Author's Note:
We finally crossed 50k words! I know this might not mean much to you but it means a lot to me. I never wrote a fanfic as long as this before (I usually wrie one shots on AO3), and now my aim is to cross 100k words. Hope you all keep supporting me!Ā Also, please vote š„¹Ā
***
(3rd POV)
It was 5:30 a.m., as usual, the world felt quieter. Something normal at this hour.
Makima's eyes fluttered open. It was earlier than she usually wakes up, but a faint dissonance had pulled her from sleep, disrupting the perfect routine she lived by.
A soft, wet weight was pressed against her cheek.
She turned her head slowly. Tiramisu, a Siberian husky, sat beside her, unease gleaming in its eyes, as if sleep-deprived.
"Can't sleep?" she muttered, her voice barely a whisper.
The dog wagged its tail, as if offering a plea to its owner.
Makima gently put her palm on Tiramisu's fur. Then, a faint, reddish glow washed over the dog.
The dog's breath slowed, as its eyes felt heavier, until it slipped into a deep, peaceful sleep.
Makima looked down at her sleeping dog, Tiramisu, who was curled up, unaware of how cruel the world could be. It was one of the newer additions. A female Siberian Husky, chosen deliberatelyā¦ to remind her of the dogs she used to own in her previous life.
It might not seem like it, but she did care about them. They made the silence in this house easier to ignore.
Yes, even the Control Devil herself did not prefer living alone.
She thought to herself that she was not alone anymore.
Now she had Aleks.
Her new, precious dog, whom she loved very very very muchā¦..or at least the version of 'love' she believed in.
She rose from the bed, and then slowly made her way to the bathroom. The stillness of the apartment gave off an eerie feeling, something she has grown used to.
Afterward, she moved through her usual routine without much thought.
Several years of repeating the same routine had become second nature to her.
She tucked her shirt into her pants, adjusted her collar, and then put on her coat. She carried out each action with mechanical precision, clinging to the standard of perfection she held herself close to.
She did not waste her time for breakfast. As someone who didn't need to eat to survive, she limited herself to only one meal, more out of habit than necessity.
Making her way towards the underground parking complex for the residents of this apartment, a black sedan stood outside, right in front of the elevator, as if someone had been waiting for her.
She wasted no time, got into the car, sat in the backseat, and closed the door.
"Good morning, Miss Makima. You're earlier than usual today. Anything I should be concerned about?" the driver asked, glancing back at her.
Makima momentarily met his eyes, her golden irises, with concentric red rings, locked onto the man in his twenties sitting at the front.
"Morning, Tobio," she said softly.
"Tiramisu was having difficulty sleeping. She woke me up. Nothing you need to be concerned about."
Her voice was quiet, her expression unreadable as always.
Tobio gave a nod and resumed driving, slowly pulling the car into the empty streets of Tokyo. Their destination: Public Safety Headquarters.
Makima turned her gaze to the window, watching the city blur past while the sun had barely begun to rise.
"Miss Makima, I've finished observing the target," Tobio said, eyes still fixed on the road.
His words didn't faze her. She kept watching the passing scenery.
"Do tell me," she replied calmly.
"Reze has grown very attached to Aleks. She showed clear signs of emotional distress at the thought of being separated from him."
"Yesterday, she was attacked by a man named Sebastian, someone who attempted to kidnap her." He paused, and took a deep breath.
"Aleks killed him." He replied, his tone somewhat hesitant.
Makima continued listening. Her expression didn't change in the slightest. It was to be expected, after all, she'd sent them to Sapporo for their bond to deepen. It was an essential part of her plan.
"I see," she muttered. Her voice was barely a whisper, but Tobio heard it.
"Were there any setbacks?" she asked.
"Yesā¦ It was difficult to cover my tracks. That manā¦ Aleks, his perception is off the charts. I had to resort toā¦ unconventional methods to mask my presence."
He paused.
"I apologize. I wasn't able to bring anything of real value."
He hesitated again before continuing.
"Do I have your permission toā¦ eliminate her?"
Makima slightly shifted, adjusting her position.
"Do as you see fit," she said. "I'm trusting your judgment, Tobio."
She glanced at him through the mirror, just for a moment, her eyes unreadable.
"Don't disappoint me."
Tobio stiffened slightly at Makima's subtle warning. He understood: asking for permission had always been a formality.
"I must admit, there's one thing that concerns meā¦" he said.
Makima hummed softly, an indication for him to continue.
"In the upcoming Kyoto expeditionā¦ it would be impossible to target Reze while Aleks is by her side."
Makima said nothing, but her eyes narrowed slightly. She understood what he meant.
If Aleks stayed close to Reze, Tobio wouldn't get the chance to fight her. Aleks would just intervene and make things difficult for him.
He needed a distraction, something strong enough to divert Aleks's attention away when the time came.
Then Makima's voice broke the silence.
"Don't worry, you can leave that to me. I'll keep himā¦ occupied." She said as a faint smile spread across her face.
