Author's Note 1: Niobe's hairstyle is taken from a character named Amber Lee Thompson in a Disney comic book called "Real Life". Amber's got a massive, magnificent and fiery afro that reminds me of a giant fireball. And it's orange. Orange! It's beautiful. So Niobe's got the same.
II: It's still called living
As soon as Niobe was in view, Hinata and Hikage beamed at her with their brightest smile and ran at top speed in her direction. Though the student was still in a daze and terribly shaken by all the events that happened in the last hours, seeing the twins actually managed to raise her spirits and she couldn't help but return the smile. She carefully knelt on the ground, opened her arms wide and caught both girls as they barreled into her and wound their arms tightly around her. Niobe hugged them with a weak laugh, managing to not fall over on her back as she was still exhausted. She swayed a little, but balanced herself rather well.
"Look who's smiling again," Niobe crooned, her eyes softening as the twins nuzzled her happily. "You two were very brave last night. Did you get scared?"
"What are you talking about, White Monkey?" the twins chorused in unison. "We don't get scared!"
"They were, but just a little. Enough to wake me up and have me playing with them," a familiar robotic voice chimed in. "It was a hassle, but also a delight on its own."
Hinata and Hikage both huffed, pulling away from Niobe's arms, and pouted adorably as they avoided her small knowing smile. Behind them, her best friend sauntered in their direction to put his purple bear paw that was too big for his size on Hinata's head to pet it kindly. The little friend Niobe had given the twins last night was the project she'd presented when the selection for her formation had begun—he was a robot with the appearance of a bear cub, always on its hind legs. He had the twins' height, which made him quite tall. His skin was separated into Niobe's most favorite colors (bright purple for the right, dark blue for the left) and so soft at the touch that he seemed to have actual fur on him. He had an exoskeleton made of titanium the student had used from her institute, which she'd also modified along with its skin to make him mostly fireproof. Mostly.
Not only was he her first project, but he was her pride and joy—the companion geniuses in Robotics would love to have for many reasons, but hers were so personal that she couldn't see herself abandoning him. Because of his immeasurable support, she gave her best friend a name fitting for him.
Getting up with a sigh, Niobe blew on her long curl. "Thanks for keeping an eye on the girls and entertaining them, Atlas," she said gratefully, nodding at her companion. "With all that was happening and occurred since last night, we all need a breather."
"Are you alright, Niobe?" Atlas inquired, ignoring her thanks as he looked her straight in the eyes. "You look off."
"Yes, cha-ma-llow," Niobe lied with a frown. "Why do you ask?"
Atlas slowly blinked his black robotic eyes at her. "Because your smile is as fake as your hatred for your ex-boyfriend," he deadpanned.
Niobe bit her lower lip guiltily and turned away abruptly with a huff. Why the hell was her best friend always so damn observant? And so sassy? And so not that robotic and actually more human? Maybe because she'd coded his programming to be not just be a friend to her, but also someone who would call her out on her bullshit and be as blunt as possible. Thus being the reason Atlas was born and created.
Nonetheless, he was right—she wasn't okay. After Asakusa, all those people that had turned and that she had to kill, the near-death experience she'd narrowly escaped from, the sacrifice of a crazy strong Hikeshi soldier whose honor and noble action was too much to handle and her sudden recruitment into the least expected Fire Force Company, Niobe Kirishima needed more than just a breather. Inhaling more than necessary to prevent herself from shouting to the heavens, the sniper slowly knelt with her head bowed, closed her watery eyes and bit her lip harder. She shook her head wildly, garnering the twins' attention as they crowded her and tried to get her to talk.
No, she couldn't lie to herself more than she could lie to Atlas. Yesterday had been a fine day and still, it went to shit so suddenly and violently that she had yet to believe that it happened at all. All that fire, those screams from the terrified townspeople who were running for their lives, that intense panic she'd done her worst to shut down and swallow behind another of her masks, that so-called confidence with which she'd answered Benimaru's proposal—hell, that wasn't her at all!
"Niobe?" Hinata—or Hikage—inquired worryingly as both girls suddenly hugged her. "Niobe, talk to us!"
No, let me break, she thought in anguish as fat tears streaked down her cheeks and fell on the ground. Let me have this, this was too much for me...
"—the shock of the aftermath now settling in. Finally, Niobe can cry—"
Yeah, she could now. Forget her pride and image, what she'd just lived last night was a fucking wake-up call that this world was and would still be a godforsaken place because of that phenomenon. Until someone figured out why it was happening and killing people mercilessly. The Special Fire Force may have been created in order to fight this and find the key to this mystery, but even they weren't able to give back what has been stolen from the living. This was reality. Though one would think there was always tomorrow, that it was another day and there might be smiles for families of the victims of Spontaneous Human Combustion, Niobe thought and sometimes believed it was utter bullshit. And for someone who had fire powers such as hers, who refused to be useful in the Fire Force because there was no valid reason to join the organization (according to Niobe), it was a colossal bitch when reality came back crashing down on her. How the hell could Fire Soldiers fight this, have a breakdown and still get back up?
"Hinata, Hikage, go. I'll deal with her."
Niobe sniffed and wiped at her eyes angrily. Why are you here? Just let me be. Go take of the fallen and leave me here, she thought as the twins fervently argued with Benimaru, until he actually growled at them to scram to the guardhouse, and they scampered away with a whimper. Had she been in a better state of mind, the student would have kicked him in the balls twice, but she didn't even react when the Hikeshi knelt behind her. Not even when he put a hand on her back, clutched at her T-Shirt to forcibly pull her into a sitting position. However, Niobe literally froze with wide eyes when Benimaru draped himself over her smaller body, his arms fully encasing her to bring her flush against him and even restrain her own movements, and tucked his chin on her right shoulder.
While the gesture was nice and comforting, it didn't come from one of her human friends or ex-boyfriend, but from a stranger whom she knew absolutely nothing about and had threatened to break her neck just yesterday. It made Niobe panic. And in panic, you try your best to wrestle your way out. So she did just that, attempting to shrug him by contorting her way out of his arms, but Benimaru tightened his hold on her. She clenched her teeth, unable to stop her crying, and turned away from him. Atlas didn't move from his spot near them, just watched on.
"So the strongest can break down too," he mused softly—as softly as a robot teddy bear could do. "Let him have this, Niobe."
"Go away, Hikeshi!" Niobe growled savagely, struggling in Benimaru's hold.
"Shut up," Benimaru growled back just as hotly, his hands and arms tightening even more.
"Niobe. Let him have this," Atlas repeated. "He can't hide them. Not with someone who understands."
His voice was soothing, as always whenever she was suffering a breakdown, but it didn't seem to reach her this time—the disgust, anger directed at herself and this awful sentiment of being nothing but a murderer for using her pyrokinesis to shoot down these people were too overwhelming for Niobe, who wanted nothing more than go back to her life as a university student who created robots. Why the hell had she stayed in Asakusa? Worse, why had she offered to lend a hand? All she did was kill these people and their death must have been so painful, despite the torture of the flames.
All of a sudden, she felt something wet fall on the skin of her shoulder and she froze in shock, her breathing harried. Then it happened twice, thrice, and soon there were too many for the student to count. Low gasps rumbled in her ears, the body clinging to hers started shaking uncontrollably as silent sobs racked him, gaining in intensity. Niobe couldn't even balk and just kept crying while her mismatched eyes were wide, dull and empty. The boy behind her didn't seem to care about anything else and was crying along with her, just as wrecked by the awful events piling up, and was breaking down too.
"I couldn't do a damn thing... he forbade me and now he's got tephrosis...," Benimaru sobbed, tucking his face into the crook of her neck. "I couldn't do a damn thing, it's all my fault..."
Niobe gulped loudly and painfully. Her grip on his forearm tightened and she shook her head, her stomach turning. She was feeling so nauseous with herself, almost dizzy that she had no idea how she could still be sitting down here and not emptying her stomach in the river right in front of them. Just listening to Benimaru lose his shit to her—an outsider who had no right in interfering—was actually breaking her apart. His sense of guilt was eating him up, threatening to swallow him whole.
"Because you would have done the exact same thing and he wouldn't have been able to bear it," Niobe murmured, looking up at the bright sky. "Doesn't he know you better than anyone else? Don't you think he would have been the one to feel absolutely guilty over allowing you to fight and get tephrosis when it was clear that he valued your life over his?"
