Barnaby had learned, long ago, that there was no rhyme nor reason to whatever Tetsuko did. But that still didn't stop him from wondering for the umpteenth time how the hell they ended up at Hero Academy. After some considerable debate, she'd managed to wrangle him into taking them there. And he, the silly man that he was, only went along with her whims simply because. She was feeling sad, so maybe this is one way to cheer her up. But the way she'd kept up a lively chatter in the car was a complete contrast from the forlorn creature he thought he'd rescued from damnation moments ago. He was starting to wonder if he was fooled, or maybe that she was a far better actress than he thought.

Barnaby got out of the car, huffing in exasperation as he watched Tetsuko creep among the brambles in her yukata. She'd instructed him to go round the back, where she knew there wouldn't be any guards. And now she was bent over, searching the chain link fence for a hole she swore she'd discovered while exploring the boys' locker room.

"Must you waste your time on useless activities?" he sighed.

"Shut up, Mr. I-Don't-Want-To-Use-My-Hundred-Power! You could've cleared this thing in one jump! If you won't do something simple like that, what's the point of having powers?"

"Whatever. Don't come crying to me if you get bitten by a snake."

"Ah-hah! Got it! Come on, Bunny. Help me out!"

"I'm sure I don't have to point out that trespassing is punishable by law," he said, but joined her nonetheless.

After some considerable straining, followed by Barnaby producing a wire cutter from his car ('Why didn't you take that thing out sooner, dumbass?'), they both managed to squeeze through.

"Mission accomplished. Now can we go?" Barnaby said dryly.

"Hang on. We should check out the pool. Well, I know you've been here and all…but you never mentioned how big it was! Come to think of it, you never tell me anything about your student days."

"There's really nothing to tell," he said, following her as she circled around the building. Already they were assaulted by the strong smell of chlorine.

"Come on, there must be something you remember! Like your first crush, or that one time the teacher caught you stealing exam papers – ah, here we are. Ta-daah!"

It was, no matter how Barnaby wanted to phrase it, a swimming pool. It was big. It was rectangular. It was also always full of students during PE, splashing about like dolphins as they try to pull off each other's swimming trunks. He shook his head at the memory.

"A girl once confessed to me, over at the cherry tree by the assembly hall."

"Really? What happened?"

"I turned her down flat. Told her I've no time for juvenile romance."

Tetsuko tsked. "You're so mean! A maiden's heart is a fragile thing! If you ever want to let her down, you must do it gently."

"She was a NEXT with inferior powers…super long fingers, or something like that."

"Ohh, I get it. So you'd only hook up with powerful people. Useful people. How very egoist of you."

"Thinking back, I may have been a bit harsh," Barnaby said, a tad ruefully. "What would you have done?"

"Well, I'd put it like this: Thank you, I appreciate your feelings…but I'm afraid I'm not worthy enough to recipocate. Then you add some white lie in the end, like there's someone else that you like….or you're into guys. If she's not a psycho stalker, then she'll leave you alone after that."

"That's just another form of rejection, is it not?" he scoffed. "I think that it's better to be blunt in order to discourage anymore future attempts."

"I can now see why girls are dying to keep you," Tetsuko deadpanned, arms akimbo as she gave him a bored look. "Listen, Bunny…maybe this whole asshole act works out well for you, but you gotta remember that not everyone's like you. Specially girls. I feel sorry for her. I bet it took months for her to just work out the courage to approach you."

"She should know that love itself is a battle that requires precise planning and the anticipation of failure."

"Who the hell taught you that? Sun Tzu?" she sneered. Suddenly brightening up, she added: "Hey, take me to your classroom!"


It was at block A, in one of those special classes where they'd lump in all the exceptional students.

"Wow, so this is where I'd probably be," Tetsuko breathed, going over to the teacher's table. "Awesome."

The bright flood lights from the track field threw the room into harsh black and white contrasts. She perched herself at the edge of the table, looking at him expectantly.

"What?" Barnaby asked. He was still hovering in the hallway.

"Well, don't just stand there. Class is already in session," she said, motioning with her head.

He sighed, rolling his eyes heavenwards. He entered, and closed the door behind him. "Happy now?"

"I bet you're one of those eager beavers who'd sit in front, forever taking notes. And you're always the first person to raise a hand everytime the teacher asks something."

"Hah, wrong," Barnaby smirked, moving towards a desk in the middle of the second row and settling himself there. "It's a well-known fact that teachers always pick students from the back."

