Running Gags (Certain Magical Index/Hayate The Combat Butler)

[IndyCotton]

Spoiler: Opening Words

Yo-yoo!

This two-part oneshot is my attempts to try out in practice out writing the Animated Actor world I had been inventing for my W.I.P crossover fanfiction. I suggest checking the link before reading this, and possibly my Worldbuild Thread for Anime Characters as Animated Actors while at it.)

A lot heavy inspiration from Who Framed Roger Rabbit, though around these parts, it's more a world of anime crossovers in one land akin to ToonTown in most aspects, and I try to build up the idea about various manga characters grouped by their magazines they got serialized in (and to lesser extent, anime studios).

Anyway, this is just for fun, and I'm also bringing artwork to the second part. Enjoy!

~ Running Gags ~

-1-


"You know... this toast's not that bad."
"You better not spend it all up or I'm gonna definitely land facefirst on hard asphalt soon."
"But the jam's so good... can I at least take some bites?"​

It was Summer 2009. Touma couldn't help sighing in a peeved manner, but nevertheless, held on firmer on the boy that carried him at speed of sound on piggyback.

In the opposite sidewalk nearby, Yui Hirasawa managed to catch a blur of blue holding a jam-spread toast on his mouth. Yohei Sunohara would have almost collided with this said blur if it wasn't for something orange with black on top "steering" it out of the way via pulling apparently on its hair. It was like watching an inexperienced young boy already picking up the piloting of their mecha the first time.

But even if there might have been a possibility that these two boys both could have attended a school together in this drastic kind of an alternate universe, the hapless but companionable duo of immensely manly proportions, Touma "The Imagination Breaker" Kamijou and Hayate "The Combat Butler" Ayasaki, weren't being late for some high school.
Instead, they were currently bolting off at the speed of light from a generic group of thugs.

It all happened back in the mall they were sent to pick up "important things" for Nagi Sanzenin by Maria, being something "super-secret" and needed to be handled with extra-extra-care, "Like all of their lives depended upon it".
A moment after had them all calm Minori Kushieda down while telling her that despite her sheer enthusiasm, she wasn't very fit for the task. Apparently among these were a special edition of a Wii as one of the gifts for the fellow partners she worked with in the animation studio she and Hayate had moved on this year. Right now both had come to a quick break on the summer resort made exclusively for them and other stars of J.C Staff, one of the famed animation studios in the Material World, also known as the our dimension.

What it might had contained must had been super-special as right when they were about to grab up cones of crab-flavoured ice cream from a nearby ice cream stand, a trio of rabid geeks jumped out from the tall grass behind them at the other side.
After having to tearfully sacrifice their ice cream cones for the massive maw of the tall and sturdy leader with a cool shades and buck-like chin, they stole the toasted slices of bread from the nearby school girls, and were currently zipping away on the city districts of East KyaraTokai.
"Geez... what kind of dead-eyed shut-in gamer would be desiring this kind of a console at the first place?" muttered Touma, looking briefly behind him. Thugs weren't gladly still catching up, though Hayate had now passed an outdated telephone post from certain parts of the 90s. ("This guy really likes to take this route for that, huh.")
"Hope you're referring to those gamers behind us," exclaimed Hayate from the wind. " Because I'm sure Milady wouldn't be very happy if she heard you say tha-"

In that very moment, Hayate had lost his balance due tripping on the toast that fell from his mouth, face-planting on the ground with an audible screech, while bringing Touma down with him. Both got up quickly, though the penniless boy was forced to endure a very irritated close-up of his partner's glaring face. The rashy forehead down Touma's messed up spiky hair didn't help ease the situation any better.
"Shit! Thanks to you, our P.I'd "Late-For-School Toast", is now gone!" Touma hissed at the butler while adjusting his hair back to normal. "Can't you just beat up those thugs for us?"
"You know I can't do that... after all," Hayate looked down, "I'm not wearing my butler outfit."

