In the Twilight of her existence, the Princess of the Moon wishes to live her life having happy memories of the people who helped shape it. Along the way, she meets a similarly pained soul that reminds her of one of those people and what follows next is a tale of hope, love, and light amidst the closing curtains...
A Serendipitous Affair
- Thread starter LazyFrog
- Start date
- Crossover
- Created
- Status
- Ongoing
- Watchers
- 22
- Recent readers
- 0
- Threadmarks
- 3
-
Statistics (3 threadmarks, 24k words)
User Total LazyFrog 3 Threadmarks Reader mode
Prologue
A Serendipitous Affair
Prologue
Prologue
"I made a friend." Kota Izumi said as he finally admitted it to his aunt, Shino Sosaki.
The woman blinked at his words as she looked at his nephew from across the small dining table they shared in her home. The soft clicking of their wall clock was the only noise in the room as the older woman processed her nephew's words.
"A friend? An actual friend?" Shino asked, in clarification.
The often grumpy and quiet child then did something out of character that made his aunt feel a bit of hope inside her soul given the circumstances that led to the boy being in her care. The simple twitch on Kota's face and the soft tinge of red were what made Shino's current state more attentive. Excitement even, if you can call that.
"Yeah… well, she's a bit weird in that sense."
"She?" Shino asked, which both made her excited and worried at the same time. Worry in the form that it might be a one-sided crush, which might spell terrible things down the line if he reached that age, but… she didn't want to be pessimistic. She had to be happy that finally, something good had occurred to inspire Kota's demeanor to be better.
"Yup. Didn't want her to be my friend at first, but… she kept coming back and eventually, I liked her enough to consider her a friend." Kota explained with a more pronounced blush of shame, yet the tone of his reaching the end of his sentence was more thankful than that of regret.
"Oh my… what wonderful news! My dear Kota finally has a friend!" Shino said in lovely excitement as she reached out to her nephew by standing up and placing him into a loving embrace while ruffling his capless head at the same time. A subtle change that she only realized now.
In addition to that, Kota seemingly did not even try to push her away or grumble with her affection. It made the older woman's heart feel an unbridled warmth that was lost long ago.
"I guess it's wonderful news." He said with a low tone of uncertainty, but a small curve to his lips was there and Shino relished in it.
"You have to tell me more about her… is she from school? From the neighborhood? Oh, did you become friends with that Sakura girl a few streets down from us? Is she-
"She calls herself a Magical Girl…" Kota suddenly said.
"Eh? What did you just say?"
"She calls herself a Magical Girl," Kota said again as if it was the most normal thing to come out of his mouth just mentioning that name.
"Oh? Did she mention, why?" Shino asked, curious but also confused.
Kota then managed a shrug that didn't answer the question at all as he looked at her. It was then that the older woman started to feel a bit of suspicion. Warranted mostly to the boy's nature given his mostly antisocial attitude.
"Kota… I…" she then stopped herself midway given that her nephew looked more enthusiastic talking about another person than ever before. This 'magical girl' had to be real, otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to great lengths to even talk to her about it.
At least that is what her gut told her, and truth be told, she knew that she wasn't prepared to be a maternal figure to her nephew after the tragedy, but she tried her best afterward, despite all of her mistakes. If this 'magical girl' was real, then she needed to learn more in order to help build the already developing rapport that she was seeing.
"…can I ask you to talk more about her? Like describe her, tell me what she likes, what brought you two together to talk… simple things like that." she gently said.
She expected the boy to back out, only to find herself surprised again when he looked interested enough to further talk to her about this friend.
"Well… she has golden hair. Almost white when you look at her. She's taller than me, mostly because I think she's older and she's got red eyes. I got scared at first, but she seemed very annoying after, always telling me that she found me funny."
"She's older than you? By how much?" Shino asked.
"Like… I guess she's at the age of those guys you teach with the others?"
"Oh… well, that's quite strange, but not out of place. You said she kept coming back? Back where though? Where did you two first meet?" she inquired, now interested given that in the neighborhood that they lived in she never saw any kid with the description her nephew gave.
"In my special spot in the park. That big old tree that I always sit on?" Shino nodded, urging him to continue as he did. "I was just trying to do a bit of homework because I feel comfortable there, only for her to suddenly appear in front of me, asking me what I was doing… and it continued from there."
The way he explained it, despite the annoyance in his tone, Shino was at least happy to know that he seemed happy about this new companionship with this girl. Kota continued to talk about her, surprising her yet again with his enthusiasm with this girl as he expressed what they usually did, what they usually talked about, and best of all, why the girl apparently became friends with her in the first place…
"Kota honey, I think that's a bit insensitive to say that to her."
"I thought about it after, but she told me that she's over it. Mostly because it was a long time ago, according to her, when she last called someone as being family, or a loved one."
"She must miss them then, her old friends. Does she ever talk about her family much?"
"Not really, but she keeps telling me that she has a grandpa that comes by here and there sometimes. I don't know what she particularly thinks about him, but she seems important enough to her to mention him to me."
"Well, given what you said to me, she's probably in a situation that's unideal for her a girl her age, and seeing you might be the closest thing she has to feeling loved or having a home in general."
"But she seems rich? She buys me ice cream, the ones with the big scoops every time we meet." Kota said in her defense, as he understood in some capacity what Shino was trying to imply.
"No, it's that sweetie, I'm just worried that whatever home situation that girl has, regardless of if she's rich or not, maybe she's not as happy as she tries to be. I've seen it quite a lot, especially in the many students we frequently mentor…"
"…just like me…" Kota whispered, mostly to himself, but was caught by Shino's ear.
Shino then proceeded to scoop the boy into her arms into a hug, which he somehow reciprocated as he let his head lean onto her shoulder. "That's not true and you know it…"
"Thanks…"
The small appreciative but succinct thanks almost melted Shino's heart, but she kept herself composed, hoping to be supportive of what her nephew and this girl possibly felt about their situations. "Tell you what, why don't the next time you visit this park, I'll come along and meet this friend of yours?"
"Hm?" Kota perked up with that suggestion.
"Unless of course, you're too embarrassed to bring your aunt along to your crush… hehe." She teased as the boy quickly turned red.
"N-no! I don't even… what? She's just a friend! I like her as a friend!" Kota cutely insisted.
"But she's pretty… isn't she?"
"Yeah… I guess? But what's that got to do with anything?"
Shino then patted her nephew's head as she giggled. "Nothing, of course, Kota. Though I do want to meet her because she seems like quite the friend."
"She is," Kota added.
"Did she give you a name, other than that she's a magical girl?"
"She hasn't. I don't really know why, but I haven't asked her about it, directly."
Shino was then put back from that, mainly because of the context clues already building up in her head as she tried to piece together the likely stature of this girl given her experience as a Pro Hero. Much as she trusted Kota, it always helped her to be cautious.
"Hm. That's strange... but then again, I can always ask her when we meet."
"I think she'll be happy about that. She seemed lonely when we talked about her family or her former friends."
"Then I'm excited as well, sweetie." Shino finished as she ruffled her nephew's head one last time, prompting a smile out of him as they finished their dinner.
Later that night, as she tucked him in and was finishing up cleaning the dishes, Shino sat in the dining room of her household again. Wondering, thinking, and feeling content with the development of Kota's well-being.
At the same time, she felt worried about this girl.
In addition to the danger of the mystery surrounding her, what picture Kota painted outside of the positive interactions this girl had with her niece, she was mostly worried about the implications of who and what this girl was experiencing alone.
It reminded her of a lot of kids lost in their way, hoping to find a semblance of joy in an otherwise terrible household. Worse, she might be living alone and was one of those kids who were either related to someone terrible or were actively trying to run away from something.
Rest assured, meeting this girl would prove to be important and she was readying herself for whatever outcome after.
"Damn…" she whispered as she took another sip of her tea.
She then moved her absence, mostly contemplating, focused gaze on a lovely picture of her late sister on a framed photo. She smiled when she recalled that memory while simultaneously vowing again for Kota's safety and happiness.
She just had to be strong to make sure she could see it through…
Shino was starting to get tired. It's been more than an hour since she and Kota were sitting on a bench near the specific tree where this 'magical girl' met him. She was starting to get worried that the girl may not come today given her suspicions, or that she was just something conjured out of thin air by her beloved nephew.
Well, the story was far too detailed for something in Kota's age to imagine but it then pushed her back to the worries concerning the girl's nature and background.
It was also nearing the end of the afternoon, with most of the people around them still frolicking and enjoying the sun while they bonded, coming closer to packing their things and leaving. Some of the children that were running in the nearby mini playground were also starting to lose some of their numbers as their parents came by to pick them up.
All the while, the two of them quietly waited for this friend to show up.
"Kota…" she started with a sigh.
"She's coming. I trust her. She hasn't let me down on anything yet." Her nephew said with a bit of conviction, almost as if unintentionally calling her out for some of the impossible promises she always gave him. Of his parents, of Shino's sister, and that everything would work out.
Try as she may, Shino knew deep down that Kota, after being placed in her care, was not as happy as he once was. She knew that the boy didn't blame him, nor placed her in the same sort of apprehension against heroes that he developed, but he also wasn't totally content nor happy with her. There was a missing part in his heart that Shino could never heal on her own, which was the reason she was so glad to hear Kota had a friend.
With the way how he spoke of her last night, she knew that some part of that little boy was healing. Even in a way that she did not expect it to.
"Alright then…" she said, finally conceding on trusting him.
As she was about to refocus on their peaceful wait, she suddenly felt Kota's hand on top of her own. "Hm? What is it sweetie?" she asked.
"What does 'I don't have much time' mean?" Kota suddenly asked.
Shino managed to blink at that sudden statement. The shock at the implications of such a string of words made her perk up towards her nephew.
"Why did you ask that?" she leveled, a bit of concern in her voice.
"She whis-
"KOTA-CHAN! Your Magical Girl Onee-san has arrived!" a loud joyful tone said as Shino and Kota were now welcomed by the bubbly aura of the girl that finally fulfilled her promise.
This girl whom Shino was still surprisingly unprepared for, carried an entire ice cream stand on her left arm without barely any effort seen on her face.
"You brought the whole stand?" Kota said as he stood up and walked to her.
The girl nonchalantly grinned with that perfect smile that made even Shino feel a bit more joyful than before. In addition, that young girl carrying that fairly heavy contraption with just one arm made her realize that whatever quirk the young lady had, it was definitely on the stronger side. Given that she plopped it on the ground, gently mind you, like it weighed nothing.
"Yes, the kind Oji-san let me borrow it for the day so I can gift my beloved little friend some more of his favorite treat. Isn't your onee-san the best?" the girl cheered, posing admittedly like those Mahou Shoujo shows of old.
"For the whole day? Really?" Kota asked, his eyes filled with child-like wonder, the likes that Shino wanted desperately to see, but this girl somehow tapped into.
"Yeah. For the whole day! Aren't I amazing?"
"Sure… but the ice cream is more amazing!" Kota cheered as the two giggled together.
Even as she towered over the boy with her current height. The innocence, jubilation, and heartfelt care she exuded towards her nephew made her feel as if everything was alright.
Still, she stood up with a welcoming smile and wished to introduce herself to this young lady and learn more closely why exactly she became friends with her nephew in the first place.
"Excuse me…" she started as Kota finally realized that he had forgotten about his aunt's existence while he licked on the hastily stacked ice cream and cone that the girl had given her. The sweet-looking girl, clad in her simple turtleneck white sweater, dark blue skirt, and tights was similarly fixing herself a cone,
"Oh… hey uh, this is my aunt."
"Hm?" the girl hummed before exploding with a smile. "Oh! This is your precious auntie that you keep talking about, Kota-chan?"
"Yes… Sosaki, Shino, but call me Shino if you wish… it's nice to finally meet you." Shino said, letting out her hand to shake the girl's own. Only to be met with a sudden hug that threatened to nearly make her lose her breath.
She's strong! Shino thought to herself in alarm. Not even Tiger was this strong.
"It's amazing to meet you! Kota's told me a lot and I'm glad to finally put a face on your name."
"Oh, is that so? Then I'm glad to meet you as well, miss…?"
"Hm?" The girl then cutely tilted her head in question. "Did Kota-chan not tell you my name?"
Kota then playfully fisted the girl's side as he rudely interrupted her. "Because you didn't tell me your name too… doofus." He grouched in a joking way while he continued to lick his ice cream.
"I didn't? Oh!" she said, feigning innocence as she then lifted Kota into the air, without as much effort as she did with the ice cream stand, and placed him onto her shoulders. One that Kota happily giggled to as Shino watched. It was like they were siblings, based on the energy that seemed to be exuding off of them.
It was like they had known each other for a long time and much as Shino continued to have concerns in her head, she then realized that with the rate at which Kota continued to laugh, smile, and even talk with enthusiasm unlike anything before, that the little boy already found some form of that genuine joy again, from someone that wasn't her.
She didn't know how to feel about that, though she was happily pleased deep within her heart to see her nephew like this again.
"Forgive you onee-san for being a ditz, Kota-chan. It won't happen again, I promise!" the girl said as she happily carried the boy as he smiled on her shoulders. She didn't even mind as some of the droplets of ice cream started to ruin her beautiful golden hair.