"Eh? Really? No wonder my teacher's forever hitting me up with questions. Anyway, so…ahem, good morning, class. My name is Tetsuko T. Kaburagi, and I'll be your new homeroom teacher. Please give me Wild guidance!"

Barnaby snickered, but said nothing.

"Let's all be friends here!"

"But I'm not interested in being your friend. A teacher's prerogative is to impart knowledge. Anything that goes beyond the scope of the class is none of her business."

Tetsuko pointed at him and said in mock sterness. "Oi, Mr. Smartypants. Detention. You're to stay back and write 'I must not interrupt my teacher' 100 times."

"What an archaic method of punishment. Are you really qualified for this post, Ms. Kaburagi?"

"Then what? You expect a spanking instead?"

Barnaby's response was swift. He was already up and striding towards her, leaning forth and placing his hands on the table, on either side of her thighs. She was so close, he could smell the perfume he knew she'd dabbed behind her ears and between her breasts. Oh, how he longed to chase that scent.

"I dare you to," he breathed.

Tetsuko, thinking that this was a joke, kept on smiling at him in that annoyingly bemused way, as if expecting him to deliver the punchline. When he didn't, she laughed. "Ohh…I get it. You think I don't look intimidating enough as a teacher. Maybe I should accessorize, get those thick nerdy specs." She reached up and plucked his glasses off.

"Tetsuko, what are you-?"

She wore them, and looked about the room. "Whoa, I can't see a thing! Your eyesight is really bad…like an old man's, ahahaaa! Oh, I'm getting a headache."

Barnaby tsked, rescuing his glasses and putting them back on. "You shouldn't play with these things," he grumbled.

Still laughing, she leaned back and fixed him with a rather impish stare. "I accept your apology, by the way."

"What apology?"

"The one you're about to say. For being such an ass towards Ivan and me. For flying off the handle when you shouldn't have. We were having such a nice gokon, too. I would've invited you to meet some girls, but I didn't think it was your style."

Him, apologize? Not bloody likely. Especially when he did nothing wrong. "That really was a foolish thing you did, Tetsuko. You hardly think about the consequences of your actions."

"I didn't do it because I wanted to be a Hero again. It's almost like an automatic reflex, and before I know it we were tackling that guy and suddenly I've got a 10-pound piece of exploding plastic in my hands. Don't tell me you wouldn't do the same even after you've retired?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be as reckless as you."

"When Ivan said he'd call for help, I never imagined that he'd call you. I was expecting him to get the police, or the coast guard, even. But honestly, he's been a great help. You need to go easy on him. It may not seem like he's doing much, but that's because he's not as flashy as you. He's a good kid, and he's been trying real hard."

"You have to promise that you'll never pull that stunt again. Ever."

"I swear," said Tetsuko, holding a palm up as if making an oath, "that in times of trouble I'll be a screaming mess and will always wait for my Bunny-chan to save me. That good enough?"

"I'm getting you a wristcom. That way it'll be easier to track you."

Her eyes lit up, and she grabbed his hands. "Aww, does that mean we're, like, engaged now? Are we going to start wearing matching his and hers tees? Hey, can I have a pet name too?"

She was teasing, that much he could tell. But that still didn't stop him from blushing. For once he was glad for the semi-darkness.

"S-stupid! I-I didn't mean anything by that!" he stammered. "It's just that you're a lighting rod for trouble. If I wanted free Hero points, all I have to do is just follow you around!"

"Actually, I've already stolen one from Saito's lab. Don't know why I did it, but I suppose I thought that it'll be useful someday, hehe."

"Well, then you should start wearing it!" he snapped. "And what's with the getup? Didn't I tell you pink isn't your colour?"

"You don't like this?" she asked, motioning towards her yukata. "How mean. After all the trouble I went through putting it on too."

"I never said that. I just said pink doesn't suit you."

"Really? Then what do you think works?"

Green. As green as his eyes and made of the finest material he could find. She should have proper kanzashi ornaments like the ones he saw girls wear to bon odori festivals, garnished with a sprig of seasonal flowers. Nothing too elaborate, though. Her main selling point was her expressive eyes, and nothing should detract from that. Oh, and nicer shoes too. She can't expect to wear-

Wait, what on earth is she wearing?!

He tsked at her Mr. Legend flip flops.