"He should have trusted me! I could have helped, I-I would have—"
"Withered away of tephrosis because he doesn't deserve this? And you do?" Niobe snarled, raising her trembling hands to stare at them. Devastation coated her lovely features. "If anyone deserves going up in ashes, I believe it can only be me. Look what I did: shooting down your people with my arrows when I should have never done that, giving them such a disrespectful death because this night had turned into hell and you couldn't have been enough to put them all to rest. What the hell does that make me? I'm so sorry for doing this, when all I wanted was to not get involved because I thought you'd refuse the help of an outsider and just run to help my father or friends." She sobbed silently for a few seconds, grinding her teeth. "But I came, helped... and murdered your people. How can you thank and praise me for this? How can you even stand looking at me? I should be banned from coming back to Asakusa."
Benimaru didn't seem to have an answer for that and merely tightened his hold on Niobe's arms and body even more, to the point that it was painful and her limbs were slowly growing numb. However, she had to bite on her lower lip to muffle her yelp of surprise when his teeth latched onto her shoulder and bit into the smooth skin—probably hard enough to make her bleed. But when she heard the muffled yell Benimaru released, all insults and complaints were strangled by the raw emotion in his voice; there was so much pain, anger, sadness and guilt being expressed that it shut Niobe up, trembling against him. And at this moment, she finally understood Atlas' words when she processed them in her mind.
"He can't hide them. Not with someone who understands."
She gasped and attempted to gulp down her anguish, unable to fully relax while the Hikeshi was still screaming his emotions and biting into her shoulder. It might now make more sense as to why he was refusing to let go—she'd been there with him, she'd seen Konro and had felt so helpless as well. The guilt felt like a gaping wound that wouldn't heal for a long time, as the man had also taken her out alongside his protégé to spare her tephrosis. Konro didn't know her at all, yet took her out of the fight to protect her. The fact that she was an outsider hadn't seemed to matter anymore and didn't seem to matter much now. Niobe wanted to ask them why, because she didn't deserve that. And Benimaru had recruited her as one of his Fire Soldiers—why the hell had she said yes?
That couldn't be pity because he didn't seem the type to feel any for an outsider.
After what seemed hours, Benimaru slumped against Niobe and she had to brace herself on her hands and knees to avoid falling flat on the ground again. Goddamn, he's heavy, she thought with a surprised expression, as she'd never thought that someone almost as small as she was could be packing so much. His jaws relaxed on her shoulder, letting go of the tender skin, and his limbs loosened around her. The Hikeshi was still breathing harshly in her neck and trembling, but the tears had finally stopped. Niobe counted until ten before she looked over her shoulder, her blurry eyes finding Benimaru's mop of dark hair nuzzling the side of her head.
"Let's go," she declared softly. "Konro needs his leader. He needs you."
He inhaled and exhaled tiredly, lifting his face from her neck. He wiped at his eyes almost angrily, but the stained marks on his cheeks and his red-brimmed gaze will certainly give away that he'd broken down. Moving off of her, Benimaru plopped unceremoniously on his ass with an exhausted groan and propped an arm on his raised knee with a sullen expression. Niobe silently raised herself on her knees, gauging him while he got his bearings straight, because he needed to get his shit together.
When he finally opened his eyes and turned towards her, his gaze was automatically glued to the angry red bite on her shoulder. Benimaru frowned and gritted his teeth. He hadn't been kind, this will remain there for days. He'll need to apologize for that.
"And we need to talk," he said hoarsely. "After you reassure your family and friends that you're okay, because this is going to take long. We need to sort out this damn mess together if we're to become the Special Fire Force Company 7."
"Right, I need to check with them all," Niobe mumbled with a grimace. "Asakusa can't have been the only area that has been hit by such massive outbreak of Infernals..." She turned towards her best friend, her eyes apprehensive. "Atlas? Has anyone called?"
The robot approached her with the backpack in his large paws. "Yes. Many people have called and left you messages, demanding an answer as soon as possible," he announced, handing his creator her smartphone. "You currently have ninety-seven messages and ninety missed calls, most of them from your father, Bo, Nyx, Ren, Baccarat, Vulcan, Hajiki... and Karim." Atlas looked at her pointedly. "And they'll keep calling until you give them an answer."
"What is it, your personal assistant?" Benimaru wondered, glancing at the robot with a slightly puzzled look. "It's very precise with numbers... and it seems human too. The hell?"
Niobe didn't grace him with an answer, as she swiftly got back up and patted her pants with a thoughtful expression that matched the turmoil inside her head. She'd expected her father and friends to call like crazy, as they'd all known that she'd wanted to wander Asakusa, but Karim? That certainly was a surprise, considering how bad their break-up had been following his confession to rise to the position of Lieutenant at Company 1 and become a priest. Nonetheless, Niobe wasn't much concerned about him right now and how bad-tempered he'd be if he were to catch her, but more about her father.
She didn't even have to ask Atlas about his whereabouts, since she already knew where he was—on his way to Asakusa to throttle his precious daughter for worrying him sick. Oh, the earful she was about to get for not only using her pyrokinesis against Infernals but also getting noticed again to be recruited into a Fire Force Company.
"Cha-ma-llow... there's more trouble heading my way," Niobe muttered bitterly.
Benimaru raised a curious brow in her direction. "Why is that?" he inquired nonchalantly. "Thought you getting identified by the Special Fire Force was trouble enough?"
"Yes, plenty, but the most annoying will be more personal and—"
The smooth hissing sound of Atlas turning his head and blinking his eyes wasn't enough to get her attention, but the familiar, intimidating pressure of someone close to her and Niobe froze with a petrified, terrified expression on her lovely face. The strangled gasp that rose from her throat and the terrified, wide eyes got Benimaru's attention, but his gaze was instantly directed at the man standing behind the sniper. He did a double-take at the sudden appearance that he hadn't been able to sense coming and stared up at the newcomer's face in confusion. When the hell had he got there?
Atlas thought it helpful to greet the man. "Hello, master Ashura," he said with respect, waving at the tall man.
"Atlas," the familiar baritone greeted back.
Yeah, it was definitely him. And he was pissed. There was no mistaking this.
Niobe had long started trembling before she even got to notice that her hands were shaking like leaves, as the sheer fear she was feeling from her father's presence was overwhelming all of her senses. It revived all these memories of intense, harsh training that had been drilled into her ever since she was a child. The martial arts, the lessons of pyrokinesis to master her powers, the Superfire—all Niobe had to learn was to survive for reasons she had yet to know. Her knees hit the ground as her legs gave out and she let out another strangled gasp, blinking fast and tucking her fisted hands into her sides. What the hell is he doing here? I didn't tell him when I was going to visit Asakusa, Niobe thought frantically.
"We need to talk, Niobe," Kirishima Ashura declared with his deep, chilling voice. "But first, I need to examine my former pupil's wounds." He turned towards Benimaru. "May you lead the way, young man? And no, that was not a request."
Very few things managed to shake off Shinmon Benimaru and another one had just been added on the list the second he'd realized his mentor had contracted tephrosis to save his life. The feelings of failure, guilt and shame were raw and still raging in his being when this man suddenly showed up, grabbed the frightened Niobe by the waist to hoist her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing, and promptly looked at him pointedly. Benimaru would have gladly told him to fuck off, as this clearly was a time of crisis, but he found himself tongue-tied in front of this older man; such imperious stare with those dark blue eyes of his reminded him of Konro during his childhood, teenage years and even now.
This was too familiar to ignore. So he silently got up, not without a defiant snarl sent in the man's direction, and headed back towards the guardhouse. Since the building had been one of the few to have remained untouched by the fires, Benimaru and Niobe had taken him to his room so he could rest until a doctor arrived to have a good look at the fallen Hikeshi. And suffice to say, the young man hadn't expected this.
"I take it you're the sniper girl's father?" he asked nonchalantly, side-eyeing him.
"'Sniper girl'... now that is amusing, because that is how the last reports of the Special Fire Force dubbed you, Niobe," Ashura drawled, ignoring Benimaru as if he hadn't spoken. "Back when you forced yourself to use your pyrokinesis to deal with the Infernals at your institute. Did you get noticed again, baby girl?"
