KGHT Volume 1
Chapter 3: Crescent Moon
Hikaru wakes up from the sunlights warm touch that was breaking through the cave entrance. She was the last to wake up and saw that everyone else was gone. Hikaru pajamas consisted of a well fitted shirt that had a design of a flock of birds flying off and grey sweats. She was a little sweaty from the heat as her cloths stuck on to her like glue. Since she was the last one out, she had to catch up with them so she rolled up her sleeping bag, slipped into her boots, and hurried towards the oasis that was next to the cave.
Another burst of sunlight is what really woke up Hikaru as she stepped outside the cave as the water reflected the sky so much that it looked like a part of it was on the sand. There was hardly any wind to balance out the heat but the palm trees that nearly surrounded the water gave the rest of team some nice shade. Flamma was deep cleaning his car inside and out. The sand and dust that was difficult for him to scrub out but he wanted his car to be a shiny as they left Vacuo so he wouldn't stop until then. Karina wasn't far from him as she was making breakfast, probably her pancakes that tasted like sawdust. It wasn't the worst thing she's ever tasted but Hikaru still wouldn't eat it. However she completely froze when she saw that Travis was the first one to notice her coming their way
"Morning!" He smiled and waved at her.
Hikaru was still frozen on the spot, crossing her arms and thought about what she was going to say to him but she instead glared at Travis, looking very annoyed. Travis quickly retracted his hand and moved out of her way. Hikaru quickly regrated not saying anything as Travis looked quite scared of her and spun around to Flamma. She sighed and went over to Karina, hopefully to change the taste of the pancakes and get her mind off of what she just did. Karina had a table and a camping stove set up next to the oasis but was under a different set of trees from the boys with the car. The stove was powered and heated by some sort of electrical dust but the blazing sun would have been enough to make the food.
"Morning," Hikaru muttered.
"Morning," Karina responded, "I see that you're still unfriendly with Travis."
Hikaru's skin turned cherry red and remained silent.
"Well you haven't said a word to him in about half a year or so," Karina said to reminded her, "And the only reason why we've been working as a team this good for so long is because I'm holding your hand through it the work."
Hikaru wanted to ignore her words but everything down to the letter spoke the truth and she did feel like a burden to the rest of her team. The blush in her cheeks fades away and she begins to slump down a little.
"S-sorry." Hikaru replied under her breath.
"Hey," Karina said gently, noticing the change in Hikaru, "stop worrying about it. I'm here to help you until you don't need it and I don't expect you to just go for Travis automatically."
"I'm...sorry." Hikaru said on habit.
Hikaru's cherry skin glow came back but brighter than before and just thinking of what happened last night was unimaginable. She could have made her move right then and there and maybe it would have worked out for her. However, Hikaru then starts to remember the many past experiences that begged to differ.
The first memory that popped to her mind was when she chased Travis down for the whole day because she wanted to hand him the notes he missed from a previous period. During that time, she looked like a lunatic hunting him down, death glare and all with her assault rifle around the hip because she forgot to store it in her locker. Hikaru never did give him those notes. Then another memory flashed where they were on a mission and when she thought Travis was about to be ambushed and in response she pushed him aside. Where in actuality it was Flamma popping out of the rocks with a bunch of berries he found and Hikaru shoving Travis down a cliff. She could still hear Flamma say "wow, you must really hate him" today as if he was right next to her. Similar memories came and went but then she started to focus on Travis's and blushes a bit.
"Don't be sorry," Karina said as she flipped some pancakes, the ones Hikaru has to watch out for. "I know that it'll take some time for you to be ready but I am going to push you a bit like I did last night."
Karina chuckled a little after that comment but that was enough for Hikaru to send shivers down her spine. Hikaru wasn't scared of Karina but the feelings she has for Travis because it was a new thing for her because she's never felt it before. In fact Karina was the first and only person Hikaru turned to when she started to have butterflies in her stomach whenever she saw Travis. Karina helped her realize that she had a thing for him and since then Hikaru became closer to her. Hikaru can go to Karina for anything although when it came to Travis, it was a completely different story. In every situation Karina puts her with Travis, Hikaru tends to scurry away from it or most of the time give him the cold shoulder on accident.
"If you're hungry have some," Karina said as she hands Hikaru some of her infamous sawdust pancakes.