That common yet emotionless smile he always put with such statements irritated Touma quite some more. A bulging vein didn't do it enough justice.
"Oh, and because it requires you, to be the vulnerable guy in order to call me in as your saviour," Hayate added with confidently raised index finger. "In fact - it'll probably help if you put a Moe-inducing tearful face on top. Yeah... that would be a straight Fin***g To-"

By then Touma had fiercely uppercutted Hayate high into the air, shattering the embarrassing yet hilarious visualization behind them with it. Hayate reminded himself to never test his might like that again.
"And I'll break that guttered illusion of yours if I have anything to say about it." reminded Imagine Breaker firmly. He went on to ignore the poor boy behind his back, now hastily zipping and crawling about as he tried to avoid getting impaled by the falling shards of his just-broken imagery.

Even then, Hayate was more or less right: blue-haired boy had worn blue button-less jacket over a turquoise t-shirt to blend better with his buddy for the quick trip, along enjoying the sunny midday on Eastern central of Kyaratokai.
Touma meanwhile had an orange shirt he wore inside his Gakuran-uniform, since his white t-shirt was now being washed by Aoi Sakuraba back in the resort. Apparently Potemayo had peed on it yesterday while she was taking a nap under the afternoon sun on the terrace – and Touma had worn the whole thing unknowingly the entire evening until supper where Ryuuji Takasu couldn't take the stench anymore and tried to pull it out of him in fits of manic irritation.

It didn't help to imagine the idea of Touma crying cutely for Hayate's help – since it would instantly crush down his popular reputation as a super-masculine badass.
Touma shooed away the wincingly embarrassing images with brief roll his eyes, and extended his hand at the blue-haired boy grab on. Hayate promptly beat the dust out from his clothing after.
"Anyway, sorry about that. But just really got caught up when you mentioned "gamer". " he said matter-of-factly, "Butler instincts."
"Sigh... Such-"

But Touma got silenced by the air resistance dragging him to the opposite direction of Hayate, who already grabbed his left arm and took off again. Apparently for a good reason too, as he saw the group about to near them. Apparently the thin one had now hoisted up a hugging pillow as a weapon.

The butler skidded a bit to turn at the nearby alleyway next to a convenience store which had Haruhi Fujioka just come out carrying plastic bags of groceries, with Pen-Pen passing by her inside. Touma asked hastily what plans Hayate had in mind when both slowly went through midair during jumping over a prickly fence.
"Remember that high school area you mentioned? That should have plenty situations for us to take advantage."
Touma nodded, but then bore a stern, attentive look at him.

"As long as you don't mess it up, Poverty-ridden Boy. "

"Same to you, Mr.Misfortune."

****​

With enough diversion in the routes and paths they took, they managed to gain few more minutes out of the thugs' line of sight. Even then, Hayate had to take a moment of breather leaning on the school walls - exhaling visible puffs of carbon dioxide like a pair tweezers were squeezed his chest.
Meanwhile Touma stared at the towering high school building, hands firmly crossed. His frowning had just gotten harder as Hayate witnessed during wiping his sweaty face. (Isumi's napkin was quite a treasure to hold)
"Kamijou-san, we really don't the time to concoct other plans at the moment. Best we get going now."
"I know," Touma attempted a smile himself, though that turned to a silly half-smirk. "But it doesn't make this any less of unsound in practice to me."

Of course. He was prone to those situations if school rooms or even similar was involved. Awkward chuckles now escaped from the butler, who also couldn't help rubbing the back of his neck. But even when looking quite foolish, he just meant his best, which made it surprisingly heartwarming.
"Yeah... but we already went through some persuasion from some of our friends to do this long times ago." he said in assuring tone. "They already had all the privilege back then, yet we came out perfectly. So let's not waste that!"

With that said, the spiky-haired boy watched him sprint off to the school's front doors. Touma did something like his previous half-smirk again, though that had more visible warmth to it. He followed soon along.


