Under My Control {Karma x Asano}

20

Asano's father had taken a considerable amount of damage. Asano had visited him a few times, but only stayed long enough to make sure he was still immobile.

"Here." Asano stopped the taller male before they entered. They made eye-contact. "Are you sure?"

"Mhm. Just stop me if I lose it, okay?" Asano looked down at their hands. They were tightly entangled.

Just what kind of events had led to this? Asano couldn't even remember the last time he had thought that Class 3-E was a disappointment and waste of space.

The strawberry-head flinched when he felt a kiss warm up his lips.

"Don't think, Asano-kun." Karma said, caressing his cheeks. "I don't like it when you give your thoughts more attention than me."

He sighed. "You're an idiot."

The door slid open slowly, revealing the man in white clothing. He sat calmly on his bed, as if expecting the visit.

"Asano-kun. Karma-kun."

His arm was in a cast, his legs two big lumps of bandages. An IV drip connected to his wrists. A white strip wrapped around his head.

Asano looked at Karma, waiting for some form of response. Karma's face blank. His eyes stared harshly at the man.

"Karma--?"

"Why'd you do it?"

The two Asanos looked at the boy.

"Pardon?"

"It's not that hard of a question." Karma said. His voice was calm, and smooth. But his eyes said otherwise. "Why did you do it? The bombings, I mean."

The man stayed still for a quiet second, before his lips curved into a small smile.

"I'm not sure what you are talking about, Karma-kun. I'm a victim of the bombing, remember?"

Karma knew he had to keep his composure. He walked out of the room, and called for a nurse.

"Excuse me. Please turn off all security cameras and mics in and around this room."

"But—"

"We'll pay extra when the time comes."

The nurse went in search for the security room, as Karma walked back inside.

"If that's what you were afraid of, you could've said something." Karma said, eyeing the nearby camera in the corner. It's red, blinking light flashed off after a few minutes. "You can speak freely now."

"You've got tact, Karma-kun. That's what I like about you." The man shifted in his uncomfortable position. "Now, on with whatever you've come for."

"I asked you why you decided to bomb me. Twice."

"Hm, that's quite a strong way to describe it. I prefer thinking it as an attempt to annihilate an obstacle."

"Obstacles are there for you to surpass, Father, never to annihilate."

"But there are also obstacles that require annihilation in order to pass, Asano-kun. Remember that well. Now, back to the problem at hand."

"You..." Karma released a breathy laugh, his hand combing his hair back. He swallowed with all his might, holding back tears. "You killed my mom. Was she your supposed obstacle?"

Karma stared hard at the murderer in front of him. The fact that he was able to sit on that bed comfortably annoyed him to pieces.

"No, she wasn't. Interestingly enough, that obstacle was you."

Karma's brain took a few seconds to process the words. Asano gripped his partner's hand as he felt it drop in temperature.

"What?"

"It was an unfortunate event, really. I had no intention in killing your mother."

The redhead couldn't describe the emotions he was feeling into words. It was impossible, like his vocabulary was sucked right out of him.

"So...So you're telling me that you killed an...an innocent woman. An innocent woman...all to kill me?"

Asano didn't even know his own father anymore. All he could do was watch his reality unfold before him.

Karma threw the strawberry-head's hand down, his breaths coming out in uneven clumps.

"So. Why did you want to get rid of me?" Karma managed to say. "Why, did I scare you? Scared I was gonna beat you up again?"

"Hm...I was doing it for my son, actually." At this, both boys froze. "I wanted you to get away from my son; you were being a terrible influence on his training and mindset."

For some reason, Karma couldn't help but let loose a laugh. Tears flowed down his cheeks like waterfalls as he placed a hand on Asano's shoulder for support.

"You...You were trying to get me to break up with him? That's why you killed my mom?"

"More or less. Though I assure you, your mother's death was accidental."

Asano clenched his fists, his jaw hurting at the amount of pressure he was using to press it against his upper one.

The room was met with a brief silence. The adult watched calmly as the younger boys processed all this new, shocking information.

"Y'know, Mr. Principal, I believe in this one saying. You ever heard it?" The redhead walked over to a nearby glass vase, tracing its intricate designs with his shaking fingers. "It goes, 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth'. You know what people mean when they say that, right?"

"I'm aware."

"Then you understand, right?" With a sudden movement, the vase came crashing down into a thousand pieces. "You get it, don't you?"

Using his hand, he picked up a long, narrow piece and threw it up into the air, catching it with one hand. His eyes slowly lifted to the patient on the bed, who looked slightly alarmed.

"Some people think it's pretty hard to take a life, especially when the potential murderer is a kid like me." The redhead advanced, walking slowly with quiet footsteps. "But you know what I find funny?"

"Karma! You can't!"

"I don't think it's as hard as everybody thinks!"

And with that, the redhead lunged forward, the glass piece in his hand aiming for the man's life.