Karina's pancakes looked normal and actually quite good. She was proud and smiled as she served what looked like fluffy, airy, and with just a little press of a fork the cakes would be cut easily, pancakes. Hikaru didn't have the heart to tell her friend that the food could possibly kill her so she struggled to put in her mouth. They were just as worst as when she remembered and more. It was practically raw, burnt sawdust cooked and served. The texture was completely wrong and hard to chew not to mention swallow. She wanted to drown the cakes in syrup so she can taste something to like in the dish but it would somehow make it taste even worst.
"How are they?" Karina asked smiling as she started to make a new batch.
"They were...good." Hikaru lied as she buried the remainder of the so called food into the sand when Karina wasn't looking. Then she turned back at her friend and said, "You've done...enough. I can...cook for..you."
"And for Travis?" Karina smiled.
Hikaru was focused on having something that won't kill them for breakfast and cooking food for Travis didn't even come to mind until now.
"I-I didn't...think of...that," Hikaru uttered.
"I know you didn't," Karina smiled as she hands Hikaru the spatula, "But keep in mind that he's going to eat something that you cooked."
She did and she was shaking in her boots. All Hikaru thought of was if Travis was going to enjoy the food she'll make or will he hate it and never eat a single pancake ever again for as long as he lives. Constant and outrageous thoughts danced in her head, swinging from if he'll love them or hate it making the inside her head a blender full of inconsistent thoughts. Karina then brought Hikaru back to earth by snapping her fingers to catch her attention.
"Don't worry about it," Karina ensured her, "I'm sure he'll love it and you're also cooking for me and Flamma don't forget that."
"Y-yeah," Hikaru quickly answered and calmed down a little but was still fidgeting.
"I have to get something in that car real fast," Karina said, "Do you think you'll be fine?"
"Yes," Hikaru replied as she stares at the batter and absolutely changes it the second Karina was away far enough for her not to notice.
"Need a hand Flamma?" Travis called out.
"Nah," Flamma answered and he did the finishing touches, "I just finished waxing her off."
"Who did you wax off?" Travis asked sarcastically.
"The Puma," Flamma replied as he threw the car cleaning supplies in the back, not catching Travis's sarcasm.
"Didn't know it was alive."
"Yeah it purrs when I drive." Flamma smiled.
"You mean snort like a Warthog," Travis tried to correct him.
"My car, I pick the name, it's Puma," Flamma retorted but then brought his attention to Travis, "So I'm guessing that Hikaru's not a morning person."
Travis gave a sour face to that remark and couldn't help but to agree with him so he shook his head in response.
"What's his problem?" Flamma said still ignorant to the fact that Hikaru's a girl, "He's never going to get a girl like that."
Travis made a mental note that he should tell Flamma that Hikaru's a girl. They've been a team for almost a year now and he still doesn't notice that he is actually a she. In truth, Travis was hoping that Flamma would find out already although however that was a couple of months ago and he still wishes that Flamma would figure it out on the trip.
"I mean he'll never get as many girls as me," Flamma said as he poses.
"And how many girls have you been with?"
"I'm working on it," Flamma replied as he combs his 'perfect' hair back and gets into the driver's seat to test the engine for the hundredth time. "Told you it purrs like a Puma."
"Yeah but I'm still calling it the Warthog," Travis commented but then looked back at the car, "So what's the real reason why your parents got you the car. From what you've told me they don't seem like the kind to buy something as expensive as this especially for a mission on our own."
Flamma didn't expect that question at all and looked at completely deadpanned.
"It's an early anniversary present for today," Flamma said happily. "It's going to be the seventh year I was adopted by them."
"Oh," Travis said shockingly, "You didn't tell us that it was today."
"Yeah, it's practically a second birthday for us." Flamma replied as he placed his hands far apart, "When I get back I'm gonna get them something bigger than this car."
"Like your attention grubbing ego."
"No," Flamma widened apart his hands. "Something bigger."
"Didn't think that was possible." Travis snicker.
"Shut up," Flamma replied also grinning.
They both shared a good laugh together until Travis's smile slowly fades away, his eyes becoming somewhat hollow as if he lost something close to him.
"Hey, you good?" Flamma asked.
"I'm fine," Travis answered, "Just remembered some...good memories."
"Like what?" Flamma asked, interested and concerned because despite Travis's sarcastic and happy demeanor, he's always felt kind of closed off. "You know you haven't told us much about your family."
Travis then buried his head in his hands the second his family was mentioned. For a brief moment, he hid a grim expression but then pushed past it and revealed to Flamma his forged smile.
