AN: I think it's apparent that I can't write chapter titles.

Chapter 2

A Lack of Fighting Spirit

He should have known it was too good to be true.

Yuri's speech had gotten Otonashi excited and made him feel like he could belong. This brigade of strong-minded individuals could help him out, he was sure of it. He may have even made a friend in Hinata, and perhaps Yuri as well (even though she shot him). A warm feeling bubbled in his chest… then some dude with a halberd started to speak.

"Bastard! I'll kill you for not properly respecting Yurippe!" shouted the halberd-wielding maniac. "Die a hundred times!"

Nope, not doing this.

Stepping to the side, Otonashi watched the purple-haired guy – seriously, what's up with these hair colors? – charge right past him, through the door, and into the welcoming arms of a gigantic hammer that swung down from the ceiling. Should he have felt bad? Maybe. It's hard to feel bad for someone who charges you with a medieval weapon. If anything, he felt pity for the poor, sad man trying to defend his lady's honor. What did he do again? Not bow and sing her praises?

"Who's the White Knight," Otonashi asked the group at large, "and why is there a giant hammer?"

Yuri sighed, a hand covering her forehead. "That's Noda. He's a moron. That trap was built for Angel, but as usual, he was too stupid to avoid it."

"Ah," mumbled Otonashi. "So, who's everyone else?"

Some dude eating beef udon, a teen with a katana, a guy who pushed up his glasses every three seconds, a chick with a guitar, a freaking ninja, and a hippie. In other words…

"They're morons."

"Oh." He rubbed his neck awkwardly for a moment, then asked, "Is anyone here NOT a moron?"

"I'm not!" exclaimed Hinata and was promptly hit over the head by a short, pink-haired girl with a tail. A pointed, black devil's tail attached to a girl with fangs. There was a literal demon in the room. Otonashi's Hell Theory was becoming more and more appealing. "Ouch! What was that for, Yui?"

The demon, Yui, put him in a headlock and told him, "You're a moron, so accept it."

"I'll only accept it if you admit you're a moron too, you moron!"

"I'm not a moron, you're the moron!"

"This is so stupid."

"We're all morons."

"Kiss you~"

"SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU!"

The Battlefront (excluding Hinata and Yui, who were still fighting) turned to Yuri, who stood there glaring at the lot of them. "How disrespectful of you all," she started, "to not even ask for the name of our new member." It was left unsaid that she didn't ask his name, either. "So, what's your name, newbie?"

"I'm Otonashi."

Someone in the back piped up. "Hey, I know that name! Were you a famous actor?"

"Uh…"

"Did you play soccer?

"Doubt it."

"Are you a moron?"

"Yes."

"What's your first name?"

"No clue."

A brown-haired guy (finally, normal hair!) said, "Oh, another amnesiac? Don't worry, your memories will come back soon enough. We've had plenty of you before." He waved his hands in front of his face frantically, saying "N-not that you're not one of a kind, I just mean your condition isn't rare over here and-"

"Oyama, shut your face."

"Just go with the flow, dude~"

"You're all morons."

"This is so stupid."

Ten minutes ago, Otonashi thought this group was a set of determined, strong-minded individuals who could help him get his memories back. Now he was questioning their competency.

But…

Looking around, he couldn't help but smile. This big, dorky, wonderful group of misfits could be his family. Despite their bickering, their bond was obvious. He couldn't wait to get to know them. He'd have to trust that they could help him.

"By the way, did you figure out a new name for us?" asked Yuri.

"The Moron Brigade."

"That's stupid. Shut up."

"Say, Yuri," asked Otonashi, bringing them back on track, "How do you help people get their memories back?"

"Well," she mused, "Normally they just come back on their own in a few days. After all, it's not like bodily wounds last long. However," at this, her gaze pierced into him, like she was trying to pull the answers out of his soul before she could even ask the question, "It depends on if you have any memories. The process is different. So, tell us…

"Do you remember anything?" When he didn't respond, Yuri pressed on. "A family member, a place, an event, a significant other, anything."

"I do remember something," he admitted.

"That's great!" Yuri beamed. "Now, all we need to do is find more stuff related to your memory, and the rest should follow." He nodded. That made sense. "What is it you remember?"

