Take the Bull by It's Horn

Hitoshi was currently surrounded by deer.

They pressed against him, bowing for food that he didn't have. Hitoshi pushed them away but failed, miserably. One of them tugged at his bag, and Hitoshi immediately yanked it out of its mouth. A couple of them soon followed suit to investigate something enticing inside his bag. Hitoshi fended his bag on his own until he heard a camera click nearby as he fought a deer.

He met eyes with Makito, who fumbled with her phone. "Sorry!" She quickly deleted the picture and amusingly watched Hitoshi push away more of the hoard. "Just give them a treat and they'd leave you alone."

"I don't have any." The deer's insisted on sticking their nose inside Hitoshi's bag, and he cursed, "Stop that!"

"Oh! Don't you keep cat treats there?"

Hitoshi paused, and Makito slapped her mouth shut. "I – I MEAN! MAYBE HE SMELLS SOMETHING NICE INSIDE."

"How did you know?"

"I – I see you… near the station, feeding strays. I haven't told anyone though I swear!"

Hitoshi sighed. "Hey, its fine. I thought Fumei told you about it."

"No he didn't?" she said. "Why would he?"

"Nothing," he dismissively said. "Fumei saw me feeding kittens one time and unlike you, he blackmailed me into treating him to some Takoyaki so he doesn't tell anyone."

"Heard my name," the blonde popped in with two packs of deer crackers. "What I miss?"

"Nothing important, I'll be over there." He excused himself to a nearby bench and waited for their last member to arrive in silence.

Akusa decided to go to Nara as a group after they assigned him to lead the presentation. He didn't explain why he invited them here and the next thing Hitoshi knows, he received a mail with two tickets to and fro Nara.

Fumei ranted about it in their chatroom with Kureito, who didn't think it was as big a problem as the former made it out to be. Hitoshi was also skeptical about the trip, but Kureito managed to ease their worries. Somehow.

The moment they arrived in Nara, Fumei's forgot about his doubts and simply enjoyed himself. Makito matched his enthusiasm and explored around the park without a care in the world. Hitoshi on the other hand didn't have it in him to just let bygones be bygones.

Akusa was a man of many secrets. Hitoshi never bothered to figure out any of them because none of them personally affected him to care. However, this specific secret did, so now it was his problem. What was in Nara that Akusa wanted them to see?

Makito thought it was Akusa's way of apologizing, and, or was his plan for the presentation. Hitoshi doubted both ideas. Akusa would never apologize, and if it were project related, nothing about Nara screamed "future of quirk society".

"Not enjoying the trip?" Akusa asked while he quietly sat beside Hitoshi. Blanksheet jumped on the space between them and meowed in greeting.

Hitoshi stared at the cat for a moment before glancing up at the other. "Not a fan of deer. Why are we here?"

"Tsk tsk, don't want to ruin the surprise." Akusa waved a finger at him. "You really shouldn't ask lest you want it spoiled for you."

"Do you think I care? What are we doing here?"

Akusa chuckled. "To settle a game."

Hitoshi frowned. He had a feeling what this was about. "If this gets Makito hurt in anyway I'll –"

"What?" the other teen interrupted, "You'll hurt me? Please, hero, you're incapable of doing that. The only way she'd get hurt is if your friend continues to feign ignorance about my little surprise. With how long he's been running circles around you, I'm sure you'd have noticed by now."

Hitoshi felt his heart skip a beat as he frowned. "Noticed what?"

Akusa leaned in. "Don't do that. Don't pretend to be daft life the rest. You're the only one who noticed, questioned him, and didn't trust him as easily as they did."

Hitoshi gasped and pushed Akusa away. Yes, he didn't trust Fumei at first because no one ever approached him with an open hand in friendship without a motive. He was skeptical off him, that's why he questioned everything Fumei did. Until he didn't anymore. He couldn't recall why, or when.

"You know who he really is, don't you?"

"It doesn't matter if I do or not." Hitoshi said. "Frankly I don't care. Whatever is happening between the two of you, keep it between yourselves. Leave me and Makito out of it."