"I'll tell you later when Hikaru here." Travis said blankly.
"What about Kari-" Flamma was just about to asked another question before Travis sprung up.
"HI KARINA!" Travis yelled out at the top of his lungs, taking his current attitude to do a complete 180 and catching Flamma off guard.
"Hello Travis, Flamma." Karina waved gently. "Can you pop the trunk please? I have to take inventory of my dust supply."
"If I do that can I be leader of KGHT today?" Flamma immediately questioned, forgetting what he was going to ask Travis.
"Nice joke Flamma," Karina shrugged off the comment.
"That wasn't a joke," He replied with a straight face.
"Well it was a pretty funny," Karina said heading for the back, "Now can you please opening trunk."
"Why didn't the principle pick me." Flamma grumbled under his breath and listened to his leader's direction.
"You're still bitter about that?" Travis said somewhat bothered.
"Yeah, why didn't he pick someone as awesome and fantastic as me to be leader." Flamma cried but got out of the car and posed.
"Because your a little self centered," Karina answered from the back, "Can you help me take these out?"
Karina brought two extremely large cases of dust for the trip and was trapped with all the stuff in the back entirely engulfing it. Flamma sighed as he drags his feet towards Karina with Travis following however he was stopped before he could take a step.
"Wait, Travis!" Karina called him out, "I need you to help Hikaru with the food over there."
Travis paused and stared at Karina as if she was a mad man. He then glanced over at Hikaru back to Karina and whipped it to Hikaru again before saying a thing.
"You want me to help her?" Travis said puzzled.
"Him you mean," Flamma commented as he pulls out the first case but an avalanche of their things falls on top of him.
"Yes, I think SHE needs your help," Karina smirked and ignored Flamma's words.
"Sure," Travis replied awkwardly with cringe.
"Why does Hikaru need Travis's help?" Flamma said as he popped up from the avalanche and posed, "He's a way better cook than you."
Before Flamma knew what was going on, Karina leaps into his back and ambushes his, ensnaring him in a choke hold.
"How about you don't eat next time I cook?" Karina says as she grits her teeth smiling.
"I give, I give," Flamma begged with the last of his breath, tapping out but Karina didn't loosen up, "Tr-Travis help me."
"Sorry, but you dug your own grave when you don't watch what you say," Travis called already walking away.
As Travis walks away, he could hear Karina demanding for Flamma to apologize for disregarding her cooking but Flamma is extremely hard headed so he wouldn't understand why he was being choked. Although, Travis is about to have just a hard time with Hikaru in a couple of seconds. He tried to casually walk to her but he ended up dawdling instead by kicking piles of sand into the water. When Travis got there, Hikaru just finished her first batch and set it next to a different one on the table.
"Soooo...which one's are Karina's?" Travis said hesitantly but clearly.
Hikaru didn't respond to his arrival at all or his words but eventually pushed over a stack that was on a different plate than the ones she just put down.
"Are they still inedible?" Travis asked and was again hesitant.
Travis thought that Hikaru was going to ignore his words like she typically does but this time she gave a slight nod. Hikaru's face was hidden when she nodded but that still triggered a smile on Travis's face. He couldn't stop now, this was actually getting somewhere and he could find out why she dislikes him.
"Can I ask you a question?" Travis spouted out without thinking but then took a step back, "I mean if you don't mind of course!"
Hikaru stopped right in the middle of flipping the cakes and froze. Travis could tell that he was about to be yelled at or get smacked from the fidgeting of her fist. However that didn't happen as Hikaru shook her head again. He was absolutely astonished by her reaction that the next thing he did didn't have thought.
"Did I do anything wrong to you?" Travis asked with little hope for an answer.
Their was a brief moment where everything was still for Travis. The smoke from the camping stove lingered in the air, the ripples in the water didn't move, and Flamma's cries went unnaturally silent. He could tell that something bad is about to happen to him.
"No," Hikaru whispered, nearly mouthing out the word instead of saying it and picks up the batter bowl and ladle to make more food.
Travis barely heard the word but when he made it out, his eyes blared open and his mouth almost dropping to the sand.
"Then why did you do...you know the other stuff?" Travis questioned carefully and chose the next words he spoke wisely. "Like the time when you push me off a cliff or when gave me rotten food to eat."