Niobe stiffened and made a strangled sound, preferring to be silent. However, that was as good as a positive response, causing Ashura's expression to sour considerably. Benimaru's curiosity was peaked, despite the twitching of his brow and the beginning of a snarl. What the hell was Niobe's father talking about? Was it the thing she'd refused to talk about last night? If so, then he needed to dig up and learn more about this.
They reached the guardhouse pretty quickly, encountering many Hikeshi soldiers who didn't bother concealing their distaste and disdain upon seeing another outsider in their turf. Benimaru couldn't blame them; the expensive black suit and shoes, the snow white hair elegantly slicked back and the insolent, imperious aura he exuded was legitimately insulting to the people of Asakusa. He almost looked like someone from those shady Haijima Industries. Scoffing in derision, the genius fighter pushed the royal blue curtains aside to come in.
"Shoes off, outsider," he reminded, his tone acidic as he toed his boots off. "Just to make sure."
Ashura didn't acknowledge him, setting his daughter on the ground. Gone was the terror on her face, now she looked off and just as drained as Benimaru was of everything at the moment: her exhausted mismatched arrowed-eyes gazed up at her father, as if waiting for another round of biting, hurtful remarks that—wait a damn minute, did that guy say 'former pupil'?
Benimaru rounded up on Niobe's father, his Tic-Tac-Toe eyes now blazing and distrustful. "Who the hell are you and how do you know Konro?" he demanded hotly, scowling murderously.
"Hikeshi, please mind your tone, tongue and everything with my father?" Niobe warned dully as she jumped between him and the imposing man. Her outstretched arms prevented him from going up to Kirishima Ashura's face at the last second and she gave him a dull glare. "He's not here as an enemy, at all. He's a concerned father—I believe—and former sensei."
Benimaru stiffly cocked his head to the side and looked down at the sniper with a disconcerted expression and narrowed eyes. Now what the hell was she spouting?
"Excuse me?" he asked flatly.
"That's right," Ashura confirmed, nodding as he toed his fancy shoes off. "As years went by following my departure from Asakusa and my wedding to my wife, I took to raising my family and left our hometown to my only and most trusted pupil. I am not surprised you know so little about me, Benimaru, as I asked Konro not to talk too much about me but perpetuate some of my teachings. You were far too young and too much of a hell-riser to follow my discipline, so I had someone else teaching you the iaido martial arts."
The ghost of a smile curled his lips upward and his dark blue eyes crinkled a little, surprising Niobe as she stared at her father in awe because it was such a rare sight to behold. Even his usually jaded and hard eyes had just softened at the mention of Konro, but were now hooded with dread. Despite still being distrustful, all the heat cooled off in Benimaru's being as he gaped in utter disbelief.
Now that he was a little clear in the head, the name Kirishima Ashura did sound familiar to him and it rang a bell; memories of sitting down with Konro for tea in the late afternoon flashed through and one retained his attention. The older Hikeshi was reminiscing his training days with his sensei—whom Benimaru had never met—and told the young troublemaker how he shaped him, taught him his morals and made him who he was today. There was so much respect and reverence in his voice that Benimaru had hounded Konro to tell him who was this sensei of his, so much that the Hikeshi had relented.
"You... you're the Raijin?" Benimaru stammered, his eyes wide. "That's the nickname Konro used to call you sometimes when not naming you directly."
Kirishima Ashura nodded at him with a softer expression, before slightly bowing to the young Hikeshi at the waist with so much grace that Niobe felt jealous. "That is one of the many nicknames I have earned through most of my life in Asakusa, though this one is my favorite. But I am most honored to finally meet the new generation of Hikeshi, whom I have followed for so long." He straightened back and grabbed a sizeable black bag from the side, gazing down at Benimaru with his imperious, yet jaded expression back on. "We will continue this discussion later, as I need to see to Konro. I am a doctor. And you need to get cleaned up, daughter. We'll speak of your latest shenanigans once my former pupil's condition is stable."
"Yes, father," Niobe sighed deeply, slumping.
So he was in the presence of a living legend. Benimaru could scarcely believe it—Kirishima Ashura practically made the Hikeshi Fire brigade in Asakusa into what it was until the Tokyo Empire recognized its power to induct it into the Special Fire Force. He may not have heard much about the Raijin, but some stories from the old geezers—especially the old bat who made daifuku—were enough to leave him awestruck and wanting to hear more, but Konro would then shake his head no and remain tight-lipped about his sensei. Who is a doctor, Benimaru thought as he led the legend towards the fallen Hikeshi's room. Even if there wasn't any cure to the damn tephrosis, maybe he could reduce Konro's intense pain.
Just the mere idea could probably lighten his guilt as well...
When they reached the room, Benimaru and Niobe had to suck in a breath. The terrifying sight of Konro's hunched form on his fūton was enough to make them avert their eyes, unable to stand it. Just noticing the carbonizing, blackened spots displayed on his shoulders got both pyrokinetics to feel the guilt of not having been stronger overwhelming them like a crippling wave. And then, there was the expression on the Hikeshi's face, which showed how much he was suffering from the tephrosis. He may be grinding his jaws to keep himself from making any sound, but even he couldn't fight the intense pain of the burning. Konro looked so frail at this moment that it was actually shocking, but also a cruel reminder that even the strongest could fall to something like this.
Could Benimaru have withstood the pain and crippling sensation of weakness, had he not been taken out by his mentor to fight that Demon Infernal?
He didn't realize that he was trembling again and fisting his hands so hard that his nails had probably broken the tender skin of his palms until a delicate hand grabbed his shoulder and squeezed it lightly. His gaze snapped up and met Niobe's hesitant, yet pained eyes. With difficulty, she nodded slowly as her keen eyes fluttered towards Konro. Trust him, they seemed to be conveying.
"S-Sensei?" a rough voice murmured, laced with pain and disbelief.
Ashura nodded, padding silently into the room. "It's been a long time, Konro," he drawled.
He glanced over his shoulder to gaze down at the two young pyrokinetics, who immediately perked up at the imperious pressure his look released.
"Get cleaned up," was all he said before he pulled the shōji screen door shut.
Both Benimaru and Niobe remained on their spots for long seconds, silent, until they looked at each other and noted all the dirt on their skin and messed up clothes. They stared at one another for another minute.
Then the Hikeshi finally broke the silence. "I'm not waiting for you to take an absurd long time to wash that giant white fireball you call an afro if you go first," he said flatly.
Niobe's face remained blank as she pointed her index at him. Right between the eyes. The index of her right hand. "Then let's take a bath together. I hope you don't shy away."
She mimicked the action of firing a gun. Benimaru's eye twitched.
Shinmon Benimaru. Never. Shied away. Not when girls from Asakusa were bold enough to ask him out (though he was never interested in the romance but more in the sex part) and express their feelings of admiration, not when he was getting recognized for his gifted abilities, his rare hybridity as a compound pyrokinetic and his genius, and certainly not when he wanted a partner that he desired to devour for the night. So it stood to reason that he shouldn't shy away from a—sexy—girl with a sizeable—voluminous and luscious—afro of white long curls with dark blue-ish ends that must reach past her shoulders and down her back if relaxed, freaky—weird—mismatched arrowed-eyes who was about to bathe with him for no other purpose than just getting cleaned up.
His eyes spied her tattoos as she had her back to him. "So your father is from Asakusa and is also Konro's former teacher. Heh, didn't see that one coming... did you know yourself?" he asked curiously.
He'd noticed the first kanji on the nape of her neck yesterday—"Hope", it read. The next one was "Change", followed by "Life", "Wisdom", "Strength", "Friendship" and "Love". The tattoos were medium-sized, stopping mid-back and there was room for other kanji. Nothing spectacular unlike the irezumi he'd have gotten, but Benimaru found that it suited that circus freak.
"Yes and no. He only told me a few things from his life: that he was born here, that he became a Hikeshi to purify his fellow townspeople that turned Infernal, but that's about it," Niobe mused with a hum, her hands expertly rummaging through the throng of curls to wash that afro. "I had never heard of him having Sagamiya Konro as an apprentice, until now. Even so, the little things he'd tell me were enough to make me want to visit his hometown."
She paused in her washing. Benimaru did the same, turning back with his face shadowed under his bangs and his expression turning sullen. Though the sun had long risen, the memories of last night were still too vivid and would most certainly remain a constant plague in their minds.