"'Fraid I can't do that," Akusa said. "He likes you too much. Protective even. Which makes me wonder, if I manage to win you over, will he break, or will he just give up and pick a new favorite? After all, he has two others."

Hitoshi narrowed his eyes at Akusa, equally intrigued, confused, and annoyed by his vague wording. "This trip… It's not for the project is it? It's to get him to slip up whatever it is you think he's hiding."

Akusa clapped, making Hitoshi more confused than he already was. "Good. You were listening. That makes it easier for me."

"I'm done talking," Hitoshi hissed.

Akusa pulled Hitoshi's back and lowly said, "Stop running away. He's lying to you Shinsou, and you know it."

Hitoshi struggled to break free from Akusa's grip. "That doesn't mean shit to me. Let go –"

Akusa squeezed his arm harder. "You can't possibly be this dense. We may not see eye to eye, nor agree on the same things, but I do not take you for a dimwit. Out of everyone in your little hero group, why do you think he likes you the most? Helps you the most? Insists on being your friend the most?"

Hitoshi's eye twitched as his head started to pulse in pain. "He's annoying that way. He knows I hate it. I'm not his favorite. He believes in me –"

"And why does he?" Akusa asked, "Because you deserve it? Don't make me laugh. Someone as bitter and resentful as you don't deserve to be a hero. No one in the class does. You're all weak. It'll be some miracle if he could make heroes out of you. Stop fooling yourself and wake up."

Hitoshi finally yanked his arm out of Akusa's own and glared at him. "He's molding you Shinsou; and it's not for the purposes you think."

"Shut up."

Akusa laughed. "Still denying it? Alright, I can play that game. I'll tell you one thing, and you better listen well. Natsuaki Fumei is not someone you can trust. He's forcing you into a cage that you yourself will choose not to leave. Do not trust your memories. The earlier you learn that, the easier it will be for you to break out of it."

"I said, shut up." Hitoshi felt his quirk seep in through Akusa's mind, but similar to Midoriya's escape, his connection with the Akusa was quickly severed.

"Believe it or not," Akusa said, unfazed. "I'm only searching for the truth, and he knows how to hide his very well. I am asking for your help, as odd as that sounds."

"I am not going to help you piss him off."

Akusa searched his eyes for a moment, and leaned back with a heavy sigh. "I see now… I'm already too late. Tell me, how did he do it? You used to be so against him, now you're protecting him. Is it because he's your friend?"

"He's not my friend –"

"Hey scar face," Fumei suddenly added, effectively breaking the suffocating tension in the air between Hitoshi and Akusa. "What took you so long to get here? I spent like 500 Yen just feeding deer."

Akusa expertly dropped his silent, but manic expression and bowed. "Apologies for not informing you of my lateness. I had to search for something on the way here," he lied without missing a beat. Hitoshi clutched his hands into a fist.

"I hope everything's alright," Makito said.

"Unfortunately, I believe I have already lost it."

"Oh no!" Makito gasped. "Should we look for it? We have enough time before we start the project."

"That would be a big help," Akusa said while he guided Makito in front of him. He made one last passing glance at Hitoshi and smirked.

Hitoshi narrowed his eyes at him, his word of warning lingering at the back of his mind.

Do not trust your memories – What could he mean by that?

"You okay?" Fumei asked amidst his thoughts. "You're a little pale," he said while gesturing to all of his face. "Did he do something to you?"

Hitoshi looked at the blonde, and dubiously searched his eyes for any indication of a lie – a fake. He's always been wary of Fumei but time together slowly washed away any doubts. He couldn't recall when he stopped being seeing him as a threat, and more of a… acquaintance he's fine spending time with.

He supposed given that sentiment, any ounce of skepticism he once had was drowned out in favor of the normalcy that came alone with hanging out with him. Forced or otherwise. Despite willing himself to ignore it, Akusa's words rang on loop.

Natsuaki Fumei is not someone you can trust.

He's forcing you into a cage that you yourself will choose not to leave.

