"Just let me carry you. It'll shave a few hours off our time if I carry you there." Sonic looked over his shoulder at the staggering figure who was pausing to lean against a tree trunk for support. Blood dripped from her wound as she glared at him, her breathing labored as she tried to keep up. He was moving at a slow pace, but her pace was far slower. It was truly aggravating.
"Heh…Sonic-kun…you think I'm some kind of weakling?" Kyona demanded. She moved forward a few more feet and nearly collapsed. Her remaining hand reached over to clutch her upper arm. More specifically, the tourniquet that had been secured there to try to stop the bleeding. She lovingly ran her fingertips over the dark fabric, a shiver visibly running through her. It had been fashioned from a strip of Noriko's shirt, fastened there by the catgirl herself. "I can do this, you know. I'm stronger than you, smarter than you, and Nya-san's love is keeping me alive so I can do anything! Besides…I don't want you touching me with your gross male hands."
He scowled and took a step back when she approached him. "If we keep going at this pace, you won't be able to reattach your arm. When did that happen anyway?"
The two continued on into the forest, the girl's severed arm hanging from her belt by a chain secured around the wrist. "Kyou-nii…heh…Kyou-nii is going to be in for a bad time when I get better! A really, really bad time! You'll see! Everyone will see what happens when you…try to stand between me and my true love!"
"That's great, but what about your arm? It's covered in flies. If we take any longer, it might start rotting. You should've put it on ice. I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure it won't be usable by the time we get to your base." It was not that he cared; Sonic was more concerned with getting her back to her base as soon as possible so he could part ways with her. He had far more important things to do.
"This thing." She cackled and touched her right hand to the hand of the severed arm. "I don't want to reattach this! It's not a part of me anymore! Heheh! If it was weak enough for Kyou-nii to sever, than I don't need it to be part of me, get it? Heh! Look at how wobbly this thing is!"
Sonic blinked in surprise, a bit taken aback by the sight of her toying with her own severed arm. He was beginning to question if he really wanted to see this job through. The ninja had been on his way to the ghost town portion of City Z to challenge Saitama to a fight when he stumbled across the injured girl. She was also on her way to the apartment, seeking Noriko's comfort. When she saw Sonic, she offered him the job of escorting her back to her base so she could patch herself up before seeing her 'true love' again.
Kyona paused in her steps to catch her breath once more. It was clear that she was getting weaker by the second. She had not eaten and refused when he told her that she should eat. The girl was lost in her thoughts of Noriko. Suddenly, her cheeks turned pink and she began to giggle again. "I saw…a leash…hanging out of Nya-san's pocket when she helped me. When I asked about it…she said you put it on her! Heheh! I bet it was cute, wasn't it? That's just…such a weird thing to do to a girl! But a catgirl?!"
"Just shut up and walk faster." He crossed his arms and took a moment to look around at their surroundings. There were no signs of the girl's twin or anything that might attack, but he was more curious about the base's location. It could prove valuable information in the future if he had to bribe Noriko.
"I want to see it now! See her…wearing those cute black panties…with the leash clipped to her collar! Heh! You want to see it too, don't you, Sonic-kun? Cute little Nya-san…on her knees…begging for her master~" Kyona's pale grey hair fell over her face as she bowed her head, giggling hysterically.
He was frustrated to find himself picturing it. Her description was just vivid enough to paint an image in his head that caused an immediate biological reaction. This brat. Is she delirious or just trying to tease me? Seeing the bright pink hue on her cheeks, he realized that she probably had a fever. "Did you cauterize that wound?"
"I tried…with my electricity…but I don't know if it was hot enough."
"Idiot. Let me see it." Sonic reached for the stump of her left arm, but she recoiled. "What? It hurts too much?"
"No! I just…this tourniquet was made by Nya-san! I don't want you ruining it!" She waved the stump in his direction. "Just stand back and look! No touching!"
He squinted to try to see if it was infected, but it was extremely hard to tell. The flesh around the wound itself was raw and irritated. Looking at it for too long made him surprisingly nauseous. "Fine. Die of an infection. See if I care."
"I know you won't! You just…think you're such a badass, don't you?"