After being instructed to the nearby school by Miyuki Takara, the group of thugs furiously marched their way through the park. As they stormed through the entrance, they took more polite and silent steps to not disturb any people possibly studying inside, stopping at near a vending machine at the end of the hallway. The buck-jawed leader then slammed his fist on it in frustration.
" Geez, just what kind of a socially withdrawn, loser geeks would keep on running away with that thing?!" he grumbled, leading the group towards stairs.
"Dunno, boss." said the thin one in a big beret, after helping out a crying, feeble rabbit walking on two feet put a nickel inside a vending machine." I guess they attempt to live an actually stable live - though that'll be quite a pitiful attempt to see."
"That would make for a great reality show..." muttered the small one with big, frowning eyebrows. Seeing how the other two guys were already going up stairs, he promptly stopped scratching his face out of the weird spots he had since birth. The little guy then grabbed the soda can the bunny had painstakingly managed to open with his fingerless paws, drank it one go, and threw out of the window, much to the bunny's massive chagrin.

As they reached the second floor, they managed to see the spiky-haired hapless guy just turn to the left at the end of the corridor. Following him was the blue-haired dude with poorness all over his face, who managed to catch a glimpse of the other guys before disappearing as well. The thin guy's face strangely flushed bit red after seeing this somehow cute-looking guy, but the leader grabbed quickly on his thickly shaped broad face.
"There they are... They can't really go further than that since there are no windows around end of this whole corridor. Cornered in like helpless kittens."
"So we'll have a commercial break here?" said the small dude - only to see that the other two had already paced their way to the other end and were about to turn left. He scurried after them after leaving behind a huge, pastel-colored canvas having him posing.

The left end of the second floor's corridor indeed was without windows, even having pretty dark dead end with locked doors to that floor's storage room. However, there were none of the previous boys to be seen. The trio surveyed all over the place, but only a single mop near a door was lying on the left of them after empty walls of the currently silent school corridors.

Of course, the boys nodded to each other before sneaking near the door. The bucked one as others to step back, cracked his knuckles and slid forcibly the door open.

He was right in middle of raising up a hammy grin, when he and other boys came across a very unfortunate surprise.

A couple of enticingly endowed, half-naked girls were in middle of changing clothing, some of the already staring at them in indescribable mix of fury embarrassment in their tearful eyes.

****​

"Hey, I can see the Eiffel Tower!"
"That's a Tokyo Tower, you dolt."

A good moment went before the guys realized they had reached the peak of velocity from their pervert comeback-induced slapstick. After stalling a bit in the air high many dozen feet above the district where they launched off from the school building, they started to fall down to their inevitable doom of a solid cement ground cratered below them.
"At least we'll come unscathed after this, like these gags always go," said the thin one.
"Whatever about that! We just lost those two guys!" roared the buck-jawed leader, still gritting his teeth as that fist mark imprinted on his right cheek hurt like 30-degree burn.
"Actually, I can see them already." said the 3rd guy.

The other two turned their heads, with some effort due air resistance, to look at the midget's index finger pointing below him. Indeed, it was the certain duo of twerps they were chasing about all day, looking to head at the nearby subway in the bustling city.
"What a twist," realized the thin guy, rubbing his chin. The great timing for that expression must had come too early as the buck-jawed man punched him out of his way. A mischievous grin had just formed, and he tried to float closer to where his targets were going.
"Alright, time kick these guys' brains out!" declared the man as he tucked his arms and legs close to the body. He'd even grab the thin guy as his weapon while the midget boy attempted to swim his way on his back to surf on it.

Meanwhile on the ground, were Touma and Hayate taking a leisurely shortcut on a urban path between two houses, right about turn at the road that would lead them to a subway just a couple blocks by. The diversion they had just set up must had given them such comfort.

