Love is like a Blizzard
Chapter 12 – Capture
After they had moved on from the lost child incident, Saitama and Fubuki's shopping had picked up right where it had left off. Saitama was vigorously moving from food stand to food stand, collecting whatever he wanted while Fubuki paid for all of it. After doing this for a few minutes, seeing the baldy happy made Fubuki feel better, and she soon left her bad mood behind. So what if she couldn't handle little kids? At least there was one baldy out there that she could entertain.
A few minutes later, Saitama noticed her smile as they were walking down the street. He decided to ask her about it. "What are you so happy about?"
Fubuki noticed him staring at her, but strangely enough, didn't clam up or get embarrassed. Instead, she just shrugged and continued smiling. "I don't know. It's just a good day."
Saitama looked up at the clear and sunny sky. "Yeah, I suppose it is," he agreed.
As they approached the next stall, a passerby stopped in his tracks when he noticed Fubuki's smile. Lowering his shades to get a better look at her, he smiled to himself. He then took the liberty of walking up to her.
"Excuse me, Miss," he said coolly as he approached her. "Tell me something. What's a beauty like you doing in a place like this?"
Fubuki turned around and gave him a blank stare. She did not recognize this stranger wearing sunglasses and a leather jacket. "Buying groceries," she replied bluntly.
"Ah, I see," he said with a smile. "Forgive me, but I was just passing by, and I couldn't help but notice your stunning beauty. After seeing you, I just knew that I had to come and talk to you."
By this point, Saitama also turned around and looked at the newcomer. Feeling confused, he turned towards Fubuki. "Hey Fubuki, do you know this guy?" he asked innocently.
Fubuki just shook her head no. "I've never met him before."
"Well allow me to introduce myself," said the stranger. "My name is Ozuru Cornelius. But you can just call me OC for short."
Fubuki in-turn gave this stranger the weirdest look. "OC?" she repeated.
"Yeah, it's what my friends call me," he said with a smile. "And what about you? What is your name, darling?"
Fubuki frowned as she crossed her arms. "It's Fubuki," she told him uncomfortably.
"Ah, Fubuki, what a lovely name for a lovely woman…"
"I suppose…"
The man known as OC then leaned his arm against the nearest wall. "I have a question for you, Fubuki. How would you like to go and get a drink with me sometime?"
"A drink?" repeated Fubuki as she nervously turned away. "Er, no, I don't think-"
"Oh come on," said OC with a smile. "You wouldn't want to miss out on a chance like this would you? Come and get a drink with me."
Fubuki took a half step back. "I'd really rather not-"
"Oh please," said OC with the utmost confidence. "I never take no for an answer, baby."
Fubuki didn't know what to say. She had never met anyone this forward before. "I-"
"Just give it up, kid. She's clearly not interested in you."
Fubuki turned in shock to look at the owner of the voice who had just said that. OC also threw an annoyed look in his direction. It was Saitama.
"What did you just say?" asked OC, sounding angry.
"I said she's clearly not interested in you," Saitama repeated. "Don't you know when to give up?"
OC just ignored this question as he scowled at the baldy before him. "And who are you, exactly?"
"I'm Saitama. I'm a friend of hers."
"A friend, huh?" asked OC, sounding offended. "Well let me tell you something, punk. A beauty like Fubuki doesn't need any friends making decisions for her."
"I'm not making any decisions for her," Saitama replied innocently. "Fubuki just doesn't like you."
OC clenched his teeth at this. "Why you…"
Fubuki nervously bit her lip as she watched this scene unfold. She would never have expected Saitama to stand up for her like this. And while she was both impressed and overjoyed by it, she was also starting to become worried about this new stranger's attitude taking a turn for the worst.
Fubuki suddenly reached out and grabbed one of Saitama's arms that was hanging by his side. She then tried pulling him away. "Come on, Saitama. Let's just get out of here," she told him quietly.
"And where do you think you're going?" asked OC as he grabbed Saitama by the shoulder. "We're not done here! Nobody disrespects me like that and gets away with it."
Saitama just gave him a blank stare. "Dude, calm down."
"Shut up!" OC barked. "I'm going to make you pay for what you said to me."