"You're still a doofus to me," he responded as she cooed in reply.
"Aww… but your onee-san will fix this little mistake…" she said as she placed him gently down, the gesture once again solidifying their nearly sibling-like bond in Shino's eyes with how casual and genuine it was. "While you can call me as Phantas-Moon Magical Onee-san in my most powerful form, you can also call me as… uh-
The girl then stopped as if contemplating a bit on what to say next, until a nostalgic, happy emotion appeared on her face as she then knelt in front of Kota and lovingly ruffled his hair.
"…you can call me as Shiki… yes, Shiki."
Kota then smiled back. "It's nice to meet you again, Shiki Onee-San."
"Mou! You're so cute but thank you! You're more than welcome like always Kota-chan." The girl, apparently named Shiki said as she placed him into another embrace.
All the while, the two interacted as if forgetting that Shino was there.
It didn't matter for as much as she felt a hint of jealousy over this affair, she watched as the hour passed while the two played with each other. How they talked, how they bonded, and how they acted with each other made Shino herself nostalgic as well.
When she and her sister used to play, almost similarly in this same park many decades ago.
It almost brought a tear to the already ecstatic Shino's eyes as she watched her nephew finally… finally find meaning in his life amidst the pain.
She watched as this Shiki played with the little boy on the seesaw while her uncharacteristically enormous strength continued to play with their interactions.
It was life-changing, at least to Shino's eyes as she watched the two.
They were inseparable.
Even as the hour passed, when Kota finally took a nap on Shino's lap with a smiling, peaceful face, she was then left to a peacefully humming Shiki sitting right beside her as the sun started to set. Its golden rays turn into a soft orange color amidst the shifting skies. The clouds looked like a watercolor painting as they blended with the warm sheen of light while the moon was starting to finally appear behind it all.
"Shiki-san…" Shino started.
"Hm? What is it Sosaki-san?" the girl asked.
"I'd like to thank you. For… for everything really. For what you did for Kota."
The girl stared at her, those red, vibrant eyes almost looking into her soul. The girl then finally blinked, smiling with appreciation and a sense of somberness that Shino felt concerned about, for the girl's part. "You're welcome… he's, he's a good kid."
"Are you okay sweetie?" Shino asked, hoping to help.
The girl then steadily smiled as she relaxed and looked at the moon. Her aura seemingly grew brighter due to its light, yet that sense of longing was still there.
"I'm fine Sosaki-san, but I do worry about Kota-san catching a cold. It's getting late."
Shino then realized that while she still wanted to talk with the girl, she felt the urge to consciously do what the girl suggested as she lifted the sleeping Kota into her arms, heavier than what Shiki could casually do earlier.
"Again, thank you, truly for everything you've done for Kota," Shino said once more as Shiki nodded with a smile. "If you want to, you can always come by to our house, and visit Kota directly?"
"I'd love that, Sosaki-san… but I think you must be on your way, it won't be long until I get home myself…"
Shino smiled back, the suggestion making her obey as she waved at the girl one last time before walking home. To disappear down the road while 'Shiki' watched.
Alone, the Princess of the Moon stared back at the now dark sky, filled with stars.
She then picked up a small flower, feeling the change in her body and heart in these… trying times. Parts of her were already gone much like how the flower in her hand seemingly started to wilt.
The only thing that she could conceivably keep in a permanent state were her memories.
Their memories.
The joy she felt. The tears she shed. The love she shared.
It was everything that she could still keep as she placed both hands near her heart, shedding a singular tear as she did.
She still had time. She still had a…
"…home…" she whispered to herself. Recalling many decades ago the outreached hand of one boy who made her truly feel alive.
A song stirs.
One of such primordial quality that it pierces the Earth and erupts from it.
It barely registered as anything to the people, the humans that still lived on its surface as it sailed through the atmosphere and into the beginnings of space. The great void allowed it to bounce.
The silence allows the song, the call to move further.
It was a call of nearly unknown origin. A call for assistance.
A call for help.
Such was its magnitude that the largest planet of the Solar System, Jupiter, found one of its moons, suddenly rupturing within its core. The moon, one of its largest, started to collapse onto itself as matter and gas started to spur into something alien.
The song fueled its rage as the core started to finally coalesce into a powerful set of natural, nuclear fusion. Its volume is already approaching the power of a star as gaseous compounds start to form around it. Making a robust shell that slowly turned into a near-humanoid appearance.
A giant of immense proportions, as it now stood in waiting, ready… as the song moved forth beyond the large planet and the birth of its champion in front of its great, red eye.
On Saturn, the immense rings surrounding the planet started to collude, to violently form with all ice crystals into something resembling a cross. Its dimensions were composed of luminous materials that glittered as it spanned thousands of meters across, in ready as the song flew right by…
Each planet martialized its beauties to receive the song.
On Venus, the closest planet to Earth, an existence close to a twin, found its deadly acidic atmosphere pierced by an alien biological plant with its tendrils reaching high above into space where it shot its spore after receiving the song.
Its seed traveled at impossible speeds, as it faintly resembled a glowing angel on the inside while its biological horrors made it up its shell.
It sailed through the void to reach its destination…
All the while back on Earth, within a sealed enclosure in the South American continent, crystals started to move by an inch as the solar winds emitted by the sun outside the planet started to calm down.
It was nearly time.
It was nearly there… as the Quirk-based Humanity continued to live their lives in ignorance.
The pages of the book before him started to unravel in a disturbing motion.
For the many worlds, he observed and catalogued, he never expected this change.
This… sudden anomaly amongst the countless worlds like it.
There, sitting in a place beyond time and space, an old man in a pristine suit rubbed his chin as he looked over the facts of this development. The kaleidoscope of colors around him shifted every so as he read over the book that allowed him to see other worlds.
"It's too early…" he whispered to himself. "Why on Earth did it occur there, now, of all times?"
He then sighed as the book closed on itself in an audible thud.
"Something's wrong… but why exactly, I cannot seem to fathom."
He was about to think about it further when the phone placed beside him atop a small table started to ring. The dial tone immediately answered it as a voice came out.
"Did ya hear the news, boss?"
"I did…"
"What are we to do now?"
One of the last surviving True Magicians merely sighed as he relaxed in his chair.
"Is there anything we can do? It's the normal course of things after all, for this world… it seems like it reached its zenith. Or relatively speaking, it's epilogue."
TO BE CONTINUED…
AN: You thought it was just a Tsuki Cross, huh? No! It was I, Angel Notes!
Jokes aside, I hope you had fun reading this, dear reader, whoever you are…
[OBSERVATION]
[OBSERVATION]
The most recent episode featured the two trying to fight back against a killer plant from outer space that was mind-controlling their boss and the local town. It was an episode that both Kota and Shiki laughed together all throughout.
"Yeah… it was fun," Kota said as he eased back into her again.
In response, Shiki ruffled his hatless head as he giggled while the credits played. Then the local network they were watching shifted to a commercial that involved a small summary of clips promoting the current year's UA Sports Festival. It displayed a lot of notable students, all with various powerful quirks going at each other while small segments of Pro Heroes given some time to comment about it were shown.
To the average child or person, this commercial would probably put some rabid interest in them to watch, glued to the screen as most of the country was, or perhaps the world but Kota only felt discomfort. He began subtly squirming into Shiki's arms before she made him feel calm and comfortable again with her soft embrace.
"What is it?" Shiki asked, her voice soft, filled with concern and curiosity.
"It's nothing."
Shiki managed a small smile that Kota returned. "It's definitely something. Otherwise, poor Kota-kun wouldn't be sighing as hard."
Kota then allowed himself a mirthful chuckle that washed the sourness a bit as he looked at her. "Nothing escapes you, especially when it comes to me."
"Well… your Onee-san wasn't the most sociable person back then either, I don't think I still am right now, given I still don't wholly understand humans, but… it kinda helps more when you actively care about some of them. Love them even… and in this case, your big Onee-san loves you, so I get to know all of the little details that make up my Kota-kun nearly perfectly."
A small rash of heat and crimson blossomed on Kota's cheeks as he heard those words from her 'big sister'. A role that Kota was acclimating to very closely after multiple weeks and months already of being together. He wasn't as open compared to her, but deep inside the little boy found solace and peace in the fact that despite the wounds from the past, he had someone that he could confidently confide in, who listened and cheered him up every single time.
"T-Thanks…"
"See? Your Onee-san is very good at making you smile now. Back then you kept frowning at me all the time for everything that I do. Now… it's nice that you're a lot less grumpy now when we're together."
They really did, Kota mused. They were like two peas in a pod, even if unrelated, they felt in sync with each other as he watched Shiki grin, through her perfectly friendly face and kindly crimson eyes. They eventually returned their gaze to the TV as the programming changed yet again.
"Shiki?"
"Hm?"
"All of those silly stories about you being a Magical Girl… were they true? Were you… a hero? Like those on TV? Like Aunt Shino?"
Shiki placed a contemplative finger to her lips as she looked up as if trying to remember or parse a response for her 'little brother'. She then grinned like the ditz she was as she explained,
"I don't think so. I don't think you can consider me as one but… I did hunt monsters and sometimes thieves. One thief in particular did something really mean to me… but a loved one of mine and a skank helped me beat him so everything's okay!"
"What's a ska-
"LANGUAGE YOU TWO! And no Kota… don't you dare use that word. Shiki don't you ever dare say that again for crying out loud. Use… bad person, a bad girl, something instead of that one." They heard Kota's aunt say in the kitchen as she prepared them lunch.
"~Sorry Aunt Shino!~" The two said together as they heard a satisfied hum from Shino.
"Anyway, where was I? Oh right. Well, I managed to beat up a thief and everything went well. Other than that, I can't really call myself a hero. That's just silly."
"Aren't Magical Girls considered heroes?" he asked only to make Shiki pout cutely.
"They are not! They just beat monsters and some bad people that turn into monsters!"
"Shiki, what you're saying fits exactly what every Hero currently does today. Just replace Monsters with bad people and it's basically the same. Some people even call bad people as monsters."
"They are absolutely not! A magical girl like me beat up monsters precisely because I wanted to. They were a danger to people yeah, but I beat them up because they were mean to me."
"So you're a vigi-… what's that word again, vigilante?"
"NO! Your Onee-san is no such thing. Your Onee-san is a magical girl and that's where that line ends!" Shiki argued as she crossed her arms and mockingly turned away from him with a pout as Kota continued to tease her.
"Wearing a Magical Girl costume is also like a Hero Suit… you know that right?" Kota teased her as Shiki moaned in innocent frustration.
"~Mou! Kota-kun is bullying his dear Onee-san! Whatever should I do?"
The two started to lightly bicker with each other until Kota, whose laughter was now receding started wondering again about her stories about 'monsters' and the 'thief' that she kept telling him. He then recalled his parents and how they similarly spun said stories in a different light to him to entertain him. Those memories, while painful, were very vibrant ones as he could still hear his mother talk to him like it was a bedtime story about the many people they helped on a daily basis.
In all honesty, Kota knew deep down that he did not resent Heroes saving or helping people just as his mother, his father, and his aunt and her team do nearly every day. It was just, it was through that selflessness, that urge to help people that caused them to meet the bad man that took them away from him. The bad man was a villain. A villain that heroes battled similarly day to day, out there right now that cycle continued, and out there right now this magnetic interaction between bad people and good people kept continuing without any sign of stopping…
Leaving kids like him, losing their most precious loved ones.
He didn't understand how Hero-Villain interactions worked in a deeper sense. He didn't understand the broader strokes of the world around him that allowed this cycle to continue, but all he understood was the simple fact that he was scared.
He was scared of losing people he cared for again due to this cycle.
"Kota-kun?"
He was horribly scared to one day hear on the news again, or from other people that his aunt, her team, and…
"Kota?"
…and S-Shiki might be gone from him again. Just like his parents. Just like his-
"KOTA-KUN!"
Kota didn't even realize that he was tearing up as his breaths became ragged and heavy. His heart beat faster than it should while he felt his hands tightly clawing against Shiki's white sweater. He even felt some of his fingernails break as a red started to stain it.
"I-I'm sorry…" he said, now bursting into actual tears as sadness and guilt overtook him.
Yet, Shiki, even with her mesmerizing crimson eyes, managed to create a smile that slowly and surely calmed him down. A smile filled with empathy and dare he say it, love. She calmly stroked his head as he then felt his Aunt, who looked similarly worried kneel down next to them both, doing the same thing.
He couldn't say it out loud, but, Kota truly cherished his bond towards the two.
Even his Aunt. He just couldn't muster the strength nor the ability to actively show it to its fullest capacity, at least… until Shiki arrived.
"Shhhhhhhh… everything's going to be alright, Kota-kun. Your Onee-san is here." She whispered as he closed his eyes and clung to her.
"Like she said my dear Kota… you're fine. You're with family." He heard his Aunt say as with his other hand he felt himself clinging onto his aunt's fingers. Squeezing hers and Shiki's as his panic attack started to settle down into appreciation he felt the two women in his life embrace him in their arms. He thanked them. He thanked them immensely for being there.
But…
He wanted to hear them promise that they wouldn't leave him so soon, just as his parents did.