It was when Touma had now noticed that his buddy had suddenly slowed his pace down. He glanced behind, and noticed how Hayate was struggling to keep his smile up.
"Uhm, Kamijou-san... perhaps, we should go a little bit faster?" he mumbled. "I can't help but wonder if we really were able to get rid of those guys."

Touma just tilted his head in amusement at him - exhaling little calmly from his nostrils and placing his palms behind his back.
"Come on now, Hayate. We got rid of those for good back there. What would they do?"
"F-fly right into our faces?"
"Yes, exactly--- E-excuse me?"

By then the world-famous Imagine Breaker and the Combat Butler got ambushed on their backs by the Air-surfing Gamer "Bros" - once again before the former could even utter "Such misfortune."

The dust cloud took a moment to settle down from the cement rubble caused by crushing impact of the "Amazing Double Lightning Kick". The trio of tenacious gamers got out from it quickly enough. As they saw both the spiky-haired loser and the hapless blue-haired peasant with spirals swirling on their eyes, they stroke a triumphant, copyright-infringing victory pose. By then Haruhi Suzumiya had wet her sailor uniform due sneezing with a can of cola in her mouth.
"YES! We finally got those idiots!" the Buckjaw grinned enough wide for the teeth to sparkle charmingly by the sunlight. "Better dig in before they wake up."
The midget guy slowly made his way to motionless Touma, poked him with a stick to ensure he was really out, tip-toed near his arms, and picked up the gold-colored Wii-package held on his chest.

And then kicked the guy on the cheek. Touma suddenly frowned in his dormant sleep, forcing the short guy scuttle away from him.
"Got to say that we got really fortunate up there despite such setback, eh?" remarked the thin guy little merrily.
"And now to the Subway! Better leave these guys choke on the dust!" said the Buckjaw, laughing now in audible wheezes through his hammy grin.
"Perfect... and precise." said the midget, after drawing giant blush stickers and "kawaii" eyes on their eyelids with a marker.

Finally the three wackos got up and bolted off in a audible zip of a bullet, leaving cloud trails on their wake as scampered their way to the same subway the passed-out duo were going.

****​

Down in the subway, they already had passed by the ticket gates, and headed towards their destined port, while almost bumping to lumbering armor belonging to Alphonse Elric. The gang then stopped in middle of the hall with automatic stairs few steps by.
"So this should be having "those" in it, right?" said the leader, almost trying to rip the package open, but was stopped by the thin, worrying fellow.
"Boss, you already forgot that this shouldn't be seen?! We better not draw any attention!"
"I can't move." muttered the midget one behind both.

What they saw during turning at their thickly eye-browed small were the two hapless guys they had just knocked out some while back. They grabbed tightly on the tiny legsmfrom the manhole that the crooks had just stepped on.
"Give that back, or we'll strangle him so hard his head will pop off." said the poor-looking guy, piercing on their souls with disturbingly glowing red eyes and a murderous smile.
Touma's eyes twitched a bit in slight horror, but observed the threat to be effective, as the other two guys didn't move at all for the moment, which made both Imagine Breaker and Combat Butler grin together and plan their next move.

Yet, couple of minutes went without any move happening from their enemies. Touma was about get fatigued with holding the heavy manhole on his flattened urchin-like head.
"Hey, we're still talking to you here!" he shouted impatiently. "Give us the console, and we'll drop you off."

Oddly enough, the Buckjaw and the Lanky Beret had now took few calm, possibly complacent steps away from them.

"And, you could have taken a better place to ambush us rather than from a manhole in a subway."

The next moment, the passing train zoomed by below them all, making the entire station rumble a good sum around the group that already had drawn attention from passerbys. This made the manhole cover slide off from both boy's heads, landing right on their fists in crushing impact. Both Imagine Breaker and Combat Butler lost their grip and fell into the sewers below.