"I only wished it had been under better circumstances. Who could have predicted there would be such massive outbreak of Infernals in just one night? I... I can't imagine how he must be really feeling underneath that mask he's created for himself when he drove to Asakusa. He does that." She clicked her tongue. "He always does that."
"Hiding what he really feels?" Benimaru clarified dully, now washing his own hair.
There was a gentle splash of water behind him. "That's his thing, sharing what's troubling him would be akin to lung collapsing and the hardened warrior and genius doctor in him would be seen as weak if he ever allowed one single emotion to cripple him. I believe he's been like this most of his life, though he still managed to remain a father and raise me. I'd like to think he did his best. He's... jaded. That I can tell," Niobe murmured sadly.
"That I can relate to now," Benimaru growled, feeling a snarl coming. His eyes flashed in restrained anger as his hands fell from his hair. "This night was hell, putting all of us Hikeshi to the limit and eventually taking so much from us. And here I thought we could handle it by ourselves, like we always did for years because we viewed the Tokyo Empire as a whole organization of skilled liars out there just to brainwash the population with their so-called 'Sun God'." He snorted loudly and stiffly cocked his head to the side, a derisive smirk on his handsome face. "Look at us now: Asakusa is half-destroyed by this unnatural fire, many of our people had fallen victims to Infernalization, Konro's got tephrosis and the cherry on top, the Hikeshi Fire brigade has been inducted into the goddamn Special Fire Force! And I'm supposed to take on the position of captain without putting my foot down, obey the Empire's rules and bow my head after swearing an oath to the 'Sun God'? Bullshit!"
Benimaru's breathing was ragged as he paused in his angry tirade and he leaned on the edge with his head bowed, more spent than enraged. His emotions were still so raw and in turmoil about everything that just happened—that disastrous night, Konro's tephrosis, the Hikeshi becoming Imperial lapdogs despite their intense dislike of the Tokyo Empire, the feelings of sheer guilt and failure that refused to fade—and he felt like he was just getting started about expressing his rage and torment. Talking to Niobe was surprisingly easy, though they still didn't know each other; the words flowed out, expressing his emotions perfectly, and Benimaru simply found it astounding.
Just like yesterday before that blazing inferno, when he told her the awful tragedy about Hinata and Hikage's parents. He couldn't explain himself why he told her one of the most painful secrets of Asakusa (and its regrets), but seeing the mischievous twins so loved up with Niobe—an Imperial nerd with a medium-sized teddy bear robot as a best friend and that seemed to be human—was just so...nice.
"Can you see me as a captain? Me? That's the greatest joke I've ever heard in a freaking long time," Benimaru mumbled. "I'm not made for this crap, leadership isn't my thing. Konro is better fit for the role and always knows what to in any kind of situation, which is why we all look up to him. I... I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to do now to get everyone to trust me like they do him, because our beacon of hope has just gone up in flames and—"
He whirled around and caught Niobe's hand before it made impact with the back of his head. They struggled for a few tense seconds, glaring at each other, until the student relaxed with a frown on her lovely face. Her giant fireball of an afro was dripping wet with shampoo, her luscious and bouncy curls somehow smoothed down to her shoulders and past and some covering her narrowed mismatched arrowed-eyes. Still, Benimaru didn't let go of her wrist and stared her down with his glowing eyes.
"Is the pity party over?" Niobe asked sarcastically. She didn't wait for an answer and huffed, blowing a long white curl out of her keen sight to glare up at him. "Good, because I can't let you disrespect Konro's self-sacrifice anymore and hear all this from the man he saved."
Crimson Tic-Tac-Toe eyes widened in shock before narrowing in rising anger. "What?" Benimaru barked, grabbing hold of Niobe's other wrist when she tried to whack him. "You better watch that fucking mouth of yours, Kirishima!"
"Then don't spit in the face of your idol when he might have made the right choice by saving you!" she hissed calmly, her eyes flashing. "Can't you see? Konro must have seen something very special in you when you were younger and that may not just be because you're a hybrid, but entirely something else. You two must have known each other for a long time, so there has to be something he's seeing in Shinmon Benimaru that can turn him into someone fit to be a leader. Someone the people of Asakusa will be able to rely on."
Confused, Benimaru gave her a look and cocked his head to the side with his brows furrowed. Niobe took a breath to calm her nerves, then looked back up at him.
"I don't know Sagamiya Konro as much as you do—no, scratch that: I don't know him at all. But I believe he managed to become who and what he is to all of you by adapting himself to all kinds of situations that befell Asakusa during the time you Hikeshi followed him as your leader. He may be a natural at leadership for all I know, but all leaders still need to learn how to properly lead as mistakes and failures are part of the learning process. Sagamiya Konro wasn't born overnight, as you saw—his sensei was there to shape him into who he is, despite that he has fallen to tephrosis." She nodded to him. "You will adapt yourself and learn, Hikeshi. Your guide is still alive and shall remain so, as long as my father is there to over watch the progression of his condition."
Niobe leaned into him before he could stop her and got so close that Benimaru felt all of her curves flatten teasingly against him—the softness of those large, squishy and luscious mounds, those slender and toned hips sliding up to his were enough to stir up his darkest lusts, provoking millions of pleasant tingles of desire traveling his nerves to his groin. Nevertheless, Benimaru was amazed at his self-control to not force this woman to straddle him and fuck her while sitting down, because his rage at being called out was overwhelming any desire he might be feeling at the moment.
Even so, he couldn't deny that Kirishima Niobe had a body he'd like to fuck until exhaustion.
"You don't have to follow the rules—hell, why should you? You haven't bowed and I don't see any reason why you should start bowing your head to the Tokyo Empire just because they're supporting you." She tilted her head, her expression growing more serene despite their closeness. "If you're going to be my captain and that I'm to become your sniper, how about you rebuild your pride?"
"How am I gonna do that?" Benimaru asked in a hoarse voice.
Niobe's eyes flickered towards the shōji door of the bathroom. "Learn from your failure. Learn to accept that you'd reached your limits. Accept Konro's self-sacrifice to allow your path to keep going. Learn to look forward. Leaders are both born and made, which is you why you shouldn't trouble yourself about something that has yet to be achieved. You'll be alright, Hikeshi—he still lives and breathes! Otherwise, I'd be seriously pissed off to have to manage college, working a part-time job and being a Fire Soldier in your Company. So shape up. And no, that was not a request," she growled at him with her eyes boring into his.
Niobe approached her face and stopped inches away from him, her eyes bright and challenging.
"Asakusa can rise again. Or die with its pride blown away to pieces. The ball is in your court, Hikeshi," she murmured. "Your choice."
Benimaru had half a mind to break her neck at this moment, because she was both infuriating and—he couldn't believe he was admitting it—right about...everything. About Konro, about Asakusa and especially about how he could probably accept the present. It happened and, unless someone had secretly invented time travel, there was no way of undoing his mentor's sacrifice to ensure his survival and health. That and the fact that the old relic who proclaimed himself emperor had now inducted the Hikeshi Fire brigade into the damn Special Fire Force to exploit them. That was a lot to swallow... but he just had to accept everything, move on and rebuild.
Sounded easier said than done. The guilt was still burning in his gut, eating at him. It needed to be soothed, though he wasn't sure that time and persuasion from his soon-to-be lieutenant and soldiers were going to do any good in reducing the pain.
Benimaru closed his eyes with a pinched expression, groaning a little in frustration. "I don't like this," he finally said. "I don't like the situation we're cornered in and I bet those lapdogs from the other Fire Force Companies are rejoicing about our induction..." He opened his eyes to stare Niobe down, who had leaned back to give him space—though he was still holding her wrists hostage. "But there's nothing to prevent me from telling them to fuck off, does it? I don't have to change, become suddenly submissive and obedient like a good dog, do I?"
Niobe raised a challenging, snow white brow at him with her eyes crinkling. "I take it that Shinmon Benimaru remains Shinmon Benimaru, which means that he'll do whatever the hell he wants with the newly appointed 7th?"
"It's going to be my brigade, right? So, my brigade, my rules. My way," he growled the last part, his eyes glowing. "The emperor, his Empire and the other Fire brigades can go fuck themselves sideways to oblivion or whatever eternal place of torment those ridiculous zealots believe in for all I care, there's no way in hell I'll let them boss us around as if they'd done us a huge favor. We're not swearing any loyalty to those bastards or the Sun God."
