Noriko sat stunned, her feline ears drawn back as she stared down at her phone. The representative from the Hero Association had already hung up so the screen was blank, but she still stared at it as if they may call back and say it was all just a cruel joke of some sort. I didn't hurt that girl though. Do they have any proof that I did? I'm pretty sure I didn't do anything to hurt her. At the very least, she might have some bruises on her back, but I know for sure that I didn't touch her arms.
"Hey, Nya-chan? Are you okay? Who was that?" Saitama was still standing at the doorway, the door hanging open.
She turned her head and looked past him at Sonic. When their eyes met, she felt a low growl forming at the back of her throat. "Why are you here?"
He had been a little thrown off by a number of things. First, he had expected to catch her off guard by arriving early in the morning with the hopes of drawing her away from her friends. To his great disappointment, she seemed more than alert enough to know better than to fall for that trap. Not to mention that she was not alone. Worse, he had arrived just in time to hear her moaning and when the door opened to reveal the two of them alone, with her wearing just the man's sweatshirt, Sonic could feel his blood begin to boil. Attempting to shake off his surprise, he smirked and crossed his arms. "I came here to challenge you to a fight, but it looks like I might be interrupting something. Or is this another pathetic attempt at trying to make me jealous, Noriko?"
"Huh? Why would she want to make you jealous? And what are you jealous of?" Saitama asked, genuinely confused. He glanced at Sonic briefly before looking at Noriko. "Hey, so who was on the phone?"
The girl was trembling with rage as she got to her feet. Her tail began to swish back and forth violently as she nonchalantly grabbed one of her swords. "Hn…doesn't matter. What does matter is that I'm in a bad mood now. Sonic, if you really want a fight, then I'll be more than happy to accept your challenge!" She crossed the apartment faster than either man thought possible for her and leapt into the air, poising her blade to strike down upon his head.
The ninja began to grin and had his katana ready to block her sword. They locked blades for an instant before taking it out to the hallway. Noriko rushed at him, not expecting to actually hit him. More than anything, she just wanted an outlet for her stress and anger. If it were Saitama or Genos, I'd feel guilty about going all out! I don't think I'll feel half as bad if it's Sonic! She dodged a strike from him and jumped back. Standing down the hall from him, she soon took notice of how his gaze seemed to roam up and down her figure. "Just…what the hell are you staring at?" she growled.
"You seem pretty calm for fighting without pants," he remarked, smirking. "Of course, we both know I've seen you in even less clothes, right?"
They both sprinted down the corridor at considerably different speeds, ready to clash once more and continue the battle. Before they could reach each other, they both felt a tug at the back of their shirt and were lifted into the air. Saitama sighed and shook his head. "I thought I told you not to pick fights with her," he started, turning to give Sonic a stern glare. "And what did you say just a second ago?"
"You think her boyfriend is the only one that's seen her without clothes? You don't know-!" He was cut off by a quick strike to the back of his head that rendered him unconscious.
Noriko's face turned red and she went limp in Saitama's hold, her heart racing. He's going to ask. What am I supposed to say? I made a mistake! Several mistakes! I never wanted anyone to know about it and now here it is to cause me trouble!
Saitama shifted his eyes to the catgirl and felt her trembling. "Stalkers are creepy, huh? Alright, let's get back inside." He dropped Sonic onto the floor and carried Noriko back into the apartment. When the door was locked and they were both seated at the table, he sighed once more. "Man, he's getting really annoying. The next time he tries to mess with you, just ignore him, Nya-chan. It'll just encourage him if you actually fight him."
"Hn." She curled up against the wall and frowned. "…I needed to blow off some steam without feeling guilty…"
He seemed to be only half-listening as he started the game station that she had bought for him. There was a moment of silence, broken only by the soft clicking of buttons on the controller. "So who was on the phone? Whatever they said, it pissed you off, right?"
"The Hero Association called to say I'm on probation and my pay is being withheld for the next month. I won't get paid. I can't move up in rank. Not that I'm a hero just for those things, but the pay helps me throughout the month."
His eyes were on the television screen as he played the game, but he spared her a glance when she moved to sit against his side. "Why are they doing that? Because of yesterday?"