The short guy ran quite in tears of radiating joy at the other two. As he hopped for the glomp on his burly leader, a highly exasperated "SUCH MISFORTUNE!" echoed from the sewers once more.
"Oh Boss… Y-you saved me! I now owe you my life twice."
"No need to, lil' guy. Cuz' it looks like these guys are gonna have to look for us in another castle."

All three belly-laughed on this poor joke they made as they hopped on to the train and went for their stop at the Western Central of Kyaratokai.

****​

Reaching their house, the three guys waited for their leader to unlock the door. The midget fellow took note of the Keroro Gunsou-keychain on their leader and looked little bummed on his Keroberos-one. Their yard wasn't too shabby, even if tad in spacey and untended side – with various litter scattered everywhere that they would chuck from the bedroom's open window in the second floor.

The trio only had to make a cry of pure hype-inducing glee as they skipped on to the front door of their shared house. After collecting up their snacks from the refrigerator and numerous dirty shelves, they ran straight to the living room, about to scramble already on who'd open the console.
"I'll open it! I noted that clock that we went on to wait until the train arrived!"
"But I saw the guys when we were Mega-Punched into the air!"
" Guys, are you all little children or what?"
"No Boss.
"As a matter of fact, you kind of are, if going by how you onc-"
Their leader already glared horrifyingly at both, turning on their lizard brain and sealing their lips tight. As they backed out, the burly man adjusted his marvellous chin good bit before approaching the package with gleaming eyes through his shades like a 6-year old child on a Christmas Day.
"Finally... the very thing that none would have ever thought to see back today, and I get all the permission to use it before anyone else!" he exclaimed in extremely hammy glee.

Taking a firm hold of the package, he held both his deeply gripped hands to it. And gently opened the box from the side.

After he was done, he was literally holding his breath, as if about to gasp loudly. The boys waited for him.

The silence completely overtook the room. In fact, it was so quiet that they must had heard soft but constant beeping reach on their ears.

"Um, are you hearing what I'm hearing?"
"Sure Rocko, but I need to tell you that I always wake up at 7 AM to look after my Normal Villagers in An**al Cr***sing," said the midget one. "No way I would have left my digital alarm on."
"I kind of think it's coming from the console."

They tiptoed near their boss and leaned to see it from his left - and became as petrified as seeing a well-endowed Medusa lady naked.

The console they had stolen turned out to be a dud. It was rather similar to the regular Wii-console, yet in a manner to make them sweat profusely, had a very icky-looking plastic controllers and shoddy remotes, with a big rubber ball on top. Just the way how it went to sheer uncanny valley in attempts to resemble the real deal had the trio almost wet themselves in disturbed.

The minions stiffly turned at their leader. Apparently he was still holding his breath - and had slowly gone red. Clearly about explode like a just defeated end boss. Possibly from both inexplicable rage.

But the true cause was the lack of oxygen: his head just sizzled out with clear smoke, and the big boss fell collapsing his entire body on the tatami floor. Both boys let go off each other after having an tight hug of their poor lives and hastily surrounded to check on him.
The thin one in particular was being little teary-eyed as he tried to speak at his boss - and then couldn't breath after a big hand had grasped on his long neck while the leader rose up with an expression reading completely broken hopes on his face.
"I-I CAN'T B-BELIEVE IT! THE FACT THAT THEY SOMEHOW MANAGED TO T-TRICK US AFTER ALL THE INCOMPETENCE- I-I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE IT!"

"I'm sure even Naruto wouldn't believe it." said the midget guy, looking back to how the trio had once hacked their tv satellite to channel broadcasts from Toonami.
"WE CAN STILL LIVE ANOTHER DAY, RIGHT?" said the words on a sign held by the currently blue, suffocating beret-wearing guy.

They were startled by the door slamming loudly wide open behind them, gleaming sharp light of the sunrays right on their eyes.

"You're under arrest!"