Words could not express how much Shino thanked Shiki for how she quickly dealt with Kota's recent panic attack. Not that they both expected one to occur. Even back then before the boy met Shiki, he was never as fragile, emotionally speaking to be vulnerable to panic attacks.
Especially on the scale of him even managing to hurt himself, even if it was a relatively small injury that Shiki and she managed to fix quickly.
Kota never had such issues before. The closest he ever had was him nearly running away from home before Shino was able to find him and he was an angry, crying mess that further did not want to be spoken to for nearly two days and even then, she couldn't call it a panic attack.
It was just him, understandably lashing out, a week after it settled in that his parents were truly gone.
This, on the other hand, was purely something that Shiki and she did not expect in the slightest. Mainly due to the overall improving state of Kota after Shiki, the mystery magical girl came and easily slotted herself into their lives without much of an issue. At this point, given how close the two were, how much Shiki stayed in their house, and how much Shino saw the lengths and degrees Shiki would do everything in her power to help and make Kota smile, had turned into family.
Shino was even considering the two as siblings at this point, with the girl herself warming up to her with how much she tended to help around the house and with Kota, as well as little snippets of them talking about her own life, that Shino was still trying to understand behind the scenes.
But that was beside the point, the fact of the matter was that Kota was healing and he was returning to being a normal, happy child again who was now steadily recovering from the deep emotional wounds of his parent's deaths.
She and Shiki had a large role to play in making sure that was the outcome, to finally make him ease off some of the pain, to live a life that his parents would have wanted. That Shino's sister would have wanted. So, seeing him return to this painful state again broke Shino.
"Damn it." She whispered as she looked through the doorway of Kota's room, where the boy was resting while Shiki sat beside him, face unchanged, yet was focused heavily on her nephew.
The event it seemed, also bothered the mostly cheerful girl to a good extent.
What could have caused such a potent panic attack in the first place? The two were just laughing happily earlier as they watched their favorite show and Kota wasn't as hateful or vocal anymore towards Heroes… so what could have pushed him to have such a visceral, emotional outburst?
Frowning, Shino stepped into the room softly. Placing a hand on Shiki's shoulder, one that the girl smiled back in response as she turned to her, but her smile seemed a tad strained. Shino gave one back with a hint of encouragement, but the look of worry for both of them was still there.
Hopefully, it wasn't as bad as they thought it was.
"I think I know a solution to make Kota-kun better," Shiki said with much enthusiasm. Her eyes brightened with the idea that was flaring in her mind that Shino tried to decipher, but before she could say anything the doorbell to her house was rung and she felt a lot more comfortable as she knew who it was that just arrived.
"Mandalay, open up!" a muffled voice said from her front door lightening Shino's mood somewhat, knowing that her friends and close colleagues were now at her door.
Following behind her was Shiki, who had a determined look on her face to fulfill this idea to cheer up her nephew. Shino didn't mind the girl for trying such an idea as she trusted her enough to always do right with Kota and she's never failed in that since.
Opening her front door, a deluge of joy filled her as she saw all three of her closest friends, more so family at this point jump in attention at her, like always.
"Shino-san! We're here." Yawara said through his intimidating but kindly appearance even in Civilian clothing. Ryuko grinned with both brows rising in a teasing manner and lastly, Tomoko, their ever-gleeful and youthful (Hey- Ryuko) smiled as Shino welcomed them in.
Their joyful presence lit up her day like usual as Ryuko excitedly talked about being excited about an upcoming 'date' (which Shino doubted) while Tomoko and Yawara started telling her about their day given that they took the week off. Mostly for preparation for a joint operation that they had officially with an academic institution two weeks later.
Much like how she acted with Kota and Shiki, Shino found comfort, solace, and warmth with her team which had been operational, loyal, and tightly knit since its inception. A true family in every sense of the word that had done a great service (mostly in terms of rescue) for their community and Japan as a whole.
Eventually, the trio were able to meet Shiki behind her who happily waved at them as she passed them by.
"Hello Neko-chans! I apologize for leaving, but Kota's Onee-san needs to make sure Kota-kun is happy and well again." She proclaimed enthusiastically as she skipped away through the door as the Pussycats watched her go.
"You know… I swear the other day that she was able to make Cat Ears for herself. It's like she can manifest quirks out of nowhere sometimes, I tell ya." Ryuko commented as Shiki disappeared from view.
"She would be a very good possible member of the Pussycats one day if you think about it. She's possibly stronger than all of us, and yet… she doesn't seem to be willing to be a hero." Tomoko added as Shino thought about it as well.
Even trying to ask Shiki about her Quirk had her dodging the topic a lot of the time.
"The kid's dangerous but she has a very kind heart. At least to us, that is…" Yawara said with an ominous tone to his last few sets of words. His voice trailed in a way that Shino found herself frowning, despite having full trust in Shiki, with how much she proved to value Kota.
"Did you finally find something, anything… involving her?" she asked with a heavy tone.
Her three friends looked at each other as Tomoko took out a very thin folder manila folder from her bag that was less than what she expected, given the depth of Shiki's mystery quirk, and her 'connections' that the group was trying to research ever since she arrived on Kota's doorstep.
In summary, they knew next to nothing, in the span of literal months.
The closest Shino ever got to making Shiki open up was talking, in a nostalgic manner, about her past loved ones, her grandfather, her 'uncle', and her supposedly rich family that was more absent now at present, leaving her with nothing but a vague sum of wealth that she sometimes used, and that she was in Japan mostly because she felt more comfortable here than any place abroad that she once stayed at.
It spoke nothing in broader detail of what they were dealing with.
They didn't even know her nationality given how well she spoke Japanese as if she was a native and that this 'Tohno' family was already by legal standards, extinct, with literally no current descendants nor closer, related families to speak of.
Shino trusted the girl's willingness and love for Kota, but she knew nothing about the girl in exchange, and part of her was still bothered by it.
"About that… we uh, I guess we did find something…" Tomoko said with a pained expression.
"Is it bad?" Shino asked in concern, some of it for Shiki's sake too given how she also cared for the girl these past few months.
"No… not exactly," Ryuko said as she pulled up her phone.
"But it's definitely something we need to discuss more seriously and thankfully, it's almost perfect that she's out of the house while we do." Yawara finished.
"I see." She said, hoping that it wasn't something as problematic as all of them hoped it to be.
"Speaking of our mystery girl, where's our beloved little guy at?" Ryuko asked.
"Ah…" Shino said as the three finally caught on that there was a somber bit of aura in the house the moment they stepped in. As usual, given how close she was with her teammates, they also had a growing concern for anything that Kota was in and Shino was glad that they treated her nephew like they were family as well to them.
…
The sound of the TV in her dining room, put at medium volume while she and her teammates talked filled the air in the background. News coverage of anchors talking to their interviewees about the latest Hosu incident and the growing crime rate ever since that incursion in UA. Shino and her comrades didn't pay much attention to it as they shared tea at her table, talking about much more important things at the moment.
The TV was just there to fill the silence so that things wouldn't feel too serious as they talked.
"What could've caused the poor kid to act like that?" Tomoko asked in full concern. She was basically Kota's closest other Auntie just below Shino given how much she peppered the boy with love and affection, so she was rightfully very bothered by what Shino explained about what occurred earlier that day.
"I don't know myself, Tomoko. Thankfully Shiki and I were there to respond, and we were able to deal with some of it to calm him down after."
"I thought the night terrors were over?" Ryuko said and while she was focusing on her phone, something about I-Island detecting a harmless NEO about to approach Earth in a few days, she was still Kota's caretaker and family through and through, so Shino didn't mind it.
"They were… that's why it's concerning that he even got to that point," Shino exclaimed, frustration rife in her tone.
"We could always ask Hound Dog for help; we are getting support from UA recently given their Summer Program plans. Perhaps we can sneak in a favor to get him to check Kota." Yawara suggested, given that he was the most experienced of the four of them when dealing with Mental Health for students and those in the field of Rescue that they held.
"Does it really need to get to that point, for my Kota to get a Psych Evaluation?"
Shino's sorrowful expression as she asked that question made all three of her friends look at her with equal and valid concern. Ryuko even turned off her phone after being frustrated with the dating app that she was using just to help her friend. Tomoko eased in, moving her chair closer to Shino's as Yawara sighed.
"Ideally speaking, unless this becomes a trend, I would first recommend observing him closely at the moment. Though asking advice from Hound Dog always helps, Mental Health after all is not something to belittle given how much it affects even Pro Heroes in this day and age, and from what I recall, we nearly went through with it for Kota before Shiki came into your lives, yes?"
"Right," Shino confirmed.
"Then we should just put it on the table, just in case we ever need to do so in the future. Hopefully, it doesn't come to that, but you know how unpredictable things are."
"Right…" Shino echoed again, a sentiment the whole team shared.
Inevitably, she reached out towards the Manila Folder in the middle of the table, subtly making their entire group focus back on their 'Shiki' dilemma.
"Anyway, before we get sidetracked again, we must tell you right now… Shino, that any scrounge of information we have on 'Shiki Tohno' is either hearsay or the files are so old and unrecoverable that we're lucky to even get something out of it." Yawara warned.
Shino's interest, curiosity, and confusion doubled from that cryptic sentence.
She then re-opened the file again and realized that most of the contents of the very thin Manila Folder and saw that it was just barely scraping ten pages worth of information. Alongside it was a zip bag containing scraps of old, yellowed paper that had small remnants of texts and blurry pictures that showed a young man with unruly black hair and a pair of glasses in another separate photo. Shino couldn't at first make sense of the pieces before her, despite her overall experience in the field, though then again, she was more of a rescue hero than an investigative one.
Still, she and her team had garnered sufficient skills enough to cover for that weakness.
"What exactly am I looking at?" Shino said, giving up after looking at the uncoordinated mess that these 'files' were. She was not even counting the cryptic scraps into the mix as she looked at her team.
"That is what our current resources can muster in terms of research in the span of two weeks and like you, we're similarly confused as hell," Tomoko said as she stared into Shino's eyes.
"Are you telling me, we have nothing in terms of information regarding her?"
"We do… but it's information that either doesn't exist or no longer exists given the timestamp on some of the records we can scrounge and even beg with the police contacts we have. Hell, Ryuko and I were even surprised that we were asked some level of federal clearance just to get… these." Yawara explained as he reached for the zip bag. The mention of clearance got Shino's attention.
"Wait… hold on, did you say clearance?" she clarified.
"It's not as bad as you think, merely clearance to get into their vault of records. Which includes declassified documents, cases, and any of the sort that existed before quirks. The oldest of the papers don't even scratch the day and age when the transitionary period into Quirk Society was a thing. Meaning this was before all of those wars after Quirks started exploding into the population here and abroad." Yawara replied as Ryuko nodded in affirmation.
"You could tell that entire section was old, the smell alone was just thick with dust and whatever stenches old, recovered papers can be." Ryuko groused as she shuddered with the memory. "… and quite frankly, even then the caretaker of the vault told us that these records are what's left that is just cataloged there with names that don't even exist in the census anymore."
Blinking in surprise and awe, Shiki looked at the zip bag again, admiring and even feeling slightly scared of the implications that all meant for their current Shiki.
"And what does this have to involve with her?"
"Well… the name she gave, for starters is a rabbit hole that goes to nowhere but does exist in what files remain and from what little we can still read. This Tohno family was a big enough name back in Japan before the Quirk Era until they all vanished. What names we do that still survive is one young male named Shiki Tohno and his sister, Akiha. Other than that, nothing." Tomoko said that the summary files from the archive that Shino was currently looking over addressed that.
"It begs the question why she would use such a name at all. It couldn't have been too random given the specificity that she claims in some of her stories but why a damn near century-old family in the age before Quirks to use as a name?" Ryuko asked in contemplation.
"When you think about it, nobody truly remembers nor cares enough today of anything that happened before the dawn of Quirks. Especially for people her age and the fact that it took government clearance to even get to those archives in one of its more obscure sections - I might add - for you to even get a lick of information, it doesn't make sense for her to even know this boy's family in the first place." Tomoko argued as she tapped into the picture of the male Shiki Tohno.
"Unless she knew them personally that is…" Yawara speculated.
Shino, Ryuko, and Tomoko all instantly looked at their friend with a frown.
"Don't be stupid. Immortality quirks aren't a thing. Humans who do have quirks have slightly prolonged lives if you put lifestyles in the equation, but to live at such an absurd lifespan is impossible." Shino said.
The large man shrugged though he did lean forward and thought about it more.
"We used to think powers to the degree of All Might's was impossible, yet here we are now you know?"
A small bout of silence was shared amongst them before Tomoko animatedly waved both her arms in rejection of the idea.
"I don't even want to humor that sort of talk at the moment. We don't even have the evidence for it to consider such a stupid thing."
Shino hummed in agreement. "But the question still stands… what exactly are we dealing with here? These other papers don't say much of anything besides the archives you all gathered."
"And that's the problem right there, Shino… we don't have anything at all about the girl. It's like a virtually impossible thing that she's managed to achieve in this day and age. She doesn't have a name, an address, a date of birth, etc. She's a ghost in the system, at least in Japan's case."
"There's no matches, anything?" Shino asked.
"Not even fingerprints or a blood sample for the matter. Unless of course she even volunteers for one in the first place and maybe we can trace a mode of data we can get from her." Ryuko stated.