Could he really tell them? Kanade was all he had. Those memories felt too personal, too intimate to share with people he just met. He settled on a curt, "That's private."

Yuri frowned. Clearly, that was the wrong answer. "Otonashi," she coaxed. "We're a family here. We just want to help you. You just have to let us in."

"She's right," Hinata piped up. "You may be new, but you're important to us. You don't need to give us every detail, just the basics."

"Yeah, it's okay!"

"Don't be a moron, tell us!"

"Let the groove guide you~"

"This is so stupid."

"All right, all right," Otonashi said, his hands in a pacifying gesture. These people sure were pushy. "I remember a girl."

"Ooh, a girlfriend?"

"Was she pretty?"

"Hear that? Otonashi's got a girlfriend."

"Idiot, he was talking, so shut up and listen."

"Don't talk to an upperclassman like that, Yui."

"I can if he's an idiot."

"Kiss you~"

"This is so stupid."

"SHUT UP, YOU BLUBBERING BABOONS!"

Leave it to Yuri to shut up an entire room of dunderheads.

"We can continue this tomorrow," she said in a much calmer voice, "as it seems we're running short on time." She grinned, a truly wicked thing that struck terror into the hearts of men and women everywhere. "Right now, we have a mission to plan. Let Operation: Tornado commence."

"So, our mission is to play a song, have people buy meal tickets, make them lose their meal tickets, have Angel tell us 'that's mean, please don't do that, we like our food,' and then laugh because you pissed off God."

"That's correct."

"That is the stupidest plan I've ever heard."

"HEY!" yelled a voice from behind him. There, standing in the doorway, was the halberd-wielding dude from before. Noda, was it? "What did I tell you about not respecting Yurippe?"

Oh, please. What could this idiot do to him?

The sudden separation of his head from his shoulder seemed to be a very thorough answer.

Third grade wasn't so different from the second. Then again, second grade wasn't so different than first grade, but third grade didn't feel like first grade. How did that work? The math was harder, sure, and the books were longer, but the learning structure was the same. So, what was different?

"What's wrong with you? Why won't you smile?"

"Did you get hit in the head or something?"

"Maybe she's just stupid."

"Yeah! She must be a freak!"

"Come on, freak! Why won't you smile?"

Ah, that's right. The kids were meaner.

A circle of students surrounded someone, jeering and laughing. Otonashi didn't know what was going on, but he didn't like it one bit. Walking towards the group, he couldn't help but notice how much bigger these guys were. He faltered in his step but pushed on. What would Hatsune say if he ignored it when someone was in need?

'Hatsune is gone,' a particularly annoying voice niggled at the back of his mind.

'She would want me to step in," he shot back, and he knew he was right. She was only four when she stood, proud as ever, and told off a doctor who said there was no hope for survival. Barely three feet tall, and she looked twice the size. That image would always give him the strength to help those in need.

Finally reaching the circle, he forced his way through and saw a girl his age, shorter than him, with silver hair and the most striking golden eyes. Maybe these dumb bullies couldn't see it, but Otonashi could. Those big eyes, while non-expressive to others, told entire stories to Otonashi. She was lonely. She was sad. She just wanted a friend. Most importantly, she had no idea how to express it.

"Hey, knock it off!" he yelled. "She's not doing anything wrong, so just leave her alone."

A boy a couple of years his senior pushed him to the ground, and Otonashi hissed in pain. "Why are you defending her? She's a freak."

"She's not a freak! You're just a big, mean bully. Go pick on someone your own size!" Let's just say that didn't end well for Otonashi. At least their focus was no longer on the girl.

A few minutes later, the group apparently lost interest in Otonashi and went to find some other kid to pick on. The girl with the golden eyes sat down next to him in silence. That was fine. Otonashi was grateful for the company. Maybe this girl could be his friend?

No. That wouldn't happen. He hadn't had any friends since Hatsune.

But maybe… just maybe… he could change that. It's what she would have wanted.

"Why?"

He turned towards the voice. It was a wispy, almost melodic sound. It reminded him of an angel. "Why what?" he asked in confusion.

"Why did you help me?"

Otonashi looked at the girl, confused at the question. "Why wouldn't I?"