They continued on in silence. Kyona was still moving slowly, further irritating her escort. Sonic was tempted to try carrying her against her will, but was wary of her electricity. One strong pulse to his heart could prove fatal. It's not just the blood loss. I know she's thinking about Noriko nonstop. That's not helping. He determined that he had to take her mind off of the catgirl to keep her from dawdling so he tried to think of some topics. "Remind me why I'm helping you."
She seemed to bristle at the question and turned to glare at him. "Are you…really that dumb that you've forgotten? Or do you just want to be reminded?"
"I want to hear about it," he persisted.
"I've got money, you know. My father has lots and lots of money. So you'll get a good payment. But I've got more than that to offer. You're going to love it! Heheheh! I didn't…even know about it…until a little while ago! Nekomata mode needed a canister compartment!"
"What's Nekomata mode?" he interrupted.
"Seriously?! You didn't hear? Kenta-sensei needed a mode to fight that metal bastard and that idiot Saitama so I programmed a monster mode into his newest body! He wanted a canister compartment and I figured…it would be for poison gas, right? But nope! Kenta-sensei used my brother's research…made a vapor…fits your DNA with a compatible animal's! And boom! That's how we got Metal Bat Cat!"
Sonic smirked at the bizarre name and the girl's description of what she had to offer. "Metal Bat Cat? So he used this vapor on a hero and made them part cat?"
"That's right! Heh! Maybe you're not as stupid as I thought you were! The problem…the real problem…is finding a mix of animal DNA that will have a possible compatible animal, you know? It was lucky that a cat's DNA would fit with his! He could've been really gross if he wasn't compatible with any of them! But…I'm pretty sure…he would mesh better with a different animal! Cat doesn't seem like it'd fit him!"
"So you're giving me a sample of this vapor?"
"Right again! Sonic-kun…you're going to look so cute…with rabbit ears and a little fluffy tail!" Kyona held her stomach as she cackled, not seeing the irritated expression on his face. "Or you could use it on someone else. Kenta-sensei would be proud to see it used as a weapon. But…oh and this is weird…it doesn't work on some people! I don't know why! Kenta-sensei doesn't know why! Only Kyou-nii could probably figure it out! When Kenta-sensei released the vapor, two people inhaled it; Metal Bat and Saitama. But it didn't affect Saitama at all! No fur! No animal ears! No tail! Nothing!"
Already, Sonic was planning how he could put such a strange invention to use. I could use it as a weapon, but it might make my enemy stronger. The image of the hero Metal Bat with cat ears and a cat tail made him smirk. "How long does it last?"
"Don't know how long it can last…I just know that you can force it out of your body by sweating. Kind of gross though. Unless…heh! Unless it's through lovemaking! Imagine that! Being a cat person and…having Nya-san all to yourself! Your tails coiling around each other, bodies pressing close together…sweating and making love until you become one! It's…it's too much! Heheh! It's such a…sweet…amazing…thing to think about, Sonic-kun! And you've almost done that! Just…without the cat ears and tail!"
The man remained silent as they moved through the forest, watching her for signs of absolute exhaustion. If she looked as if she could not go on, he would demand that she let him carry her. There's no way that we're setting up camp out here. The smell of her blood would attract animals and monsters. Not to mention, she's starting to look worse. Is she still talking? Listening for a moment, he immediately regretted paying attention to what she was saying. The grey-haired girl was still talking about making love with Noriko. I can't tell anymore. Is she talking this much because of the fever or is she just always like this?
Kyona grinned and ran her fingers through her hair, shaking. Her pale grey eyes were a little glassy as she looked over at Sonic. "You really do…look like a girl sometimes! Only in the best way! Heh! Maybe if I didn't have Nya-san, I might give you a chance, huh~?"
"Not a chance. I'm not into flat-chested sociopaths."
"You're so cold, Sonic-kun! Heh! I guess…I can't say I blame you…I was never popular with guys. Ever. Or with girls. Or…with my mom…or dad…but I always had Kyou-nii! Always! He'd stick close to intimidate bullies! He'd cheer me up when I was sad! He'd listen to me talk about Nya-san after we first saw her and he'd let me talk as much as I want! Kyou-nii was always there for me, no matter what! Always…" A pained expression took over her face and she bowed her head to try to hide it behind her long grey locks. "Kyou-nii…was the only one that ever loved me, you know. He loved me unconditionally. Even when our mother left. Even when our father…was too busy to even see us. Kyou-nii was always there for me…but now…"
Damn it. Why did you have to get sentimental? Is it the fever? He scowled and reached over, pressing a hand to her forehead. It was burning hot. "I'm carrying you. Noriko wouldn't want me to make you walk," he stated. Now he knew exactly what to say to convince her. Kyona allowed him to put her on his back, her severed arm bouncing against the back of his leg as they proceeded. "Ugh. You still have her, don't you?" As much as he hated to hear more about how she loved the catgirl, he knew that leaving her in this depressive state was only going to make their trip feel longer.