Noticing his malicious intent, Saitama gave him a glare. "Fubuki, let go of me," he said calmly.
Fubuki paused for a second, but soon did as she was told. She knew that Saitama wouldn't let things get out of hand. She put her trust in him.
"There's nothing for us to fight about," said Saitama as he wound up his fist. "But if that's what you want, then let's fight."
"Oh, this isn't going to be a fight!" OC yelled as he charged Saitama. "It's going to be a one-way massacre!"
"Hey, you're right!" Saitama noted as he swiftly one-punched him into the sky. The poor fool known as OC was soon crash-landing on the top of a nearby building. Saitama then lowered his fist as he gave a shrug. "Hmph, I tried to hold back as much as I could against that weakling, but I guess he still ended up flying quite some ways. Well, what can you do?"
Fubuki just stared at him with her mouth open. "Saitama, I…I can't believe it! That was amazing!"
He turned to look at her. "Eh?"
"I can't believe you just knocked that guy out for me!" she told him excitedly.
Saitama simply began scratching the back of his head as he stared at the ground. "Oh, it was nothing really. I could tell that you wanted him to just leave you alone and all. Besides, he was also starting to get on my nerves too…"
Fubuki raised an eyebrow at this. "Really?"
"Yeah, I hate guys that believe that they can get any girl they want. They usually have no respect for the guys that can't seem to get any girls at all, and they oftentimes make us look like losers. They think that they can do anything because the world owes them everything, which isn't true in the slightest. Meanwhile, guys like me have trouble getting anyone to even like us at all…"
Fubuki could only frown at this comment. She had not expected Saitama to feel so insecure about himself. Did he really think that he had trouble getting people to like him?
"I like you, Saitama," she told him sincerely.
Saitama just glanced at her for a second. He then gave her a smile. "Thanks, Fubuki."
Fubuki simply returned his smile. "No, thank you, Saitama, for dealing with that guy. That was very sweet of you, and I appreciate it."
Saitama just shrugged as he started to walk away back towards the food stall. "No problem," he told her.
Fubuki just continued smiling as she followed behind him. Today really was a good day after all.
Meanwhile, the ninja known as Speed-o-Sound Sonic watched the duo from a dark alleyway. He had just witnessed the entire situation with the stranger known as OC. After having watched that scene, Sonic was now reevaluating his arch-nemesis and the woman that accompanied him.
Who is that woman? Sonic wondered as he watched her from behind. Hmm…Short dark hair and a long black dress. She honestly seems kind of familiar…
Eyes widening in realization, Sonic suddenly recognized her. I remember now! She was back at Saitama's apartment that one time that I fought his cyborg pupil. If I remember correctly, Saitama had shielded her from one of the blasts from our battle…
Now that I think about it, Saitama does seem to be rather protective of her. Both in this instant and the last, he has taken it upon himself to look out for her. Just what is the relationship between them?
After thinking about it for a moment, Sonic's eyes widened once again when he reached a conclusion. Ah, I see now! This beautiful woman…she must be Saitama's girlfriend or something! That's why they're hanging out together buying groceries, and that also explains why he's so protective of her. She's his lover…
Sonic then grinned to himself as a wicked plan started to form in his head. If that's the case…Yes, I see what I have to do now…Heheh, this will definitely force Saitama to have another duel with me!
Smiling in delight, Sonic then began to search the alleyway for some sort of scratch paper…
A little while later, Saitama and Fubuki looked like they were wrapping up with their shopping. With several bags of groceries in their arms, the baldy was finally content with his purchases for the day. "Thanks again for doing this, Fubuki," he told her with a smile. "I really appreciate it."
"Of course," she said, returning his smile. "Here, let me get these," she said, gesturing to their bags. With just a tiny flick of her finger, all of the bags were raised up into the air, and began floating behind them. "This should make things easier, don't you think?"
Saitama gave a nod. "Yeah, let's go ahead and get them back to my place."
"Sounds like a plan," she agreed.
And with that, the two of them then began walking away from the marketplace. Unbeknownst to them however, Sonic was still watching them from afar. This time, the ninja was on top of a building, looking down at them.