It wasn't a smile of a schemer, it was a smile of someone who had already set everything into motion.
***
The car ride continued.
Tobio sat in silence, but his thoughts weren't so silent.
Every time he was around Makima, he feltā¦strange. Unsettling evenā¦yet it somehow pleased him. A type of conflicted warmth that made no sense to him.
After spending a few years under her command, he'd developed feelingsā¦or something close to it.
Makima was the face of Public Safety. Beautiful. Composed. Commanding. The kind of woman who always got what she wanted. He had never met anyone like her.
He couldn't help but admire her. Maybe more than admire. Butā¦
ā¦he wasn't foolish. He knew those feelings were his own stupid delusion.
In truth, Makima wouldn't even spare him a second glance. She had never looked at him the way she looked atā
Aleks.
A man she'd barely known for whatā¦four days? Five days?
The thought clogged his mind. He couldn't understand any of thisā¦.and he didn't like it either.
He'd spent years following every order of Makima. He had killed for her, even bled for her and yetā¦
She saw him as nothing more than a puppet.
Tobio sighed as if he had been fed with enough bullshit.
He was trying hardā¦but he couldn't keep pretending this didn't bother him at all.
He had to ask her.
"Miss Makima? Do I have your permissionā¦ to speak freely?" Tobio asked.
His voice was calm, but his grip on the wheel betrayed him. He mustered every bit of courage to supress his jealousy and desperation.
"Granted." Makima spoke as she continued looking outside.
Tobio exhaled.
"If I may askā¦ I'm genuinely curious. What do you see in Aleks?"
"I mean, sure, he might be strong. But in the grand scheme of the supernatural worldā¦ he's nothing remarkable."
He glanced at her reflection in the mirror, desperately hoping for an answer.
"He seemsā¦how do I put itā¦pretty inferior compared to someone of your status, Miss Makima." This time, it was his jealousy and frustration speaking.
Makima's expression changed., even if it only lasted for a second.
"Tobio." Moka began, her tone calm yet cold.
"He reminds me of someone I used to admireā¦ a long time ago."
Her gaze slowly shifted towards the window, watching the faint light of the dawn reflect on the Tokyo skyline.
"But thats not the reason." She paused for a second.
"I wasā¦ 'enlightened', not too long ago."
"I see Aleks as an enigmatic entity. Even if it's merely an assumption on my part, I believe he's unique in ways even he doesn't understand himself."
Her tone subtly shifted, as if reflecting her feelings with every word she sooke.
"That alone is enough to earn my interest."
She paused. Her lips barely moved as she spoke:
"ā¦And affection."
Tobio remained silenr, but his mind was anything but silent. He was having an internal warfare inside.
His jaws tightened, heartbeat quickened, breath slowed, Cortisol released internally.
All signs indicated a basic human emotion:
Jealousy.
Suddenly Tobio started feeling an invisible pressure building up inside him. He felt as if someone had wrapped his internal organs with an invisible hand and began to squeeze them with a tight grip.
"Jealousy is a basic human feeling, Tobio. I don't fault you."Her tone, almost pleasant.
Blood wailed up in his throat, while his grip on the stearing wheel trembled.
"But letting your jealousy cloud your rationality, especially in my presence is unacceptable."
Cough Cough
Tobio started coughing blood and violently threw up on the windshield, obscuring his vision.
His vision blurred for a second.
Makima didn't blink.
"You speak of comparisonā¦ as if we're equals. You forgot your place, Tobio."
"Only I get to decide who is worthy of me."
She continued.
"You are to never compare yourself to Aleks. And do not let your envy hinder your duties."
"That's an order."Makima commanded, and then her golden eyes flickered for s second.
With that, theĀ invisible pressure almost on verge of killing him, vanished, leaving Tobio gasping for air, while his mouth remained stained with the blood he just theew up.
Makima reached into her breast pocket and retrieved a small vial , the same kind she'd once used on Aleks to heal him. Without wasting much time, she handed it to Tobio without looking.
"Heal yourself. We're almost there."
Makima said, her tone back to being soft and calm.
***
(Reze's POV)
He's fast. Way faster than the last time we fought. I can't afford to go easy on him this time.
First, distract the target. He'll msot likely go for a left jab. Great.
Block it with the elbow. Now counter with a hook across his left cheek, and then discombobulate him.
HeĀ is momentarily dazedā¦or appears to be so. Good. Now go for the body shot, preferably traumatize his solar plexus.Ā
Finally, the finisherā¦a swift knee shot on his nuts should settle this.
But thenā¦he grabs my leg before it could even make impact. His hold was firm and strong, but not tight enough to hurt me.
"Reze, my love, this is the third timeā¦" he paused, but his smirk did not fade. "Do you really want to make meĀ incompetent?""
Tch.
He was going easy on me from the start, pretending to take damage when none of my hits even put a scratch on him.
This guyā¦I really hate him.
ā¦Not really.
