job to do after all!

The front door was cold to the touch and when Kotetsu opened it he wasn't surprised that it didn't lead out onto his Sternbild street. Instead, he stepped out into the hallway of his childhood home. Kotetsu moved through this area quickly. He could hear the floorboards creaking under his feet in a way they never had before. The walls seemed thinner. A cold draft followed him down the hall.

When he reached the front door Kotetsu turned the knob and paused to take a deep fortifying breath. Then he stepped through into the ruins of his mental structures.

When he had come online as a Guide, Kotetsu had been taught to build a ‘mind palace’ to protect himself. To keep himself separate from the projected thoughts of everyone around him. Kotetsu had built those defenses from his real life; his mother's home, his school, the town that he had grown up in. Later in life he had added the townhouse in Sternbild.

His mental landscape had always been bright and full of color. When he had bonded with Tomoe, she had brought so much warmth.

The landscape now was pale and freezing cold. The structures that had once protected Kotetsu and his Sentinel were crumbling ruins. Outside, the draw was even stronger, practically pulling Kotetsu towards the edges of his mind.

He didn't fight the draw. After all, it was what he was here for in a way.

When his line to Tomoe had snapped, Kriem's mental self had been left behind. At the edges of Kotetsu's mind was a void like a black hole, standing out starkly against the pale sky. Kotetsu found Kriem there, drifting ever closer towards that all devouring void, shivering as she stared into the bitterly cold darkness.

"Turn around," he whispered as he drew up next to her. "Look for your bond, it isn't leading you here. Turn around and follow it."

Kriem didn't turn. She floated forward, crying. Her tears turning to ice on her cheeks. Kotetsu caught her by the shoulders, stopping her forward momentum. It took him a moment to find what he was looking for. The line that connected Kriem to her Sentinel would have usually been multi-colored and bright. But this close to the void the color was being leached away as the line thinned.

Kotetsu reached out and gently plucked the line. It vibrated like a guitar string, irritated by the touch of an interloper.

Very slowly, Kriem turned away from the void. She said nothing as she reached up and grasped the vibrating line, soothing it. Her eyes cleared and she glanced fearfully toward Kotetsu. He gestured for her to go. Kriem's tears began to melt as she took the line with both hands and began pulling herself along it, back towards her Sentinel. Back towards her own body.

Kotetsu watched her go until he was sure she wouldn't be pulled back to the void. He could feel it drawing him in and he almost turned. Almost allowed himself to be consumed, as Kriem had been, by the cold and dark emptiness.

But Kotetsu had been staring into that void for long enough. Kaede still needed him. The people of Sternbild still needed him. Barnaby would surely never trust him again after this. But he had to keep his promise to Tomoe.

So, as he had every time before, Kotetsu left the void behind him. It would never leave him. Even if he managed to rebuild his mental structures and defenses, the void would always be there where Tomoe had been. But Kotetsu was finished feeding it.

That wouldn't have been what Tomoe wanted.

As soon as he woke from his Trance, Kotetsu collapsed, gasping for breath. He was wracked with pain and exhaustion. Jake hadn't gone easy on him and forcing himself up to hold the connection with Kriem hadn't done him any favors.

But since the collapse of his shields he had been bombarded with the emotional projections of everyone within his range. Kotetsu fought to breathe as he tried to process the panic of a city under siege. A small part of him acknowledged that his range had increased as the rest of him tried not to scream in agony.

When he had been focused on Kriem, Kotetsu had been able to block them out. Unfortunately, that focus had passed.

"It would really be kinder to put you out of your misery." Kotetsu forced his eyes open. Jake stood beside him, Kriem held tightly to his chest. Jake's eyes glowed with a sick sort of interest that made Kotetsu flinch. Even though Kriem was unconscious, their shields were holding and Kotetsu was grateful. He didn't believe that he would have been able to handle feeling Jakes emotions as well. Jake raised a glowing finger and Kotetsu, losing the battle to remain conscious, could do nothing but watch.

"But it might be fun to see what happens to you next and I'm not really in the mood to be kind."

Kotetsu lost his battle before the forcefield struck him.

------------

Albert Maverick frowned heavily as he turned off the TV. He'd had no idea that Wild Tiger was a Guide. It hadn't been mentioned by any of the TopMag executives during the bankruptcy negotiations and the man hadn't had a contract with the Sentinel and Guide Institute when he signed with Apollon. Hell, Maverick had only bought the idiot's contract because of his Hundred Power ability!

Wild Tiger had seemed to be the perfect foil for Barnaby. An 'experienced' Hero with the same power? To put the two together was practically a guaranteed ratings success! Maverick had pushed Barnaby to accept the partnership and had allowed it to grow into what could have even become a friendship.

Wild Tiger might have been an imbecile but Maverick could admit that the man had his charms. He had expected that, even if a friendship didn't develop, the two would at least create a decent partnership.

And he had been looking forward to Hero TV's ratings when that partnership was torn apart. He still wasn't sure how he wanted to play it. Wild Tiger meeting his demise at the hands of Ouroborus? Or maybe while saving a civilian?