Hitoshi pressed his forehead as a migraine threatened to take up all his thoughts rather than welcome any more invasive thoughts of doubt about Fumei.

Fumei silently watched him struggle with the pain and said, "You want to grab a drink or something?"

"No," he answered. "I'm good."

Fumei hummed and dragged him to the nearest vending machine.

Hitoshi wiped at his forehead and drank the entire can Fumei forced into his hand and sighed. He looked up to the blond, waiting for him to say something witty or tease him but nothing came. He only saw blank eyes, studying him.

Hitoshi frowned at the unfamiliar expression on his face and opened his mouth to ask. Fumei just beat him to it.

"He told you something, didn't he?"

"No," he managed to lie.

Fumei pursed his lips and looked at him again. "Don't lie to me Hitoshi, did he, tell you something?"

A growing warmth that boiled from in his chest urged him to speak the thoughts he'd rather keep to himself aloud. Hitoshi opened his mouth, and whatever was said in response to Fumei was lost to memory.

Hitoshi rubbed his eyes as he struggled to keep them open.

He'd been feeling a little under the weather ever since he saw himself trailing after the others up a mountain forest. He couldn't recall how they ended up in this path, but every time he did, pain shot up his head like something was drilling nail into it.

The world spun around him without notice, and the more he tried to control his balance, the more he felt like he'd throw up. Then, he tripped on a thick root he vaguely heard Makito warn them about.

Fumei caught him with a platform of light and slowly raised him to level height. He pulled him to the side and sat him down. "Are you sure you're fine?"

Hitoshi shook his head and forced himself up. "I'm fine." He fell back after losing his grip on the tree behind him.

Fumei sighed. "We should stop, I think Toshi's sick."

Makito pulled Akusa's sleeve to slow him down and walked back down. "Does he need water?"

"He's sick."

"I am not sick."

Akusa rolled his eyes and pushed Fumei out of the way. He pressed the back of his hand on Hitoshi's forehead, much to the latter's chagrin then turned to the blond. "He's burning up."

"Like I said, he's sick," Fumei repeated.

"He wasn't earlier."

Hitoshi glared at them and insisted for the nth, "I'm not sick."

Akusa looked up and down their trail, and sighed. "Can you still walk? Our destination shouldn't be far from here."

"Are you insane?" Fumei cried, "Hitoshi's dying here and all you can think about it reaching that summit? We don't even know what's up there!"

Akusa rolled his eyes. "Must you always know what is ahead of you before running towards it?"

"Yes! That's called being smart!"

"Oh?" Akusa sighed sarcastically. "If you're so smart then, perhaps you could explain to us as to why now of all times, did Shinsou develop a fever? He was perfectly healthy after our talk earlier, and he only exhibited symptoms of migraines, vertigo, and photosensitivity after he talked to you."

Hitoshi frowned, he doesn't remember talking to Fumei on his own anytime today.

"You think I did this to him?" Fumei snarled.

"I fail to see any other causes," the other sneered. "There is something on top of this mountain that you do not want us to discover, and now you're using Shinsou to stop me."

"You –" Fumei bit his tongue, exasperated. He mumbled profanities under this breathe, and Makito looked between them in worry. "Would you stop with the fucking accusations?! I don't know what's up there. I don't even know why we're in Nara of all places?!"

"You know perfectly well what it is," Akusa insisted, and Fumei yelled back.

"No! I don't! Why are going up the forest?"

They stared at each other for a long time, before Akusa retreated. "Very well. If it would convince the party to continue forward, then so be it. Nomu's have been spotted around this area. We're here to look for one, and if we're lucky, perhaps capture one for the presentation."

Fumei's hand twitched. "You fucking asshole."

"There's Nomu here!?" Makito cried.

"No need to fuss over it like it's a monumental concern," Akusa tried to wave her off, but Makito was too terrified for her own safety, and Hitoshi's well being to notice the tone and volume of her voice.

"NO, IM NOT GOING TO CALM DOWN, AKUSA!" she shouted. "YOU LEAD US HERE TO DIE! SHINSOU'S SICK AND THOSE THINGS ARE THE ONLY THING YOU CAN THINK ABOUT?!"