That's odd he noted. That woman, she's making the bags float in the air. Interesting…
Sonic then grinned as he continued watching. They really do make a cute couple, don't they? Watching them almost makes me regret what I'm about to do…
Sonic's smile simply grew wider as he stared down at his newly hand-written note. Well, not really…
Going over his plan once more in his head, Sonic prepared to move out. It's now or never! he thought cheerfully. He then waited for a few seconds, making absolutely sure that Saitama was looking away from the woman that followed behind him. Once he was satisfied, he made his move.
Running straight down the building about as fast as he could, Sonic plummeted towards the ground. He soon landed gracefully upon it before he rocketed off towards the couple. Darting off to one side of the street, Sonic tightly grasped the note in his hand. He then rushed over to Fubuki as fast as he could. At that instant, Sonic did two things. First off, he snatched Fubuki off the ground with one arm and carried her away. At the exact same time, he released the note that was in his hand, making sure to let it gently fall to the ground. Once that was accomplished, he secured Fubuki with both arms and zipped off to some other part of the city.
Meanwhile, Fubuki had barely registered what had just happened. One second, she had been walking down the street behind Saitama, the next, she had been grabbed and carried off at an incredible speed. Amongst the insane noise and rushing wind, Fubuki managed to get a look at the person who was carrying her.
"What the-? Who are you!?" she shouted.
Sonic simply smiled at her. "Shut up, you're coming with me."
Fubuki just frowned out of concern. She did not like the sound of that. Whoever this guy was, he definitely spelled trouble for the esper. "Where are you taking me!?" she screamed above the noise.
"You'll see," said Sonic slyly. "Just hang in there; we'll be there soon."
The moment that Fubuki had been grabbed, her psychic powers had been interrupted, and the grocery bags had fallen to the ground. This immediately caught Saitama's attention, and he turned around. "Fubuki?"
To his surprise, Fubuki had disappeared, and the grocery bags were all lying on the ground in a mess. Saitama just stared at them, confused. He then glanced back and forth. "Fubuki, where did you go?" he called out. He waited for a moment, but there was no response. Turning back to look at the groceries, he frowned. It was then that he noticed a piece of scrap paper laying amongst the food. Upon closer inspection, he saw his name written on it in big black letters.
'TO THE HERO, SAITAMA,' it said.
With a curious frown, Saitama went ahead and picked it up. He then unfolded it, only to find a message written for him on the inside. Saitama went ahead and read it out loud.
"It's been a while, Saitama. This is your old rival, Speed-o-Sound Sonic, and I've come to fight you once again. This time, I've decided to take the liberty of capturing your special girl. If you want to get her back, you'll have to come and fight me in another match. That's my condition. Come and find us at an abandoned warehouse at the address listed below. I'll be waiting. –Sonic."
Sure enough, there was an address listed below the message. Saitama just frowned as he looked over the letter once more. "So Sonic's back again, huh? When's this guy ever going to leave me alone?"
Saitama's eyes paused when he reread the condition that had been stated. "My special girl?" he questioned out loud. "He must mean Fubuki and her special powers. So that's where she went. Sonic kidnapped her, huh? What a weirdo…"
Slowly folding the note back up, Saitama took a moment to assess the situation. "Well, if Fubuki is in danger, I suppose I should go rescue her." The bald hero then looked to the ground as a sweat drop slid down his forehead. "But what am I supposed to do about all my groceries?"
Meanwhile, Sonic and Fubuki had finally arrived at the former's chosen location. Just as his note had described, the ninja had brought them to an abandoned warehouse a few streets away. Upon running inside, Sonic wasted no time in finding a way to secure Fubuki. He had actually been to this place many times before, so it wasn't hard for him to find what he was looking for. Gently tossing Fubuki to the floor, he zipped off to another corner. Fubuki barely had time to register what was going on before he had returned. The ninja simply grinned as he held up a long chain he had gathered. He soon had it expertly wrapped around the esper in an instant.
Fubuki could only look down at herself in shock. Only a moment ago, she had been walking down the street with Saitama. Now she was confined by a long chain wrapped around her body. All she could do was look up at her captor in shock. "Y-you're fast!" she stuttered.