"Haha, you can take a girl out of Heroing, but you'll never take the Hero out of her," she said. "Don't you dare say anything bad about him!"

"I wasn't about to," he murmured, running a hand down her sleeve, feeling the cotton roll beneath his fingers. Then, suddenly emboldened, he took her arm and pushed back the material just for the sheer want of touching her more. He hesitated when he saw the purple bruises near the crook of her elbow.

She caught his expression. "It's not as bad as it looks. Don't worry. Just…be careful when you use your powers," she said.

"Tetsuko, I'm very sorry," he said, and meant it.

"It's nothing. I've had worse scrapes before."

"And what did you get this for?" he asked. He'd turned her hand around and noticed the raw knuckles.

"A pillar hit me. It wasn't being very nice," she said, pulling herself away. Typical Tigress Escape.

Barnaby realized that she'd never respond to direct questions. Some verbal skating had to be done, distract her from the issue, and when she's finally dropped her guard, he'd ask again. If there's anyone who was good at the stealthy approach, it'd be him.

"This was a wedding gift from Tomo," she said. "Funny, he'd probably seen me in yukatas only once or twice, but never in this one." A hand went up, and her hair came tumbling down. She was starting to look like her usual self. She turned the comb in her fingers, letting the outside light shine against its lacquered surface. There was a floral design embellishing the top, but Barnaby wasn't well-versed in the cultural significance of flowers to know what it meant.

"Sakura blossoms," she said, as if answering him. "He once said they bring the summer, just like me. Hah, silly man. Talking about such things to embarrass me. They come and go whenever they feel like it, don't they? No one can tell them what to do. You know, in the olden days, boys would give a comb to the girl they like, just to show how serious he is." She chuckled. "Guess who latched on to that idea and got me one during my high school graduation?"

"I must confess," said Barnaby, settling down beside her. "I am jealous."

"Eh? Of what?"

"You talk too much about your husband sometimes. I realize it is selfish of me, and maybe a bit silly…but I feel as if I'm competing against someone who's no longer here."

"Competing? Bunny, why would you say that? I've never expected you to be better than him. In fact, I never compare you both. Sorry if it seems like I am."

"He's known you for far longer, when you're at your best."

"Oh, so now I'm not at my best? Okay, I'm insulted."

Barnaby shook his head. He knew he was fumbling. "That did not come out the way I intended."

"I think it's not because you're unpleasant that people don't like you. You just can't express yourself properly. What a cute tsundere Bunny you make, hehe!" she said, reaching over to pinch his cheek. He growled, swinging out of the way.

"I don't think you'd want to know me back then," she went on. "Nobody likes their younger selves. There's just too much stupidity. Good thing I've got a few kinks knocked out, so this is really the new and improved me."

"I honestly doubt that."

"Other than Antonio, you're really the only person I've talked to about Tomo. He's…how shall I put it? I owe him a lot. When you find someone who thinks you're super awesome, you hold on to that person till the very end. Because you'll never get a second chance after that."

"You know what's annoying about you?"

"Oh, no. Not the list again. What else do you want to add this time?"

"You give so much of yourself to people."

"Ah? Well, that's not so bad."

He tugged at a lock of her hair, tucking it behind her ear. "When will you ever ask for something back?"

"Call it a long term investment. When I need a huge sum of money, then you'll be the first person I'll ask, but it's only because you're #1 on my speed dial, and Antonio still owes me 300 dollars. I doubt he'll ever pay me back."

"That was Tomo's parents I saw back at the restaurant, wasn't it?" His hand had strayed to her neck. He felt her pulse jump.

"Yes," she said, then sighed. "It was supposed to be my birthday dinner. Hah, and what a circus that turned out to be. I haven't even had the starter yet! What a waste."

"What happened?"

"What happened was fourteen years of hate all poured out into one condensed sentence, which should never have been said. There's only so much a person can take. I had to leave, or else I'll run out of pillars to punch. Hopefully, I'll live to fight another day."

"What did the old woman say?" Barnaby realized that, once more, Tetsuko was right. He couldn't princess carry her out of this one. For all his powers, this was one thing he couldn't do, and that made him feel more helpless than he ever thought he could. He never saw the full extent of her pain, because she was very good at squirelling her feelings away.

"Nothing. Just complained a lot about the sashimi."

"Tetsuko."

"You know, I really hate it when you use your serious voice. Because then I'd have to tell you everything."

