"Sword Girl!"
"I'm on it!" Ayano scaled the side of the building, using a garbage bin to help herself up, and swiftly made her way to the rooftop. Below, Mumen Rider was trying to distract the monster from the girl's position so she had a clear shot at its head. She reached to the hilts of her two longest swords and drew them from their sheaths, eyes focused on the beast below.
Sometimes monsters were intelligent. Sometimes they knew what they were doing and could even speak. This was not one of those cases. The brute thrashing around in the shopping district had four arms, each ending in sharp claws. The head was similar to a snapping turtle's and the abdomen had a tough hide that her normal blades could not penetrate. It moved erratically, shrieking at citizens and the two heroes as it destroyed shops and cafes.
Since it was of the unintelligent variety, it was safer to incapacitate it rather than try to wrangle it or reason with it. As it charged after Mumen Rider, she ran alongside it on the rooftop and prepared to launch herself. When Ayano's feet left the solid surface, her stomach felt like it was dropping. The sensation of being airborne always left her unsettled, but it was necessary.
Her knees dug into its sides as she landed on its back and she crossed her blades over its throat to try to give it a wordless warning. Let it work! Please, please let it work! Ayano gritted her teeth, knees tightening on its torso as the beast began to thrash.
"Sword Girl!"
"I'm fine! Get back!" Ayano knew what was coming and had to prepare herself. She was going to get thrown and she had to keep her bones from breaking. Relaxing every muscle, she let the monster fling her forward over its head. Her body tumbled over the hard surface of the street like a ragdoll and only stopped when she slammed into a store front. Bruised and bloody, she pushed herself onto her hands and knees in time to see it charging with all four arms spread.
A quiet swear left her lips as she glanced to her sides. Her swords were gone; knocked from her hands when her body struck the ground. The girl twisted into a crouched position, bracing the sole of her right boot against the building behind her. Here it comes!
It was almost to the girl when something smacked against its back and redirected its attention. Ayano saw it turn its head and took the opportunity. One sword was glinting in the sunlight off to her left, about a hundred feet away. Thankfully, her speed was much better than it used to be. She darted toward it, intending to retrieve her blade and then rush to her friend's aid.
Unfortunately, Mumen Rider was unable to hold its attention for long. It turned its head toward Ayano and, seeing that the girl was going for her weapon, it charged once more. All four arms grabbed at her, taking her limbs and lifting her off of the ground. Her back slammed into a solid brick building with the monster bearing down on her, gripping her limbs with such strength that it drew a scream of pain from the hero.
"No! No, no, no! I'm not…dying today!" She struggled with all of her might, head shaking and teeth gritted as she attempted to get free. The claws were starting to sink in as its head lowered toward her face, the lips peeling back to reveal rows of sharp teeth.
In this moment, so many thoughts passed through her head. Ayano thought of her parents. How they would feel when the Hero Association called to inform them of her death. She thought of her sisters, awaiting her in the afterlife. She thought of Mumen Rider, who would be the monster's next target. Then she thought of Sonic. She imagined the disapproving look he would wear when he discovered that she was defeated by a monster.
It can't end like this! Tears of fury poured down her bruised, bleeding face and she opened her mouth. A sound left her that made the monster draw back in surprise. A cross between a roar and a cry of anguish. It momentarily stunned the creature and she prepared to use the last of her strength to try once more to free herself.
The opportunity never came. In the next few seconds, Ayano felt its grip relax as its body crumbled beneath a powerful stomp from above. Blood splashed over her face, clothes, and hair as the monster's figure was replaced by a familiar blond cyborg. The girl blinked, still a bit shocked, and sank to her knees on the cement. Her glasses were dotted with monster blood, but she could still see the fierce glare that the young man wore as he regarded the corpse at his feet.
Trying to get her breathing under control, she glared at him for a moment before he turned his gaze to her. A hand was offered, but she pushed it away. "I'm fine," she stated flatly.
"You should seek medical attention. You could have internal injuries."
"I appreciate the concern, but-"
"Sword Girl, are you alright?" Mumen Rider had retrieved her blades and was jogging in the direction of the other two heroes. "That looked pretty bad."
She wiped blood from her lips and grimaced. "I'm okay." Her body ached all over and she knew she was probably covered in scrapes and bruises. Pushing herself to stand, she leaned against the building for support and turned her head to the side. The Demon Cyborg. I had to be saved by my rival. Why? Why couldn't I stop that thing from grabbing me?