"I mean we haven't tried yet, and with Kota's help I think we can manage it," Shino suggested.
"That's great, but we're still down to the original problem. It's rather concerning that she doesn't exist in any records at all, especially here in Japan, where she's presumably resided the longest, right?" Tomoko asked as Ryuko opened her phone again, the news being the same, but the emphasis on the 'NEO' that I-Island detected and the scientists' excitement over it grew in articles.
"It is… and frankly, given our team's resources, I don't think we can muster the rank to ask for international authorities on the matter lest we alienate the girl entirely." Yawara finished with great concern as he rubbed his temples.
"We do have a possible solution for that problem, but it involves UA, and we are working with them in the next few weeks…" Tomoko suggested which got all of the Pussycats interested in the proposition.
"How much can we trust Nezu, then, is the question? Because… let's face it, even with all our suspicions regarding 'Shiki', I think we can all agree at this very moment that the girl, despite her eccentricities and power, poses no such threat to anyone, especially to us and Kota. She's a very kind-hearted individual, rather wishing to play and act lazy than even do anything with the vast applications of her quirk and I think she's proven time and time again within this team, this… family that she is both worthy of our respect and our trust…" Shino said.
Her words and feelings were an echo of her entire team as they all agreed to it, even without needing to say it. The girl, as Shino said, was family at this point to all of them and they all knew the consequences should word come out of her abilities to the HSPC or even just the media for all their carrion-like behaviors.
No, they weren't in essence afraid nor convinced that the HSPC had bad intentions towards the girl, but they were more so concerned about how they would want to use the girl given her untapped, monstrous potential that only the team knew to a good extent. A prospect that bothered the Pussycats, knowing how Shiki was very dismissive of the idea of heroes and the like.
They didn't want both sides to get forced into an altercation especially if the girl had any connections, sinister or benign, abroad.
"I think we should at least humor the possibility since Nezu does in fact run UA more independently compared to its constituents and… the principal cares much about their students, best I recall to a heavy extent," Tomoko suggested to which Yawara managed a huff as the background TV started to talk about increasing crime rates in the country.
"Somehow I question that, given he administered the Sports Festival, after the USJ attack." He said as Shino smirked in response, but ideally, she did agree about UA's reputation. At the very least it was an avenue that they could choose, if posed without any more options.
"I just hope that everything goes okay at the end of this," Shino said with finality after a heavy sigh as Tomoko and Yawara similarly smiled lightly towards her frustration. Tomoko even reached for Shino's hand, touching it as the two shared a glance.
"Have faith. I think it'll all be fine." She reassured. The mood in the room lightens up…
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
…until a loud bout of static at high pitch and volume suddenly intruded into their senses.
One of the thinner glassware cups on her table cracked from its intensity as the Pussycats felt some of their hair stand up while they all covered their ears in a desperate attempt to stop the sound from bursting their eardrums.
Pain started to encroach on their systems as even Yawara, their team's muscle was starting to buckle onto himself while the rest were nearly pushing their heads into the table.
Then, as sudden as the tone manifested itself into the world, there was a sudden loud sound of a blown fuse as small sparks of the now broken TV abruptly returned everything back to silence. What remained after was just the smoking, burning remains of the TV and the cracked wall clock on the nearest wall striking its final tick towards twelve and more after…
Slowly, as senses started to return to normal for the team, they opened their eyes to the now slightly scorching remains of the TV and pieces of ceramics and glass scattered on the table while Shino's tea trickled to the floor.
Shino, as quickly as focus returned to her had her eyes widen in panic as she recalled that her nephew was still in his room.
"Kota!" she screamed as she ran, leaving the others in the room.
The silence made them feel uneasy as Yawara stood up from his seat.
"The hell was that?" Tomoko said with exasperation and fear as she still kept her hands covering the top of her head for protection. She snuck a glance at Ryuko who, somehow found that her phone was still working and wasn't cracked from what happened earlier.
"You two okay?" Yawara asked, but before Tomoko could answer, Ryuko managed to say something that made them all pause.
"My phone's got no signal, can't even connect for emergency calls."
The two took out their own devices to see for themselves, equally seeing the same results as the silence from the entire ordeal brought them into a greater feeling of unease.
Di Porta Fascina, Italy
19:36 PM
Marco Barbieri huffed a puff of smoke as he walked through the tight and swerving roads of his area to get home. Hearing the sirens that were abound, he walked to the edge of the road as police vehicles rushed along at great speeds, despite the swerving, tight roads alongside other emergency vehicles that probably contained some Heroes as well. Their destination was unknown to him, but what chatter he did catch from the local townsfolk that he just came from, they were going upstream of their local river, Tiber.
For what reason he was very much unsure, yet it didn't stop his workmates and neighbors from speculating about it.
Not that he cared at all. His area and town were one of the smaller settlements and didn't have much attention in terms of the local Heroes. There was one in town, but he was more of a rescue hero than anything, being able to fly and cast rope-like appendages from his legs that allowed him free control to save anyone in the mountainous and hill-laden parts of his home.
This added much to the bit of strangeness when multiple authorities and first responders rushed through the town and were still adding more as the hour passed. He even saw some semi-popular heroes like the crystal woman from Perugia make a pass back in town as people gawked at her despite their hurried advance.
Marco reckoned it might be a large drug bust or an operation regarding the local mafia that was still around in these parts. Their presences in cities were admittedly diminished by quite a lot, but in the more provincial, remote areas, they would tunnel into the mountainous, empty, and forested terrain just to keep their operations continuing.
At least that's what his buddy told him, according to the rumors.
Still, he wasn't all that amazed by this occurrence. Heroes were never something that Marco openly liked, unlike his friends and family, given how he was raised by a former villain but it didn't mean that he hated them. His own quirk was practically useless in combat given it was just stretching his fingers to an unnecessary degree, but he never harbored as much hate as his old mafia-connected father had even after he mellowed out when he came out of prison.
What he did dislike, however, was that it meant the relatively peaceful and quiet area of his home would most likely be filled with journalists and the generic clout of things that follow such incidents in the first place.
The last time any sort of Hero did something that was close to the level of this operation had the entire town have a party for nearly a week… joyful and fun as it was but it got on his nerves when he could hear them late into the night even if his house was a good deal away from said town.
He hoped that if they did their business, it would be quick, and he hoped that his son wouldn't ask him to go meet those heroes to get their autographs.
Alas, he knew that his luck wasn't that good, so he just sucked it up and just as he arrived at the gates of his home, hearing the bell of the family dog running forwards to meet him, he felt ready at least to once again see his beloved family after a day's work.
The sound of crickets filled the night as his lovely wife greeted him at the front door.
With a small kiss and a greeting, they both went inside as he wondered where his son was.
"Were you and Enzo safe in the factory?" his wife suddenly asked.
"What do you mean?" he said as he took off his jacket and placed it on the couch, where he slowly sat, feeling the exhaustion finally get to him. "Did something happen Giulia?"
He then saw his wife looking confused at him saying, "What do you mean what happened, didn't you see the news? Or that small earthquake earlier? There was this trail of smoke coming from the sky, I was so scared that I had to take Mattia into the basement to hide before the rumbling happened."
Oh right… he mused in his thoughts.
He didn't know about the trail of smoke in the sky given that his co-workers weren't advised to get out of the building for the next hour, but he and his friend Enzo did feel the quake. The quake that shook the entire town for a few minutes.
"Did you hear anything from the town as to what caused it?" his wife asked.
"Only that a ton of police and heroes are rushing upstream of the river. Besides that, not much else. Did the news not say anything about it?"
"Marco… there's no signal. It's all static. Even the phones are down."
"Really? But I just had a call from Sandro earlier," he said as he rummaged through his pockets to get his phone out. "…see?"
Only for him to pause when he saw that just as his wife said, there was no sort of signal present. He tried to call for the emergency feature on his phone, only to see it glitch out.
"Hm… strange."
"I'm scared Marco…" his wife said as she rubbed her arms reflexively. Their beloved family dog even lay down beside her leg, as if trying to soothe her. Marco at first frowned but he stood up and walked to his wife, putting her into his arms as he soothingly kissed her neck and slowly trailed to her cheek and lastly the top of her head.
The action made her more calm and loving towards her husband, but the anxiety was still present and Marco felt it. His wife was a very delicate person, but she had a heart of Gold that nobody could compare to, and their marriage was strong despite the many times she got angry at her for his drinking habits. Their family was Marco's greatest treasure and their child, the proof of their love.
He then whispered into her ear gently, "In the quiet of our hearts, I am your peace and you are my strength…"
"…and Together, we are unshaken…" his wife finished. It was one of their vows when they were wed together, under a beautiful tree where they first shared a kiss. It was a beautiful, bright day that both cherished in reminiscing.
"Everything will be fine Giulia. It'll be fine." He whispered as they started slowly swaying as if a song was in the air amidst the silence and the crickets.
"You're right. The heroes should fix it soon, right? And whatever it is… it's probably too far away from us to matter." She said, mostly to herself to calm herself further. Marco couldn't help but feel elated at least that his wife's anxieties were tempered, but he too felt a bit unsure.
"Yeah."
Especially since the crickets outside that filled the dark silence were no longer playing their tune.
…
Marco was woken up from his slumber by the howl and cries of the family dog.
Groaning, he turned the lamp right beside him as his wife turned in her sleep, woken up by the loud noise. Annoyed, he bid his wife to settle back down in their bed as he stood up to check what it was. The house's lights were mostly turned off due to them sleeping this time of the night but he made sure to turn some of the important ones as he walked through the halls of his home if need be.
The windows that he moved past covered him in weak traces of light as he reached the front door of his home. He peeked through the window beside it, seeing only traces of… blue and green light? He mused that his neighbors were probably partying again. Or that the town, which can be seen on his lawn was probably celebrating something.
Opening it, it was then through his drowsiness and exhaustion that he realized that the family dog was no longer barking and when he saw the outside of his home, he also noticed that the crickets were nowhere to be heard, which was next to impossible, given how close they were to the woods and shrubbery.
The blue and green sheen of light passes by him as he walks into his lawn.
Mesmerized by this curiosity as he followed that light, like a moth to a flame, he didn't notice that the ground he was walking on, even with the grass was sticky, with clouds of steam emanating with each step. What used to be claws were now merged wholly with the grass and what used to be teeth, and a skull were molding with the concrete.
Marco didn't notice it as his gaze was solely on where the town was.
Long, plant-like tendrils extended high up into the sky as the environment was molding onto itself, biologically, even against solid surfaces made of non-biological materials. Colors of different kinds bounced against an immense darkness while the panicked sight of cars, heroes, and other still unaffected organisms ran in the horrifying immutable silence.
Marco's eyes were fixed upon the transcendent color as spores were ejected into the air.
Around him, said matrices of an impossible strain were ejected by the steadily morphing landscape. Marco, still entranced by the lights, even as the ground shook when a commercial airliner rammed itself into the town slowly turned his eyes towards his palm, where his ear landed.
His quirk, his useless quirk, extending his fingers towards the ground where he was greeted by the whole. He didn't know what to think of it even as he felt his body slowly unravel into the 'dirt'. There wasn't even a hint of crimson, from his lively blood that was spilled as his thoughts tried to call out to Giulia.
His dear Giulia and his son Mattia.
He was scared for them for he would leave them alone…
He was… excited to have them join… soon.
Marco Barbieri, an honest and hardworking man was now reduced to a strange phenomenon that melded his body into the whole. Like how worms and leeches reacted harshly to salt before they were dissolved and reintegrated into the nutrients of the soil via decay.
Sinking into nothingness as tendrils of a plant-like quality burst from the ground and finalized the process.
The entire area infected by the incursion from the heavens upstream of the Tiber River was now expanding at a steady pace. High above where the crash site was, where the remains of heroes, first responders, and the like were molded into the environment, an unearthly plant was buried deep. Encroaching and tunneling its roots deep into the changing soil as it once did in Venus…
Its influence upon the world produced an impregnable silence.
Even as Giulia and her son, and many others in that part of Italy cried out into the void. Hoping for salvation, where there was none. Their existence to be repurposed as seeds for the production of spores. Spores that were now trying to travel through the planetary winds as high above the clouds and into space where satellites and space stations once hailed their home…
[DISRUPT]
Lay another lifeform of an ultimate kind.
One closer to the darker depths that Neptune basked in lay the sovereign of Uranus. Resembling a ghostly and devastatingly large cnidarian like the Portuguese Man O'War, it coordinated with its Venusian ally as it sent signals into the space surrounding the planet. Destroying most of the technology present there with its long tendrils that would wrap the world thrice over.
The tendrils themselves almost symbolically represent the arms strangling Cronus/Kronos as the Primordial lost his existence. They were now arms, strangling the children of Gaea, preventing them from escaping into the stars.
The being's translucent nature, undetectable even to the strongest devices that encompassed the EM spectrum, caused it to glide unseen into the void where no telescope would dare see it. All the while it sent its cries, resembling that of the sound of crickets (at least to the approximation of lifeforms on Earth) to return the people of Earth to a much more primitive time.
Eventually, signals from the Venusian counterpart gave data on the current mission directive.
[UNDERSTOOD]
Things were proceeding as planned.