Even when he's holding back, he makes sure not to hurt me.Ā
He is such a Š¼ŠøŠ»ŃŠ¹ ŃŠµŠ½Š¾Šŗ.
(3rd POV)
Reze didn't give him a second to breathe. She aimed another strike at his head while he was momentarily distracted, but he leaned back just in time, the blow barely gazed past him.
He recovered quickly, meeting her with a series of blows, overpowering her with relarive ease. Reze ducked under his arm and aimed upward as she managedĀ to lock her legs around his neck.
She squeezed tightly, trying to choke him, but against her expectations, he pried her legs apart with his strongĀ grip.
Then, he grabbed her shoulders and threw her off, pinning her down. He now stood above her while she lay on the ground. Strangely she showed no signs of being in pain.Ā
"Still nowhere near your level huh." Reze muttered, her tone laced with frustration.
Aleks lay beside her, hands behind his head as he stared up at the sky.
"You did better than I expected," he said. "Most supernatural beings ignore the basics. They rely too much on their powers."
He turned his head to look at her. "But youā¦ you're really strong, Reze."
She glanced at him, holding his gaze.
"I feel like I've already improved just from this soar. I didn't realize you were a martial arts genius too."
It's all thanks to Bang's talent, Aleks thought with a smirk.
"Well," Aleks replied with a small smile, "You're not bad yourself."
What Aleks and Reze were doing wasn't just a normal spar. It was calculated combat training. Aleks needed to know how tough Reze really was when her explosions.
Now that he had a better grasp of her fundamentals, he could say one thing with certainly that she was leagues above average supernatural fighters.
And yetā¦ she had one glaring weakness.
Water.
Aleks hated it, hated how easily people could exploit that flaw over and iver again. Just making her wet would essentially make her useleds in most fights. After all, moisture prevented her from igniting her explosions.
She couldn't even rely on magic. Despite her half-devil lineage, she had zero demonic power. Thinking about it made Aleks realize how helpless Reze was when it came to fighting the elites of the supernatural world.
A soft touch brought him back.
Reze gently caressed his cheek.
"What's on your mind, Aleks-kun?" she asked, her voice lwas low with a hint of concern. "You seemā¦ worried."
"ā¦I was thinking about youā¦specifically your weakness to water," he admitted. "Trying to figure out how to help you overcome it."
Her eyes widened for a moment, and then softened.
No one had ever said that to her before. No one had ever cared that much. She smiled, and her cheeks flushed. She couldn't hide the blush even she wanted.
"I'm lucky to have such a sweet boyfriend~" she whispered, and then leaned closer to cuddle him.
Aleks didn't reply. He just smiled and held her close to him, letting thisĀ momentĀ pass by.
A while later.
"You said moisture disrupts your ability to use explosions?" he asked, thoughtful now. "What about hydrophobic suits? Or maybe magical seals?"
He tapped his temple.
"A suit would keep your body dry, While seals are also effective. They are negligible in weight, and barely noticeable in combat."
Reze let out a small sigh.
"They're not bad ideasā¦ but they're not reliable."
"A hydrophobic suit is very susceptible to wear and tear in combat. One big fight and it becomesĀ useless. And magic seals?" She looked away. "They are only temporary solutions. They last for a short time, and keeping a stockpile of them is very expensive. Not something I can afford to rely on every mission."
"I seeā¦" Aleks fell silent, eyes drifting back toward the sky again as he was lost in his thoughts again.
Then a memory clicked in his kind. That nameless fallen angel he had fought on his first dayā¦When he'd read through her memories, he'd caught a glimpsed something.
Grigori has a sacred gear user. A strongĀ one at that.
Someone who appeared to have exceptional control over heat.Ā
If Aleks where to steal it and give it to Reze, thenā¦
No more weakness to water.
Stealing a Sacred Gear wasn't impossible. In canon, Raynare had ripped Twilight Healing from Asia's soul, and it killed her.
Would Aleks be willing to do the same? To let someone die, if it meant Reze could live without weakness?
The answer was simple.
Yes.
He didn't say a word. Just moved and pinned her down again with ease, hands planted beside her shoulders, and his eyes locked with hers.
Reze blinked, as if caught off guard. Then she smirked.
"ā¦Are you planning to do it here?" she teased.
Aleks chuckled softly. "No, silly girl. I just figured out how to fix your biggest weakness."
Her smile vanished.
"ā¦What?"
"If this works, you'll never have to worry about water again," he said, voice calm, but it hadĀ a flicker of excitement behind it.
Reze stared at him for a moment, anf then her hands gripped his shoulders, as if she was desperate.
"Aleks-kunā¦ please tell me you're not messing with me. I swear, this isn't something to joke about."
"Look at me." Alpeks spoke as he leaned in closer.Ā
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
"ā¦What do you have in mind?" she whispered.
"We steal a sacred gear." He replied with a grin on his face.
***
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Author's Note (Again):
Makima is a psychopath for real š
Man I am so stupid, I lost all the paragraph comments when I updated this chapter š