Chapter 14: Funeral for a Friend
Heavy, grey clouds hung over San Fransokyo, casting the whole city in a dreary light, threatening rain at any moment. No place in the city reflected this atmosphere more than the graveyard sitting next to an old, white church in one of the city's residential neighborhoods where a funeral procession had gathered around an open grave.
Riley stood near the front of the group with her parents. Much like everyone else, she was dressed all in black, a simple dress with matching tights and shoes, her hair held back from her face by a black ribbon. Riley stared blankly at the dark brown, wood casket that hung suspended over the grave, ready to be lowered once the priest had finished his prayer. Her blue eyes were unfocused, looking but not truly seeing, her mind's eye focused on images of roaring fires, her ears filled with phantom screams.
"Riley?" Joy's voice sounded like a whisper over the other sounds within the girl's mind, "Riley, can you hear me?"
Riley did not respond in any way.
"Come on, Riley, talk to me," Joy pleaded, but her voice was quickly swallowed by the sounds of Hiro screaming his brother's name.
"Dammit, can't you get that thing under control!?" Anger snapped.
"Like I've been telling you guys since this started, my panel's on the fritz!" Fear called back.
"So are ours, but you don't see them overriding everything," Disgust pointed out.
"This isn't the normal way it works though!" Fear moaned, confusion evident in his voice, "My panel is sending all of these signals out but she's not reacting to them any more than she's reacting to any of yours."
"It's like that depression stuff again," Disgust observed with an aggravated sigh, "But….but it's different too. I don't get it."
"It's trauma," Sadness explained, "She's trying to process what happened. Everything's overloaded until she can do that."
"Is there any way we can help?" Joy questioned, hopefully.
"I...I don't know," Sadness admitted hesitantly, "The only reason she has so much emotional data to process is because of her empathy. The system wasn't built for this, and there aren't any manuals that can help."
"Well…Well, maybe you can do something," Joy suggested nervously, "I mean, you were able to unblock the problem that was causing the depression. Could you relieve some of the emotional data by making her cry or something?"
"I've been trying!" Sadness exclaimed and Riley could almost see the frustrated tears in the emotions eyes, "I've tried everything I can, but she won't respond to me anymore than she's been responding to any of you! I'm...I'm a failure."
"It's okay, Sadness, you're not a failure," Joy said with a comforting tone, "We'll figure something out. There has to be something we can do. There has to be."
By then, the priest had finished his prayer, his Bible held closed in his folded hands. As they began to lower the casket into the ground, Riley felt a drop of rain splatter against the top of her head. Raising her face towards the sky, Riley felt another drop splash against her face, the rainwater slowly running down her cheek as more began to fall. Blinking in surprise, Riley lowered her face and began looking around at the gathered crowd as they all started to wordlessly open their umbrellas to shield themselves from the rain.
Next to her parents stood Tip and Lucy, the woman holding her daughter close with one hand while holding her umbrella above them both with the other. Next to them were Riley's friends, each dressed for the funeral. Fred stood with his head bowed, his hat removed and his hair hanging limply around his face. Go Go stood next to him, biting her lip and holding herself tightly in an effort to keep the tears that were welling up in her eyes from spilling down her face. Honey, on the other hand, had lost all sense of control, openly weeping as she leaned against Wasabi for support, her long hair done up in a messy bun. Wasabi, for his part, was doing the best he could to comfort Honey, holding an umbrella above both of them with one hand while wrapping his other arm around her shoulders in a one-armed hug.
Past them, Hiro and Cass stood together. Cass stood behind her nephew, her hand resting on his shoulder, her hand clutch tightly to his suit jacket. Her other hand was covering her mouth, trying to obscure the look of utter sorrow on her face as tears streamed down her cheeks and her body was wracked by sobs. Hiro stared at the coffin as it was swallowed up by the earth, a lost and frustrated look on his face, angrily wiping tears away from his eyes.
Riley observed all of it, watched all the pain and sorrow pour out of the mourners surrounding her and felt none of it.
Later,
Wasabi stood outside the Lucky Cat Cafe, dressed in his regular clothes and looking up at the sign with a mixture of moroseness and trepidation. The funeral had been hours ago and night had fallen, but rain continued to drizzle down from the clouds above. Sighing, he ran a hand across his face and glanced at his van sitting in the driveway not far away before he stepped into the cafe, the bell above the door jingling as it swung open.
"Hello?" Cass called as she began to walk out from the back, "I-I'm sorry but we're actually-"
Cass paused behind the counter as she saw Wasabi, a look of confusion passing briefly over her features before being replaced by a look of understanding.
"Darron," Cass greeted, taking a moment to rub her red-rimmed eyes with one hand before looking at the young man, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was you."
"It's okay," Wasabi replied gently as he glanced back at the door, "I can….I can come back later if you'd prefer?"
"No, no," Cass answered quickly, shaking her hand at Wasabi, "You should collect those things. I don't want it to hurt your school performance because you left something here."