"The girl said that I 'threw her down in the street and snapped her arm in half'. And the representative that called me said that the Hero Association doesn't take kindly to heroes attacking normal citizens." She drew her knees to her chest and sighed. "Saitama, I didn't hurt her…did I?"
Struggling with the choices of either continuing his game or reaching over to pet behind her ear, he shrugged. "I didn't see you touch her arms. Something might have happened after she left though. Like she tripped or something. There was a big group of people there, you know."
"Yeah, but they're all members of Genos' fan club. So of course they'll testify against me," she muttered, resting her head against his shoulder. "Hn."
"Just wait until Genos gets home. He'll go talk to the Hero Association."
I shouldn't need him to defend me though. I should have been able to control myself yesterday. She stood and went to her bag to find some clean clothes. Noriko located a clean set of clothes and left briefly to change. When she returned to the room, she dropped Saitama's sweatshirt beside him on the floor. "I'm going out for a while."
"Uh, are you sure that's a good idea? I think Sonic might still be in the hallway." He paused the game and looked over to find her already putting on her boots. "You want me to go with you, Nya-chan?"
"No…I'll be okay on my own. And I promise I won't fight him again. Not today." She settled her swords on her back and gave her friend a half-smile. "Don't worry about me, okay?"
"I don't like the way you said that, but okay. Call me if something happens. I'll let Genos know that you went for a walk."
Noriko leapt down from the balcony to the one below them and followed the row down until she reached the street. She glanced toward the door leading into the building, expecting Sonic to come bursting out to challenge her again. Tilting her head, she frowned. Did he already leave? I mean, going home would be the smart thing to do after what Saitama did to him. She smirked and stretched her arms over her head, delighting in the warm sunshine.
The girl had absolutely no idea where she was going or what she would do, but knew that sitting in the apartment would be depressing. It would just remind her that she was limited for the next month. She kicked at a pebble, sending it skipping along down the road ahead of her. The situation reminded her of what Sonic had once said, about the heroes having to work under rules set by other people and being limited. Shaking her head, she tried not to think about it. Dwelling on it would only make her feel worse. "Okay, so what should I do today?"
"Kitty cat, no!" a small voice wailed from behind her.
She turned quickly, worried that someone was calling to her, but instead found something else. A little boy was standing on the tips of his toes in front of a cement wall with a large pipe set in the side of it. Noriko's ears perked forward and she cautiously began walking toward the child. "Um…excuse me? Do you need help?" she hesitantly asked.
The child turned to her, tears streaming down his cheeks, and his eyes widened. "A-a big kitty lady?! Wh-what are you?"
Just a little offended by the question, she attempted a polite smile. "Ah…Noriko. I'm a hero. Do you need some help with your cat?"
Thankfully, the child seemed much more concerned with his feline than with the catgirl's appearance. "Yuki went into the pipe! It's too high for me to get in and it's too dark! All I can see are Yuki's eyes!" he sobbed.
"Hn. Alright, let's see." Noriko approached the pipe's opening and tilted her head. It was definitely wide enough for her to get into and tall enough that she could slip in with her swords still on her back. Good, because I'm not about to leave these with some strange kid. She looked at the boy and nodded once. "Okay, I'm going in. But before I do, promise me that you'll never wander into this part of the city again, okay? It's dangerous. There are monsters."
He nodded eagerly. "I promise! Please help Yuki!"
She hoisted herself up and into the pipe, pausing once inside so her eyes could adjust to the very small amount of light that came in. At the end of the pipe seemed to be a small, dark space that she might be able to turn around in once she reached it. On her hands and knees, feeling the cold metal beneath her palms, she began to crawl. Even though it was big enough for her to fit through, she still felt claustrophobic inside of the pipe. It was dark and a little damp, the shape of the pipe seeming to waver if she stared at it. Like it's going to close in on me. Damn it. I never did like tight spaces like this, even after becoming part cat.
A small, pitiful meow was heard at the end of the pipe, urging the girl on. When she reached the space at the end, she found a white cat shivering and sneezing inside. Even in the dim light, with her feline vision, Noriko could see that it was muddy and wet. With reluctance, she held out her arms and let it hop into her embrace. She held it against her chest with one arm, turning in the small space and then slowly crawling back toward the pipe's opening.