From the lighted entrance jumped out two famous policewomen of the Bokuto Police Force, pointing their revolvers at them. The big guy dropped his lanky minion and held his hands up. Other two quickly followed while gulping like a brown mouse cornered by a devilish grey cat.

****​

The clicks of the locking, cold handcuffs were the last ones that would be heard in the entire house since. The three boys were led out to the littered yard while they grumbled about their befallen adversity. Natsumi Tsujimoto seemed pretty interested over the strangely fancy big chin that her captive tried to hide in embarrassment. Meanwhile Miyuki Kobayakawa had already pressed the car lock as the appropriate unlocking jingle reached to the from nearby police car.
"Took you guys long enough there!" said Natsumi, looking to her left "I really thought you wouldn't be able to pull it off."

And so did the currently arrested trio. The way their jaws dropped like huge anvils and eyes almost bulged out from their sockets certainly scared the wits out of Miyuki who still was carrying them.

There was that spiky-haired twerp with that pitiful-faced boy again! All waving at them with smiles so polite that just thinking of the sheer self-indulgent smugness behind had them made their blood just boil like a cramped leg of an avid gamer. Luckily Natsumi and Miyuki pinned them on the ground before they could go anyway berserk.

"Hrnnghh... YOU GUYS... HOW in guddamn HELL?!" spat the buckjawed leader. "They said that you guys are known as the most unluckiest boys on whole Earth! And I saw it in my own eyes!"

Touma and Hayate noted the little snicker that escaped from Natsumi, and went from there, walking very synchronised towards the caught gang. The trio could note how both let out almost evil overlord-esque titters.
"What do you think this is? A harem anime?" said Touma, "Complete with constantly misfortunate, naive excuses for a male protagonist?"
"Actually, taking in account that we're having these two badass and attractive policewomen with us," Hayate glanced at the pretty policewomen near them, "I'd say we have stumbled upon a nifty crossover episode."

As the both boys burst off laughing, so did Natsumi, clutching on her chest. Miyuki covered her mouth in jolly giggles.
"A-anyway… I think these are for you." she stated commendably, opening the bunker of her car and taking out what looked to brand new package of the Wii, in spanking metallic black. She handed it to Touma, while Hayate practically beamed during receiving a respectable sum of money bills from Natsumi.

During that moment, something occurred to the leader: that package that the spiky-haired boy had just received must had been the real deal.

It didn't occur to them all that a high-pitched whistle had just gone off from the buck-jawed guy. He was boiling mad now, pulling Natsumi towards him without a warning via dragging the handcuffs against himself. And to everyone's (and yes, even to his minions) sheer horror, made very cruel smirk before opened his giant maw wide. The wide-eyed Natsumi took a deep gasp, immediately curling her left hand on a fist.

But before she would even put up any form of a possible self-defence she'd brag hard about later, something - or maybe someone, had now passed by her like a bullet.

The time gladly slowed down for her and others to see Tomoyo Sakagami slamming a firm roundhouse kick on the guy's right cheek. Gladly enough it didn't split open since Natsumi was on the front.
The real surprise came when Tomoyo followed with hundred lightning-fast kicks everywhere on the guy's body, leaving the policewoman vibrating in frantic, audible blubbers while she struggled holding on the guy and pray none of the kicks would hit her. Not that she had to worry, since Tomoyo would have much less badass.

After the 100nth kick, the ex-delinquent launched the guy very high in the air with another roundhouse on her free leg, earning massive oohs came echoed from everyone nearby. Meanwhile a still shaking Natsumi wobbled by and hollered a broken whoop before feet gave up on her.

"Kamijou! Ayasaki!"

Both boys watched as Tomoyo leaped backwards, flipping through air towards them. They nodded, opening palms of their hands and put them quickly together as a springboard for the schoolgirl to launch off to. She landed on them pretty weightily, but both braced on, and propelled her up with all their might.

After an assisted Super Jump, Tomoyo made once more a graceful spin as she adjusted herself on the proper timing to where now badly battered leader would fall. Everyone held their breath in glee while she focused.