Sonic just grinned at this while he crossed his arms. "Thanks for noticing."
Fubuki simply frowned at his smile. "What's going on here? Why have you captured me?"
"Well, I would say that it's none of your business, but I guess that wouldn't be entirely true," Sonic replied with a smirk. "Tell me something, what's your name?"
Fubuki's frown grew bigger upon hearing this. This was the second time today that a stranger had asked for her name. The only difference between them was that this one seemed a lot more hostile. Fubuki honestly didn't want to tell this creep anything. However, she did see this as an opportunity to get some information out of her captor.
"It's Fubuki," she finally replied. "And you are?"
Sonic smiled once more. "The name is Speed-o-Sound Sonic. I'm a ninja who has honed his skills to the max!"
Fubuki's eyes drooped as she listened to this. Speed-o-Sound Sonic? What a ridiculous name…
"So why have you brought me here?" she asked, bringing herself forward onto her knees.
Sonic simply continued smiling at her. He then picked up the end of the chain wrapping Fubuki and began carrying it towards the wall behind her. "I'll be honest with you," he said. "You're my hostage."
Fubuki tried to watch him as he walked. "A hostage, huh?"
"That's right," he replied as he held the end of the chain against the wall. He then produced a dagger in his hand before ramming it through the chain. The metal link was now firmly planted into the wall. "And now you're not going anywhere," he noted gleefully.
Fubuki almost rolled her eyes as she looked down at her confinement. Wrapped in chains and tethered to a wall? Breaking out of this would be child's play. Nevertheless, Fubuki still wanted more information on this guy before she decided to try anything.
"Look," she told him, "if it's money you want, my Blizzard Group has more than enough to satisfy you. Just state a price and then-"
"Your what?" interrupted Sonic, looking confused.
Fubuki just paused for a second before she decided to explain a little. "My Blizzard Group. We're a group of B-Rank heroes that work for the Hero Association and-"
"Never heard of you," said Sonic bluntly.
Fubuki just paused once more, before slowly getting a little dismayed. "Oh, I see…"
"In any case," said Sonic, crossing his arms again, "I'm not interested in money."
Fubuki gave the man a confused look. "Then what do you want from me?"
"Oh, I don't want anything from you either," Sonic explained. "I just need you here in order to get what I really want."
"And that is…?"
Sonic flashed an excited grin when he said this next part. "I want a rematch with Saitama."
Fubuki's eyes widened upon hearing this. "Saitama?" she repeated.
"That's right," he said with a nod.
Fubuki was starting to have trouble understanding this situation. "But why?"
Sonic simply clenched his teeth as he looked away. "That damn hero Saitama always gets the best of me whenever we meet. I've trained for days on end since the day we first met, but he still manages to beat me every time. It's downright humiliating…"
Sonic then readjusted his frown into another smile. "But it's been a while since our last match, and I've been training hard. I have a feeling that things will be different this time around…"
As she listened, Fubuki's eyes widened once more. "Ah, I remember you!" she shouted. "I've seen you before!"
Sonic glanced at her. "Oh?"
"Yeah, you were back at Saitama's apartment that one time! You fought with Genos and then with Saitama too!"
Sonic simply grinned. "Hmph, I was wondering if you would remember that. I actually recognized you from back then too. Although, at the time, you honestly seemed like a pathetic weakling that couldn't manage to do anything. It's really a wonder that I even noticed you at all…"
Fubuki immediately felt sad upon hearing this. It honestly felt like nobody acknowledged her power aside from Saitama and her Blizzard Group. Was she truly so weak that even random strangers had to point it out?
He'll see soon enough she thought with a determined look in her eyes.
"Anyways," Sonic continued, "I brought you here in the hopes that Saitama would come looking for you. I'm assuming he will, since he wouldn't want anything bad to happen to his special girl…"
Fubuki paused for a moment, before giving Sonic a curious look. "What did you say?"
Sonic just returned her look of confusion. "I said that I brought you here because-"
"No, I understand all of that," said Fubuki, shaking her head. "You want to fight Saitama again and this is all about him; I get it. But why exactly did you take me hostage again?"