Niobe nodded, wiggling her hands. "Nice. Care to release me now? I'm not going to whack you, I love my hands far too much, cha-ma-llow."
Just to annoy the hell out of the sniper, he smirked mockingly at her. "No," he denied.
She looked positively stunned for five seconds, staring up silently at him through damp snow white and dark blue-ish curls, before she blinked and cocked her head to the side in confusion. "What?" she asked slowly.
"You heard me right the first time. Besides," he added as he tugged her right back. He nearly growled at the feeling of those soft puppies flattening against his chest and wrapped an arm round her waist, the other hand grabbed a fistful of curls to trap her in this position. "I do like what I'm seeing and feeling. Don't you, Niobe?"
He expected her to blush furiously, be embarrassed and even try to escape his arms, or even take advantage of the situation to steal him a kiss—that would definitely turn him on and that could be a good release for everything. Not only did Benimaru need it badly, now or later, but he was certain that Niobe also sought an escape from these recent events. Sex might not be the best option for both of them, but he didn't know who could be up for a good spar and he was still emotionally drained. All the Hikeshi were also picking themselves up, just as mentally exhausted as he and Konro were, so they were out of the question.
And Niobe had such an inviting body. It needed to be both revered and fucked thoroughly. Slow and sensual, rough and urgent. Benimaru was feeling the latter with this woman.
She slowly slid her deadly hands up his chest towards his shoulders, touching the muscles and feeling him as well, and slipped her arms around his neck before standing on her toes to bring herself to the same height as him. Benimaru accommodated her easily by scooping her up by her thighs, sitting back on his side of the bath with the sniper in his arms and straddling his lap. Niobe held onto his shoulders, her elegant brows furrowed together as she sighed softly against his lips. Much better, Benimaru thought as he slid one hand to grab her hip while the other slid up her back, enjoying the small shivers his action provoked, until it cupped the nape of her neck. She closed her eyes and arched against him beautifully, very much like a cat. He hissed when her bare crotch teased his, his hand tightening on her hip.
"Mmmh... someone knows what he's doing," Niobe purred in a low voice. "The last time I had sex seems so far away after all this..."
"Do you need it now?" Benimaru groaned against her throat as he pulled her flush to him. He ran his lips down towards her left shoulder, savoring her skin with his tongue. "Or later? Don't be a chicken, Niobe. This is all your fault for pressing your body flush to mine. I'm still a man."
He licked her clear skin, taking his sweet time to reach her ear while she sighed in bliss and relaxed in his arms. Desire pooled in his belly, flaring up each time Niobe would brush her lips against his teasingly, and it was taking everything in Benimaru not to tug her and make her yield. He didn't want this to be one-sided, she had to want it too. By the way she was threading her long, delicate fingers through his hair, she was seriously interested. He flicked the shell of her ear with his tongue a few times, provoking a deep hum that reverberated through him like an echo.
Benimaru was buzzing. Literally buzzing; his body felt like it was going through some unnatural heat because it was flush to Niobe's and her skin felt much hotter at the moment. The water of the bath wasn't boiling yet, but his powers must be tempering it to some high temperature that it was already smoking. Soon, there wouldn't be any water left. Nonetheless, he felt good. He wanted to grind his hips, to let Niobe feel him even more and his rising erection. When he felt like she was about to get up from her seat, he blocked her by grabbing her hips and pulling her back down rather roughly. The action caused them to tense, growl and sigh.
"Tell me," Benimaru practically growled at her, his eyes glowing with restrained lust.
"Now isn't a good time, Hikeshi," she murmured in his ear. "Though your invitation is very tempting and I'm only two wits away from saying yes, I'd rather be in a clearer state of mind and not develop regrets over 'taking advantage of the situation'. Which I believe is highly inappropriate."
She leaned back just a little to gaze down at him and he was struck by the different emotions he saw in those mismatched arrowed-eyes—sadness, shame, a bit of anger, regret and the lust he'd wanted to see. Niobe looked... beaten. This was a far cry from the infuriating woman, sniper and nerd who'd just given him a speech to get him out of his phase, which Benimaru didn't like at all. Though he seriously wanted her on his cock, the Hikeshi thought it wouldn't sit right with him if she wasn't focused with him.
"Not only is it not a good time at the moment, but I'm still trying to move on from a bad break-up and sex is certainly the last thing I'd use to have a good release," she explained with a soft sigh. "Still processing. And even if you're a gorgeous man with probably the most unique eyes I've ever seen, I can't bring myself to touch someone else for the time being. Not now. Too soon. Yeah?"
"You could have just said no, I'd have gotten the hint," Benimaru said, releasing her hips. He looked up at her, his gaze impenetrable. "But thanks for explaining."
Niobe opened her mouth, probably to curse him because of how her eyes had flashed in annoyance, but thought better and settled for a grateful nod before standing up from his lap to shuffle back to her side of the bath. But Benimaru still found a way to remind them of another problem.
"You got me horny," he said flatly.
"Cha-ma-llow," Niobe hummed peacefully, rinsing her curls.
"Get outta here, I need to take care of this damn erection."
"No, I still need to wash my body."
Benimaru clicked his tongue. "Then get on my cock next and ride me. Up and at 'em and not taking any complaints right now!"
"You want an arrow through your crotch? That'd be a shame if you didn't have that wholesome package once I've successfully moved on."
What an infuriating woman. Sexy, but infuriating.
When she was done moisturizing her curls, all of her curls, Niobe combed the part with careful strokes to loosen them and cover a part of her forehead. She did the part on the right side of her head, combing through her curls with the utmost care and caution with her brush and fingers. Her signature hairstyle was rather stylish—part curly, part wavy—and sometimes covering an eye when she wasn't sniping an Infernal (and that was pretty much all the time). She smoothed down the longer curls that fell on her shoulders, her eyes drawn to her phone situated on her knees.
So many messages, voicemails and missed phone calls, mostly from... everyone. From Vulcan to her boss and coworkers at the cafe she worked as a waitress. She'd almost answered Karim first, because she could feel the concern and dread in his words, but decided to once she was out of Asakusa and back in Shinjuku. He'd give her an earful and she'd just listen quietly until he was out of breath, then will probably allow him to stay because he wouldn't leave even if she told him to. Because of his presence, they might even have sex.
So her engineer childhood friend had been the first to hear from her.
"Are you okay, Vulcan?" Niobe asked, concern dripping from her voice. "And Yuu? Hope none of you has been hurt, that the strays are alright as well..."
Vulcan groaned a little on his end. "We're good, Niobe, there were no Infernals stumbling into the junkyard or whatever, so we're alright. A bit shaken and distraught with what happened, but uninjured. But what about you? Why didn't you contact me back sooner? We were worried sick!"
The student had to gulp down the feeling of guilt that seized her heart, because she'd been expecting it and she was now about to feel the full force of her friends' worry, anger and concern. They'd known that she was visiting Asakusa yesterday, so they must also be aware that the proud proto-nationalist town had nearly been burnt down to the ground. Once Niobe got to her apartment back in Shinjuku, she had a feeling that they'd be waiting for her over there. Even staying at her door.
Sighing out of pure fatigue, she hung her head with an empty expression to comb through the curls on top of her head.
"... I'm in Asakusa," Niobe revealed to her red-haired genius engineer in a quiet voice. "I was there yesterday. So many things happened. I... was there last night."
Vulcan was quiet on the other end for a good moment, stunned.
"Shit... you okay, big sis?! Tell me you're uninjured, just tell me at least that you didn't overuse your pyrokinesis!" he shouted, alarmed and worried.
'Overuse your pyrokinesis'. Niobe's bright eyes lost their hue as she was reminded of the blackened spots on Konro's shoulders, the permanent slap of reality to her face. She also remembered the sounds of pain he was trying so hard to contain when she helped Benimaru get the fallen Hikeshi to his room, echoing loudly in her mind as she tried hard to block them out because they were so persistent in intensifying her guilt and shame.
Closing her eyes, Niobe shook her head. "I'm fine, Vul. Someone stopped me before I could even think of firing again." At the most heartless price. "But you and I both know I am not 'fine', as this was a nightmare—hell, if you want me to be graphic. I don't even know how I can even still be thinking right now..."
"Worse than what happened last year, huh...?"