"You are not hearing me. I wouldn't allow something like that –"

"YOU'RE NOT HEARING ME! YOU SENT US HERE TO DIE!"

Hitoshi wanted to put in his two cents at Akusa's stupidity, but was too disoriented to say anything coherent. He jerked forward and vomited violently on the ground.

"That's it," Makito said. "I'm done. I'm not doing this anymore. Shinsou's sick, and I'm not dying out here. We're leaving." Fumei huffed in agreement, and helped Makito pick up Hitoshi.

As he was pulled up to his feet, Hitoshi heard something crack high above the trees. He slowly craned his head to look at it, and felt voice clamp up in his throat. Makito squeaked, while Fumei clicked his tongue. "Shit."

Akusa broke into a manic grin behind his mask as a creature with decomposing skin dropped on all fours on the space between them. It crouched low on the ground with four wide, and overgrown limbs, twisting its long neck in unnatural angles. It had a mangled and exposed brain on top of its head and four bulging eyes that rolled around like it was distressed.

No one dared moved or made a noise. The creature didn't seem like it was aware of their presence just yet. Even Akusa who simply watched the creatures' raggedy movement with grotesque interest. He quietly gathered shadows to his palm and let it fall down to form a wispy lasso around his feet.

Makito hiccupped on accident, and the creature finally awoke to its senses. It let out a gurgling baritone cry and it whipped its elongated tail towards them.

Makito cried, and Fumei pushed Hitoshi unto her. Hitoshi instinctively protected the petite girl while Fumei raised a barrier to shield all of them. The Nomu's tail broke through the hastily drawn wall and threw Fumei into the tall grass.

"Fumei!" he and Makito both screamed as Fumei disappeared from sight.

The creature roared as Akusa jumped over the Nomu's shoulders and wrapped his lasso around its neck. Shadow tendrils weaved itself into a large net above them, while shadowy wisps curled around the creature to hold it down.

The Nomu threw its head around in a panic and knocked Akusa off it. Akusa fell on his back, and was winded out. The shadows dissolved back to the ground, allowing the creature to break free from its shackles.

It let out another deafening roar and bounded over Hitoshi and Makito, who tried her earnest to get the latter back on his feet. Makito screamed when the Nomu shot out one of its arms towards them.

The creature cried out in pain as a large blade pierced through its palm, and was kicked out of the way of its prey. Fumei dropped in front of them and threw the creature high up in the air with a spike of light.

Akusa caught the creature's neck with a lasso and pulled it's towards him. The Nomu wailed and ran after Akusa, who looked at the creature with blood shot eyes. "That's right, follow me this way."

With Akusa leading the creature farther away from them, Fumei quickly assessed Hitoshi and Makito for bruises. "Still alive?"

"Barely, but I feel like I'm going to puke out my insides," Hitoshi groaned.

"If you can joke around then you'll be fine," Fumei smile. "I'll help Akusa contain it while you two get to safety. Warn the town about the Nomu. I don't know if we can keep it here for long."

They heard something crash nearby and Hitoshi looked over to find Akusa slumped on tree roots. "Wh – What about you?" Makito asked.

"I'll be fine. You're my priority right now because this was my fault. We shouldn't have gone here…"

Makito placed her hand on Fumei's own and frowned. "It's not your fault."

"It is," he hissed. "It's my fault that you're here, my fault that Akusa brought us here, and it's my fault that you're a mess." He said pointedly at Hitoshi, who only stared at him with confused set of eyes.

Fumei pressed his fingers on Hitoshi's temple and whispered something to him. Hitoshi didn't hear it properly, but he heard him say please. All of a sudden, his nausea and vertigo vanished. He still felt feverish, but at least his vision and balance returned to him.

The creature smashed clean through a tree to their left, and angrily thrashed its arms. It grabbed the broken pieces of tree bark and shoved it towards Akusa, who dodged it with each.

"Go."

