Noriko tried to stay out of the fight, but Kenta was determined to kill her. No matter how hard Sonic fought to keep him away from the catgirl, he kept forcing his way back to her. She was fighting alongside Sonic when Kenta's tail whipped across her face, opening a cut across her cheek bones and the bridge of her nose. She fell back, clutching her bleeding face and hissing. Mittens had been sent flying off her shoulder and landed on her feet, sprinting down the street.
Seeing her injured only further fueled the ninja beside her. He attacked Kenta relentlessly, damaging the cyborg's abdomen and sending sparks flying up. "Who said that you could touch her?"
"Huhuhuh! You're really that attached to her?! How weak do you have to be?" Kenta leapt back, brandishing his claws. He watched Sonic closely, his crimson eyes narrowed. "What are you going to do, Speed o' Sound Sonic? Are you going to keep defending her, even after I've ripped off all your limbs?"
"You really think that you can win this?" The man felt a grin tug at the corners of his lips, displaying his sharp feline fangs. "You can keep fighting me all you want, but your body is cheap. It's going to break eventually and when it does, I'm going to smash your brain and end this once and for all." He put himself between the cyborg and the catgirl, his instinct to protect her becoming absurdly strong.
She wiped the blood from her face and scowled. Kenta had managed to slash her arms in the struggles before, but had so far missed hitting her stomach. I have to keep this baby safe. I have to get away from him! Can Sonic hold him off this time? I don't know how he's able to push past him, but he's done it before. Twice already. I need to get to Saitama. Noriko kept her eyes on Kenta as she started to turn with the intention to run. She sprinted down the street with a burst of adrenaline from her injury, immediately hearing the cyborg's voice behind her.
"Where do you think you're going, hero whore?! I'm going to tear that little bastard out of your stomach and stomp it into the ground!"
Noriko made the horrible mistake of looking over her shoulder and everything after that happened very fast. Kenta rushed at her with inhuman speed and Sonic ran to meet him. The ninja was slashed across the chest by claws and shoved aside, only to bounce back to attack from the right. Kenta's heavy body collided with the ground and cracked the pavement before Sonic leapt ono his chest, pointing a blade at his already damaged throat. Kenta's leg came up, forcefully dislodging him and turned, crawling toward Noriko at an insane speed.
She took several steps back and finally leapt backwards to avoid slashing claws. The catgirl saw him lunging toward her and lifted a leg to meet his face with a horrific crunching sound. He gripped her ankle and pulled hard, his other hand sinking its claws deep into her thigh. The tail blade sank into her calf muscle and she screamed at the pain of it tearing through her flesh. She was trapped now; forced to face her greatest enemy and feeling despair settle in the pit of her stomach. Gritting her teeth, she crossed her arms over her midsection and began to growl.
Sonic saw this and knew that he had to get Kenta off of her without risking her being further injured. If Kenta knew that he was coming, he could do something unspeakable. He readied his blade, knowing what he had to do. Kenta's speed had been boosted by his most recent upgrades so he would need to be even faster. All he needed for motivation was to look at Noriko's face. Her features were twisted with anguish, her arms desperately trying to protect her baby as the cyborg catman's claws and tail blade dug deeper into her flesh.
The pain spreading through her body was unbearable, but she knew that she had to do whatever it took to keep the baby safe. With a snarl, she lifted a hand and her fingers dug at the silicone covering his face, tearing at the material. He grabbed her wrist, wrenching her hand away from him and in the process ripping away his human façade. Beneath the silicone was metal plating and wiring, the crimson eyes staring down at her without eyelids. Fury filled the enemy as he tore his claws and blade free, gripping her throat with one hand. She kicked at his chest as she was lifted off her feet, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"You little bitch! I'll be doing the world a favor by taking you out! You and the little brat inside of you! I always preferred Project Koneko. She'll be the perfect base material for my catgirl army and if she disobeys me, I'll just remind her of the time I killed her mother!" Kenta shoved his long claws deep into her chest and tore downward.
Noriko was choking and grabbing at his hand, desperately trying to make him release her. Blood ran down her chest and stomach, leaking from the corner of her mouth. She felt her body begin to spasm as pain blinded her. Oil suddenly splashed upon her face and the tight hold on her throat loosened. She was dropped onto the ground, curling up in a ball and screaming at the excruciating pain in her chest. The flesh was torn and bloody from her sternum down to her navel. Noriko began to sob as she saw that the wound extended to the bump where her baby was. "No! No, no, no!" She placed both hands over it, trying to the stop the bleeding as tears blurred her vision. "No! Damn it! You bastard! You…fucking bastard! I'll kill you!"