"If you want another method of persuasion, I can think of many."

"Such as? Okay, don't say it. I'm sure I don't want to know."

"What was so terrible that you had to run away?"

"It's just that-" Tetsuko's voice caught in her throat. "She seems to think that I put so much stock on my Hero career compared to Tomo's death." She caught his stormy expression, and hurriedly added: "Er, she'd said it in a more refined way, but that was the whole gist of it."

"She was never there herself, so who the hell was she to talk?" he said furiously. "God, I've never heard of such an ugly, ill-mannered hag!"

"W-well you have, actually. You're looking at her. Bunny-"

"If I was there, I'd have a thing or two to say to her-"

"Bunny, calm down," she said, grabbing his arms. The man had the EQ of a yo-yo, which meant that he'd seesaw through the furthest gamut of human emotion without stopping somewhere in the middle. She'd always had to catch him before he went overboard. "She's not worth it. Really. She's just one bitter old woman. But that's not the point. The point is, this isn't something that you should yourself involved in…sorry. Not that you can't. But…it'll just complicate things."

"Tetsuko, how could you allow yourself to still be involved with this woman? It's not like you have any obligation towards her!"

"Hah, d'you have any idea how long it took for Tomo to convince her that he'd marry me? Anyway, Kaede's still their granddaughter. I can't force her to cut off ties with them. It's best that she doesn't hear about this."

"Oh, I honestly doubt that. I know she'd have figured something out by now."

"I guess you're right. As always." She paused, tracing the design on her comb, then sighed. "Bean sprouts."

"What?"

"There was a time when all I could afford to eat was rice and bean sprouts. It's pathetic. I've tried everything, you know. Add soy sauce, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce…bean sprouts still has that sad, watery taste. This was before I discovered my love for mayonnaise, of course. Tomo made a joke, saying that I'm starting to look like a bean sprout. I hate that damn thing! I once had a dream that I had leaves growing out of my ears, haha!"

"Tetsuko, what are you saying?"

"Between shuttling my money towards my family, paying for Tomo's treatments, and - hah, settling city fines - I really don't have much left for myself. And Tomo's mother assumed that I'd frittered it all away on pointless things. Like what? A sports car? I was busy hunting the newspapers for supermarket discount coupons as it is! If I could get shrimp and a bit of meat, then it'll be a very good week for me!"

Barnaby said nothing. He couldn't imagine what it was like scraping the bottom of the barrel like that. And there he was, thinking that he had major problems.

"Welcome to the real life of the working class, Bunny. It's far from pretty. But I wouldn't put it in any other way."

He took her hand, squeezing it. "You're the strongest woman in the world, Tetsuko. I can personally attest to that."

She laughed, clearly embarassed. "Yes, well…I don't want to talk about this anymore, okay? I was already in a good mood when you had to bring it up again. What's your story? Lloyds was there, so I'm betting he's up to no good."

"Nothing. He just wanted me to extend to another five seasons when I've made it clear that I'm quitting. I walked out on his potential investors, and that wouldn't be the last time. Not if he keeps on pushing me like this."

"Oh? Well, good to know that you've stood up to him."

"Did he see you before this? Asking you to convince me to stay?"

"He did. I turned him down."

"What did he offer you?"

"He'll support Kaede's schooling, university education, the works. And when she's ready, she'll start her Hero career under Apollon. He's aiming at creating the world's first girl band of Heroes. Frankly, I think he's the only one getting the sweet end of the deal. After five years, it wouldn't matter if you retired, because by then, he's got another set of Heroes to replace you."

"And you said no to all that?"

"It wasn't easy, mind you. He's paying for St. Mary's, man! You know I've been wanting to send her there. She's a smart kid. She deserves only the best. I'm fine if she wants to be a Hero, but I'd draw the line if her boss is planning on squeezing her into those damned skimpy suits like Blue Rose's. It's either something practical like mine, or else I'll just sign her up under a different company. Er…I can't be sued for that…right? Anyway, that's all done now, so I guess-"

"I'll do it."

"Huh?"

"I said I'll do it. Design your daughter's suit. That's what I've been planning to do once I quit anyway. Go back to robotics and maybe pick up my parents' work. There's nothing left for me to do as a Hero, Tetsuko. Year in, year out…it's all the same. I'm tired of it all."

"O-oi, Bunny. You've been wanting to quit for years, now. This is the first time you actually sound serious."