Or perhaps it would be best to drive a wedge into the partnership and give the viewers a new villain to hate.

But now...it would be much more difficult to get rid of a Guide. He turned away from the television and pulled a cigar from his desk. He lit it as he stared out the window over his city. He would have to be cautious going forward. Guide's were tricky to work around. He had tried hard over the years to keep them out of Apollon media.

It was almost funny, he thought. He had tried so hard to keep them out but had invited Wild Tiger in through the front door. Maverick blew a cloud of smoke towards the ceiling. Yes, this could be quite troublesome. It was hard enough dealing with the Sentinel & Guide Institute regarding Barnaby.

They really could have been the perfect partnership, Maverick thought. Both had the same NEXT power, which was an unheard of rarity. But to also be a Sentinel and Guide pair? He was sure the media was already eating it up. Barbaby was a five sense Sentinel and, while that information wasn't public, it was one of the questions that they constantly fielded during interviews.

Of course, there was no telling how powerful a Guide Wild Tiger was. He would need to find out, before he came face to face with the man. Maverick frowned around his cigar. This wouldn't have been a problem if that low level thug that Ourobourus had brought in had killed the man like he had told him to. But that...Lunatic had gotten in the way.

HeroTV was getting more and more troublesome by the day. Maverick sighed as he knocked the ash from his cigar. It had all started so simply. All he had wanted to do was show the people of Sternbild that the NEXT could be their protectors. That the NEXT could shepherd them to better quality of life.

And maybe he had gotten his hands a little dirty in the process. But he had succeeded! Sternbild had come so far with him at the helm! But there was still so far to go! He wouldn't let some troublesome, probably worthless, Guide threaten what he had built.

He froze, his brows furrowing contemplatively before a smile crept across his face.

Perhaps there was a profitable way to investigate Wild Tiger's new abilities? And weren't interviewers always asking Barnaby if he had found a Guide?

Perhaps...after all this Ourobourus business was over, Apollon could host the first ever televised Sentinel and Guide mixer! It would be troublesome to get the Institute to agree to such a thing but that was a problem that Maverick could throw Agnes at.

She would spin something about positive publicity and good public relations. Something that the Institute would probably be in need of after this cluster fuck.

Jake's Sentinel status was supposed to remain a secret, Maverick thought. He turned to extinguish his cigar in the ashtray on his desk as he paged his secretary. She answered promptly, sticking her head through the door as he was pulling on his coat.

"How can I help you Mister Maverick?"

"I'll need you to cancel the rest of my appointments for today. I'll be heading over to Justice Tower to help clean up this mess."

The woman nodded and ducked back out to rush to her desk. Maverick wrapped his scarf around his neck, winding it tightly.

Yes, with Jake's Sentinel status out in the open, there were a few loose ends at the Justice Department that he would have to quickly tie up.

------------

Barnaby didn't know how to feel anymore. The screen had gone dark after Agnes convinced Jake to postpone their match until the morning. But with the man's Guide out of commission it hadn't taken much convincing.

Karina and Nathan had vanished as soon as Agnes reported that Kotetsu was on his way to the hospital. Guide Finch had joined them. He thought Pao-lin might have tried to go as well but had been swept away by her agent.

Barnaby was still frozen in place, his hands balled into fists. Was there no end to Kotetsu's betrayal? How could he have ever thought that the man trusted him?

Barnaby had been ready to give his partner his trust in return. But how could he when the man so obviously didn't trust him at all?

"Don't need to be a Guide to sense those emotions."

Barnaby glanced over his shoulder at Sentinel Reese. He was surprised that he had remained behind when his Guide left.

"You're angry and hurt that Wild Tiger didn't tell you that he was a Guide, right?"

Barnaby clenched his jaw.

"He wants me to trust him but how can I when he doesn't trust me?"

"So everyone else knew that he was a Guide?"

The Sentinel's stare was like a laser. Barnaby blinked. They hadn't known. Nathan, Karina, and Pao-lin had all been surprised by the revelation.

"But he's supposed to be my partner," Barnaby said.

"And she was his Sentinel," Reese said gently. "And his wife."

Barnaby slumped as the fight went out of him. When he had learned of Kotetsu's loss he had felt a sort of miserable kinship with his partner. Now that he knew that the woman had been his partner's Sentinel, he couldn't imagine the strength it had taken Kotetsu to survive.

Barnaby had never been bonded. After the death of his parents, he had never wanted to. He had never wanted to open himself up to that sort of loss ever again.

"He's probably going to need a lot of help adjusting," Reese commented, his eyes never leaving Barnaby. "He hasn't used any of his abilities for five years. He hasn't gone unshielded for who knows how long before that."

"I have no intention of making him my Guide," Barnaby said darkly. Maybe he could accept that Kotetsu had had no reason to share his status with him. But that had no bearing on Kotetsu's actions during their first confrontation with Jake.

"That's fine," Reese said dismissively. "I'm sure that he won't have to look very hard. I mean, you felt it too right?"