She dragged herself over the hard ground, her fingers blindly reaching for some part of him. When she made contact with a solid form, she began ruthlessly slamming her fist into it, screaming at him. Her fingers were slicked with blood and something else. Something much darker. Still sobbing, she shook her head and drew away. "You bastard! You piece of shit!"
"Nya?! My little Nya! No, no, no!" Kyona's voice pierced the otherwise silent street. She was soon at Noriko's side, holding her tightly and trying to wipe the blood from her face. "Nya, it's…it's going to be okay! I'm here now! I'm…right here…and I'll protect you from that bastard! Sonic, help me!" She continued to wipe at Noriko's face with a handkerchief, trying to dry her tears as well.
When Noriko was able to see, she had trouble processing what was going on. Kenta's headless body was sitting a foot away from her with dents in the chest and open neck. Sonic was standing over it, glowering at a man in a suit that stood holding Kenta's head. The mouth was moving, but no sound came out as he stared up at the man. Sonic was saying something to the man, but it was being ignored. The man seemed completely intent on Kenta's head until he heard Kyona speak.
"Father, how…the hell…could you let this happen to my Nya?! You said…that she would be kept safe! You promised me! You promised…that I could have her! You promised that she wouldn't be hurt!" the older girl screamed at him.
He frowned and tucked Kenta's head under his arm. "I don't know why you're calling me 'father'. I don't have a daughter anymore."
Consciousness was slowly fading and Noriko fought to try to stay awake. Arms were lifting her, but she was unable to tell who was carrying her. She heard Kyona saying something to Sonic and she sounded angry. "Hn…my baby…" she managed to mutter.
"We're taking you somewhere safe," Sonic told her. "Just don't fall asleep."
"I'm sorry, Nya! I'm…so, so, sorry that that bastard did this! I'll…make it up to you! I promise! I'll do whatever I have to…and make it up to you!" Kyona told her.
"S-Saitama and…Mumen Rider…were with me. C-can someone tell them…?"
"I'll tell them! I'm…on it! Sonic, you're in charge! Don't you dare let my darling Nya die!" Kyona separated from them, running down the street to search for the heroes.
Sonic held her tightly, looking down at her injured body. He scowled and began to run, intent on reaching the ranch and forcing Kyou to save her life. If he had only been faster, he might have stopped Kenta from tearing into her. He might have been able to save her and the baby. "I chopped off his head," he told her, hoping to make her feel better. "I came upon behind him and took off his head with my katana when I saw him hurt you."
"…th-thank you…" With what strength she had, she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. He was holding her tightly already and this just further ensured her safety, but she also wanted to feel the warmth of his body against hers. She felt a chill running through her and knew that it was from blood loss. "Hn. He isn't dead, is he?"
"The head rolled off and that man took it. I'll find him again and end him," he promised. He gritted his teeth, feeling his feline senses begin to fade. The vapor was wearing off, after a month and several fights. This fight with Kenta had taken the last bit of his cat strength and reflexes.
Shift P.O.V
Saitama knew that something was wrong the second he saw Kyona. For one, he had no idea that she was in the area. For two, her shirt, arms, and hands were covered in blood. He saw tears streaming down her cheeks and tilted his head. She actually looks like a normal girl right now. He stepped between her and Mumen Rider when she ran up to them and waited for her to catch her breath. "What's up, Grey-chan?"
"Grey-chan? Just…who the hell…do you think you're talking to, you bald loser?!"
Mumen Rider gave her a wary look up and down, holding a kitten in his arms. "Are you alright? Were you attacked?"
"Wait a second. Where's Nya-chan?"
"That's…why I came here. You have to take me to my brother…immediately. My little Nya is clinging to life right now because of that bastard Kenta and I need to know that my darling is going to be okay!" Kyona gave him a firm look, telling him that she was not going to take 'no' for an answer.
"Nya-chan got hurt?" he asked, looking up and down the street.