"I do…I still have her." Talking about her crush seemed to brighten her spirits a little. "Sonic-kun…do you think she would love me back if I was a man?" This was asked in a lower, more serious tone. All of her bubbly energy seemed to have drained from her as she leaned heavily against his back, her arms draped over the front of his shoulders.
Sonic was moving fast, but had to pause to try to get his bearings. She had described the location of the base and now he just had to spot one of the landmarks that was said to be near it. "You think that being a man would change how she feels?"
"If I was a man…like that metal cretin…or like you. She might fall in love with me. She might want to marry me…and have a house together…and have children. But I wasn't born that way. I was born like this. A gross thing with pale skin and grey-hair and grey eyes and not even the right gender to get the girl of my dreams. Why? It isn't fair, Sonic-kun…it really isn't. I didn't ask for this. I just…want her to look at me the way she looks at him. The way she looks at you." Kyona reached up with her good arm to wipe tears from her eyes. "I'm…weak now. Relying on my rival to get me home safely."
"You keep calling me dumb, but you're the one being stupid. You think life's unfair? You think you're weak? You think she'll never like the way you are? Why don't do something about it instead of whining? I saw her. I wanted her. I had her and I lost her. I'm determined to get her back and I'm willing to do whatever it takes. I'm not going to whine about it like you. So instead of complaining and feeling like you have to fight against what you've been dealt, why don't you work toward getting what you want the best way you can?"
"Heh. Should you really be giving that kind of advice to your rival?" she taunted.
"I don't care. I just can't stand seeing people wallow around and expect pity."
Shift P.O.V
"Mumen Rider wouldn't take me to see Kyou-san! He said that you told him that I'm not allowed at the ranch if Kyou-san is there! Explain yourself!" Koneko had entered the apartment in a fit of frustration, slamming the door behind her and now glaring at the three older heroes.
Noriko sighed and ran her hand through her long violet hair. "Hn. It's complicated right now, Koneko. Just respect our wishes, alright?"
"No! Kyou-san doesn't have any family! We can't just leave him there by himself all the time! And I have to make sure he's feeding the cows like he's supposed to!"
"Hey. Don't argue with Nya-chan. We have our reasons, okay?" Saitama saw her ears flatten in irritation and tilted his head. "What's this over here?"
"Hn. I'm not falling for this! You're just trying to distract me, Saitama-sensei! I'm not a little kid! I want answers!"
"There's something over here for you, if you just come over here," he persisted. Thankfully, the small catgirl stomped over and fell to sit beside him. The bald man held up a plastic bag from the convenience store. "Look at these new snack flavors."
Noriko was glad to see the girl cheering up a little. She resumed eating her dinner, blushing faintly when Genos sat next to her. Their date had been shorter than either of them would have liked, cut short due to a sudden hard rain. While they were out, she had been given a gift that he picked out on impulse. She felt cold metal fingers against her neck, tracing along her new choker. It was black leather, with a small black bow at the front and a small bell hanging beneath the bow. Almost identical to the white choker that Saitama had given her at Christmas. She tried not to look over at Saitama and Koneko as she moved to nuzzle against her boyfriend's shoulder.
Genos put an arm around her to draw her close against his side and the two sat silently enjoying each other's company. When they had returned from their date, Saitama seemed to fix his gaze upon the gift as if it bothered him. This thought was now on the cyborg's mind as he looked toward his master and the small catgirl. "Master Saitama, are you busy tomorrow?"
"Huh? Nope, I don't have any plans. What's up? You want to do something? Or do you guys need alone time again?" He looked prepared to cover Koneko's ears if the conversation turned in that direction.
"I would like to spar tomorrow."
"What? Did you get some upgrades you're dying to try out?"
"No. I would like to team up with Noriko. Two against one. Is that alright?"