fanworks escape hatch

"Is that it?" Gojyo said, looking around in astonishment. "Are you a free man?"

"I think so," Gonou – no, Hakkai - said cautiously.

"You still have to attend your psych evals," the lawyer said, as people rushed around them in the Hall of Justice. Hakkai hadn't even merited a large courtroom. His lawyer had presented evidence, some young priest of the weird cult that Hakkai apparently belonged to had done likewise, a shrink had said some stuff Gojyo hadn't understood a word of, but assumed meant Your Honour, the Accused went fucking nuts when his beloved sister was raped and murdered, but he hasn't got any more sisters, he's low risk now. "You meet your targets for a year, Citizen Cho, and you'll become low risk. After another year, you'll be taken off parole."

"Two years' parole," Hakkai said. "For what I did. Is that right –"

"It's what I believe is the correct course of action," his lawyer said, smiling. "Use this time to recover your equilibrium, Citizen, and to build up your new identity. Good luck. You still need to meet your sponsor for the university programme –" She nodded towards a very young man with light blond hair who was standing over to the side, a scowl on his face. Oddly, a Cat-B boy about ten years old was acting the clown behind him, balancing on one foot and bending over as far as he could go to peer at the patterns on the tiled floor, then grabbing on to the young man's arm when he overbalanced.

Hakkai went over, Gojyo trailing behind. He smiled politely.

"Rin Kouryuu? I'm Cho Hakkai."

"Yeah. I know. I saw a picture of you. What's with the minder?"

"What's with your monkey?" Gojyo said and felt a mean thrill as the scowl deepened. He also felt a little guilty as the kid stopped clowning and looked at him in shock.

"Don't call me that!" he said. "Kouryuu! Tell him not to call me a monkey!"

"You heard him," Blondie said.

"Perhaps we've got off on the wrong foot," Hakkai said firmly. "Gojyo is my friend, and I've been staying with him. He came today for moral support."

"You may have heard of morals," Gojyo said. "It's something hundred per-centers often lack."

Blondie gave him a bug-killing glare from a pair of very pretty eyes, before turning back to Hakkai. "I'm supposed to point you towards job opportunities and things. I don't have time to research jobs for fucking rehabilitated murderers –"

"Oooh, murder!"

"Goku!"

"Sorry, Kouryuu."

"So I'm just offering you a job tutoring my ward."

There was a silence. Blondie rolled his eyes and jerked his thumb at the kid.

"Him."

"Ah, yes," Hakkai said. "Of course. I'd be delighted."

"We're just wondering what the fuck you're doing with one of our kids," Gojyo said. Someone had to.

"Raising him," Blondie snapped. "Cho, the programme can further offer you retraining in a new field to help you survive in your new identity after you come off parole. Think about it and let me know what you want to do. I'm sending you my university address –" Hakkai's communicator beeped. "I'll expect you at nine o'clock tomorrow morning." Without another word he turned, grabbed the kid's hand and stalked away.

"He seems nice," Hakkai said.

Gojyo looked at him, and burst out laughing.

"I'm only just realising how much of a bitch you are."

Hakkai smiled at him sidelong, sly and satisfied.