"It's because I am."

"Look, don't get me wrong. Frankly, I think you should quit while you're still ahead. HeroTV's nothing! I know you've got pocketful of talents stashed elsewhere because you're a goddamned genius. About St. Mary's, well…I'll think of something." Tetsuko leaned back, shaking her head in disbelief. "I just realized that Lloyds practically pimped me out to you. I don't know how he expects me to convince you if I said yes. Short of stripping and giving you a lap dance, I really can't think of anything else."

Barnaby smiled. "Now that is something I don't mind seeing."

She punched him lightly in the arm. "Shut up."

"Why did you do it? Turn him down?"

"Isn't it obvious? I just don't feel it's right. I know you've got your reasons. Besides, you yourself decide your starting and end point. Simple as that."

"Hm. Well, let's just stop at that. I'm tired, and we really need to get back. If we stay any longer, the white lady will come after us."

"White lady? What white lady?"

"You haven't heard about the Hero Academy ghost?" he asked, giving her a surprised look. He then leaned over and continued in a low voice: "They say that this school was built over the site of an abandoned asylum. A patient had her baby taken away as soon as it was born, and feeling distraught, she committed suicide. There'd been sightings of her wandering the school grounds, seemingly searching for something. You'll know she's around if you hear a voice saying…Give it back…Give it back…"

Tetsuko gasped, round-eyed. She looked fearfully around and shuffled herself closer to him. A sudden loud bang from the hallway outside caused her to shriek and almost jump into his lap.

"Oh, God…she's here!" she quavered, clinging onto his neck. "Please don't let her kill me, Bunny!"

Barnaby said nothing. He was shaking – from fear, she'd thought at first – but when she heard a snigger, she looked up at him. He was laughing.

"Bunny!" she exclaimed, shoving his aside. "That's not funny!"

"You're still scared of ghosts? At your age? Wonders never cease!"

"Don't tell me you're not?!" she said hotly, furious from being laughed at.

"There's no such thing as ghosts. There was no abandoned asylum. The land was already gazetted for Hero Academy. It used to be nothing but forests here. You're really funny when you scared."

"Sh-shut up! You're one twisted bastard, and I don't even know why I bothered myself with you!" she huffed, preparing to hop off the table. But Barnaby stopped her, grabbing her hands and forcing her to look at him.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to scare you like that."

Tetsuko kept on glaring.

"I'll make it up to you. Since your belated birthday dinner was ruined, let me treat you to one. You can have anything you like."

Glare.

"Anything at all. Just name it."

"Anything?" her features had softened, but only just. She was still looking at him suspiciously.

"Anything," he affirmed. "You know I'm a man of my word. Are you sure there's no other pressing matter that could prevent you from going out with me? A certain teaching manual, for instance? Which I'm sure you haven't looked at since you got it?"

Tetsuko's resolve crumbled. Whatever traces of indignance she had left were now surpassed by an expression on guilt. "You knew I was lying?"

"Through the teeth."

"And you didn't call me out on it?"

"No, but it doesn't matter." Barnaby tightened his grip over her fingers. "So there's really no other reason for you to rebuff my advances?"

"A-advances?"

"Yes, like this," he said, and kissed her cheek. Then, acting on pure reckless need, nuzzled her neck, just below her earlobe.

He heard it then: her soft, shuddering gasp. He smiled against her skin, feeling as if he'd scored a minor victory that night. So he still remembered the places she liked to be touched after all.

He drew back, searching for her eyes. They widened when he touched her cheek with one hand, fingers tracing the curve of her jaw before they gathered below her chin, tilting her face up towards him.

"B-Bunny?"

"Yes?" he murmured, leaning closer.

"My rabbit's dead."

"Sorry to hear that." He kissed her forehead.

"A-and…and…"

"Hm?"

"T-that point where I said things start to get weird between us?"

"What of it?"

"I-I think you've just crossed it."

"Good."

Their lips touched…

…and his wristcom beeped.


Episode the next: A morning jog that turns into a princess carry session. How's that possible? Plus, Keith's still feeling the sting of being a former number one Hero.

AN: I'm about halfway through this story when I realized that Ben Jackson, the one man integral to Kotetsu's early Hero career, wasn't included. Sorry to Ben Jackson's fans. He's a fine character, but at this point, I couldn't think of a way to put him in without seeming as if he was a last-minute write-in. He deserves way more than that.