"Thank you," Wasabi said quietly, averting his eyes from Cass as he spoke.
"I'll let you in, just follow me," Cass said as she began making her way out of the cafe.
"N-No, that's really okay," Wasabi replied, quickly holding his hands out in front of him and waving them about in an effort to stop Cass, "I-I know my way into the garage and I know exactly where the thing I'm looking for is."
"You sure?" Cass asked in concerned confusion, "It's really know trouble."
"I've got it," Wasabi replied, "I only came in here because it would have been weird just walking into your garage without saying something."
"I appreciate that," Cass said with a small smile, "For the last few weeks, I've been hearing weird noises coming from in there. I'm sure it's a squirrel or something but sometimes I swear I can hear someone talking."
There was a pause in the conversation as Wasabi looked at Cass with wide eyes before he abruptly broke out into loud laughs that seemed absurdly forced. Wasabi laughed like this for a few seconds before abruptly cutting himself off as Cass blinked at him in confusion.
"Y-Yeah, that's weird," Wasabi mumbled while Cass quirked an eyebrow at him before shaking her head.
"Right," Cass said with a small chuckle, "You know, I'm actually surprised that you left something here. You're usually so careful about….well, everything."
"Yeah, well, it happens to the best of us," Wasabi replied, rubbing the back of his neck as he gave a half-hearted smile.
"It does," Cass agreed, her smile fading as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Thank you for coming today. I know….it meant a lot."
"I wouldn't have missed it for the world," Wasabi replied honestly, his expression full of sincerity, "None of us would have."
"I know but still….thank you," Cass repeated, giving Wasabi a heartfelt smile.
Wasabi smiled and nodded at her before his eyes drifted to the stairs that led to the apartment above.
"How's Hiro?" Wasabi questioned as he turned his gaze back to Cass in time to watch her face fall.
"He's still not talking to anyone," Cass answered, rubbing her arm as she looked at the stairs, "Not even to me."
"He'll come around," Wasabi tried to reassure her, "He just needs time."
"I hope so," Cass replied, sighing before turning back to Wasabi, "You sure you're okay to find it by yourself?"
"Positive," Wasabi replied with a nod as he opened the cafe door and began to step outside, "I'd hate to bother you any more than I already have."
"Alright," Cass relented with a nod, "Have a good night, Darron."
"You too, Cass," Wasabi echoed with a smile and nod of his own, closing the door behind him. Stepping out onto the sidewalk, Wasabi sighed and laid his hands on his hips while watching as Cass locked the door behind him before heading up the stairs to the apartment. Sighing again, Wasabi ran a hand through his dreadlocks before he started making his way to the garage.
Leaning down, Wasabi lifted the garage door open and pushed it up until it locked into place with a click. Reaching over to the light switch, Wasabi flicked it on before resting his hands on his hips as he surveyed the inside of the garage. Had it really been less than two weeks since he had been in there? As he looked around at the couches and workbenches, it felt like he hadn't been there in a lifetime. In a way, he hadn't.
Wasabi closed his eyes and shook his head briskly, banishing his morose thoughts like dust from an unused shelf. As he opened his eyes, Wasabi scanned the dark corners of the garage, searching for what he had come for.
"Oh?" Wasabi whispered, not daring to raise his voice for fear of alerting Cass, "It's Darron. You there?"
After a moment, a square, alien head peeked out from behind the couch before Oh came fully into view.
"Hello, Darron Waylons," Oh greeted with a friendly smile, "I was the hiding because I was not to be expecting to see someone this lates."
"Yeah, sorry," Wasabi replied, "This is the best time to move you."
"Move me?" Oh questioned in confusion, "Why am I being physically displaced?"
"We had talked about moving you before," Wasabi explained, "I live by myself, so it will be easier to hide you at my place. And with everything that's happened."
"Oh….yes…." Oh replied, turning blue as he squeezed his hands together in an uncomfortable gesture, "You are correct. Your living abode will be the superior option."
"Glad you agree," Wasabi said with a nod before motioning to his van, "Come on, nobody's around so let's do this while we can."
Oh nodded in agreement, crawling into the passenger seat as Wasabi walked over to the driver's side after closing the garage door. Soon enough, Wasabi had started up the van and pulled away from the cafe, the silence between him and Oh broken only by the steady drizzle of rain.
"Darron Waylons, may I be asking you a question?" Oh asked after a few quiet minutes of driving.
"Sure, what is it?" Darron questioned, looking over at Oh as he pulled up to a red light.
"How does a human mourn?" Oh questioned, looking up at Wasabi earnestly.
"How do we mourn?" Wasabi echoed as he pulled away from the stoplight.
"Yes," Oh confirmed with a nod, "For instance, we Boov do not usually take part in sessions of group mourning. The topography of our home planet made is so Boov were normally solitary creatures. As such, in general, a Boov must mourn for his or herself."