Hitoshi reached out to Fumei, but Makito pulled him back. Against his better judgement, Hitoshi turned his back on him and ran. He and Makito ducked out of the commotion before the creature could throw a large rock over its head and towards Akusa.

Hitoshi and Makito hurriedly warned people of the incoming danger after they reached the town. Makito ran towards the tourists out in the street, while Hitoshi rushed inside the shops to force people out.

Even after ten minutes of inciting panic, no one listened to them.

Hitoshi can hear the fight inside the forest come closer based and frustratingly wracked his brain for any plan. Makito was starting to hyperventilate beside him, while he paced around. He tried to calm her down but Makito was not making much sense with her incomplete string of words in between deep breaths.

"Shit, what do I do…?"

Heroes are supposed to think light on their feet right? Aizawa always told him that, but how was he supposed to think when no one was listening!

A loud piercing cry echoed from the forest, and people finally started to notice. The exited from the stores and took out their phones to record the flock of birds retreating from their forest habitat. It wasn't until a large uprooted tree appeared through the clearing and fell on the street that people started to panic.

They screamed and scrambled to lock themselves up inside the various establishments in the street, while others phoned for heroes and law enforcement.

Fumei was thrown out of the forest shortly after and dropped on cemented ground. He looked badly hurt.

Hitoshi ran up to him and carefully assessed his wounds. He had a large gash across his forehead that steadily bled through his eyes. His face was riddled with soot and dirt, but Fumei still pushed himself to stand.

"Stop. You need a doctor."

Fumei shook his head and pushed Hitoshi away. "This is nothing. I've had worse."

"You're losing blood!" Hitoshi screamed as he tried to screw some sense into Fumei's head. "If you go back there to fight you'll die! Let the heroes' handle this!"

"If we wait then more people will die! Do you want that Hitoshi!?"

Hitoshi held his tongue as he registered the raw desperation mirrored on Fumei's eyes. "I don't."

"Then help me save them. Get them as far away as possible."

"What about you?"

"I need to make sure Akusa doesn't die being an idiot."

As though on cue, Akusa jumped out from the forest clearing with Blanksheet wrapped tightly around his. Blanksheet hobbled down from Akusa's chest and mewled softly at Makito, who picked her up to comfort both her and the distressed feline.

"You cretins still here?" Akusa asked with a slight agitated look on his face.

"The Nomu… is it..?" Hitoshi asked despite being aware of the answer.

The four legged Nomu stumbled out of the forest in a loud roar. It ripped off a tree with one arm and snapped it in half. It threw both halves at them, and Hitoshi crouched while protecting his head as it closed in on them.

Akusa stood strong on his spot, and Fumei begrudgingly sliced the wood in half to save the former's head.

"Do you have a death wish?" the blond snarled.

"I do not," he said. "However, you made it clear earlier that you were going to ensure my life is protected throughout this entire ordeal. Why waste energy when you're clearly at the peak of your abilities."

"I hate you so much," Fumei hissed.

"The feeling is mutual," Akusa discarded his face mask and pushed his hair back. "However, I don't need your protection seeing as you'd be too busy taking care of the other one."

"Other one?" Fumei and Hitoshi echoed, confused.

All of a sudden, a lightning fast blue creature swooped down from the heavens and grabbed Akusa by his shoulders. Makito cried out for him, and Akusa struggled to cut loose of his capture's grasp.

Before they can ascend any higher, Fumei swiped his arm towards the flying Nomu and cut clean through its legs. It roared in an ear piercing cry that shattered every window and glass in the street. It dropped Akusa high in the air, while the former circled back to the forest to recuperate.

Fumei caught Akusa's fall with a sloping platform, and gave the latter a decent run up towards the other Nomu. The creature roared to meet him head on.

Akusa amassed shadows on his arm, and slide under the Nomu's approaching form. He vaulted into the air and jabbed the shadow straight into one of its eyes. The creature cried, and its friend returned with another high pitched shriek.

"Guess that one's mine," Fumei joked, and rolled up his hoodie's sleeves.

Hitoshi grabbed Fumei's arm before the latter can jump over a platform and catch up with the airborne creature. "Don't."

