I can't lose…Ayano watched her opponent closely, waiting for the enemy to rush forward. If I lose…I'll die. I'll let myself down. I'll let down Sonic, my parents, my sisters. Everyone else. I can't lose!
The catgirl rushed forward, one blade crossed in front of her and the other drawn back. The tip was poised to stab through Ayano's midsection. This so-called "hero" had no intention of leaving her alive. The blade was thrust forward when she got close enough, but slid through vacant air instead of flesh.
Ayano crouched to avoid the stab and rushed forward, blades out at her sides to force the catgirl to back up. Her opponent leapt back to avoid having her legs sliced, her lips twisted into a snarl and baring sharp fangs. She knew she had to move quickly and silently thanked Sonic for training her so well. Turning sharply, she was soon sprinting out the door and down the hallway.
The corridor was dark. As she sprinted toward the stairs, she tightened her grip on her blades and fought back tears of panic. The fever was still burning through her body, keeping her thoughts fuzzy. All she could think about was the fact that this person was not a real hero and there was a good chance that she would be killed by this person.
When she heard the catgirl close behind her, she twisted swiftly and lifted her blades to block a sweeping blow that could have easily split her skull. The tears trickled down her cheeks as she glared up into the taller girl's eyes. Gritting her teeth, Ayano shoved the blades forward and forced her back a few steps.
"Hn. You're pretty fast. You would've had to be to take down Kenta-niichan. I won't let you get away though. Just stay still and I'll make this fast!"
"I'm not dying today! I can't let them down! I can't…let everyone down!" Her throat ached from screaming at the girl, still hot and scratchy from being sick. She shakily pushed her glasses up a bit more and braced herself to defend again, but it was futile.
The catgirl "hero" rushed at her and delivered a kick to her midsection that sent her flying backwards into the stairwell. Ayano tumbled down the steps to the first landing and then smacked into a wall. Trembling, she pushed herself to stand again. She leaned against the wall and stared up at the top of the stairs with wide, fearful eyes.
Ayano's left ankle and knee were throbbing. Her chest hurt with each breath. Her head felt like it was in a burning vice. The hero managed to limp to the top of the next flight of stairs and then looked up again. There was no sign of the catgirl following. No sounds from the floor above.
She knew she had to get out of the building, even if it seemed like the catgirl had given up. Ayano stumbled along down the rest of the stairs until she came out into the street and that was when the other girl struck again. She barely had time to lift her swords to block.
Smirking down at her, the catgirl's feline tail swayed side to side in excitement. "Hnhnhn. Look at you. You can barely stand. Let me do you a favor. I'll make it quick and painless if you give in now."
"I'm not giving up! I won't…let him down! I won't let them all down!" Ayano twisted to dislodge her blades from the other girl's and forced herself to run, despite the pain in her left leg.
Fingers tangled in her hair and yanked her back. Her opponent swung her body onto the closest wall and her face was bashed into the rough surface. She swiped with both blades and half-screamed when a boot slammed between her shoulder blades. Ayano tried to kick her away and was rewarded with her face being pulled back and then slammed into the wall again.
Blood ran down her face and Ayano's now broken glasses slid to the cement beneath her. She struggled to try to break free, but the catgirl's nails sank into her scalp to hold her tighter. With a sharp cry, she lifted one of her own blades and drove one of her swords deep into the catgirl's boot-covered ankle.
A blood-curdling yowl burst from the girl behind her when the sword was yanked free. Ayano was released and she seized the opportunity to run again. Now that her opponent was wounded, she at least stood a slightly better chance at surviving.
Her vision was blurry now, from the pain as well as from losing her glasses. She was panting as she ran, trying to determine what to do next. Need to hide…or…help…need something…what do I…where can I…I need…! Ayano stumbled, pain racing along her left leg, but she pressed onward.
"Hnn! You think it's going to be that easy? I won't let you get away with what you did to Kenta-niichan!"
She swore and heard the scrape of boots over cement behind her. Quickening her pace, she found herself now sprinting in the direction of Saitama's building. If I can get there…if I can just get to his street…I need help! I can't do this! I'm not strong enough!
"Hnhnhn! You're slowing down!"
Ayano's eyes widened as a blade thrust forward just two inches to the right of her head. An ankle hooked in front of her left leg and swept it from beneath her, sending her sprawling forward onto the pavement. Her grip tightened on her swords and she took the impact on her knees, barely able to keep herself from falling on her face.
"Hn? Are you going to beg now?" The voice came from beside Ayano's right ear. One of the catgirl's blades tapped at the side of Ayano's left thigh.
"…the clichés of cats being sadistic is true…isn't it…?" The hero wiped blood from her lips onto the back of her hand, still holding both of her swords. "I never liked cats."
"Hn. What'd you say?"
"I said…" Ayano twisted sharply on her knees, ignoring the pain in her limbs. Her left sword lifted and slid through the catgirl's right shoulder like it was butter. Blood slid along the blade and Ayano saw the girl's green eyes go wide. "I don't like cats."
A sharp hiss left the catgirl and she moved to swipe at Ayano, but the hero dodged backwards. Her blade slid free easily and she was soon running again. Sleepy. I can't…keep this up much longer. It hurts…She lifted her blurry gaze from the ground and was sure she could see Saitama's building in the distance.
It was as she neared the next corner that the catgirl delivered a hard kick to her ribs from the side. She fell to the ground and skidded several feet, her shirt ripping open from the traction against the rough surface. Trying to push herself up, she saw the catgirl limping toward her from down the street.