I-Island
1:30 AM
Shield Residence
Melissa groaned awake. She initially wanted to finish her school project, which was a smaller scaled-down version of her father's ground-breaking fabricator technology. One that allowed small devices ranging from something as small as a microchip to much more complex objects like laptops and even phones. With her father's assistance, she was able to make headlong progress with it but given her current understanding of engineering and computer sciences, she still had a long way to functionally complete it.
She was still a good deal ahead of most of her classmates, but it was due to this hard work that she was sleeping very late into the night, sometimes within her own workshop herself as her father picked her up every time she would snore cutely into her desk.
This time however, her school announced an early dismissal as they were told to finish their assignments and even work on their projects for the time being given that there was a supposed 'grand meeting' that the heads of each department in I-Island needed to attend to.
Being busy with her project, she went through her assignments quickly as soon as she went home, but her father, hurriedly arrived barely an hour later and he prompted her to take the day off. His administrative and advisory duties were needed by I-Island's current leadership and she was poised to follow after her father told her that the silent alarm was tripped onto the entirety of the island.
The silent alarm, being a simple one-word code, was known only to a few personnel when something was afoot, or something posed a danger to the island's existence. It was a code that would prove near impossible to use as an actual threat assessment was only trained to the enforcers and security of the island in the event that needed actual action. It was a precaution to not stir chaos and anxiety in the more civilian-focused population of the island so that silently dealing with an issue would be more easily handled.
Through experience, she and her father have only dealt with two scenarios by far in her life regarding said protocol, and both were silent alarms, or training given to those with access to said code should the need arise.
In this case, Melissa was forced to comply with her father's command to the letter when he hurriedly gathered important hardware from his personal office within their residence before leaving the house in a serious fit. She had never seen him that dangerously serious, except for small bits back when she was a child in regard to her uncle who was now residing back in Japan.
Hoping that everything was alright, Melissa went to sleep early thinking that everything would be okay in a few hours.
Now…
She noticed that through the darkness of her room and towards the opened sliding door, there was light down the hallway. She frowned, knowing that her dad even in his most exhausted of states always woke her up for a bit when he arrived home, almost every night.
And she knew for a fact that the only lights turned on within their residence at this hour would be the main living room. The lights were seemingly coming from the direction of her father's workshop.
It also didn't help that there was a muffled sound of the music being played in that direction. Anxiety, but also curiosity filled Melissa as she slowly got to her feet, hoping that perhaps it was just a malfunction (which was next to impossible) or one of her father's colleagues on the island (which was also impossible given the only one allowed access to her father's workshop was him and her).
To check, she turned on the panel right next to her bed that was connected to the residence's systems. The internet was still down, as well as signals from other important networks, but the local servers and connections within the island were still intact, making her see and diagnose her home.
With confirmation, she was a bit nervous knowing that there was someone within the residence. Someone who was able to have clearance (somehow) to enter and get into her father's workshop.
She felt anxiety crawl into her veins but also determination. She hoped that whoever it was, they weren't dangerous but at the same time she was mad if they were there to steal from her father, and with the control panel in her hands, she could override security in the whole place and lock them in. She knew the blast doors in her father's workshop were strong enough to trap even those with advanced strength quirks.
She silently pressed the button to send a distress signal directly to her father and nearby security within the island's local network. As she did, she gently walked down the halls of her home underneath the darkness as she approached the light and the music.
Being naturally curious, Melissa was at least determined to see if the intruder was a true threat. This was her home, and she wanted to fight for it, if the need came.
However, the more she closed in, the more she found it strange that the intruder was playing music. Music that was at the level of it being heard in full for half of the residence. What intruder would even do such a thing? Weren't burglars need to be quiet, reserved…
She stopped when she heard the soft squeak of her stepping on one of her All Might dolls that were scattered on the floor. All Might dolls and her older toys that were neatly kept in one of their storage rooms. The same storage room where once she picked up her doll she turned to, seeing it was opened wide with all their storage units and their personal things strewn out on the floor.
Including her very embarrassing Halloween costumes as a child.
"What in the world?" she intoned as she turned back to the direction of her father's open workshop, from the distance where she was, she could similarly see her father's workshop which was naturally neat, was now a sordid mess.
The song was more clear to her now as she slowly approached. It was one of her father's favorites and a song she grew to like as well.
Clutching the control panel she vigilantly walked forward and as soon as she stepped into her father's workshop with the mess now in clear view, she then noticed that the traditional whiteboard that her father used to oftentimes write his equations on was now smeared with math and scientific computations that were too advanced or were simply gibberish now filling it entirely. Some were even written on the walls, seemingly 'correcting' the established writing that her father placed on those boards as they reached even the ceiling of all things.
Then, as she stood in the middle of the workshop, the music blared loudly as it reverberated into her ears, she then heard the sudden groan of an unknown voice.
Turning, she saw a girl, almost her age, delicate-looking and graceful standing in front of the plethora of screens where the music video of the tune was playing, trying to replicate the guitar solo of the song with the use of her father's own personal guitar.
This individual had her back turned from Melissa and from what she could infer she looked strange. Especially with the delicate-looking wings on her back, a halo floating atop her head, and the fact that she was wearing her white sundress (that she didn't like as a gift) that fit her quite well. Even though it looked a tad bit loose on her, it still fit her better than it ever did Melissa.
She was also humming to the tune as she swayed lightly holding that guitar…
…it was an absurd and strange sight.
This girl even finally turned to her, finally noticing her presence. Her face, was so pretty that even Melissa herself blushed as she vibrantly smiled at her. Only for it to change into a blushing mess of shame as she realized that she had made a mess.
"O-Oh… hello! I… oh dear. I apologize for the mess?" the girl said, unsure of what to say.
Melissa blinked at her even as the song continued.
With her mouth only being able to say one thing,
"H-Hi?"
END OF CHAPTER
AN: Do listen to the song, its lyrics and think of it in the concept of what the TYPEs are doing lol.
Hope you all enjoyed it.
[CENSUS A]
New
[CENSUS A]
Or did he like the chocolate chip drink more near the mall?
'Shiki' or better yet Arcueid Brunestud skips happily down the street as she thinks about the many possible gifts she would acquire for her dear Kota, who was currently sad. Arcueid was very much surprised when dear little Kota found himself crying again even after she did her best to make him happy, but it ultimately made her feel disappointed that she couldn't do much at that moment to make him feel better. She understood of course, even if only through the concept of what 'trauma' meant to the human psyche, she saw it more than one time with her beloved Shiki, where she truly grasped what the concept meant as a whole.
And yet…
"…" she kicked a pebble down her way lightly in slight frustration.
She was still unsure of how to wholly respond or even remedy such an issue in the first place. She may have powers that nobody in the mortal coil could even dare understand or fathom, having been able to shape matter, introduce energies that would trump any sort of functional science mortals had, or even render reality itself within her domain to be whatever she thought of it to be…
"…hrm…" she kicked another pebble into the air, the force behind it shattering at about half before it sailed high into the air, just scratching the Mesosphere, where it would come down later and perhaps burn through the Earth's gravity into dust or sail back down into very small, barely recognizable pieces. A relative feat that was as casual as her controlled base strength when she was holding herself back.
…yet none of that power, distilled into one small existence likened closer to that of a human in appearance could change the complexities of the human mind and its varying emotions. No, not even hypnosis, or her ability to alter and even shift memories and the like naturally could hold a handle to how 'real' human thought, psyche, and souls behaved.
She was just too far removed from them. Sadly, if she were able to learn at all, in any significant capacity that transcended even her understanding and love for Shiki, it would still come off as lacking in the smallest, most subtle of details.
A fact that she was slowly starting to embrace as a wisp of sadness started to course through her. It had been quite a number of generations since she last saw humanity. A drip on the literal cosmic pond that was her entire existence when measured in years, but a significant enough change that while society still kept to the traditions and lifestyles of the world Shiki lived in, had been enough for Arcueid to feel as if the world was completely alien to her.
A strange and weird world that was allegedly 'peaceful', yet populated by humans with abilities that did not contain mystery flaunting their powers upon the waking, aging world. Their destruction and noise almost caused her to wake a few decades earlier, but even with the relative 'peace' that existed now, she still felt as if the shift from normalcy was just too jarring.
It made her wish for the days when people were quieter. When mundanity involved people coming and going living inconspicuous lives as they worked, they studied and lived it with joy and laughter through simple things. When the world wasn't a constantly and rapidly changing place where people cheered for chaos, destruction, and violence (mild or even strenuous) using the abilities that they now possessed.
It reminded her of the time when Mystery was at its peak. Where entities, phantasmals, magic, and other colorful paraphernalia graced the world. A chaotic mess that many living mortals or immortals had to endure just to get through the next day.
It was… strange to Arc that history seemed to loop around like this.
Gone was the overall quiet that she now missed from Shiki's time and was now replaced with this uncanny return of chaos in a very peculiar form. Gone was Shiki and everything that she loved in that part of her immortal existence.
Even the changed landscape of Souya City reflected that.
What was left was the park, partly unchanged where she and Kota now favored visiting, and the area where the Tohno estate once was, now replaced by an agency of a 'hero' that Arcueid couldn't care less about knowing the name of.
What heart and care she still had that was functionally close to that of being human now resided in her… bubbling care and love for Kota. A boy that in aura and essence reminded her of Shiki in some form, even if it was just through the sadness that they possessed deep inside.
A sadness that Arcueid herself wished to fix.
Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk she was skipping on, Arcueid looked upwards through the tree line of the densely packed flora that encompassed the Beast's Forest where the Pussycats resided. The road she was skipping along led to a city where she would hopefully find a good enough gift to make Kota feel better.
She could in theory just conjure said objects through thin air if need be, but it's the thought that counts most when it comes to humans. When it came to Shiki. Something authentic, something real to their senses that showed the care and love that one individual supposedly had for the other. A trait that Arcueid would wish to convey to her dear Kota.
"…" a heavy sigh left her lips as she saw the bright and sunny day shine down on her.
While optimistic in its visage, Arcuied felt as if the day itself felt a little pale.
The trees and the nature surrounding her felt off with what was happening.
Shaking her head knowing that those thoughts didn't matter, Arcueid instead wished to focus on the task at hand. She need not ruminate on such heavy thoughts for she still needed to help Kota regain his smile and she was determined to see it through.
So! Off she went with optimism and hope again in her eyes.
She was after all a Magical Girl for crying out loud! This was a test to get her adventure going, and what a fruitful and eventful adventure it was for the whole day…
…
They were too noisy. The stuck number of cars went as far as her eyes could see. The end of the traffic itself even stretched so far to the very tail end of the road that led to the Pussycat's Mountain territory. A rare commodity in the area itself as numerous trucks, public vehicles, and private vehicles were clogged in a myriad of car horns and alarms as the patience of the drivers wore thin by the minute.
Arcueid found them far too annoying, so she tried to drown them all out with a tune of an old song in her head that she grew to like while she skipped along. Wishing to not mind nor care much of the world around her as she continued to trek into the beginnings of the city before her.
It was a rather common yet a degree more hectic sight as at the end of an intersection, the root of the cause of the sudden clog was revealed. People of different quirks of various mutations that walked alongside her started to get rowdier as they took out their phones and hoped to try and film the incident. The incident involved twelve or so cars ending up in an accident.
Metal and material were scattered everywhere as bits of smoke were puffing into the air. The crowd of onlookers, watching with various conversations amongst themselves strapped with curiosity, frustration, and interestingly enough, confusion.
No, not confusion as to what caused the event, no…
"I can't get a signal. Can you?"
"Darn it, it's Kesagiri Man too! I was hoping to get a photo of him and post it."
"Please for your own safety, back off! This is a police and Pro Hero matter."
"How am I supposed to pay for this, man?! It's totaled! You're lucky my quirk enabled me to survive that."
"Sir, can we please calm down? I'm sure we can all calmly handle this once we get everyone to safety and assess the damage, then you can both argue about this later."
"I can't access my bank account at the moment, nor call my lawyer. What am I supposed to do now?"
The confusion continued on as Arcueid, deep in her own world which now transitioned into a soft hum briefly stared into the mess as onlookers started to complain more of the signal blackout. It was still a common enough sight that Arcueid found annoying in this day and age given the presence of powered elements needlessly and openly fighting or having altercations on the street.
Sometimes she even helped a thing or two when the particular problem was in front of her, and she was able to easily get away given how her hypnosis and other abilities worked.
Now, there was no need for that as she continued along on her path, not bothering to think about how the black-suited figure they called "Kesagiri Man" was going to fix that mess. Even with first responders coming in, only adding to the traffic, Arcueid figured that they would be there for quite a while.
The obsession of the local populace, the civilians, and the like over their 'mobile devices' and appreciation for heroes was something that she didn't truly understand. Sometimes even Mandalay, Kota's aunt was neck deep with her phone in circumstances where she managed to get calls from other people. Sure, communication was a great tool, but in her observation, the people around her were far too attached to it, so when a blackout of said communications occurred, they were now predictably clamoring for it, like a man depraved of thirst.
Huffing to herself, she continued to hum a volume louder with a carefree smile on her face even as the world around her seemingly grew wary and slowly annoyed at the sudden loss of one of their obsessions. A thing that would not bother her at all for this day, for she had an objective that was of utmost importance.