"How does that work?" Wasabi questioned, arching an eyebrow even though his eyes were focused on the road in front of him.
"We perform the Song of Death," Oh explained.
"The Song of Death?" Wasabi asked, arching his eyebrow even higher.
Without another word, Oh stood up in his seat and began an undulating, high-pitched wail. At the same time, Oh waved his wiggling arms above his head as his skin began rapidly shifting between purple and yellow. The sudden change in the alien's demeanor caught Wasabi completely by surprise, causing the young man to jump in his seat and jerk the steering wheel to the side. Quickly gripping the steering wheel with two hands, Wasabi jerked it back towards the road, narrowly missing a lightpost, the momentum sending Oh tumbling to the floor in front of his seat.
"It is very rude to interrupt the Song of Death," Oh pointed out as he climbed back into his seat.
"Yeah, well, I was about to start singing my own Song of Death right there," Wasabi replied, taking deep breathes in an effort to calm his rapidly beating heart, "Warn a guy the next time you're going to do that. You almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Is it bad to have an attack of the heart?" Oh questioned.
"Very," Wasabi answered as he recomposed himself, "And, to answer your other question, humans have a variety of ways in which we mourn. Some, I think, aren't too far off from yours."
"How do you mourn, Darron Waylans?" Oh inquired, giving the young man an earnest expression that he regarded out of the corner of his eye.
"You wear black," Wasabi explained after a moment's pause, chewing his lip as he spoke, "You gather together with the person's other loved ones. You say your goodbyes to them. And then you bury them."
"I see," Oh replied with a nod, a thoughtful look on his face, "It must be done to fend of scavengers."
"Um yeah, fend off scavengers," Wasabi replied as he continued to drive the van through the rainy night, unable to not think that the Boov had missed the point.
Later,
The tiny bell above the door of the Lucky Cat Cafe jingled as Jill Andersen entered the small restaurant. Adjusting her glasses, Jill sighed as she looked around the cafe, noting the handful of people scattered around the room. One person in particular caught her eye.
"Pamela?" Jill questioned as she walked over to Honey, who was standing behind the counter with her attention focused downward, her long hair done up in a messy bun while she wore an apron over her black shirt and khaki pants. Honey looked up at Jill, blinking her eyes in surprise at the sound of her own name.
"Jill?" Honey questioned before she seemed to snap herself out of whatever stupor she had been in, sliding whatever she had been looking at off of the counter and into her pocket, "Oh Jill, hello, good morning!"
"Do you work here now?" Jill asked in confusion as she stepped up to the counter, quirking an eyebrow at the younger woman. As she drew closer, Jill was able to note that Honey had gone without makeup that day, allowing the bags under her red-rimmed eyes to be seen. Jill also noticed that the young woman's clothes were creased and wrinkled and she briefly wondered if Honey had slept in them.
"N-No, not really at least," Honey admitted with a shake of her head, "I usually work at a coffee place near campus, but….with everything that's been going on….Cass needed some help, so I-I volunteered."
"That's very nice of you, Pam," Jill replied with a smile, I'm sure Cass appreciates it."
"More than you know," Cass stated as she stepped out from the backroom, looking slightly less disheveled than Honey did, "How are you, Jill?"
"I should be asking you that," Jill replied, a look of concern on her face as she spoke.
"I'm….I'm alright, I suppose" Cass replied, grief and pain flashing across her features for a moment, "Some days are worse than other but I think it's getting better, little by little."
"That's good," Jill smiled before quickly sliding back to concern, "What about Hiro?"
"Hiro….Hiro's been keeping to himself lately," Cass answered as her shoulder's slumped, "He spends most of his time in his room, barely even talks to anyone. I-I don't even know if he'll be going to school when it starts back up."
"I'm sure he'll come around," Jill said, trying to reassure her.
"I hope," Cass replied, before biting her lip nervously, "How's Riley?"
"Riley…." Jill stiffened at the questioned but pushed forward, "Riley is….having a hard time with it all. She….hasn't been going to school lately either."
"She's strong," Honey spoke up, drawing Jill's attention to her, "She'll pull through. She just needs help."
"Then I'm glad she's friends with someone like you," Jill stated, giving Honey a warm smile.
"I-I'm just trying to do my best," Honey replied with a weak smile of her own, "Do you want your usual, Jill?"
"Of course," Jill answered with a nod, her expression turning uncertain.
"I'll get that for you right away," Honey replied, and as she turned to go, Jill noticed that the young woman's hands had started to shake.
"Take your time," Jill stated with a gentle voice, "There's no rush."
"Oh don't worry," Honey replied as she grabbed one of the cafe's ceramic cups before bringing it over to the espresso machine and starting it up, "I've done this a million-"
Honey cut herself off with a gasp of pain, quickly followed by the sound of the cup smashing against the floor, the ceramic shattering into a dozen pieces. Jill covered her mouth in shock and concern as Cass rushed over to Honey's side, the young woman taking a few quick steps away from the espresso machine while clutching a hand to her chest.