"Hey, kid. What are you staring at?"
Noriko froze in the pipe and gritted her teeth. What is he doing here?! Did he follow me?
"I-I was walking with Yuki and she ran into this pipe and a cat lady is helping her out!"
"A cat lady, huh?" Sonic peered in at Noriko and smirked. "You look pathetic in there."
"Don't say mean things to the cat lady! She's helping Yuki get out!" the child protested.
"You're in there saving a cat like some kind of C-class hero," Sonic proceeded to taunt her. When her upper half slipped out of the pipe, he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her out the rest of the way. Both Noriko and the muddy cat that she held against her chest were shivering. "What? Was it cold in there?"
"Yuki!" The little boy claimed the cat from Noriko, beaming. "Thank you so much, cat lady! You're amazing!"
Trying to ignore Sonic, the catgirl turned her attention fully to the child. "You said you were walking with your cat and she suddenly ran to this pipe?" she asked. Her mind was racing, trying to determine why the cat would do such a thing. It was a small, wet, cold, dark place. Not a place that any cat would normally rush to. Not to mention that the creature was shivering from more than just the cold. Noriko could see it in the cat's eyes.
"Yeah. Yuki sniffed the ground and her tail got all puffy and she hissed. And she ran to this pipe." He wiped his eyes and reached over with his free arm to try to hug her. "Thank you for saving her, cat lady!"
"Where did she start sniffing the ground?" Sonic inquired, instantly understanding why Noriko was concerned. Not that he knew too much about cats, but he could take a guess.
The little boy pointed down the road, to the right of where they were standing. "Down there at the alley. She must've smelled something she didn't like, right? We won't go there ever again. I promise, Yuki! If you don't like that alley, we'll stay away from it!"
Noriko patted the top of the child's head. "Alright, run home now. It's not safe in this part of the city. It's probably best that you don't tell your mom that you came here, okay?" She saw him nod and watched him run toward the more populated part of town. Aware that Sonic was still standing very close, she started walking toward the alley. "I'm not fighting you again today," she stated simply.
He smirked behind the girl, following closely. "That's fine. There are other things that we can do anyway."
She glared at him over her shoulder. "Sonic…I'm really not in the mood for this right now. Whatever that cat smelled, it really scared her."
"So? Whatever you're doing doesn't concern me. I'm just going along to watch." He was abruptly in front of her, stopping the girl in her tracks as he gripped her chin and made her eyes meet his. "Maybe when you collapse, I'll just carry you back to my base."
"I'm not going to collapse. I'm not some sort of weakling," she argued.
"But don't I make your knees weak?" he teased her. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to hers and drew her front tightly against his. Noriko squirmed a little in his hold, her hands pressing against his chest to try to push him away. He nipped at her bottom lip and smirked when she whimpered. The girl broke the kiss and leaned her forehead on his shoulder, frowning with her face flushed a bright pink. "Don't try to lie and say that you-"
"There you are, you ugly bitch!" a low voice roared from behind Sonic.
The ninja scooped Noriko into his arms and swiftly dodged a large hammer that slammed down upon where they had been standing. The catgirl was stunned for a moment as they both looked at the creature wielding the hammer. It was a rat monster, but it was different from the others. To begin with, this one wore some sort of puffy red jumpsuit. It was taller than the others, reaching nearly twenty feet tall on its hind legs. However, the most alarming characteristic of this monster was that it was armed with several weapons. It was holding the large hammer with both hands, but had various knives, swords, and even guns holstered on its back and waist.
"It's always something, isn't it? Alright, so give us your ridiculous introduction so we can get this over with," Sonic stated. He set Noriko down and watched her unsheathe her swords.
The beast's red eyes fixed upon the two and it grinned widely, displaying rows of razor sharp teeth. "I'm Rager Rat. Strict orders to take the girl in. Not without hurting her real bad first. Best part is, I got orders to kill any guys around her. Looks like you're the only one though. Too bad. I was hoping to battle the Demon Cyborg. Knock his head off!" It cackled widely, oblivious to the murderous gleam forming in Noriko's eyes.