Best of all, she had her cute, red little handy bag with a particular Neko keychain dangling by her side to complete the look. She had enough in it to get Kota anything that he wanted, it may not be in a straight manner, money, but she had the goods to make every purchase count.
She would smile with a smug expression right at that moment as she continued to hum her tune until her senses forced her to stop when a man who had crocodilian mutations was about to zip in front of her in panic, but she was able to step back, before angling her foot just enough for him to trip. The action caused the entire street of onlookers close to her to watch the villain skid across the pavement, breaking a good enough portion of the road, before landing into the glass window of a shoe store.
She found herself grinning quite a bit to her mischief as she continued to hum away as people, instead of running away or calling for help cheered when one of the heroes, Airjet had zoomed into the scene at last. He awkwardly waved at the civilians as he was confused as to what happened while he tried to get everyone to back away as he tried to hail the police.
Of course, with cell services down, he had no means to, so like the commotion earlier with the car accident, he would be stuck there, for a while.
Arcueid however, fashioned herself away by using a slightly controlled perception filter around her, allowing her to get away unnoticed, even to technology, as she neared her first stop.
Only to once again have her relative peace be temporarily disturbed when she saw that the chocolate drink shop that Kota favored was closed, and near it was a line that nearly covered the joint when the local ATM stopped working. A long line of frustrated and growingly angry people were now yelling at each other with the people maintaining the machine (who was coming in for maintenance ironically) and it didn't look like it was going to be resolved soon.
Oh well…
The day was still young (even if it was coming by noon now) and Arcueid still had a lot more options to choose for Kota's wonderful gift. She just hoped that things were not as annoyingly similar to the other moments that day that caused her to pause momentarily in her mission.
She just had to hope that things would be fine.
Even if the world around her was starting to feel the effects of the song from above…
…
Things continued to be the same on the entire trip. From burning buildings due to TV's exploding, to more car crashes and minor villain appearances and even small instances of just Heroes wishing to calm the masses after an online charity event was postponed in a local kindergarten. It was a trend that happened all around the bustling city, which was now becoming more thronging by the hour.
"You're sold out of that manga?" Arcueid veined to ask as she looked at the tired clerk who was handling her inquiry. There was frustration in her tone of course, but given how used the tired clerk was to customers that came and went and complained about things being sold out, he was not really that bothered by the firmness in her tone. Which, strangely enough, was a trait that Arcueid herself admired out of the many people that had bothered her that day.
She even found it pointless hypnotizing him, given that the man was of the honest sort, and he wouldn't keep any copies at all in the back room for many different reasons. If the manga was sold out, it was literal.
Sadly, it was either she relented on going after another choice for her gift or she walked to the next city, which would take hours more and possibly the next day for her to get to, minimizing more time that she could just have to be with Kota. She had to make a decision fast on what to do, otherwise the whole day would be wasted.
"That's a shame." Arcueid relented. Truly, while she was not much of a fan of literature that humans liked, the particular story that Kota favored was something that she grew to appreciate. A refreshingly good-written story about a boy falling in love with a girl who was a monster, a monster who didn't understand humans. She at first found it to be something that was done to death, but what caught her attention was how much the monster tried to learn how to understand what it meant to be human. How to understand what it meant to be close to a person you love.
And vice versa for the boy. Who did his best to try and learn how to be a monster.
Arcueid looked at the poster of said manga by the empty rack that many copies used as space and sighed. The story spoke to her for many reasons and much as she teased Kota about it, he loved the story for how much it developed a very realistic, natural, and wholesome relationship between the two characters. Even if he found 'romance' as an icky subject, he liked how the bond of friendship was formed between them and it helped that his aunt was a fan of it as well.
It was one of those rare and few popular stories that didn't go heavy into the Hero Genre.
It made sense why it was quick at being sold out.
"Alright… will a shipment of the new copies come soon at least?"
The tired man shrugged. "Don't know really. With the internet and cell service down, I can't see updates on the shipment, nor can I call the publishing house that distributes it to us. Best I can say is try visiting tomorrow at least, or until services are back up."
"That's a shame." She said, mostly to herself before regaining her smile. She still had choices and hope after all. The sun was still up. She had time.
Eventually, she gave the clerk a very welcome goodbye to which the man merely returned with a wave, much to her chagrin. She hated however that the visit to the shop was a bust compared to all her other choices.
The grandpa that had that wonderful ice cream was nowhere to be seen.
The toyshop that Kota frequented to buy some of his favorite show's merchandise was closed due to the mall being attacked by a random group of thugs.
The bookstore where she could alternatively get the manga from aside from the store she just visited was filled with angry customers that it became very hectic to even try a big enough gamble with her mental powers against humans, given the hassle with all of the eyes in the open.
Plus, she didn't want another incident where she had to edit the memories of almost an entire town down to nearly all of its lawmen, civilians, and heroes just because she beat a stalker to near death once. If anything, as annoying as mages, and the Church were, Arcueid somehow missed their ability to just clean things up.
With how open powers are and how different the landscape of law was now, their way of things slowly disappeared, and Arcueid since then had not seen the skank or her ilk ever since. Nor did she mages in the modern world too. She sensed some, but they were infinitely rare, compared to the more subtle numbers they had before.
Openly doing anything with her abilities would both jeopardize her current peace and would make needlessly complicated events happen around her and most importantly Kota. She didn't want that. Even if she had the power to brute force anything that she wanted, she didn't want Kota to be placed into a situation that reminded him again of the reason why his parents were gone.
Arcueid may not have teared up, cried, or looked emotionally resonant with how Kota's sudden panic attack affected her, but it did strengthen how much she was willing to go for the boy.
And how much she didn't want to see him in pain again after that…
"Hmph." She cutely pouted. She still had hope to finish her
With renewed determination, she headed to her next destination, which was a cute thrift store that had all the lovely charms and trinkets. The nekomata-looking woman that owned the store, which was coincidentally wearing casual clothes close to hers sold a lot of items and conjoined to said store was a café of sorts.
She forgot the name of it, but they were quite the popular spot, all things considered.
Hopefully said café was open.
She started humming that song or raindrops again to herself when she was about to come across another hectic scene again, with a ton of people watching. Three heroes were present, all ragged, tired-looking almost the same as their law enforcement counterparts who were stretched too thin given the communications blackout and the rate of issues both known and unknown increasing dramatically that day.
In this instance, just from watching at the edge of the crowd, Arcueid saw the giant woman with fake purple horns carefully dislodge a crashed helicopter that hit a residential building. Assisting her was a man who had a wooden-like theme to his abilities as his elongated tree branches added a bit of support to the destroyed aerial vehicle while another hero, one with enhanced strength eased a few living victims out.
The collected mass of onlookers was not as loud as before as she quickly noticed that the murmurs were subdued, just as the three heroes were amidst the fires and the destroyed building due to the crash. It was probably caused by the number of covered bodies strewn across the street while people tried to take pictures.
A small police presence was there, as well as just one ambulance, with most of the responders looking ragged, their clothes and visages dirtied but their determined, yet exhausted looks continued to keep them from giving up. Even the heroes looked the same, with Mt. Lady had sweat trickling by the side of her face, Kamui Woods' eyes having a strained look to them, and Deatharms stoic demeanor having small instances of frustration.
It seemed to be a common thing now outside of Arc's current misfortune with her odyssey to find that gift. Even the overall feeling for all the onlookers slowly started to evolve throughout.
If anything, the growing frustration she was feeling put her an inch closer to being tempted to just… 'produce' the gift out of thin air. But then, she was reminded of a certain sentiment that Shiki always had when it came to her.
That genuine love was going the extra mile for your significant other. To show your fondness, care, and feelings for something or someone means making sure that you give them the most authentic gift or sentiment from your heart and soul.
Taking the easy way out meant that Kota's existence to her was something to disregard.
Taking the easy way out just so she could reunite with Kota would mean that she didn't care for him, that he was just like every human, a meaningless organism to her.
Taking the easy way invalidated everything that Shiki stood for and everything that he ever did to show how much he loved her.
Shaking her head to rid her of any such thoughts of giving up, Arcueid merely felt more determined to see it through. Now…
If only she could find a way out of this crowd that she was now smushed in.
"Where's Backdraft? We needed him half an hour ago, damn it." Kamui Woods said as Mt. Lady shrunk and leaned against the full ambulance as paramedics were slowly loading some of the wounded into the three police cars present. They didn't even have a solution yet for the dead that were still strewn with white cloth near them, in front of Civilians no less who were not kept away much due to the dwindling and stretched-out police presence.
"We still don't have good comms sir, and this isn't the only place in the area that's got fires being put out… worse, I heard hospitals are reaching their limit already for today." A paramedic said as he finished helping one of the unconscious wounded into the police car.
"And I'm tired. This is the twentieth issue we had to deal with today and they just keep piling up." Mt. Lady moaned in frustration as the two heroes looked at her, but both were not denying that they were now reaching their limit.
"You think it's those League fellas? Ever since that son of a bitch Stain got famous on the internet, things have been a lot more active with all of the criminals and villains lately." Deatharms stated, one that the authorities and heroes present agreed silently.
"I just hope that things will be okay in the end. I'm sure we'll eventually get to the bottom of this, with All Might still active I think we'll be fine."
Deatharms huffed as he crossed his large arms together. "You're acting like All Might can solve every problem in the world… he's still human at the end of the day Kamui, and much as I agree with you on principle, even he has a limit."
"Don't be such a downer Deatharms… I'm sure everything will be right as rain tomorrow or in a few hours. They better be, because most of my cash is still in my account." Mt. Lady grumbled as another set of sirens echoed throughout the street, meaning another issue was afoot.
Even the energy around the civilians watching the scene felt subdued.
Except for a certain girl who finally found a way to get herself unstuck from the crowd.
They were too distracted after all with the rather harrowing scene by jumping out of it like a bunny. The perception filter assisted by the crowd and the heroes being distracted enough that it allowed her to sneak off without issue.
She even beat Mirko's jump height record with that casual stunt, and without minor property damage no less mind you (hehe). Nothing was going to stop her from achieving her goal…
Even if the world was slowly turning mad around her.
Kota still needed her after all.
ACK!
Toshinori found himself cursing both in Japanese and English as blood was ejected from his lips. The world still needed All Might, and now his limit had just cut that short. A limit that was drastically made him irrelevant and useless as time gradually passed.
Forcing through the pain did him no favors for he would just shorten his time as All Might further, making it a dangerous gamble, especially in instances where his help was truly needed. More specifically, when the day came that the man who haunted his dreams returned into the fold, perhaps stronger than ever which was a possibility he was both horrified and preparing himself to come to terms with.
With evidence mounting up that the League of Villains was connected to him, Toshinori had to remain vigilant. Practically, he needed to be more pragmatic at using his time as All Might. Even if it meant sacrificing his drive and will to save others or do the right thing like he used to do when he was still at a hundred percent efficiency. It was prudent that he must not waste what remaining time he had left by doing it on regular hero work…
Two police cars with sirens rushed by him as Toshinori paused while wiping the blood off of his lips. A frown appears on his face as curious and similarly frustrated onlookers watch with murmurs of worry.
...But it just wasn't in Toshinori's nature, or All Might's nature to not help. He was a hero after all. One that the world looked on to, an ideal of unrivaled beauty and kindness that his master championed, even at a time when the world was less peaceful than it currently was now.
His desire to assist, to support, to care, and to fight was ingrained within him, and no amount of physical limitations, dire or not could stop that within his soul.
"…" a heavy sigh left him as he looked at the city and the people around him.
Bright and powerful as his heart and soul were, he also had to face the fact that his physical body, his mortal flesh was far, far more fragile than how much he wanted to go further. Plus Ultra was one of his famous mottos, one that his alma mater championed, but he was still human at the end of the day. Much like any hero.
Take away the power, strength, and other qualities that revolved around him left a barely living husk of a man. A man who was easily exhausted and taxed daily by any action he partook as the Symbol of Peace.
In this one day alone, Toshinori was able to solve, assist, and take down nearly a hundred fifty random occurrences of varying kinds in that strained time limit of his. Most of them were emboldened thugs who wanted to take advantage of the recent communications and network blackout (which bothered him of their number) but he also helped solve more mundane problems amongst that number. One of them he even had to help a young crying child retrieve her balloon that was flying away.
To most Pro Heroes or civilians that number he achieved alone for the day was just astounding, and a record that few could hope to match (not even Endeavor on a good day can). Yet at the same time, to Toshinori it was far, far lower than his usual tirade.
It wasn't that he was trying to break any records, no…
It was that he truly believed that he had to push the extra mile, all in the idea that somewhere, someone out there truly needed his help. That even with his fatigue and oftentimes callousness due to the strain, there was a person out there who needed his presence, his smile.
Humble as Toshinori was, he had placed the world on his shoulders like Atlas had in the old legends of Greece. He didn't need to, but he wanted to, with consequences both good and bad, not just for himself, but for everyone that admired and hated him.
That's why it grated him when he was now forced back to regular ol' Toshinori.
And it bothered him that he couldn't do more for the day when this blackout had not only stretched every hero and first responder to the greatest extent all around the country. Almost mirroring his plight to a concerning degree.