"You have no idea, Vul. You have no idea..."
Even if she tried her best to ignore it, her hands were shaking.
After leaving one last voicemail to Ren and Karim, Niobe shuffled out of the room she'd been given for the time being with a deep sigh. She wasn't surprised to see Benimaru leaning on the opposite wall with his arms crossed, clad in a fresh Hikeshi outfit and his eyes closed, as she'd sensed him in the vicinity. They were to join her father and Konro to discuss the very recent events, as expected, but even she could feel his inner torment. Her face fell as she met his gaze, just as blank as she thought it'd be.
"You good?" he inquired, standing on his feet.
Niobe nodded. "Are you?" she challenged softly.
Benimaru didn't answer back, just stared at her with a gloomy expression. She nodded with a sound in her throat, accepting his look as good enough. Not like I was expecting a smile from him, she thought with an empty expression as she followed the newly appointed captain through the guardhouse, crossing paths with some regular Hikeshi. All sent her surprised glances, silently wondering what she was doing in their quarters, but Benimaru merely ignored them and kept walking ahead.
"That's the girl from yesterday afternoon, right?"
"Beni said that she was the sniper who helped us from above ground."
"Wait, for real? Damn, she's good! Her eyes are exceptional!"
"Gotta have to thank her, that was a thousand times more than the damn Special Fire Force who showed up after the fight and Konro got tephrosis..."
There was so much anger and shame in those last words that Niobe had to conceal her scowl under her lashes and hide the way her jaws clenched. She'd never dreamed of joining the Special Fire Force because she had no drive in using her Ignition Ability to erase Infernals and find out the truth about Spontaneous Human Combustion, and though she'd like to believe that Fire Soldiers were probably doing some good by purifying those that turned, even she couldn't help the spark of fury that spread through her body. No matter how much of a proud proto-nationalist the people of Asakusa were and their dislike of the organization linked to the Tokyo Empire, they'd still needed help as the Hikeshi hadn't been enough. Konro and Benimaru hadn't been enough, Niobe hadn't been enough and there had been so many victims...
After she got back to Shinjuku, she suspected that she'd have a long conversation with Karim about whether she should join the Special Fire Force to serve 'a greater purpose'. She knew her ex-boyfriend well.
When she and Benimaru entered Konro's room, the older Hikeshi was lying down underneath his covers and looked quite serene (though he was still wincing a little from the pain). The area around his eyes had become slightly paler in contrast to his skin, almost sickly. Niobe couldn't see the upper body, but she knew her father had wrapped him up with bandages after working on his injuries. Turning her head to the side, the student noticed her father sitting seiza style at Konro's left side, straight and silent. His eyes were closed but his face... showed so much that Niobe nearly gaped at him, wide-eyed.
Such regret and anger. Kirishima Ashura hadn't shown these two emotions in a long time, not since she was a young child, and that was ground-breaking. Gulping down all of her questions, Niobe sauntered to sit on his right and bowed her head in respect. Because she didn't want to trouble the serenity of this room, despite the obvious pain both Konro and Ashura were swimming in, she remained silent.
Unable to take it anymore, Benimaru spoke first. "What now?"
His voice sounded so subdued and sullen that it shook her to hear him. Even the hue in his Tic-Tac-Toe eyes had faded a little. It was as if most of his fire had gone out and there were now embers. Niobe couldn't help the pang of pain constricting her heart. That wasn't going to go away so soon.
Ashura exhaled and opened his eyes. "You have no choice but to move forward, considering the underlying fact that the Tokyo Empire has recognized the Hikeshi Fire brigade's power," he said somberly. "Even I couldn't believe it when Konro told me that the damn emperor chose this crucial moment to induct you, especially after they failed to show up in time..."
His brows furrowed and he clenched his teeth. Konro remained silent and serene while Benimaru's expression was blank and Niobe slowly looked up.
"The cheek of that bony zealot to take advantage of the town's state and its weakened pride to finally force you to join the Special Fire Force, just to exploit you... would have never put it past these righteous bastards to find a twisted way to coerce the people of Asakusa into embracing that laughable religion and Sun God."
"Looks like they succeeded," Konro interjected in a dejected tone, his voice ragged. "Furthermore, Hague Sōichirō presented us with an offer that will be hard to decline because of all the chaos that ravaged Asakusa. They knew how to bait us."
"What's your answer then, Hikeshi?" Niobe inquired in a soft voice, looking over at Benimaru and Konro with solemn eyes. "Are you going to accept the Empire's 'generous' offer?"
Benimaru met her gaze sharply.
"What the hell else do you want us to do?" he nearly barked, his anger rising again. "We may have your father right here to treat Konro's tephrosis, but what about tomorrow? The day after tomorrow? And after? Haijima Industries possess treatments for his condition and they sure won't send us supplies if we refuse to be affiliated with the Special Fire Force, so we're backed into a corner! There's no choice..."
His eyes flashed in barely restrained fury and disgust, and he stiffly hung his head to hide his gaze from everyone. His hands tightened painfully on the fabric of his pants.
"We don't have a choice but to join them. It's like Konro said: we could have prevented a lot of damage and saved much more lives if we had the resources of an official Company. That's hard to admit, but we've lost too much because we weren't equipped like the other brigades are. We weren't prepared for something like this," he conceded bitterly. "and we paid a heavy price for it. Like hell it will happen again."
"So... the Hikeshi Fire brigade of Asakusa becomes Company 7 of the Special Fire Force," Niobe commented, her voice monotone.
She felt her father flinch beside her, which was telling enough of his brewing fury. She saw Benimaru's enraged snarl and Konro's resigned expression—though they loathed the idea of becoming Imperial lapdogs and having to bow to the emperor like the others, Niobe knew they'd accept. Like Benimaru had just reiterated, they had no choice at all; since the Hikeshi lacked the proper resources of an actual Company like the other six, they'd dealt with so much damage that the flames had nearly triumphed and swallowed Asakusa in a sea of fire. Benimaru and Konro may have their soldiers during the disaster, but even they had been so close to death that it was nothing short of a miracle that they managed to survive (especially her father's disciple).
And what's more, the Church of the Sun might even see the induction of the Hikeshi Fire brigade as the perfect opportunity to force the people of Asakusa to embrace the Holy Sol. They must view the proto-nationalists as 'heretics' who needed discipline for holding onto their old traditional Japanese values, so indoctrinating these 'heretics' would be their greatest achievement. Niobe could imagine Raffles III cackling in triumph, his old eyes raving over the proud people of Asakusa as they prayed to the Sun God. Crazy bastard must even dream of it at night, she thought with a look of disdain.
"Alright, enough of this," Ashura declared, his tone firm and imperious. He turned towards Niobe, his dark blue eyes appraising her. "What of you, daughter? Konro told me of your involvement with the Hikeshi to purify all the Infernals, praising your skills and deadly accurracy when using your arrows, and that your help has been much appreciated."
Niobe perked up and she raised her nervous gaze to look at Ashura. "Father, I—"
His hand suddenly stroking her curls in a rare, tender gesture stopped her short from coming up with embarrassing excuses, and she could only stare up at her father's kind, yet pleased expression. She almost sputtered when he visibly smiled down.
"Thank you, Little Fluff, for making a decision and protecting what should have been your hometown," he reassured.
Niobe gaped at him, utterly shocked to beyond disbelief.
"You... do you mean it, Father?" she asked earnestly, blinking twice at him.
"I don't remember stuttering, Niobe, so you heard right. You made the right decision to help, despite you being an 'outsider' in a proto-nationalist town. There was nothing wrong in your actions: you put them to rest, as the situation was already grave. Good job, baby girl."
The pride was so obvious in his voice that the student couldn't help the satisfying blush on her face and the way her full lips quivered. Though she was still torn over what she did to all those people that turned, hearing the praise from her father both made her feel happy and sad at the same time—Asakusa used to be his town and it had been destroyed, his Hikeshi Fire brigade inducted into the Special Fire Force and there was nothing he could do. But Kirishima Ashura was still proud of his daughter for having stood up and not fled like she could have?
Damn.
"But what worries me the most is the Fire Force reiterating their offers," Ashura continued, his face hardening again. "You've refused the first times they knocked at your door to convince you to join one of their Companies following the incident at your institute last year, they won't take no for an answer this time around, as you were there last night in Asakusa."