A dense crack echoed out. The next moment everyone exploded into cheers of hype as Tomoyo had left leader's characteristic jaw painfully dislocated to the left with a brutal low-heeled horizontal kick.

****​

Natsumi and Miyuki had now safely put all the crooks inside their car. Not that it was too hard, as the other two boys were currently busy whimpering in fear in presence of Tomoyo, and the leader and his characteristic jaw were knocked out cold. They then turned at the trio behind them who came from lock the front door.
"Here." Tomoyo dropped the key on Natsumi's open palm. She then frowned. "Did I... overdo it?"
"Nah, he'll be most likely fine the next day when we drop him to the hospital around here," bantered Natsumi in a reassuring tone. "But nevertheless! That was a amazing timing there from you... Tomoyo Sakagami, isn't it?"
"Yes, that would be me."

The school girl was pretty caught off-guard as the red-haired policewoman was now trying to give her notebook and pen while brightest stars of respectful admiration shone out from her eyes.
"Can I have your autograph?"
Touma directed his gaze away from the scene, cringing like he had seen it all. Hayate however just held his chin and nodded in fascination.

Tomoyo didn't really change her expression much, but presently took the notebook and the pen. She fiddled a little bit trying to get it right, but soon handed it back to the policewoman, now unable to stop giggling in elation. It soon caught on the silver-haired student council president, smiling flattered at her while blushing crept on her cheeks.
"You were just so damn cool there! Like, C**n-Li-esque! And that air-time! "
"Yeah... I get that... A lot." said Tomoyo, "I hope to build my mileage on other expertise sometime."
"You were an amazing help there, Sakagami-san." said Miyuki - dragging now her glitter-surrounded fangirling partner to her right. "Just imagine... this town would be pretty clean if you ever were a police."
" Thanks, but I'd rather not to." said Tomoyo. "It's better that you two keep doing your exhilirating cases. I'd rather not steal spotlight where it doesn't belong to."

The glitters around Natsumi had suddenly poofed away, leaving her scowling in chagrined expression. Miyuki just patted her on the shoulder and directed her towards the while throwing a wink at the school girl and other two boys.
"Still, I'm really amazed that you had just fleeted into our side in time." she said at her in grateful tone.
"Actually, I overheard everything as I was about to pass here. Since it involved Kamijou and Ayasaki, I had to take instant precautions. They have quite a penchant to attract misfortune towards themselves, even if not intending it."

Tomoyo turned now at both boys who were trying to hold back their grimaces towards her via mock-smiling. Though both couldn't complain about this beauty caring about their well-being this much.
Hayate took the moment as a sign to be on their way with his partner. A little elbowing on his back, and Touma turned to see Hayate waving the cold hard cash on front.
"Dinner?" he said, eyes pleasantly closed.
"Dinner." Touma repeated, now comically imitating the kitten smile of a certain gluttonous nun.

Both got approached by Tomoyo, who seems to have overheard them behind her back.
"And I shall accompany you," she added with a tiny smile.

As both boys were just about to nod at her, someone had took a firm of their shoulders. Behind them was Natsumi again, grinning at them almost devilishly.
"And just where do you think you're going?"
"On our way, that is?" replied Touma.

The smug policewoman raised then a file with empty pre-lined papers on it.
"But you guys haven't even bothered sitting down to make this into a news scoop yet! You best come with us to our police station." she declared. "Aaand, it also includes eclairs with some free coffee."
"But I'm sure you ate them all before we were off." said Miyuki implicatively.

Both Touma and Hayate instantly scowled at both. They were just about to head on the backseats when Natsumi poked them on the back.
"Just kidding~!" exclaimed Natsumi. On her hands was white box which she opened to reveal the said pastries, all with various colors of sweet glazing.

Both Touma and Hayate scowled even more, but bore jesting smiles nonetheless.

---