Tail lifted, ears flattened like a cat hunting. Both swords brandished. Her right boot leaking blood from where she had been wounded. Her arm dripping from where Ayano had stabbed her. A cruel smile spread across her face and there was a sadistic sheen to her eyes. "Hnhnhn. You could have made it easy. You could have died in your own home, but you decided to die out here in the street like a stray."
Ayano tried to push herself to stand, but her strength was failing her. Between the scrapes and bruises, having her head bashed into a wall, and suffering from a high fever, she no longer had the energy to keep going. She managed to drag herself to a store front, propping herself up. If she was going to die, she was not going to die without at least attempting to defend herself.
"Hn. You know…shacking up with a criminal…you wouldn't have lasted much longer. He would just get bored of you. That's how men are; they use us and when they're bored, they leave or they kill us. That's how they all are. Even Kenta-niichan. When I wasn't enough anymore, he was so desperate to get more "material" so there could be more of us."
The catgirl lowered her head as she continued to limp forward, her violet hair falling over her face. Her lips twisted into a frown as tears trailed down her cheeks. "I wasn't enough. Hnn. Why wasn't I enough for him? What did I do wrong? If I was enough, he wouldn't have gone out. If I was enough for him, he wouldn't have died. I'm not enough. You, too. We're not enough. Look at us."
She stopped, standing about ten feet in front of Ayano. Bright green met honey-gold and the catgirl's tail swayed side to side in a curious way. She tilted her head and sighed. "Hn. I'm starting to get bored. I'm not feeling this anymore."
To Ayano's disgust, she saw the girl reach to her own wounded shoulder and then smear blood over her nose and mouth. The catgirl's eyes widened intensely and her smile returned, her tail swaying faster. I'm…going to die…Ayano's thoughts were slowing down as she watched the catgirl step forward again. I'm going to die…I'm going to…die here…and never see Sonic again…
"Hnhnhn! You're shaking like a mouse. You should be scared, though. I'm going to drag this out. I'm going to cut off your limbs, then I'll take out your intestines, and I think I'll finish it by removing your head. I need to weaken you a little first. I think a few little stabs should be enough."
The catgirl was now three feet in front of her and drawing back a blade, ready to thrust it into Ayano's abdomen. The smile she wore, with her fangs bared, looked far from human. She licked blood from her lips and lunged forward.
Tears rolled down the hero's face as she closed her eyes and braced herself for death, but the cold blade never entered her body. She heard the loud clang of metal against concrete, accompanying a crash. Ayano opened her eyes and they widened as she took in the slightly blurry shape standing before her.
Sonic scowled and looked over his shoulder at his student. "Why are you outside?"
"I…I had to escape…"
"She made you come outside?" He saw her nod and his scowl became a grin.
One of the catgirl's swords had been released and lay unattended on the ground a few feet away. The catgirl herself was currently struggling to stand, from where she had been kicked down the street. She hissed, blood pouring down her face as she glowered at Sonic.
"I can't leave you alone, can I?" There was no hint of anger in his voice. If anything, he sounded excited. "I'm glad she's still here. Now I have a chance to get my revenge."
"Sonic…she's a class A hero. She knows the cyborg I killed-"
"I know." He turned toward her and leaned down, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. His fingers ran through her hair as the catgirl began to shout at him. "Stay here. I'll be back." His eyes widened as there was a loud whooshing sound behind him.
Ayano stared past Sonic, marveling at the blurry scene taking place. The catgirl had begun to run at the ninja, her remaining sword lifted to try to stab him. Before the false hero could attack, she was sent flying sideways down the street and crashing into the side of a building. "Genos…?"
Shift P.O.V
Sonic turned to glare at the fight that was now taking place between the class A hero and the class S hero. He had wanted to avenge Ayano's injuries himself. Seeing Saitama's disciple take care of it was a huge hit to his pride.
At the very least, he had managed to rescue Ayano. Looking down at her again, he saw that she was trembling. The girl was wearing his clothes, but the shirt was ripped on one side. She was bruised, scraped, bloody. All of this on top of having a high fever.
Scooping her up into his arms, Sonic decided to abandon the fight for the time being. He promised himself that he would look into it later. If the catgirl survived her fight with Genos, he would pursue her and take his revenge.
Since the catgirl had known where they lived, he would need to find a new base for them. That would have to come after Ayano was healed. I'm not going to risk losing her. If I leave her alone, this could happen again. She's not in any condition to fight right now.
Looking down at her, he saw the gash along her hairline and the scrape on her cheek. The bleeding nose. The split lower lip. Her glasses were missing so she was squinting to try to see his face. It was plain from her expression that she was in a lot of pain and he had felt it when he kissed the top of her head; her fever had spiked since he left the apartment earlier that day.
The girl was settled on the futon and Sonic carefully took his clothes off of her to check the extent of her injuries. Her left leg was badly bruised, as were her ribs on that side. He suspected her ankle might have been sprained, too. He located a clean shirt for her and gently put it on her, with a little help from Ayano.
"Don't leave me," she muttered, her head turned when he got up.
"I'm going to make tea. Just stay there." He hated leaving her alone, even if it was just for a few minutes. Especially when she was in this state and when she was literally begging for him not to leave her.
As soon as he sat on the floor beside Ayano, she dragged herself onto his lap and wrapped her trembling arms around his neck. Sonic set the cups of tea aside and held her, frowning as he felt the burning heat of her skin through the shirt he gave her. "I'm sorry…" Her voice carried enough despair to make his chest feel tight. "I'm sorry…I…I wasn't strong enough…even after you trained me…I failed and I let you down…"