From that day forth, Yuzuru Otonashi and Kanade Tachibana were inseparable.

Otonashi didn't like dying.

Technically, he had only died twice, three times if you count him getting here, and two of those weren't exactly deaths because you can't die, but he still didn't like it. His head hurt, his clothes were bloody, and he was probably stuck in a hospital. It felt wrong being in the bed and not to the side of it. Was he a nurse or something? Maybe a doctor?

I was a med student.

Huh. That was neat. That meant he was on the way to helping people, and probably already did. He thought that would lead to a fulfilling life. So, why was he here? Was it because he couldn't remember helping anyone? Or was there something else he regretted?

Ugh, I don't want to think about this.

"This is so stupid."

Cracking an eye open, he saw Ninja Girl sitting at his side. "I can't imagine you're here because you want to be."

"This is less stupid." Huh. He might have just been complimented.

"How long was I out for?" asked Otonashi.

"A week."

"A week?" he half-yelled. Quieting down to avoid embarrassing himself, he asked, "How is that possible? Last time I died I was only out for a few hours."

Ninja Girl twitched an eyebrow to tell him that this was so stupid. "It takes less time to heal from a gunshot wound than it does to regrow the brain." That made sense. Kind of. Maybe in a twisted, gruesome way.

"Yurippe, he's awake!" That sounded like Hinata. Sitting up to take a better look at the door, he saw Hinata, Yuri, and Yui standing in the doorway. "That's two for two. You'll probably suck at missions."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," deadpanned Otonashi. "So, how was Operation: Tornado?" For some reason, Hinata began to look distinctly uncomfortable.

"Well, you see, uh, it went, that is to say, it occurred that –"

"You're useless," said Otonashi.

"See? Even Otonashi knows, and he's been dead longer than alive!"

"Quiet, Yui."

"Don't tell me to be quiet! I can do whatever I want." Apparently, she couldn't because it was tough for her to get out for the resulting headlock.

"That's enough you two," snarled Yuri. That girl was scary. "Otonashi, something happened, and it involves you."

He frowned. "How could it involve me? I've been here because that idiot got all axe-happy and tried to defend his lady's honor from some non-existent slight."

Yuri glared at him. "I told you, his name is Noda, and he's an idiot. He can't help it." Her glare wearing away into a frown, she got back on topic. "Angel is acting strange."

"Strange?" asked Otonashi. "Hinata told me she doesn't have emotions, and that she's predictable." They spoke of her like she was some sociopath trying to end their existence, but was that really it?

"Come on, freak! Why won't you smile?"

People judged Kanade because she couldn't communicate like normal people. What if Angel was the same?

"Even if she's acting strange, what does that have to do with me? I've been in here the whole time."

"Will you shut up and let me talk? It's because someone mentioned your name."

"Well, that sure answers my questions," he snarked. "A divine being I've never met before acting slightly differently because she heard my name."

"Not slightly," said Yuri. "She stopped fighting. She just stood there, told us to go back to our dorms, and slowly walked away." She looked thoughtful. "She has never expressed any interest in anything but stopping our actions, but then someone yelled at Noda for killing you, leaving us a man down. She just… stopped. This fixation worries us. We think she wants to obliterate you personally, so we've had your room guarded." Nodding towards Ninja Girl, she continued, "You've got one of the best. Be honored we gave you Shiina instead of Yui."

"Hey, I'm a great fighter! Pow! Pow! Just look at these punches!"

"You can't fight for shit, moron."

"This is so stupid."

Ignoring their byplay, Otonashi kept looking at Yuri. "What makes you think she'll go after me? It sounds like she just lost interest in fighting."

Yuri snorted. "I've gotten good at predicting Angel's movements over the decades," she explained, "and I was proved right."

"Oh? How so?

"She keeps trying to break into this room."

Fuck.

AN: Kanade has been described as inept and aware of it. Yuri questions whether Kanade is even sentient and doesn't believe she is human. We know that Kanade is incredibly perceptive as she understands the truth about the Afterlife before anyone else does. We also know that, when she gets closer to someone, she becomes more open and, dare I say it, emphatic during emotional moments. I am writing her and people's thoughts of her with these in mind.

By the way, imagine Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher on Netflix dropping the F-bomb every time Otonashi does it.