Sonic still looked a little confused, but answered her nonetheless. "Isn't it obvious? I captured you because you're his girlfriend."
Upon hearing that word, Fubuki's cheeks quickly turned red. She had been afraid that Sonic had already made that assumption. Shaking her head in embarrassment, Fubuki replied back to him. "Oh no, you've got it all wrong…"
"Hmm?"
"I'm not his girlfriend!"
This time, it was Sonic's turn to have his eyes widen. "What?"
"I-it's true!" Fubuki stammered. "Saitama and I, we're just friends!"
Sonic could only give her a weird look. "You seem awfully flustered considering you're just a friend of his…"
Fubuki simply closed her mouth and looked away. "I…I can't help it…" she mumbled.
Sonic crossed his arms. "Hmph, I don't believe you in the slightest. You two are way too affectionate with each other to be anything but romantic partners. Don't try to lie your way out of this."
"I'm not lying, and we're not that affectionate!" Fubuki insisted. "You're just jumping to conclusions!"
"Man, even if I believed you, you're still acting way too defensive about this…There's got to be something going on between you two. Maybe it's just something that you don't want getting out? A secret love affair, perhaps?"
Fubuki's blush could only intensify at these accusations. "N-no, that's not it!"
Sonic smirked. "Then what is it?"
"It's nothing!"
"Lies…"
"I'm not lying!"
Sonic just gave a sigh in response to all of this banter. Clearly, this was getting him nowhere. "Fine then, just keep it to yourself. I don't really care anyway. Just as long as Saitama comes here to save you, whether you're his lover or his friend or just some random citizen. That's all that really matters."
Slowly clenching her teeth, Fubuki summoned her courage. "Not unless I don't need to be saved…"
Sonic raised an eyebrow while Fubuki decided to make her move. Using her psychic powers, Fubuki cut the chains that bound her. They immediately fell off without any problems. The esper then hopped to her feet as she prepared more psychic energy to face her opponent.
The last time I saw him fight, I couldn't even see him move! But I've improved since then, so this time, maybe I'll have a chance!
Sonic just watched the esper free herself with a look of confusion. He then quickly hopped backwards as she charged him. By the time Fubuki's strike hit the floor, he was long gone.
How is she doing that? he wondered as he watched from a safe distance. She snapped the chains without touching them, and they just fell off of her body! And earlier, she was able to make those grocery bags float! She must have some kind of weird power…
Feeling brave, Sonic approached her again, but still kept a safe distance. "How are you doing that?" he questioned her.
Fubuki just stared at him with clenched teeth. Damn, when did he get over there? I barely saw him move…
"Not saying," she replied before preparing another psychic blast. Sure enough, just as the force approached Sonic, he fled.
Hmph he thought as he watched. She's not going to tell me, but I think I have an idea of what she's capable of…
Sonic then ran up behind her before whispering in her ear. "Something tells me that I'll have to find a new way to detain you…"
Fubuki whipped around, but the ninja was already gone. She glanced back and forth in a desperate attempt to find him.
"Chains won't work, a cage probably won't work, and shackles would just be a joke…"
Fubuki could hear him, but she had no idea where to find him. Frowning in frustration, she decided to spread her arms wide. If I can't pinpoint you, I'll just send my energy in every direction!
However, before Fubuki even had a chance to react, Sonic appeared before her. He then grabbed both of her arms by the wrist and pushed her forward. Fubuki ended up falling flat on her back while Sonic forced himself on top of her.
"I guess I have no choice, I'll just have to detain you myself," he said.
Moving quickly, the ninja flipped Fubuki around so that her stomach was on the floor this time. Pulling both of her arms back behind her, he forced her up on to her knees. He quickly managed to tie a short rope around her wrists, effectively binding them together. He then drew his long blade and held it up to her throat.
Fubuki simply clenched her teeth once more as she struggled to free herself from his grasp. It was no use though; his grip was too strong.
"Stop struggling," Sonic commanded her. "Otherwise, I'll slit your throat."
Seeing the sharp blade before her, Fubuki decided to do as she was told and became still.