"Genos, thanks for stepping in to help. That guy was tougher than we expected." Mumen Rider handed over Ayano's blades for her to sheathe once more and turned his attention to the cyborg hero. "Did you get called here?"
"No. Master Saitama sent me to get groceries and I heard that there was a strong monster here. I was misinformed. This was easy for me to defeat." He looked from the Class C hero to the Class B hero as the girl coughed blood onto her hand. "Sword Girl, you should go to the hospital."
She scowled and shook her head. "I'm fine," she repeated. My pride took the worst of the damage today. Shaking dust off of her long black coat, she turned her back to Genos and gave Mumen Rider a weak smile. "Thanks for today, Mumen Rider."
"Do you want me to take you home? I can give you a ride," he offered.
"No…it's okay. Thank you." Ayano began walking down the street, a hand pressed at her ribs on the left side. She was unsure if it was fatigue or some internal bleeding, but her body felt heavy. Her limbs struggled to keep moving, eyes occasionally losing focus on the road ahead. The hero had been walking for about fifteen minutes before her legs trembled and gave out.
Crumbling to her knees, she gave a small cry of pain and fought back tears. I have to just make it back to Sonic. If I can make it to him, I'll at least have my pride intact. He'll know what to do. She tensed when a shadow fell across her and cautiously looked up. "I'm fine."
"You collapsed in the middle of the street," the cyborg stated. "I am taking you to the hospital."
"No. I'm fine." She tried to swat his hand away when he reached for her arm, but her strength failed her. As her arm fell, she realized why her limbs felt so odd. There were deep gashes in her forearms and calves from where the monster had grabbed her. Around the gashes, bruises were beginning to form already. "Ngh. I'm…fine…"
"I am not leaving you to die in the street. Master Saitama would tell me to help you if he was here now. Allow me to take you to the hospital." Genos saw her shake her head, but the gesture was weak. Putting his hands on his hips, he narrowed his eyes. "Call for Speed o' Sound Sonic then."
"I don't need help." Summoning some reserved strength, Ayano pushed herself onto her hands and knees. It was a struggle, but she eventually managed to stand upright. However, she fell against the cyborg's chest when her balance faltered. I've lost too much blood. I feel sleepy and…I can't focus. This is bad.
Genos gripped her shoulders for a moment until he thought that she was steady. Releasing her, he saw the girl take a few steps forward and readied himself to grab her again. "Where are you going?"
"I'm going home," she answered over her shoulder. "You…should go home, too. I'm fine. I swear…I'm okay. I don't need anyone's help."
The trek to the base took the last of her strength. Ayano glanced back often to make sure that Genos was not following her. Thankfully, he seemed to have given up on helping her. It was fine. Making a mental note to apologize for her rudeness the next time they crossed paths, she opened the door to the apartment building.
She made it to the stairs before collapsing again. This time, there was no getting back up. Ayano's eyelids were heavy and her limbs refused to move. Sleep was creeping up on her mind rapidly, but she tried to fight it. I can't pass out, she thought groggily. I can't pass out. I might die. I can't die like this.
Shift P.O.V
She's taking too long. Sonic checked his phone and saw no new messages. Towel drying his hair, he frowned and walked into the kitchen area. It was late in the evening by now. She had left that morning to do some hero work.
As much as he disliked the Hero Association, he allowed her to go. It was how she made a living and he had to respect that. However, he never said that she could stay out all day. No amount of hero work would keep her out for this long.
As he started to wonder if she was with that vanilla-looking man, a new thought popped into his head. A terrible thought. She might be in the hero hospital. Or dead. If she had been hospitalized or killed, he would never know. Her family would be contacted, but not him.
He hated that he felt worried, but Sonic could recognize that spike of panic rising in him. The man decided that he would search for her in the city. If he was unable to locate his student, he would then check the civilian hospitals. Checking the hero hospital would definitely raise some flags.
The ninja made sure to dress like a normal civilian and set off down the hallway toward the stairs. It was as he opened the door to the stairwell that a strange sort of prickling sensation began to form in his nerves. The man's gut twisted anxiously and he began to descend rather slowly, cautiously. He was not accustomed to this odd feeling so he could only assume that he was subconsciously sensing some great danger or opponent in the building.
Near the first floor, Sonic learned what it was. He saw his student lying limp on the stairs, her face bruised and bleeding. She was silent when he called her name and when he lifted her, he realized the horrible truth.