"Well, fuck Hitoshi," Fumei cursed, growing impatient with this recurring argument. "What do you want me to do? Let that thing go and hurt hundreds of people?"

"No, that's not –" Hitoshi shook his head. "I'm staying to help. A real hero doesn't run from danger."

For a moment Fumei looked like he would consider his help, but shook his head. He grabbed Hitoshi's collar and growled, "Now's not the time to argue about your stupid heroic morals okay? Those things will kill everyone here including you and me. You want to be useful, hero? Then get them out. All of them. Please."

Hitoshi grit his teeth and begrudgingly grabbed Makito behind him. They escorted people out of the street and stores while they retreated. A few others also helped with the evacuation, and thus made everything flow smoothly; until Hitoshi heard a cry.

"HELP, OVER HERE! PLEASE!"

Hitoshi grinded to a halt, and looked around for the source of the voice.

"Shinsou, over there!" Makito yelled towards a bruised woman that tried to crawl out of multiple shelves toppled on top of each other

"Are you alright?" Hitoshi asked as he carefully removed each shelf on top of her.

"I'll be fine, but my son, he – he's in his room! Please! You have to help him!"

Hitoshi ran up the building before he could register the consequences of his action and burst through every room in search for the young boy. He reached the final room in the corridor and made quick note of the hero memorabilia pasted all over the wall.

He spotted a discarded leaf green ninja mask on the floor and bent down to pick it up. As soon as he did, Hitoshi heard soft sniffles inside the closet. Hitoshi's heart leapt in joy and softly knocked on the door.

The crying stopped, but no one opened the door. Hitoshi heard the kid reassure himself that it was not a villain behind the door but a hero.

He glanced down at the mask on his hand then back at the door. Keeping Aizawa's lessons in mind, Hitoshi wore the mask. Ever so slowly, he pulled the door open and said in a similar bravado as All Might would, "Is there a crying child behind this closet? Children have nothing to fear for I am here."

Hitoshi cringed a little for using that cheesy line, but it was enough to make the child peek through the curtain of clothes.

The kid's eyes sparkled upon seeing the mask of his favorite hero and practically leaped unto Hitoshi's arms. "Leaf Ninja! You came!"

"A hero always comes to save those in need," he said. "Let's get you back to your mother?"

The boy nodded and clung unto Hitoshi's neck. They slowly made their way out of the building, until the ground shook and glassware displayed on open shelves fell down and shattered into a million pieces.

"EARTHQUAKE! IT'S AN EARTHQUAKE," the kid cried as he practically choked the life out of Hitoshi in terror. "It's going to take me like Papa!"

"The earth isn't going to take you," he hissed. "You know why?"

"W – Why?"

"Because I'm going to save you." The boy's consciousness quickly succumb to his control, and Hitoshi quickly made his escape from the house before it could crumble completely.

Hitoshi watched as the house caved in on itself and a large purple, bull headed creature burst through the wall. His breathe hitched at the gruesome realization that there wasn't two Nomu's to deal with, but three. He and the Nomu locked eyes for what felt like minutes, before Makito's touch managed to snap him out of his trance.

"WE HAVE TO GO!"

Hitoshi held the child closer to his chest and ran along with Makito and the kid's mother in their escape from the bull Nomu. The creature stomped after them with earth shaking magnitude steps, and Hitoshi once again had to think light on his feet.

As he looked around the now empty street, Hitoshi had a crazy idea. He focused his attention on a house with hardened brick walls. "Makito! Take care of them!" Makito couldn't put in her two cents before Hitoshi left the kid with her and separated from them.

Hitoshi grabbed a small rock in his path and threw it over at the bull creature, who seemed enraged by the hit. "Hey freak! You want something to crush? I'm right here!"

The Nomu immediately snapped its attention towards him and huffed angrily. Hitoshi ran ahead of the creature, careful not to turn its back unto it as the latter followed after him in a low bow.