Konro shifted in his fūton to look up at Niobe in wonder. "I thought that something was wrong the second you remained silent after Hague Sōichirō spoke about offering a position in a Fire Force Company, which has been gnawing on my mind...until Sensei told me about what happened at your college. And what you did. I'm sorry you had to go through this, this must have been horrible."
"Thank you...and yes, it was," Niobe admitted, her eyes losing their hue once again as she averted them to look down at the tatami. "Last night was nothing more than a reminder of what happened at my institute: it was awful, but not as destructive as it had been yesterday."
"What the hell happened?" Benimaru demanded, his eyes burning through her.
Since she saw no harm in telling her future captain, Niobe thus told him everything. About the unnatural breakout of Infernals at the prestigious Tokyo Empire Institute of Technology (that all students dubbed 'TEIT') where she studied, how all these students she'd known had suddenly burst into fire while they were having lunch in the cafeteria, how they also contaminated others who'd gone frozen in place because of fear, how Niobe had to step in because it seemed that she was the only Third Gen at TEIT to act, how she used her powers to put the poor souls to rest after overcoming her shock. Benimaru listened without interruption, his eyes never straying from hers. His expression had changed from time to time, shifting from horror to something akin to sympathy.
"Just like this morning, the Special Fire Force had showed up too late and after the fight was over. However, being told that the Infernals were put to rest long before their arrival intrigued them, so they asked some of the students that survived the ordeal who achieved such feat." Niobe frowned in distaste. "Eventually, they identified me as the Third Gen with 'exceptional sniping skills', describing how I used my arrows to deal with the Infernals. I think some even recorded me."
"Seriously?" Benimaru scoffed in disgust, while Konro scowled.
Niobe met his gaze solemnly. "I told you, didn't I? I believe I really was the only pyrokinetic at TEIT, automatically making me the only one who could put the victims to rest. Since all the other students had no idea that I was a Third Gen until that incident, and a damned good one at that, they all proclaimed me as the hero they never knew they possessed in the first place. Cha-ma-llow, that was too much... but what was the icing on the cake was the captain of Company 1 and my ex-boyfriend approaching me with an offer to join their ranks as a Fire Soldier. They really tried hard to convince me."
"Company 1... if I'm not mistaken, this Fire Force Company is run by the Church of the Sun and worships the Sun God, right?" Konro mused. Upon seeing Ashura's sneer, he grimaced. "And they tried to recruit Kirishima Ashura's precious daughter as a Fire Soldier... knowing you, Sensei, I doubt their headquarters would have withstood your rage if they'd managed to snag Niobe."
"I was beyond furious that they'd be so bold into trying to coax her into one of their goddamn Sun God worshipping Companies that I really would have attacked them," Ashura muttered, crossing his arms against his powerful chest. "Going toe-to-toe with the captain of Company 1 would have been... entertaining. I heard quite a lot about Burns Leonard, as people in Shinjuku never shut up about his skills, so I wouldn't mind getting into a fight with him."
Niobe put a comforting hand on her father's back, patting it. "Please don't use a Raigo on their headquarters? Or better yet, on the Holy See? I can actually see you doing that, Father."
His smirk was definitely false. "Of course, baby girl," he conceded.
Konro snorted, an amused smirk on his face. Benimaru's corners of his lips twitched upward, but nothing else. His expression was gloomy at best. Still, that was a start. Niobe will have to talk to him and lower his defenses, even though she thought he might refuse her help. Shinmon Benimaru won't be easy. If she truly was to found Company 7 alongside him, she'd rather have someone she could easily read, have nice conversations with (without getting carried away in her inventions) and share laughs when the opportunity rises. He'll need to... open up and let her in.
"I recruited Niobe to join Company 7," Benimaru suddenly revealed.
Ashura's sharp gaze zeroed on him, his face losing all traces of amusement.
"Did you now?" he asked in a drawl.
"Should have I asked before that old bespectacled coot could entertain the idea of coming to your home and corrupt your mind?" the young Hikeshi boldly said with such straightforwardness that Niobe was momentarily taken aback. "Listen, you're obviously against the idea of your daughter joining a Fire Force Company that bows to the Tokyo Empire and prays to their Sun God, then she belongs to ours. I don't see her bowing to the emperor or becoming a cleric."
Definitely not after how they'd been about to have sex in the bath. At the word "nun", Niobe twitched violently and grimaced in disgust. It wasn't that she despised nuns in general, she just couldn't understand how people could blindly surrender their bodies to a deity and give up on so many freedoms. Her being a scientist could explain why she categorically refused to believe in that Sun God and the Holy Sol religion. This unbelievable faith had been one of the many reasons Niobe and Karim had broken up, despite their feelings for each other; just the thought of seeing him in cleric robes was enough to sicken her.
Scientists weren't made for some made-up bullshit without scientifically proven facts.
"Who else was interested in Niobe?" Konro inquired curiously.
Ashura cocked his head to the side. "The 1st, the 2nd because of her excellent sniping skills that could be paired up with Hajiki's Ignition Ability—the boy has a very unique power, which Niobe is seriously fond of. They could have become a most formidable duo together, as he's also one of her childhood best friends. I approve of Hajiki, though it's a shame he's joined the 2nd as it's a militaristic Company. A gunslinger and a sniper would prove difficult to defeat."
His dark blue eyes then flashed. Sparks crackled all around his body and danced from his head to his crossed arms, prompting Niobe to shy away from her father before she got electrocuted. Benimaru frowned.
"Then we also have the 3rd, mostly because my daughter is gifted with engineering and that shady captain has noticed her as well." His voice grew gradually colder. "Haijima Industries seeks talent in the brightest minds, sometimes approaching their future employees directly at their university. Dr. Giovanni took a genuine interest in Niobe because she developed a natural skill at building weapons and robots just like the Joseph family... and also because she and Vulcan became good friends during their childhood."
Ashura groaned as he rubbed his eyes.
"Vulcan is renowned for his otherwordly skills as an engineer and he's quickly become the best one there is, earning himself quite the reputation. Every Fire Force Company has tried to recruit him, only to be harshly rejected. Even Haijima got the middle finger from the hot-head, which reminds us all of a hell-riser right here," he added with a slight smirk, his eyes finding Benimaru.
Even Niobe couldn't help the fond, sad smile. "You'd like him, Hikeshi," she added, her voice growing soft. "I'm pretty sure Vul would fit really well with all of you rowdy proto-nationalists, since he despises the Special Fire Force and Haijima Industries." With good reasons, she thought as a pang of pain pricked her heart.
"Yeah, I'd say he's got potential to blend and fit in the 7th, judging by his contempt and dislike of these organizations," Konro mused. "Though I do wonder why he's harboring such hatred towards them..."
"I'll tell you later, after a little trip back to Shinjuku to visit all of my friends," the student muttered.
Ashura and Niobe's expressions had darkened a little upon remembering what horror befell the Joseph family and how Vulcan had been distraught by this. The rage and sadness that had overwhelmed the genius had scared the shit out of Niobe, who developed a strong surge of protectiveness over the younger boy. People turned Infernal almost every day, but Vulcan's father and grandfather both turning at the same time was just too suspicious—especially after Giovanni's betrayal. The bastard had to be involved in their deaths, thus spilling blood and fueling Vulcan's hatred towards Haijima and also the Special Fire Force.
"As you know, the 4th is indeed attempting to recruit Niobe and has been unsuccessful so far, but I wouldn't put it past that old coot from sending rookies at her doorstep. The 5th hasn't expressed any interest and the 6th is mainly composed of Fire Soldiers specialised in health care, as it's a hospital directly affiliated to the Church, so Niobe doesn't have to worry about Huang Kayoko trying to play word games." Ashura's expression lightened a little as he turned towards his daughter. "So that leaves the District of Asakusa for you, baby girl. Though it's a rough town where only the strongest idiots can run and fight, the townspeople still care about each other. If you're to join the Special Fire Force as a Fire Soldier, I can only see you in Company 7."
"She already said yes before you arrived," Benimaru interjected. "I doubt she's the type to go back on her word after sealing a deal."
Niobe blew on a curl and crossed her arms under her cleavage with a serene expression. "Already doubting my integrity, Hikeshi?" she teased. "That hurts."