Barnaby swallowed but nodded. The football field where Jake had decided to stage his fights was miles away from Justice Tower. But everyone in the room had felt Kotetsu's projected emotions when his shields had fallen. For him to be able to project that far...

"Holding onto that bond so long should have been impossible," Reese stated as he pulled out his phone and casually began scrolling through messages. "Whatever level his Guide abilities were before, I'd say they've probably doubled by now. There are plenty of unbonded five sense Sentinels in Sternbild. I wouldn't even be surprised if, in a few days, some six senses will be heading in from out of town."

"I get it!" Barnaby yelled. "But I don't want a Guide and I don't have time for this now! I'm fighting Jake first thing in the morning and I need to prepare! So unless you have some advice on that please let me be."

For a moment Reese was silent. Barnaby stood, waiting for the other Sentinel to leave the room and join his Guide at the hospital.

"Well," Reese drawled, startling Barnaby into turning around to face him. "Your partner's idea wasn't a bad one. Unfortunately, Jake's Guide was there to keep him from zoning. Tomorrow though...who knows what kind of state his Guide will be in?"

------------

Amamiya’s laughter made Kotetsu blush as he stared into her eyes. If he hadn't been able to feel her joy it would have been from embarrassment. But since he could feel her joy, her excitement, and her fear fading as they got farther away from the burning factory, Kotetsu blushed from the sheer pleasure of the experience.

"I've never felt this way before," he defended himself despite the fact that he couldn't stop himself from laughing as well. "It's not my fault that I didn't realize we were forming a bond!"

Since Kotetsu had come Online after his NEXT powers had awakened, he had been trained relentlessly by his Sensei to create a mental structure to protect himself from the projected thoughts of others. While Kotetsu might not have been the best academic student, it had only taken one night feeling the dreaming emotions of Muramasa and his mother for him to take his Guide training seriously.

But in all that training Kotetsu had never noticed how lonely he was inside his mental structure. How cold it could be. Not until Amamiya Tomoe arrived and made herself at home, warming up the hallways with her laughter and joy and...Kotetsu blushed again, glancing away from Amamiya’s face. He could feel her attraction to him and a blossoming emotion that he suspected might be love.

As soon as he looked away, Amamiya's laughter cut off and she reached out to grab his hand. Her grip was just a little too tight but Kotetsu linked his fingers with hers anway.

"Don't leave," Amamiya whispered. "I'm sorry if I offended you but I really like you Kotetsu."

Kotetsu shivered when she used his given name. Despite the fact that they weren't living in Japan, most of the residents of Oriental town still spoke Japanese and lived by Japanese traditions. Her using his given name felt...special.

"You didn't," Kotetsu assured her. "I just didn't want to intrude. A lot of people don't like it when Guide's can sense what they're feeling."

"But you're not just any Guide," Amamiya...Tomoe said with a smile. "You're my guide! I don't think I could ever want to keep anything from you."

“Wait a minute!” Tomoe and Kotetsu both turned to glare at the interrupting boy. Antonio Lopez and his friends had been following them since they’d fled the approaching sirens. He stilled, blinking in confusion as he pointed between them. “Kotetsu T. Kaburagi is a Guide? But the rumors were that he was a Sentinel?”

“Yeah, we thought his woman was his Guide!” Yelled one of Antonio’s cohorts. “That’s why we grabbed her!”

“We’re not done talkin’ about that yet,” Antonio yelled, smacking the other boy on the head. “But that’s talk for later.”

“Wait,” Tomoe said, staring at the boys in shock. “You thought that Kotetsu was Sentinel...and you thought that kidnapping his Guide was a good idea?”

“Well yeah,” said one of the boys with a shrug, “He’d be more likely to come for his Guide we thought.”

“That’s a good way to end up dead,” Kotetsu said. “It’s a good thing that I’m not a Sentinel. Guide’s getting kidnapped is the number one cause of a Sentinel having a feral episode. Ya know, those horror stories you sometimes hear about Sentinel’s going berserk and absolutely crushing anyone who gets in their way?”

The boys all paled as Antonio looked at Tomoe in confusion.

“Wait, if you’re a Sentinel...why did you let them kidnap you?”

Kotetsu turned his own confused expression on Tomoe. After all the grief that she’d given him during school, he couldn’t imagine that she’d willingly allowed herself to be put in a situation where he would have to fight for her.

“Oh,” Tomoe said with a blush. “You’re not just some punk. You’re not fighting just to fight. When I learned that you wanted to become a Hero, I wanted to help make that happen.”

“So when those punks approached me,” Tomoe said pointing to the beaten up group of boys. “I thought that maybe you’d like to have the chance to save someone and then the fire started and I actually needed to be saved and you did!”

Kotetsu’s face flushed as red as a tomato. Colored by his own embarrassment and by Tomoe’s.

“And after today I’m sure of it,” Tomoe said, smiling at Kotetsu. “I know that you’re going to be an amazing hero Kotetsu!”