"Honey, are you alright?" Cass questioned, placing a hand on the young woman's shoulder while trying to get a better look at her hand.
"I-I just burnt myself a little," Honey replied will chewing on her bottom lip, "I-I was stupid. I'll get this cleaned up and-"
"You'll do no such thing," Cass argued, reaching down to take Honey's hands so that she could get a better look at the young woman's injury, "You'll-"
Cass paused as she took hold of Honey's hands, slowly lifting her eyes to look at the young woman's face with worry.
"Honey," Cass said gently, "You're shaking."
"I-I'm fine," Honey tried to argue, her voice hitching in her throat, "I just need to-"
"Why don't you come sit down with me, Pam?" Jill suggested, beaconing Honey over to her, "Take a quick break?"
Honey looked at Jill uncertainly before slowly turning to regard Cass, the older woman giving her a small smile and a nod.
"I'll get both of you something," Cass stated, "You go and sit down for a minute or two, okay?"
"O-Okay," Honey replied as she turned back to Jill and slowly nodded her head. Honey walked around the counter and over to Jill, the older woman wrapping an arm gently around the young woman's shoulders and led her over to one of the empty tables. Honey slowly lowered herself into the chair Jill pulled out for her, her hands still clutched to her chest.
"You haven't been sleeping," Jill stated as she sat down in the chair next to Honey.
"I-I'm sorry?" Honey mumbled in confusion as she raised her gaze to meet Jill's.
"You haven't been sleeping much since….since the fire, have you?" Jill questioned, sympathy written across her face.
Honey held Jill's gaze for a moment before lowering her eyes and slowly shaking her head.
"No…." Honey confirmed, her voice barely above a whisper, "I can't."
"You can't?" Jill questioned in confusion.
"If I fall asleep," Honey started to say, pausing as she blinked her eyes rapidly, as if she was fighting to keep them open, "If I so much as close my eyes, I'll be back there."
"At the fire," Jill provided and Honey nodded in agreement.
"I'll be back there…." Honey explained, raising her eyes to meet Jill's again, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks at a moment's notice, "I'll be back there and I'll have to watch him die again."
"So, you've been forcing yourself to stay awake," Jill surmised, an almost pained look on her face, "Is that why you're here?"
"I'm-I'm useless in the lab like this," Honey explained, "And the cafe at school won't let me work as much as Cass does. Plus it's easy access to stimulants."
"You can't keep doing this to yourself, Pam," Jill said worriedly, "You're going to run yourself ragged."
"It's better than the alternative!" Honey snapped, causing Jill to slightly pull back in alarm as a distraught expression passed over the young woman's features, "Sorry….I'm so sorry."
"It's alright," Jill reassured her, "But that just proves my point. Have you considered going back home? I'm sure your family would love to see you during your break from school."
"N-No," Honey replied with a shake of her head, "My….I'm from east LA and my family….they don't have a lot of money. I….I don't have the money for a bus ticket and they….they….my family….they weren't expecting me anyway."
"Still, I can't believe with everything that happened they…." Jill trailed off as realization struck her, "They don't know what happened, do they?"
"Nothing the news wouldn't have told them. Besides what's the point, I…." Honey paused as her voice hitched again while she took off her glasses and wiped a stray tear from her eye, "I never got to tell them about him anyway."
"Pam, you should tell them," Jill insisted, "I'm sure your parents would want to know about this."
"It would only worry them," Honey replied with a shake of her head as she put her glasses back on.
Jill sighed in defeat before she thought for a moment, watching Honey as the young woman's mind drifted.
"What were you looking at when I came in?" Jill questioned.
"Excuse me?" Honey asked in confusion as she snapped back to reality.
"You were looking at something on your phone when I came in," Jill clarified, "I was just wondering what it was. As long as I'm not prying, that is."
"No, no, it's fine, I was…." Honey trailed off before pulling her phone out of her pocket and powering it on before handing it to Jill, "Here."
Looking at the phone, Jill saw that honey had pulled up a photo. The image displayed Honey and Tadashi standing together somewhere near the bay, Honey holding the camera out in front of them. In the picture, Honey was without her glasses and Tadashi's hat was perched atop her head. The picture captured the moment as Tadashi had evidently leaned down and kissed Honey on the cheek, an expression of surprise delight captured on the young woman's face. Jill couldn't help but smile at the image.
"That was….that was our first date," Honey explained as Jill looked up from the phone and handed it back to its owner, "It was….it was the first time he'd kissed me….it was the first time anyone had ever kissed me."
At that moment, Honey's shoulder's began to shake as she let out a few choked sobs, tears streaming down her face.
"I-I don't know what I'm going to do," Honey sobbed, struggling to breath through her tears, "He was….he was everything t-to me. He was my first k-kiss, my first….my first….oh God, I loved him so much!"