If some of the heroes and civilians he heard talking and speculating about it were to be believed, an attack on this scale would be something that the League of Villains would orchestrate, or perhaps something bigger… something more sinister.
Yet despite the danger of the current blackout, one that he hoped the government, and even perhaps Nezu could fix quickly, he noticed that nothing seemed amiss. Nothing so far seemed as if this was a prelude to something greater. Something terrible.
It had been a few hours at this point now…
And while things were growing tense, Toshinori hoped that things would get better. Even if the more pessimistic part of himself seemed to disagree with that notion. Like a sixth sense, a feeling that his old mentor seemed to have as well back in the day.
The peace that he and many others fought for needed to be protected.
At the same time, his time as the Symbol of Peace was running out and his successor, proud as he was for the boy like he was his own son…
He wasn't ready yet for that responsibility.
The world wasn't ready yet for that responsibility once his time came to an end.
Sighing once more, Toshinori opted to take a break, and he was nearing his favorite noodle diner in this part of the city. One where he met his friend Tsukauchi, who at this point is probably as busy as everyone else.
Turning around the corner where the number of civilians walking down the street was thinner than usual (probably due to the loss of some services), he saw that the diner was still open. He was a regular to the point that the staff already knew him by a glance and an hour of just settling down to rest and fill his non-existent stomach a bit would do him some good.
It reminded him that despite how much he was trained by his mentor when he was starting to hurt himself via said training. She would quickly scold him to a painful extent by enforcing to him that he needed to take care of himself. He wondered what Nana Shimura would think of him now with all of his antics. He wondered if his old mentor was proud of him.
For he missed her with all of his heart.
The jingle of the bells welcoming him into the shop made him relax a bit better as he started to get in line to order at the counter. Thankfully there were only two people inside the diner aside from the crew. He and a young girl in young Midoriya's age range innocently ordered her meal.
It seemed like the blackout had caused most people to either go home or try to save whatever cash they had on hand. Thankfully, as an old-fashioned person, Toshinori still carried a wallet and actual money on his person. Not that he didn't believe in the system, and he was strapped enough that spending on something pricey wasn't an issue, but he still carried it, just on principle.
"I'll take them all, owner-san. And please pack them neatly as takeout." The girl in front of him said. The girl felt and sounded very bubbly, it reminded him of a certain blue-haired girl of UA's top three. The girl even felt the need to lean a bit further into the cashier's personal face (or in this case the owner) which the man didn't seem to be bothered by.
Probably a frequent customer no doubt.
"All of it? Are you really sure about that order of yours kid?"
"Of course!"
Her innocence allowed Toshinori to smile, if only the world was as colorful and innocent as her, and perhaps things that he experienced wouldn't be so bad.
"Fine… but do know that we can't accept cards for now. Only physical money. Machine's offline you see, and I don't know when it'll be back on."
"Oh, that's not a problem. I do still have these things…" she said as he watched her fish something out of her cute little bag, but he didn't truly expect what came out of it.
THUD!
To say that the very audible intrusion of the three objects placed on the counter was in line with Toshinori's surprise was an understatement. He didn't expect a girl like her to just casually place three gold bars on the counter as if it wasn't a big deal.
It then made him more concerned when the emotion the owner of the diner gave her was a simple sigh before taking one of the bars into his hand.
"Again, I must emphasize, this isn't something produced from your quirk right? Because the last time you produced paper money out of thin air almost had me call the cops on Mandalay because of that." The owner's exasperated feelings were conveyed clearly through his tone.
It also made Toshinori realize that based on those words alone, the girl had a similar quirk perhaps to young Yaoyorozu. Another curious fact was that the girl presumably had a relationship of some kind with Mandalay of the Pussycats. One of the finest rescue heroes of the country.
"I assure you owner-san, these are legit." She then picks up one of the gold bars. "See? There's numbers and everything. I got them from my 'uncle' you see." She explains with a smile that made even the owner relent.
"You are aware that three gold bars are stupidly more than what you're paying for the food you're ordering right? Even if it's the entire menu."
"Yup! Think of it as charity. Your store is something my darling Kota-kun cherishes so I'm just helping along to support your establishment!" she cheerfully said, which finally made the owner of the diner smile. "Plus, I still got a lot of them back home too."
"Well… I don't know what to say kid, but thanks. I'm… glad actually that you like my humble little establishment. This is probably enough for me to do a lot to improve things around here and for my family." The owner said with a thankful gesture as he also bid his staff to start her order.
"Hehe… if Kota-kun deems it I can give you more, and thanks as well owner-san. You're a lifesaver to my little quest today."
"Quest for what?" the owner humored.
"To give my Kota-kun something that he will appreciate."
Toshinori couldn't help but smile from the exchange as the owner similarly felt a renewed sense of fervor for what was being asked of him. He watched as the man promised to give her extra quality with her takeout while the Symbol of Peace watched the most pure sentiment he had ever seen that day thus far. He wondered if the girl was an aspiring hero student like his successor, given she did have a very strong quirk, just from what he was hearing…
"Thank you, owner-san!"
Or even if she wasn't, that sort of kindness and altruism was rare. Especially with people with that amount of money in their pockets. With how the world was changing in terms of how heroes were perceived, he hoped that the coming generation rectified, at least in concept, the true meaning of what heroism was. Both Midoriya and this girl carried that spark, and he hoped that both would lead that into the next generation with hope.
Hope… he thought. Hope allowed him to feel a bit better even with his limitations reached for that day. He had faith still in his fellow heroes in the field. Faith that things would be better.
Faith, a facet of the Symbol of Peace that hoped the world still carried.
…
Toshinori nearly jumped in his seat as he was slurping his noodles when a caravan of a single ambulance and two fully armored police vehicles roared by outside the diner. He was mostly disturbed from his peace by the noise due to his proximity to the glass windows because of his table, but he did notice that they were loud enough that the entire street could hear it without issue.
It bothered him that it was becoming an increasing trend that day, with communications down Toshinori knew that law enforcement was currently uncoordinated, similarly with the first responders that dealt with fires, injuries, and the like…
Some hospitals he helped send injured people to were already at full capacity and couldn't accept any more which was a true rarity nowadays, one that had Toshinori now feeling a lot more subdued from his elation earlier.
With another slurp of his noodles, he knew that most of the students in the Hero Course were motivated to continue their training despite all the setbacks and unfortunate experiences with dangerous elements that they were too young to respond to. Their hope and determination pushed their burning spirits forward, regardless of anything hindering their path, an ideal that Toshinori both marveled at with a proud smile in his heart, but one that also made him feel scared for their future.
Said future was becoming rather unpredictable as the days passed and Mirai, his former loyal sidekick's premonitions was starting to slowly dawn on him.
Sadly, the same feeling swept over him despite all his efforts to train his successor…
"Young Midoriya isn't ready yet…"
Sighing, knowing that his 'training' barely amounted much compared to the rigorous but fair regimen that his mentor used to have, Toshinori knew that he had to amp young Midoriya's regimen outside of the training UA was giving him. He had to be more hands-on from now on.
Given that threats were now seemingly comi-
"Aaaaaaaa!" a nearly girly and uncharacteristic scream which Toshinori was surprised that came from his own lips erupted when a pair of crimson eyes met his own at very close proximity.
"You are a curious thing, skeleton-san."
A great sigh of relief washed over Toshinori, for it was merely the cute and innocent girl from before, still ultimately waiting for her takeout, which he could hear the owner of the diner barking at his staff to make it perfect.
Yet… relieved as he was, there was something strange in those deeply, crimson eyes of hers. It was as if she was peering into his very soul. It felt, uncanny. Even if the girl herself remained as harmless as she was.
She continued to persist staring at him in such close proximity until he moved his head a bit back and cleared his throat. Sadly, it didn't really deter her to stop what she was doing.
"Uh… excuse me young lady but what exactly do you nee-
"Very curious… skeleton-san." She said with a bit of mirth as she pulled back, smiling innocently again as she took a seat across him at his table. She then conjoined both her hands together, fingers mingling with each other as her smile disarmed him.
The aura around the girl was odd, yet he didn't seem intimidated or concerned about her presence. Add the fact that she vaguely said those words made him feel uneasy. He thought that the girl's quirk involved creating objects out of thin air as said by the owner of the diner in their conversation. Did she… also have a secondary quirk that thought and acted like Nightey-
"Can I ask you a question, skeleton-san?"
"Um… sure? But not to be rude young lady, why is it exactly that you approached me?" he asked, just to be sure. He was however greeted with the girl's smile becoming a bit deeper as she leaned her face forward, supporting her chin with both her hands and elbows on the table.
With how pretty she was, it reminded Toshinori of a certain niece of his, from David's.
"Well, I was a bit bored waiting for my order, and I caught sight of you… you're quite interesting skeleton-san so I approached you!" she said with a lovely giggle.
Okay, that wasn't the answer he expected but she seemed harmless and Toshinori had to admit that as much as he considered and accepted this part of his identity, he knew that he looked like a living ghoul, or as the girl would aptly call him, 'skeleton-san'. If anything, he expected people to be wary of him due to his appearance, but this one looked like it was the opposite.
"I see… well, I'm glad to meet you Miss…?"
She blinked, as if not expecting the greeting before smiling. She then without warning grabbed his hand and started shaking it. It was then that Toshinori quickly noticed that her grip was rather strong. It did not break his bones or break his arm altogether strong but being that he was experienced at holding back the strength that One for All was accustomed to when he was at full strength all the time, he knew how those with such exceptional strength held themselves back. Even in something as mundane as a handshake.
There was something odd with this girl.
"Shiki! Call me Shiki."
Oh, one of his suspicions of her being a foreigner was correct in a sense. Not just because of her looks, but the fact that even with her perfect Japanese, she wasn't using honorifics. A trait that Toshinori himself also seldom used, given his time in the United States when he got back to Japan.
"Toshinori then. You have a good grip there young Shiki… I thought your quirk was item creation or something like that?" he asked politely.
"Oh, you mean my powers? No… no… explaining it to you would be very complicated and your head might explode in the process. So just think of me as a magical girl!" she said, subtly deflecting his attempt at trying to get a good gauge at her. But that one line at the end struck him.
"You're an aspiring hero student then?"
"Nope!" she quickly said, before he even had the time to finish words. The denial and firm stance at that juncture halted him immediately.
"I see."
"Can I ask the question now, skeleton-san?"
He nearly wanted to vomit blood again for that new moniker of his, coming from her. Not that he denied it, he just didn't prefer it. Something also tells him that the girl's antics were in fact more literal at her being innocent. In fact, how she acted right now, made him think of her as being like a child.
Toshinori didn't notice that while he had… resistance to certain gestures and subtle subliminal influence from the girl's eyes, it wasn't foolproof. In addition, what vestiges of One for All that was left in him were also similarly struggling to resist its effects.
The leading figure in the 'innocent' conversation between them was already hewn and pronounced clearly at the start, and through casual means no less.
"Alright then. What is your question young Shiki?"
"Why do you do it?"
The odd question made Toshinori pause. "Pardon?"
"Why do you save people in the first place?"
Toshinori suddenly felt scared. Even through the aura that was making him comply that he did not notice in the slightest. It was a great fear of him of course for people to know this early. For people to know that he was All Might given the circumstances that led to his current state.
Did this girl know?
Was she in any way, shape, or form related to-
"You have the same look as any hero out there. Like Mandalay-san and the Cats. Like any other person out there wearing colorful costumes as you deal with any sort of threat or response that's happening out there."
She then smiled at him with curiosity and interest. "That look where you don't hesitate at all at coming to the aid of others, regardless of how dangerous or unknown the situation is."
She then started drawing circles on the table near his bowl of noodles…
"I guess I just want to know, why you're motivated to do such things, even at the expense of your own health. Even at the expense of your own lives. My darling Kota-kun's parents were the same, and it cost theirs… perhaps I just want to know why that certain drive exists in the first place… and why this world propagates the endless cycle of conflict of people with exceptional powers, fighting against people with exceptional powers."
Her image of a young, innocent, and hopeful soul nearly evaporated at that instant. Her gaze, was filled with complex emotions that bordered on confusion, curiousness, and frustration, not wholly transfixed at him, but to the world. Like an adult unsure and confused over the quickly changing cultural and socially favored landscape that their offspring's generation leaned to when compared to their own youth.
A sort of thinking that certainly felt very odd with the girl before him.
But beyond all of that, Toshinori already had an answer.
"Because that's what heroes do." He simply said with confidence and no underlying doubt in his words. One that the girl blinked at in response.
Toshinori looked at his bowl of noodles, and eventually towards the city through the windows. His memories from his quirkless past, his time as All Might, and his mentorship of young Midoriya all come back to him and he still had the same ideal that he carried all throughout.
"Because it's the right thing to do. It's my responsibility to enact it, for the good of all and for the good of the entire world."
"I don't think that's an answer." She quickly said.
Toshinori found himself smirking. "And what kind of answer do you want, young Shiki? Because even with the changing times, even with the limitations of my own body, I still hold onto the belief that to be a hero, means doing everything in your power to make sure of a better future. Even if said future doesn't contain oneself. To be selfless in the face of adversity. To do things in service of others and the greater good, no matter the context."
The girl merely stared at him, as if his answer, honest as it was, felt wrong to her in some way. Not in a disagreeing stance of course, but one that seemingly felt like how his master would frequently tease him for how 'long that stick up my ass' was.