"Kenta came looking for her…when he found out about the baby! He tried to kill them both! You have to take me to my brother! Sonic is already taking her there so Kyou-nii can try to save them so just-!"
"Mumen Rider, can you take her to the ranch? I'm going ahead." Saitama began running full speed in the direction of the ranch. He felt almost panicked, thinking about his catgirl fighting Kenta in her current condition. What was Sonic doing here? And where's Kenta now? He was quickly approaching the ranch and reached it just as she was being carried inside by Sonic. The ninja was so focused on her that he seemed to not notice Saitama at first.
It was worse than what he had imagined. Her chest was cut from her sternum to her bellybutton and he immediately feared for both her and the baby. She's really durable, but even she would be messed up by something like this. He followed them in and swiftly took her from Sonic, setting her down on the first soft surface that he could find. "Nya-chan. Hey. Are you awake? Can you hear me?"
Her bright green eyes half-opened and she parted her lips to speak. Blood leaked out, a sharp crimson against her rapidly paling flesh. "S-Saitama…the baby…"
"Kyou? Hey, hurry up! She's not doing well!" he called over his shoulder. He could sense Sonic standing behind him, but ignored the man. "It's going to be okay, alright? Here. Squeeze my hand to help you not think about the pain, okay?" He felt her immediately give his hand a squeeze, but then her tight grip faltered. It was obvious that her strength was rapidly fading. The ninja left the room to look for Kyou and he was left alone with the catgirl. He moved his free hand to pet behind her feline ears, trying to soothe her and quietly reassuring her. "You'll be okay. Kyou's really smart, right? He'll be able to fix this and if he can't, I think Genos's doctor could probably help."
She shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. "His doctor…doesn't do stuff like this. He said before…he can't help me until it's too late…for my body to keep going. And I doubt he could save the baby."
He glanced toward the door, listening for signs that the others were coming. It was silent outside. "I'm going to call Genos, okay? I'm not leaving you; I'll be right here."
"O-okay."
"Wait. So where's Kenta?"
"Sonic…cut his head off…his body is still in the street in the ghost town…and Grey-san's father took his head…he…disowned her so…I don't…know…"
Shift P.O.V
Noriko had finally lost consciousness, the darkness claiming her. It was a horrible form of sleep, filled with pain and nightmares. She woke screaming and found herself lying on a couch in the ranch home. Her shirt and bra had been removed, replaced with slightly bloody bandages wrapping up and down her abdomen. She placed a hand against her stomach and sighed when she felt the baby moving. Tears of relief sprang to her eyes and she felt a smile tug at her lips. "You're okay. You're really okay. I can't believe it. You must have inherited my durability and Sonic's strength, huh?"
"What was that?" The voice came from the doorway and made her turn her head. Sonic stared down at her stomach, his arms crossed and a deep frown on his face. "Is it mine?"
She scowled and looked away. "As far as anyone's concerned, he's Saitama's."
"If it's mine, I have a right to know."
"I don't want him growing up to be an assassin," she snarled. "I don't want him thinking that it's okay to do what you do." Noriko blinked and he was suddenly standing over her, gripping her chin to make her look at him. Color rushed to her cheeks and she growled quietly. "Hn. You lost your ears and tail," she pointed out.
"The vapor wore off. I have more though, if you really like seeing me that way," he taunted. The ninja sat on the edge of the couch, staying very close to her. His free hand rested on her stomach and he felt a push against his fingertips from within her. "He's pretty strong for a kitten."
"He just has some cat genes; he's mostly human." Noriko closed her eyes and leaned back against the cushion behind her. "Thank you for helping us."
"You're still mine. I wasn't about to let him get away with hurting you." As much as he wanted to stay with her, he felt that itch for the vapor beginning to gnaw at him. He grinned and leaned down, kissing her forehead. "I'm going for another dose. I'll be back. For both of you."
The second that he was gone, she pushed herself to stand and limped over to the doorway. Her thigh and calf had been bandaged, but still ached horribly from Kenta's claws and tail blade. She looked outside, hoping to find Kyou so she could ask about her condition. Instead, she found Saitama trying to break up a fight between Kyou and his twin. The hero gave her a friendly wave, abandoning his task and leaving them to continue the vicious battle.
"Hey, Nya-chan! Feeling better? I got really worried for a while there. You have to be more careful, okay?" He touched her stomach and smiled. "And our little guy is fine."