With that, Honey broke down crying, pulling her glasses off so that she could weep into her hands. For a moment, Jill looked at Honey with an expression of shock and sympathy before her motherly instincts took over. Reaching over, Jill wrapped her arms around Honey's shoulders and gently pulled the young woman towards her, the other woman offering no resistance to the action. As Jill pulled Honey into a hug, the young woman buried her face into the other woman's shoulder, clutching on to Jill's shirt as she cried uncontrollably. Jill, for her part, rubbed Honey's back gently while whispering soothing words in the young woman's ear, even as she fought back the tears welling up in her own eyes.
Later,
The SFIT fitness center was open twenty-four hours a day, allowing its students to make use of the facility at whatever time their odd hours allowed them too. Even so, like any place, the fitness center had its peak hours and the hours when it was all but abandoned, such as around midnight during the break between fall and spring semesters. A time that was perfect for Go Go's use.
Go Go stood in the room that took up the lowest level of the fitness center, a large, rectangular room with bare, concrete walls and a dark blue, linoleum floor, part of which was covered in black padding. Go Go stood by a large, heavy punching bag hanging from a chain attached to the low ceiling, other equipment such as a speed bag and a training dummy sitting nearby.
Go Go was dressed in her workout clothes, a black, formfitting tank top with yellow lining along with black, capri-length yoga pants and black sneakers with yellow laces. She wore a pair of fingerless, padded gloves, also black lined with yellow and her hair was pulled back and away from her neck, her purple-highlighted locks bunched together by a hair clip.
With a grunt, Go Go threw a fist at the punching bag, her gloved knuckles striking the object with a dull thud. Go Go quickly followed up with a low shot from her other fist, droplets of sweat that had gathered on her skin flecking off from the force of the impact. Go Go threw a dozen more shots at the bag, each blow punctuated by a grunt of exertion that grew louder with every punch. Taking a quick step back, Go Go threw a kick at the back, her leg stretching until the blow landed above her head. Spinning around, Go Go drove her elbow into the bag, the creak of the supporting chains drowned out by the young woman's loud, almost angry shout. Letting out an angry snarl, Go Go spun to face forward again before leaping into the air and driving her knee into the bag as it swung back towards her, the force of the blow reversing the bag's momentum and sending it swinging a full foot away from her.
"Wow," a voice said, startling Go Go, prompting her to catch the punching bag as it swung back towards her and turn towards the source of the voice, "Does it owe you money or something?"
Behind Go Go, near the entrance to the room, was Wasabi, dressed in a lime green sweater and khaki cargo shorts. He gave Go Go an awkward, nervous smile that she did not return.
"What do you want, Wasabi?" Go Go questioned as she tried to catch her breath.
"I was looking for you," Wasabi answered with a shrug as he glanced away from her.
"How'd you find me?" Go Go asked, quirking an eyebrow at Wasabi as she walked away from the bag and scooped a sports bottle up off of the floor.
"I know this is when you like to go to the gym," Wasabi answered, "Your motorcycle in the empty parking lot was kind of a dead give away too."
"You didn't answer my question from before," Go Go pointed out after a long drink from the sports bottle, "What do you want?"
"I was checking up on you," Wasabi explained, "I wanted to make sure that you were okay."
"Well, here I am, all okay and stuff," Go Go stated as she wiped her face off with a towel, "Mission accomplished."
"You know that's not what I was talking about," Wasabi said with an annoyed tone, his brow furrowing.
"Then what are you talking about, Darron?" Go Go questioned in frustration as she tossed her towel onto the floor and turned to fully face Wasabi.
"Nobody has seen you in weeks, Yuri," Wasabi answered, "Not since Tadashi's funeral."
"I've been busy," Go Go replied quickly, glancing away from Wasabi as she spoke.
"Busy avoiding us," Wasabi countered, his eyes narrowing.
"It's not like that!" Go Go snapped, turning her gaze back towards Wasabi so she could glare at him.
"Then what's it like?" Wasabi pushed, "A person isn't an island, you need-"
"Oh, don't get all zen with me, Darron," Go Go said with a disgusted tone, holding up her hands to stop Wasabi, "You're not Takahito."
"No," Wasabi agreed after pausing to take a deep breath, "I'm not, but I know that when we should be pulling together, we're falling apart instead. I mean, the only person I can talk to anymore is Fred. Hiro's shut himself off from the world, Cass is barely holding it together and Honey is a mess."
"They're hurting, Darron!" Go Go spat, looking at him like he was an idiot.
"You don't think I know that!?" Wasabi snapped, his glare so intense it caused Go Go to take a surprised step away from him, "You don't think I'm hurting too!? God, Tadashi was the first friend I ever had here! He was…."
Wasabi trailed off, visibly pushing the anger away from his features as he took another calming breath.
"He was my best friend," Wasabi finished as he gave Go Go a level look, "So, yeah Yuri, I know they're hurting."
Go Go turned her gaze away from Wasabi and ran a hand over her face while letting out a tired sigh.