Hikaru nearly forgot about that incident with the food until now and tries sets down the ladle but instead slams it on the table. She then panics and whips around towards Travis to apologize but forgot about the bowl in the other hand and splattered some of the batter on Travis.
"You don't have to answer if you don't want to," Travis said as he panicked as well, not even concerned about his clothes because he expected something like this to happen, "I'm just gonna go now in that direction!"
Travis didn't know it but he was pointing towards the oasis and almost ran into it until Hikaru cut his escape off by leaping in front of him. Her head was tilted down so Travis couldn't see her facial expression but he could just feel the anger and rage that was about to attack him. He was fidgeting back and forth ready to make a run for it but then Hikaru grabbed his wrist.
"I'm...s-sorry," Hikaru squeaked and mumbled her words, quivering in her boots, "I-I haven't…said sorry because...I mean for being...m-mean I don't...m-mean to...be angry...sorry and-and I…can't say...r-right words...properly to yo-...a-and-"
Hikaru wanted to confess her feelings right then and there but the words refused to leave her throat. They snagged and hooked onto anything it could to stay in there with Hikaru desperately trying to push it out. As a result, she kept mixing her speech with "sorry" and "I didn't mean it" that it was almost hard for Travis to understand. However she did say enough for him to make the connections in her jumbled up words. He then puts his hand on hers, shocking Hikaru so much that her mouth zips up itself and the quivering stops.
"It's okay," Travis said massaging her softly, "I kind of get the gist of it now, I think, all those other times were accidents right?"
Hikaru shook her head yes.
"Then were good, apology accepted but please watch out, you almost killed me last time."
Hikaru finally looks at Travis eye to eye and sees him smiling, comforting her and officially settling down her nerves. Hikaru then realizes that she was holding Travis's wrist and tucks her hand away behind her back. She turns away from him, making Travis pull out his hand from her hair, hiding her face again and unable to turn to his direction. Travis wanted to say something to her but Hikaru shuffled away from him when he tried to reach out so they both had a moment of silence.
"Umm...Travis," Hikaru said delicately, "C-can I...ask you...something?"
"Yeah," He responded with a grin, happy that the silence between them broke, "Seems fair since I ask you."
Hikaru paused for a moment again to come up with a question because she didn't have one. She just wanted to talk to Travis a little longer.
"How did...you," She begins to ask, thinking the words as she went along, "know all...of the things...yesterday with the...Girdled?"
"Yesterday," Travis replied, taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out, "You see it's kind of a funny story. When I was younger I...well you can say I lived here in this desert for a bit and I know the area."
"You...did?" Hikaru said monotoned but was quite interested in his story.
"Yup, I lived alone here for five to six years." Travis finished.
"Alone?" Hikaru said curiously, "Where...was your...family?"
Travis didn't say anything but he could smell something burning near by.
"I think the pancakes are a little overdone." Travis said pointing at the smoke from the camping stove.
Hikaru's eyes widen and runs over back to the stove. The once ready to serve food was now hard, burnt, and inedible but would still taste better than Karinas. Hikaru had to toss those once away and had to make more again.
"Travis," She called but was emotionless, "I...need your...help please."
"Got it," Travis responded and heads over there.
However he stops in his tracks as he sees a bright gleam in the distance. It was to far for him to make it out so he activated his semblance to make out what that gleam was. Travis soon saw a cannon pointed at their direction and could tell that the person behind it was about to fire.
"Get down!" Travis yells as he tackles Hikaru to the sand, covering her.
The shell zooms passed the two and into the oasis, exploding it and causing an eruption of water everywhere.
"Are you alright!" Travis shouts at Hikaru with a slight ringing in his ears.
Hikaru was able to read his lips and shakes her head. He looks back at the cannon and sees that the person who was firing was where a mask and arguing with someone but he didn't know who it was. Flamma and Karina soon arrives at the pair with their weapons.
"Are you guys injured?" Karina said worried.
"What was that?" Flamma said ready to fight with his Sol Invictus in its dual barrett's form.
"We're fine." Travis answers getting up as well as helping Hikaru to her feet. "Do you see that shine over there?"
Travis points at the gleam still there.
"I do," Flamma said, "What should I do about it?"
"How goods your throwing arm?"
"You could have killed them!" Prowler yells at Anarken, throwing his binoculars at him.
"I knew that they would dodge!" Anarken snarked, avoiding the thrown item.
"How? How would you know that?" Prowler retorted, "We don't have to kill them, we just have to get the package."