Benimaru narrowed his eyes at her. "Gotta have to prove yourself a lot more, Imperial girl," he snapped at her. "Your trial will begin once Asakusa has been rebuilt."
Was he still pissed at her for not riding him raw in the bath? Niobe would have gladly helped, if not for those lingering feelings for the sexy and redundant Second Generation who still had her heart. She'll have to apologize a bit more, then.
"Can I be your engineer too?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.
Benimaru blinked in surprise, not expecting this suggestion. "Seriously?"
Niobe nodded. "Building robots isn't the only thing I'm an expert at, I can also handle maintenance of generators and eveything else: since you don't benefit from the Amaterasu like the other areas of the Tokyo Empire, I might as well make sure that the non-pyrokinetics of Asakusa don't suffer from the cold once winter comes." Her keen mismatched arrowed-eyes found Konro and crinkled. "That includes you too, Hikeshi. I'll need to complete a full scan of you to get a better understanding of your body heat temperature. The tephrosis must have damaged your powers, thus weakening you to the point of actually feeling the cold."
She turned towards Ashura. "Is that right, Father?"
"Yes," he confirmed with a nod. Then he smiled down at her. "Why couldn't you have become a doctor, baby girl? You have the brains."
"One: patients sometimes refuse to follow the doctor's orders, even when it's essential for a full recovery. Two: they even have the nerve to come back and complain that they're still sick. If that isn't an incentive to murder the stupid patient," Niobe huffed, annoyance dripping from her tone and written on her lovely face. Konro and Ashura couldn't suppress amused chuckles, even Benimaru appeared to smirk a little. "Robots with a programming I've coded don't complain and obey. Only when their algorithms allow them to have human traits. In any case, just remember that you also got an engineer when you'll need one, yeah?" she assured to Benimaru and Konro.
Slowly rising to a sitting position with Ashura's help, Konro then looked at Niobe with such a penetrating gaze that the student could only stare back. The pressure she felt from him was reminiscent of her father, from whom he'd learnt so much. He was silent for a few seconds, gauging her, before he held up his bandaged palm towards her.
"Swear it," the Hikeshi tasked her in a deep voice. "Swear that you'll become a full-fledged member of the Special Fire Force Company 7, that you'll protect this town alongside Shinmon Benimaru and that your allegiance will always belong to this Company and your captain."
Niobe didn't hesitate this time. She slapped her palm in Konro's and squeezed his hand.
"I swear it!"
"You're joining us? For real?" Hinata exclaimed excitedly, winding her arms around Niobe's neck on the left.
"You're ours, Niobe?" Hikage relished happily, wrapping her arms around the sniper on the right.
Since she couldn't resist the twins with their cute smiles and huge golden eyes, Niobe could only chuckle and hold them in her arms as they both hugged her tight.
"That's right, I'm your sniper and engineer," she confirmed with a crooked smile and crinkling eyes. "While I'm still a full-time college student, that won't stop me from trying to do my best in Asakusa. Now that reminds me..." She turned towards Benimaru, who was leaning against the opposite wall of the room she was assigned to. "Will I have to move into the guardhouse as well? I got my own place back in Shinjuku, but..."
Then she grimaced, remembering what her father told her about the horrendous state of the city. Assuming that her apartment block hadn't been damaged by the great fire, Niobe would probably have to give up her small, but cozy place where she'd forged unforgettable memories with Karim and her group of friends from TEIT. After moving out of her father's mansion to be closer to her institute, she'd never entertained the idea of selling it to move in with a bunch of proto-nationalist Hikeshi—her new colleagues as a Fire Soldier.
Sounds so weird, she thought as she mused about her new position.
Benimaru nodded, gazing at her lazily. "It would be better for you to have your own room in the guardhouse, as we've always done so ever since before I even joined their ranks," he said. "Now that we're about to become an official Fire Force Company, all members of the 7th will have to stay and live together. And I did say all members—that means you'll have to give up your place to come live in Asakusa."
"Will I also have my own lab, like at my institute?" Niobe wondered honestly and innocently.
"So you can blow us up?" he teased flatly.
How straightforward. But she nearly laughed.
"I'm majoring in Robotics, not in Chemistry, cha-ma-llow. Though it wouldn't be hard for me to build an EMP or an amplifier... I'll just need the parts." Her eyes crinkled dangerously, looking like two dark blue and bright violet orbs with arrowed-pupils pointing up, and a wide smile spread on her face. "Then I'll be able to create drones to—"
The rest of her sentence was cut short as Hikage stuffed a warm cinnamon roll into her mouth with a smile, effectively shutting her up. Niobe blinked, bit into the pastry, then moaned as she welcomed the heavenly taste. Cinnamon rolls were her favorite pastries and these tasted absolutely fabulous, better than those baked at the cafe she worked at. Benimaru snorted, strolling into the room.
"Already coming up with plans for whatever dark purpose? You're dangerous, Kirishima. But hey, we'll see about that lab of yours if you need a room for your inventions."
The sniper didn't answer as she ate her pastry, mobbed by the girls as they sat around her. But she nodded gratefully at him, her eyes crinkling.
So this is the new member of my brigade, Benimaru thought as he seized her up and down once again. He still didn't know anything about the sniper who helped them all out that night, but she intrigued him (not just because she'd refused to ride him in the bath). She'd been raised out of their district by the legendary Raijin of Asakusa, who'd left the town in Konro's care, and everyone in the 7th will take her for what she looked like—an outsider. Of course. Even her clothes didn't match the conservative clothing of the traditional Japan before the Tokyo Empire was created. Still, that outsider helped them more than the Special Fire Force and Benimaru would be damned if the 7th lost her to another Company.
His jaws clenched almost painfully and he averted his eyes. The 7th... he was already referring to the Hikeshi Fire brigade as an official Company of the damn Special Fire Force, all this because he had no choice but to take Konro's place as the captain now that his mentor couldn't fight anymore. Benimaru sighed as he closed his eyes to think for a moment.
If what Hague Sōichirō said was the truth, then they'd get plenty of resources and support to rebuild Asakusa and restore it to its glorious day. No way in hell was the influence of the Tokyo Empire going to change their turf, their town would always remain proto-nationalist and will die as a conservative town that held onto their old values. As long as he, Konro, the Hikeshi Fire brigade and all the townspeople breathed, Asakusa will never yield and embrace that joke of a Sun God. Company 7 will do whatever the hell they wanted—if he was to be the captain, then he won't fall in line like a good dog. His Company, his town, his way.
Even so, that didn't mean Benimaru was ready to step up as captain.
"You survived, Hikeshi," Niobe said softly.
Tic-Tac-Toe eyes opened to find the white-haired pyrokinetic standing in front of him, her eyes warm and solemn. He was relieved to notice the lack of pity in those exceptional eyes of hers, which he appreciated but would die before admitting such thing.
"Yeah, we did," Benimaru muttered. "At the cost of too much."
"Even so, you survived, will nurse your wounds and rise again. Like the phoenix, Asakusa will rise back to its former glory as the only town that will never bow to the Tokyo Empire and pray to a god that's bullshit. I... believe there's a lesson to learn from this."
Benimaru cocked his head to the side, gazing down at the curvaceous woman. "What's that?"
Smiling softly, Niobe raised her right hand towards his face and he automatically caught it in his right hand with a light frown (as if to say 'This again?') before she could form the gun with her delicate fingers. Still, she didn't try with the other and simply looked at her captain with the most solemn face.
"That sometimes, our own strength isn't enough? That we aren't enough? This disaster was a punishing blow to your pride, reminding you that even the strongest could be overthrown and overwhelmed. You can pick yourself up again, regain your pride and still stand defiant, but after accepting all this; it won't be an easy task, as you now have to move forward with too many changes in your life, but you'll make it. If you learn to accept." Niobe blinked. "It's still called living. Right, captain?"
Benimaru stared at her for a long moment, silent.
"... Beni," he finally said.
"Hm?"
Crimson eyes stared her down. "Call me Benimaru or Beni. Not captain... not yet."
That would be his first command towards his sniper and engineer. She gazed up at him with her tired, but sharp eyes for a few seconds. To his relief, she nodded.
"Benimaru, then."
"Thank you."
Bonus end:
"You owe me a ride, Niobe," Benimaru reminded her in a growl. "No chance in hell are you forgetting that or getting away that easily."
Niobe chortled happily.
"Cha-ma-llow!"