"God, I'm….I'm sorry, Darron," Go Go sighed as she slowly turned her gaze back to the young man, "I didn't….you know I'm no good with people."
"Trust me, I get that," Wasabi replied, a small smile creasing his features, "That's why we're engineers, isn't it?"
"Yeah, probably," Go Go agreed with a snort of amusement and a small smile.
"But the fact I'm a little more….zen than you means I know this isn't something we can fix with a machine," Wasabi went on.
"Yeah, I….I know," Go Go replied hesitantly as she wrapped her arms around herself, "I just….I can't do it."
"Why not?" Wasabi questioned, before noting the hesitance in Go Go's stance, "Come on, Yuri, you can talk to me."
"I can't look at them, Darron," Go Go replied, biting her lip as she spoke, "Cass, Honey….Riley….I can't look at them knowing it was my fault."
"Your fault?" Wasabi questioned, blinking at Go Go in confusion, "How is what happened your fault?"
"I could have done something," Go Go explained, her body growing tense as she talked, "Instead I just stood there like an idiot and let it happen."
"Yuri-" Wasabi started to say, but fell silent as Go Go shot a withering glare at him.
"Don't!" Go Go snapped, "Don't you dare tell me there was nothing I could have done! I could have stopped Tadashi from going in there! Or better yet, I could have helped him, and then both he and Professor Callaghan would still be alive!"
"Or you'd be dead with them!" Wasabi replied, raising his voice to match Go Go's, "And then we'd be here mourning you too!"
"You don't know that!" Go Go argued.
"And you don't know that you could have helped!" Wasabi rebutted.
"That's exactly it!" Go Go screamed, her voice reverberating off the walls, her hands clenched into tight fists, "I don't know! I don't know if I could have changed anything and it's eating me up inside! Why do you think I'm here!?"
Before Wasabi could answer, Go Go spun around and threw a fist at the punching bag, her cry of anger and frustration reverberating off the walls as her blow connected with the bag with a meaty thwack. The pair stood in silence for a moment, the only sounds in the room being the swing of the punching bag and Go Go catching her breath.
"You can't keep doing this to yourself," Wasabi said, "Beating yourself up like this. Wondering what you could have changed. You'll go insane."
"I-I know," Go Go sighed, "But everytime I look at one of the others I…."
Go Go paused as she wrapped her arms protectively around herself.
"How's Riley?" she questioned after a moment, her voice quiet and uncertain.
"The same," Wasabi answered with a sigh, "She's pretty unresponsive most of the time, like she's stuck in a daydream or something. Her parents are taking her to a grief counselor….but I'm not sure how much help it will be."
"You think this is because of her powers?" Go Go inquired.
"It makes sense," Wasabi replied with a shrug, "I imagine there were a lot of negative emotions flying around that night. Maybe she….shorted something out."
"Maybe," Go Go agreed with a shrug, "We have no way of knowing, do we?"
"No," Wasabi answered with a shake of his head, "We're out of our depth here."
"See, this is what I'm talking about!" Go Go exclaimed as she seethed with frustration again, "I want to help but I can't. It makes me want to-"
Go Go paused as she looked up at Wasabi and considered him for a moment.
"What?" Wasabi questioned, growing uncomfortable beneath the weight of Go Go's stare.
"Spar with me," Go Go replied simply.
"Excuse me?" Wasabi asked, quirking a surprised eyebrow at Go Go.
"Spar with me," Go Go repeated, "It will help me burn off some steam. Might help you too."
"I'm not going to fight with you, Yuri," Wasabi grumbled.
"You're a black belt, Wasabi," Go Go pointed out with annoyance, "I know you know the difference between a spar and a fight."
"That doesn't mean I want to do it," Wasabi argued, crossing his arms over his chest as he spoke.
"You said you wanted to help me," Go Go pointed out as she walked over to the center of the room.
"This isn't exactly what I had in mind," Wasabi stated as he glanced down at himself, "I'm not even dressed properly."
"You're fine," Go Go replied, rolling her eyes before looking Wasabi up and down, "Just take off your shoes and loose the sweater."
"Yuri-" Wasabi began to protest but was cut off as Go Go gave him a sharp glare.
"Woman up, Wasabi," Go Go snapped, "I'm telling you how to help, now help."
Wasabi merely looked at Go Go for a moment before shaking his head and sighing dramatically as he reached down and carefully untied his shoes before taking them off. After placing his shoes to the side, Wasabi grabbed his sweater and pulled it off with one smooth motion revealing the white tank top he wore underneath. Go Go's eyes widened as she watched Wasabi fold his sweater, her gaze drawn to the rippling muscles of the young man's arms and shoulders.
"What?" Wasabi questioned as he turned around to find Go Go looking intently at him.
"Hmm?" Go Go replied, blinking in surprise for a moment before she realized what Wasabi had said to her, her cheeks turning pink, "Oh, I was just noticing that, uh, you've been working out. You look good."