Hitoshi pushed through the door and locked it behind him. The Nomu crashed its sturdy head and horns unto the wall, and the house shook around Hitoshi. He quickly made his way unto the second floor whilst the Nomu repeatedly rammed its head unto the wall to break it.

On its fourth attempt, the wall finally gave way, but Hitoshi had already escaped through the balcony and jumped back down unto the street. He waved his hand at the creature again and yelled, "Over here you overgrown body builder! Come get me!"

Hitoshi ran towards the other end of street where he's certain Fumei and Akusa were managing their own pests. He knew he couldn't handle this thing on his own without a quirk; he needed their abilities and the only way he could is to bring the party to them.

Unfortunately, for him the bull Nomu ran faster than him and managed to swat Hitoshi towards an open stall across the street. Hitoshi cried in pain as he landed on his ankle in an unnatural angle, and the store's wooden sign fell and crushed his chest.

He felt a few of his bones break upon impact and every move he made it harder to breathe. Hitoshi pushed the sign away and lightly pressed on his side. The pain the exploded around it was beyond anything Hitoshi had ever experience. He probably punctured his lung.

Hitoshi forced himself to stand, as the bull Nom continued to rampage along the street in search of him. Just watching it mindlessly destroy property queued Hitoshi in that the Nomu's probably aren't all that smart. He pushed himself back into the street and stealthily limped his way towards where Fumei and Akusa were.

A high pitched cry from the flying Nomu alerted the bull Nomu of his escape, and Hitoshi was forced to hobble as far away as he can from it. As the creature closed in, Hitoshi heard a warning cry from above.

"Hitoshi! Go high!"

Hitoshi bore the weight of his bad leg with the other and leapt into the air. He dropped down on one of Fumei's platform and was whisked away before large fists can crush what was left of Hitoshi's chest.

Akusa all too suddenly appeared and skewered the bull's chest with a large pike. The shadows retreated behind him as the creature fell back, dead. "Finally!" he cried. "One without a metallic skin."

Not long after, the flying Nomu crashed a few meter ahead of them and flapped its amputated wings wildly.

"It's not dead," Fumei said without wasting a breath as he dropped between Hitoshi and Akusa. "It can regenerate limbs, and will keep doing so until it stops breathing."

Akusa licked his lips. "Then let me do the honors." He called upon more shadows in the street, but Fumei held him back.

"I spotted the heroes close by," the blond said. "If they see us we're done for."

Akusa stepped back, disappointed. "All these effort for nothing. I obtained neither of what I came here to do." He turned to Fumei and held the latter's gaze for a moment.

Hitoshi couldn't see what face Fumei was making at the other, but it made the Akusa chuckle in light amusement.

"I'll see you both in the station," he said as he pulled a black veil over his head and disappeared.

It took a couple of seconds before Fumei turned to him with a warm smile on his face. Hitoshi felt a little relieved at seeing that smile. "Are you hurt?"

"Broke a few ribs… and a really bad sprain. I'll live."

Fumei chuckled. "That's why I told you to leave. You're not ready for this yet."

"Someone needed my help," Hitoshi said. "I couldn't just leave them be. Also that third Nomu came out of nowhere. I had to steer it away from everyone."

"We don't have to tell Eraserhead this right?"

"Fuck no," Hitoshi groaned. "He's going to expel us if he found out."

Over the distance, Hitoshi heard sirens closing in and Fumei carried him on his back as they escaped the ruins of what used to be a bustling street market. Hitoshi would've stayed behind given his state, but Fumei rightfully didn't want the authorities asking them questions about the Nomu attack.

They didn't need to know they found it.

They didn't need to know they handled three of them on their own.

A/N: I wasn't sure about this chapter being so action packed because I'm sold on keeping Hitoshi and co. away from dangerous events (unlike 1A) until it is absolutely necessary. However! I was getting bored of the slow burn myself and wanted to add a bit of spice because Akusa is a terrible human being, and I've been spoiling Hitoshi too much.

Next update is going to be slow again, I found a willing Beta to read through my work and I'll be helping them. Don't worry though! We'll get through this never-ending development phase soon.

Sushi Out!