"That's more like it," Sonic purred. "Now slowly get up on your feet, and don't even think about releasing the bindings on your hands."
Slowly gulping, Fubuki rose to her feet. Sonic came up with her, all the while securing the position he held. He currently stood behind Fubuki and had one hand clasped around her bound hands. His other hand was carefully pressing the sword against her neck.
"As long as you have those powers, it seems that this is the only way I can keep you in check," Sonic explained. "You might as well get comfy, because we'll have to stay like this until Saitama arrives."
Fubuki just remained silent as she stared at the blade before her. Should I risk trying to bend it away and making an escape? she wondered. I don't know, this man is way too dangerous. Even if I tried to make a run for it, he'd catch me in an instant.
Fubuki took a deep breath as she slowly closed her eyes. It looks like my only option at this point is to just wait for Saitama to show up…
Saitama glanced down at the paper, before looking up at the building in front of him. "Yup, it says that this is the place. Is this Sonic's house or something? It's big, but it looks like a dump…"
Shrugging in disinterest, Saitama dropped the note as he opened the front door. He then peeked his head inside. "Er, is Sonic here?" he called out. "I'm here for Fubuki."
Slowly scanning around the room, his eyes eventually rested on the two of them. He soon noticed Fubuki's current position in Sonic's clutches. "Oh, there you guys are," he said calmly. He then proceeded to walk inside.
Fubuki lightly smiled at the baldy. She was honestly happy to see him. Meanwhile, Sonic just grinned as he watched him approach. "Ah, so you got my message, Saitama. I assume that you know the deal?"
Saitama kept walking towards them before eventually stopping a short distance away. "I think so," he said. "You want me to fight you, and in exchange, you'll let Fubuki go?"
Sonic nodded. "That's right. So tell me, do we-
"Why?"
Sonic paused. "…What?"
"Why'd you go to all the trouble of capturing Fubuki and setting up this exchange? You didn't have to do that."
Sonic just frowned at the man as he tensed up. "What do you mean why did I do this? I captured this girl so that you would agree to fight me again!"
"Okay…" said Saitama slowly. "And I'm saying you didn't have to do that…"
"…What are you talking about?"
Saitama simply cocked his head to the side a little bit as he replied. "If you wanted to fight again, you could've just asked me, you know."
Sonic's face immediately showed an expression of surprise. His eyes widened, and his mouth flashed an unhappy frown. Meanwhile, Fubuki simply smiled at Saitama's lighthearted outlook on the situation. She wasn't really worried anymore; she honestly felt a lot safer when he was around.
"You didn't have to go through with some crazy kidnapping scheme," Saitama continued. "Man, you always go over the top with these things, don't you? Honestly, if you want to fight again, just tell me. I'm usually not that busy, you know."
Sonic soon began shaking with rage. "Don't you dare insult me!" he hissed. "I do things the way I want to! This is how I like it!"
"Okay," said Saitama with a shrug. "But it's kind of inconvenient for me. I had to leave all of my groceries back in an alleyway. And just look at Fubuki; you're obviously bothering her. Seriously, why can't we just plan these things?"
"Like I care about your groceries!" Sonic spat back. "And maybe you didn't notice, but I've got your girlfriend's life in my hands right now!"
For the first time since he had arrived, Saitama froze. "My…my what?"
Fubuki also froze within Sonic's grasp. She then squeezed her eyes shut out of embarrassment. Oh no…Why did he have to say that, of all things!?
And once again, we have another chapter of Love is Like a Blizzard! Congrats, me! It only took like a month this time XD Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it, and maybe even found it a little funny. I tried to put some good comedy in here, so let me know if you laughed! I'd really appreciate it :)
As for the chapter, I think my only note is on the Original Character I created for this story, OC. His name…uh, well, you see what I did there? ;) Yeah, I'm pretty crafty sometimes. (But not really XD). And that's all I have to say about that!
So yeah, that was the chapter, I guess. I really don't have too much to talk about here, so I might as well wrap things up! Please feel free to leave a review with your thoughts on the chapter and look forward to the next one! Next time, Saitama and Sonic will clash or compete or something! Until then, goodbye!