"Oh, uh, yeah, thanks," Wasabi replied awkwardly, his cheeks darkening, causing Go Go to smirk.
"Come on, let's get started," Go Go stated motioning Wasabi over to the center of the room. Wasabi walked over to her, stopping a few feet in front of Go Go. The two faced each other before sliding into fighting stances.
"Ready?" Go Go questioned, her smile turning wicked.
"I guess, are-" Wasabi began to say before letting out a cry of surprise as Go Go rushed at him, leaving him with barely enough time to push her punch to the side as she thrust her fist at his face. Go Go stumbled for half a step before planting one foot and sweeping at one of Wasabi's legs with her other. Wasabi managed to quickly lift his foot out of the way, pivoting away from her before the two of them faced off again.
"Not bad," Go Go commented as she caught her breath, "You're quicker than I thought you'd be."
"Uh, thanks," Wasabi replied with a chuckle, "You're pretty-"
Wasabi's words were cut off as Go Go rushed him again, throwing a spinning kick at his head that the young man was just barely able to lean away from. Using her continuing momentum, Go Go crouched low and swept her leg at Wasabi's feet again, but he nimbly dodged out of the way. Still spinning, Go Go sent a third kick at Wasabi, this one directed at the young man's midsection.
With lightning reflexes, Wasabi caught Go Go's foot with one hand, wincing as the force of the blow ran up to his arm. Acting quickly, Wasabi heaved Go Go's leg upwards, flipping the smaller woman into the air. As she rose, Go Go tucked her knees up towards her chest, causing her to flip around in the air and allow her to lash out with both feet, kicking Wasabi in the chest and sending him reeling as she fell to the padded floor.
Wasabi let out a cough of surprise as he caught himself, clenching his chest and looking over at Go Go in time to see her kick herself back up to her feet.
"Wow, ow," Wasabi wheezed as he rubbed his chest, "That was….that was impressive."
"Thanks, I practice," Go Go replied with a smirk, "So how about you stop trying to go easy on me and show me what a black belt can actually do?"
"Alright," Wasabi replied, smirking back at Go Go while sliding back into his fighting stance.
Go Go grinned as she rushed at Wasabi again, the young man not budging an inch as he watched her come. Swinging one foot low, Go Go feigned another sweep of Wasabi's feet before reversing her momentum at the last second and throwing a kick at the young man's head. Wasabi was not fooled however and ducked under Go Go's kick while stepping inside her guard. Planting his feet, Wasabi thrust his fist into Go Go's stomach, knocking the wind out of her, allowing him to slam the palm of his other hand against her chest, knocking the young woman off her feet and sending her rolling across the floor.
As Go Go rolled to a stop, she rose up to her knees while leaving her forehead pressed against the mat, wrapping her arms around her chest as she gulped air back into her lungs. Seeing her like that caused Wasabi to instantly drop his guard as he rushed over to her, worry written across his features.
"Oh geez, Yuri, are you okay," Wasabi asked as he moved to kneel by her side, "I didn't mean to-"
Before Wasabi could finish, Go Go planted her hands against the floor and twisted her body before lashing out with a kick that struck the young man across the jaw, sending him spinning to the ground as Go Go rose back to her feet.
"What did I say about going easy on me?" Go Go questioned as she gave Wasabi a minute to get back to his feet.
"Sorry," Wasabi grumbled, rubbing at his jaw as he turned to face Go Go, "Won't happen again."
"That's what I like to hear," Go Go replied with a grin before she rushed at Wasabi again. Hopping into the air, Go Go spun around before lifting her leg to drop the heel of her foot on top of Wasabi's head. Wasabi was ready for her though and grabbed Go Go by the leg before she could deliver the blow.
Grabbing Go Go's leg with both hands, Wasabi pivoted while pulling her down to slam her against the ground. As she fell to the floor, Go Go extended her arms and caught herself before Wasabi could throw her. Still holding her leg, Wasabi looked down at Go Go in surprise as she pivoted on her hands before thrusting her free foot at his face.
Quickly leaning out of the way of the attack, Wasabi took one hand off of the leg he already held and wrapped it around Go Go's other leg before she could pull it back, trapping both. Go Go quickly responded by wrapping her legs around Wasabi and using his support to pull herself up, cocking her fist back as she rose into a seated position. His eyes going wide at the incoming blow, Wasabi quickly released Go Go's leg and reached up to grab her arm before her fist could connect with his face.
With both her arm and her leg in his grasp, Wasabi quickly turned and fell forward onto the floor, slamming Go Go's back against the mat. Go Go let out a cough of pain and surprise as the force of the blow caused Wasabi to loosen his grip on her. Seizing her chance, Go Go wrapped her arms and legs around Wasabi's arm before he could pull away and extended it into a painful arm lock. Hissing in pain, Wasabi tried to pull Go Go off of him, but couldn't budge her, the young woman going so far as to push one of her feet against his face.