The sight of her being in that neutral, intimidating enough pose eventually gave way to a pout.
"That's the boring answer and… I really doubt that's what you truly feel about that subject."
She didn't even call him Skeleton-san. Toshinori didn't know how to feel about this change. So far, however, she didn't seem to be aware of his true identity. For now.
Scratching the back of his head, Toshinori thought about it deeply. Unaware of the subtle influence that the girl was giving him, he actually found himself digging for that self-reflective answer. The kind that he would only share with anyone that he trusted to the utmost degree.
At the same time, airing the words he was about to speak, felt… relieving.
"Because it's the only thing I know how to do…"
Young Shiki tilted her head slightly to his answer but found herself smiling for his honesty.
Toshinori heaved a heavy sigh, feeling… oddly free from that statement of truth. He then looked away from her as he stared into the window, the city and its many people of Japan and more that he had saved across the decades. His actions sparked a consequence of peace that lasted for a good while all because he drove his fists into All for One, thinking it would end there.
He was a kind soul, yes. One who actually believed in the cause of Good even if that same sentiment was what made him callous, sometimes unfeeling at his job as he went from one rescue and issue to another. Inspiring beacon of hope was a title and name that both felt rewarding and foreign to him, for Toshinori was just a simple man. A man who did his job, admittedly better than others, for the greater good.
There was no other deep-rooted cause as to why he became a hero.
If anything, his quarrel with All for One was him lusting for vengeance for what happened to his master and that to him, proved to Toshinori that he was human. That he was as flawed as any person, hero, and villain out there and not the tentpole of greatness that many considered him to be.
Hell, he didn't even care about the fame that came with it.
He just did what best he knew with what he was good for. To fight.
To fight for what was good.
"Young Shiki, will you allow me to tell you a story?" he asked the girl.
"Sure." She said as she leaned a little bit closer.
"Back in my youth I once saw a poor little child stare at the windows of a party shop almost the entire day just to get a glimpse of a blue balloon that he cherished so much," Toshinori explained as that memory came to him in vivid detail. "He didn't care if he was hungry, if he was tired, or any of that. He just simply stared at that balloon as people passed him by."
"Did you help him, skeleton-san?"
Bitterly he chuckled with guilt but also with nostalgia. "Would you believe me in saying that I was one of those people that walked by? I did try to help once, but I didn't know how."
"Then what happened to the child, skeleton-san?"
He smiled deeply as those memories got to him.
"My master came by that shop. Bought the kid the balloon and spent the day with him. One simple act of kindness changed that boy's life. My master didn't need to do that. Most heroes would just feed them, leave them to the shelter or in the hands of child services, but no… my master staked her whole day making sure that the boy had a good time. That the boy would finally get his wish. That boy grew up to be an aspiring paramedic and died happily through old age with his family because my master gave him hope."
He still remembered that wonderful smile his master gave the little boy.
And he still remembered that on the next day, he would finally have the guts to ask her about training him. Even if it meant just being better at dealing with the world while being quirkless.
"Sometimes young Shiki, you don't need a very deep answer on why people choose to be heroes. Sometimes just putting a smile on someone's face is enough to endure all the pain and suffering and continue on…"
Toshinori then found himself smiling with genuine affection even through his gaunt face as he turned to the girl. "Sometimes, being a hero is to say, 'I AM HERE' and that's enough for them to have hope… to smile for a better, brighter future."
The girl thankfully smiled back.
"So… you don't exactly know or describe why exactly you do it but do it nonetheless because you truly care about the people you save… yes?" she asked.
"Absolutely. Look kid, I'm not the smartest tool in the shed, I… know that; much as my other mentor reminded me day after day. And I do acknowledge that I'm not a perfect hero, I don't think anyone can be, because at the end of the day, while I try to be inspiring, the only thing I'm ever truly good at is fighting. Having a reason to fight, simple as mine is, is what I think makes it worthwhile."
"Even at the cost of your own self?"
The girl's question made him pause, but his answer was still the same.
"Yes."
The girl then started to giggle. "You're truly interesting, Skeleton-san, and far more nuanced despite your simplistic ideals."
He managed a giggle himself too as he felt better. The conversation while strange, felt rewarding to him, even if he couldn't describe why.
"I don't know if I share your sentiment about caring that much over every stranger you meet. Good or bad." She said as she leaned back in her seat. "I only truly care about my loved ones and maybe like you said, that's enough of a reason to keep on smiling. To make them similarly smile and feel good in the process."
He nodded.
"Maybe that's enough." He said as he thought about young Midoriya and his future, as well as the world and people around him.
"Maybe that's enough…" Young Shiki echoed.
Arcueid knocked on the door of Kota's home. The sun had finished setting and the ambient sounds of crickets singing against the night entered her ears. Carrying her quarry, which was all the takeout from that wonderful diner that her dear Kota frequented, she thought about that interesting conversation she had with the skeleton.
She was admittedly uninterested and even confused with some of his ideals…
But it all circled down to one simple fact.
It was that genuine, humane, and caring sentiment against others, or even for one person is a concept that humans can't really describe. An abstract concept that seemingly transcended many things, even her own existence as sometimes. It was correct that 'loving someone' meant doing everything in your power to make them happy, even if you can't explain it yourself as to why you're motivated to do it in the first place.
Sometimes, simply feeling one's own heart being elated is a reason enough.
After sharing and gushing a bit more about Kota, the skeleton and her parted ways. With him hurrying along as a burning passenger plane flew above them towards a certain direction in the city. Arcueid didn't really mind that as she felt decently fulfilled that day…
She had, after all, finished her quest.
Carrying her gifts for her lovely little charge, Arcueid finally arrived back at Kota's house after such a long day. So long that the moon had finally appeared and shined its light on her. Reinvigorating her strength and joy as she waited for Mandalay to open the door.
She was excited to show these presents to Kota so that he could feel better again after-
"Where have you been, young lady?!"
A ragged and worriedly sick-looking Shino Sosaki greeted her at the front door before the woman quickly grabbed her into a very deep embrace of relief and concern. There were some tears at the edge of her eyes as the elation, fear, and
"W-What? Shino-san, what is-
"I'm so glad that you're alright! We've been worried sick… we don't know where you went, we didn't know how to call you, we thought something happened and we-
The woman continued to spill out words filled with absolute fear and concern as she checked Arcueid thoroughly while tears started to trickle down her cheeks. She didn't understand what was happening and why Shino was like this.
"Damn it all… d-don't you realize that you're already a part of this family?! A-And if something were to happen to you Kota would… w-we would…"
Shino Sosaki then suddenly paused in deep guilt, pain, and sadness as she slowly unraveled emotionally to Arcueid who looked confused and shocked. She felt the woman's tears wet her sweater as the woman clung to her, almost helplessly.
"Shino-san… I…"
Both suddenly paused as through the shadow of the doorway across the hall, stood Kota Izumi. The boy, clinging onto the doll of their favorite cartoon like a lifeline, while riddled with tears. Eyes full of betrayal. Emotions going from hate, to relief, and depression.
Arcueid's inhuman heart may not have responded to Shino's concerns…
"K-Kota… kun?" she whispered.
…but seeing Kota's face made her feel a deep-rooted emotion that she had never felt s-since… since she parted ways with her beloved. On that lovely day, by the classroom, where the sun's setting light touched them both.
Kota's eyes and emotions held the same amount of weight. The unbridled sorrow.
What she didn't expect next was Kota bursting into a painful sob while running at her. Crashing into her arms as he pressed into her as hard as he could while his Aunt watched beside them. Arcueid remained stunned, she didn't even notice that she had dropped her plastic bags full of her takeout as she stared into Kota who continued to grab desperately into her sweater.
"Kota-kun…"
"You said you wouldn't leave me!"
Angry, sorrow-filled fists hit her chest.
"Y-You said you would s-stay! You said… you wouldn't go away… l-like mom. L-like dad."
Kota screamed as he let the anger take over him. He angrily tried to slam her fists into her chest, even if it had no effect as Arcueid watched in silence. Kota's tears flowed freely as he continued to relentlessly hit her as the adrenaline coursed through his veins.
But… each hit was weaker than the last despite his anger. Each hit and scream had him unraveling in utter despair as he sobbed continuously.
"Y-you promised! You p-promised me… y-you promised that you…"
Kota's voice trailed as he finally lost all the strength to do anything else.
Their eyes met as Kota continued to cry.
"Don't go… please… d-don't leave me too." He echoed weakly as he closed his eyes. Arcueid felt herself losing all her strength and joy as Shino and Kota embraced her. A realization dawned on her as she stared listlessly at Kota.
She had made a mistake.
…and she understood it to her very core.
Washington DC, USA
7:46 AM
It all started when the birds quickly flocked in droves to desperately leave the airspace.7:46 AM
Despite the relative issues regarding the loss of satellites, communications, and the like, the air and aura of the nation's capital were tame. Even with the incohesive mobilization of military arms and Pro Heroes close to the district, average civilians and workers were doing their day jobs…
Until the sounds of the shrieks that the birds gave out caused the busy district to look up in silence. Men, women, and children, whether they were lawmen, military, or Heroes felt a sudden chill coming up their spines as they watched groups of these avians rush away amidst the early morning clouds. Their number almost made them look like grim and dark clouds as people stared.
Then pets of various kinds started to panic.
Dogs howling and trying to break out of their cages. Some bite their owners in sheer desperation despite their tame nature like wild canids.
Cats started to freak out, attacking everything in their sight as their senses were being tampered with.
Rodents started to squeal, even violently killing each other as they tried to flee through the sewers. The waste and muck evolved into a sinister scene as blood started to flood the drains.
All because of a foreign, heavy form of pressure starting to bear down on everyone as even those within the Capitol building and the seat of the President looked up.
High above, the clouds were parted in a circular fashion. So bright, so large, and so… intense was the object that felt like it was being greeted by the Earth itself to land upon the surface of the planet. Even far away from the likes of New York people could see it.
Like a deity overseeing the world, it was immense in size.
Hovering before the capital, it existed as a colossal forty-kilometer or more, humanoid shape wrapped in an unrelenting yet hauntingly beautiful expanse of black, photon gas. An aura of extreme gravity was imposed around it, which parted the clouds like nothing while it willed such forces in an immense radius around it.
Its presence seemed to coil and break the surrounding reality by having a distorted effect upon visible light hitting its form. Making a haze that seemingly hid its true, theoretical size and its truly, horrific constitution.
The tidal forces around it, the sheer magnitude of the laws of the universe that curved and bent upon its form. For deep within the confines of perilous, destructive layers of void-like gasses and matter was what could only be described as an artificial sun. The core that produced the existence of such a being that dictated its presence upon the world.
Even at the height it hovered over the Western continent of the Americas, the stunned and frozen populace of the district could only watch as it bore a loud, thundering horn as if announcing its arrival until it had enacted its will.
The phenomena described could only be understood at a simple, yet complex enough description.
When exposed to external pressure from crushing depths within the sea, a poorly made submarine craft can undergo the process of implosion.
A phenomenon so fast, so… intense yet sudden that would render the human mind unable to perceive or yet alone feel the horror of what followed. A demented form of mercy that released the cumulative energies of the craft crushing into itself within less than a fraction of a second.
That's what happened to the US Capital. All sixty-eight point thirty-five square miles of land had been crushed by the colossal amount of gravity being exuded upon it. The energies and heat of such an event causing matter, living or non-biological to cease existing due to being vaporized just by the forces involved.
Creating a crater nearly four miles deep as water from the nearby ocean started to flood the newly formed basin.
There wasn't even a sound that followed for how abrupt and sudden it was.
There was only a catastrophic shockwave that tore down every man-made structure and human population of the surrounding states near the district that was once the Capital.
The worst part?
The Black Aristoteles of the largest planet in the Solar System did not waste its energy by making it an attack.
No, the sovereign of Jupiter was merely introducing itself to the denizens of Earth.
I-Island
2:36 AM
"This is absolutely immaculate! The flavors! The sweetness. The loving mix and blend of everything. It's… it's truly perfect." The girl, who Melissa now called as V said as she slurped her second pint of cookies and cream-flavored ice cream. She watched with interest and confusion as the girl seemingly rejoiced and loved the fact that this was apparently her first taste and discovery of such a product, implying as if she was a hermit of all things normal in society.2:36 AM
"And you're telling me there's other flavors?!" she said with intensity as her eyes twinkled.
It made Melissa smile due to her cuteness.
"Yeah. We can have a strawberry one if you would like?"
"Really?" the strange girl asked innocently.
"Yeah, really. Just so long as my dad arrives."
"You have my appreciation! And oh dear, I cannot thank you enough for this treat."
"You're welcome," Melissa said in good faith.
If there's anyone that knows about this strange girl, it's probably her dad. I mean, why would she get access to his functionally impregnable lab in the first place if not for him?
Plus, it helped that the girl wasn't a threat, or perhaps she was a kid of her dad's colleague?
For now, she enjoyed the very wholesome exchange between them as V continued to devour her ice cream with extreme satisfaction.
For now, she was sure that the girl meant no harm.
Hopefully.
TO BE CONTINUED…
AN: Melissa POV and V/V chapter next time…