"I'm the leader of this team aren't I!"Anarken shouts back, getting in Prowlers face, "So my word goes and we get that thing even if it means we have to kill everyone down there!"
"Anarken! Prowler!" Riley yells louder than the two, separating them before they fight, "Anarken, Prowlers right you don't have to kill them but Prowler...you know he would pull this kind of crap."
"I didn't expect him to actually do it."
"Really?"
"No, not really." Prowler grinds his teeth, "He's the type of idiot who would do that."
"What did you say to me!" Anarken growls and winds up for a punch.
"Your lucky my dogs asleep or he would have ripped your arm off by now!" Prowler retorts, also going for a punch.
"Hey guys!" Amazon calls her team out getting their attention, looking thru her pair of binoculars, "One of them just threw something big at us!"
"Do you know what it is?" Riley asked.
"No not really, I'm trying to make it out." Amazon replys, following the projectile until she was looking at her team,"Oh shit."
Before they knew what happened Prowler flew a couple of feet back by Travis, entering the scene by kicking him in the face. Travis lands hard but rolls away gain some distance and to kill the excessive force he was thrown with. He had his semblance on and ready for the fight then charges at Anarken who prepared for it and swings at him. However at the last second, Travis dodges by sliding between his legs and pulls one of them to topple him over. Anarken braces himself when he fell but Travis was already up and was about to strike first until Riley stops him. Locking his arm before he could do anything.
"If you do anything I'll break your arm," She threatened him.
After her words Travis forcefully dislocates his arm and slips out of her hold. Riley desperately tries to hold on but Travis uses his legs to knock her off her balance and with his other arm, throws her directly on Anarken who just got to his feet. Travis then takes takes a deep breath, relocates his arm and quickly ducks down, avoiding Prowlers katana strike behind him. Prowler was speechless when Travis dodged, he could have sworn he was in his blind spot but he didn't have time to think so he slashes downwards at Travis. In response, Travis sidesteps away from the attack and hook punches Prowlers ribs and follows up with his elbow driving across his face from the other arm, knocking him down.
"Son of a bitch!" Amazon shouts as runs towards Travis with her golden club.
"A bitch is a female dog!" Travis yells back, charging at Amazon.
Amazon slams her club at him downwards but Travis suddenly jerked back to avoid it and continues to run. He then used Amazon club and face as a staircase to leap over her. As she fell to her back, Travis landed back on the sand and sprung onto his feet, wobbling a little to regain his footing.
"And my mom was a female human." Travis comments with a smile, "Seriously, do you not know what the words you speak even mean?"
"You would have made a wonderful husband for me," Amazon replies as she does a handspring to her feet and picks up her weapon, "Too bad I already found one."
"Wait," Travis then remembers about the events that occurred yesterday, "Aren't you the faunus that grabbed Flamma groin and should really be watching out for what's coming at you?"
"What?"
Travis points over a sand dune next to Amazon but she didn't noticed anything different until a loud engine roared. Then instantly the Puma comes over the dune and hits Amazon square across the chest, sending her flying a few feet back. The car skids nearly next to Travis and Flamma rolls down the window.
"Was that the girl who said my...little gentleman was small?" Flamma questions.
"I think so," Travis answers, "But to be fair you also just said it was small just now."
Flames start to ignite in Flammas eyes as he gets out of his car.
"I call dibs," Flamma call out and runs off, "It's pay back time!"
"Flamma obviously has his priorities straighten out," Travis said, "Just don't even bother with the huge cannon that's right there."
Travis sighs and sees Anarken and Riley both up with their weapons. Anarken grabs his howitzer and transforms it into a gigantic blade while Riley picks up her turquoise anchor that was next to the howitzer.
"Well you're not going to leave me right Hikaru?" Travis looks at the car and Hikaru steps out.
"N...no," She answers and hands Travis his weapon while looking away from him.
"Thank you," Travis thanks her and straps the weapon along his waist, "Guessing Karina is covering us?"
"Y-yeah."
"Okay, which one do you want?" Travis asks as he stretches out.
"Either...doesn't really...matter." She struggles to say.
"Alright then, Hikaru you ready?"
She replies with a slight nod and assembles her assault rifle. Travis smiles at her without her looking and was looking forwards in actually working with her with all the nonsense out of the way.
"Alright," Travis said as he pulls out his knife, "Let's do Crescent Moon."