Growling in frustration, Wasabi pulled himself to his feet while gripping Go Go with his free hand. Planting his feet, Wasabi rose up, picking Go Go up with him. Go Go had only enough time to look at Wasabi in surprise before he slammed her against the mat again, the blow knocking the air out of her lungs and forcing her to release Wasabi's arm.
As Go Go fought to catch her breath, Wasabi pushed himself on top of her, planting his knee against her chest while holding her shoulder down with one hand and cocking the other back for a punch. Go Go struggled for a few moments before sagging in defeat, unable to get Wasabi's weight off of her.
"How was that?" Wasabi questioned, grinning as sweat formed on his brow.
"Now, that was what I expected from a black belt," Go Go replied with a smile of her own as she reached up and rested her hand on Wasabi's thigh.
"Um…." Wasabi mumbled, his eyes going wide as he looked down at Go Go's hand, "What are you doing?"
"I'm very impressed," Go Go replied, her smile growing sensual as she looked at Wasabi with half-lidded eyes, her hand slowly inching its way up the young man's leg, "I'm seeing if there's anything else….impressive about you."
"Uh, Yuri, I-I'm not sure….I'm not sure this…." Wasabi fumbled with words, his face growing hot as he shifted his legs uncomfortably, "We shouldn't-"
Before Wasabi could finish, Go Go pushed his knee off her chest and slipped between his spread legs. As Wasabi blinked in surprise, Go Go grabbed his leg and pulled it out from under him, sending the young man falling face first against the floor. Before he could get up, Go Go grabbed Wasabi's leg, sat on the young man's lower back while pulling the appendage back and put it into a twisting leg lock. Wasabi let out a gasp of pain before he quickly began hitting his hand against the mat.
"Uncle! Uncle!" Wasabi squeaked, "I give! I give!"
"You're such a baby," Go Go chuckled as she released his legs and leaned back, resting her hands on Wasabi's muscular back.
"That was….that was dirty," Wasabi pointed out as he caught his breath, looking over his shoulder at Go Go.
"It sure was," she replied, looking back at him with a suggestive smile.
Seeing her look at him like that caused Wasabi's face to heat up again and he moved to pick himself up off the ground. As he did, Go Go shifted her weight, causing Wasabi to roll over onto his back while Go Go spun around and sprawled across his chest. His eyes widening in surprise, Wasabi watched as Go Go crawled up his body until she was looking him in the eye, her face inches from his.
"Hey," Go Go greeted, her voice a soft whisper, a few dangling strands of her hair having come loose from her hairclip.
"Hi," Wasabi squeaked in reply.
"I'm all dirty," Go Go said before leaning down and sniffing the skin of Wasabi's neck, "And you smell funny."
"Th-That happens when you w-work up a sweat," Wasabi stuttered, sweat completely unrelated to the work out he just had forming on his brow.
"I guess so," Go Go agreed as she looked him in the eye again, "You're place isn't far from here, right?"
"Y-Yeah…." Wasabi answered, confusion intermingling with his nervousness, "Why?"
"I need to take a shower," Go Go answered, sitting up on Wasabi's stomach and stretching her arms above her head, giving the young man a clear view of her curves.
"Th-Th-They have showers here, d-don't th-they?" Wasabi replied causing Go Go to look down at him with an expression that made Wasabi feel incredibly stupid.
"Come on, Darron," Go Go said as she lay her hands on Wasabi's chest and began absentmindedly tracing his muscles with her fingers, "You of all people know public showers are disgusting."
"Y-Yeah," Wasabi answered, feeling like his blood was rushing towards one part of his body, "Th-That's true."
"Then it's decided," Go Go stated as she rolled off him and stood up in a way that Wasabi was certain was supposed to draw his eyes towards her posterior, "You don't mind, do you?"
"I-I…." Wasabi mumbled, having lost all ability to form actual words.
"You still want to help me, right?" Go Go questioned as she looked down at him, her eyes half-lidded and her smile sensual. At that moment, Wasabi thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
"Yes," Wasabi answered, his voice a barely audible whisper.
"Good," Go Go purred before reaching down and offering Wasabi her hand, "Up and at 'em then."
Wasabi took her offered hand and let Go Go help pull him to his feet. After he stood, Go Go kept her hand linked with his, rubbing her thumb across Wasabi's skin before turning and leading him towards the exit.
"D-Do you want to take a shower first?" Wasabi offered, scooping up his things as they passed.
"Oh, come on, Darron," Go Go replied, rolling her eyes as she looked back at him and grinned wickedly, "Why would we waste water like that?"
Wasabi did not answer, almost dropping his things in shock as Go Go led him out of the room, shutting the lights off as they left.
A/N: Hey guys, long time, no see! Sorry for the long wait, but I had a lot of stuff going on, to say nothing about how tough this chapter ended up being to write. Still, I love the way it turned out and I hope that, along with how long it ended up being, makes up for it! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!