A/N: Sorry guys, I uploaded yesterday's chapter into docs but forgot to publish it. Have a double update as an apology.

Chapter 9

Aurora spent the morning napping, staying close to Bear and occasionally having a snack. It had been a long night and she had overdone it a little the day before. A morning of rest, and her magic levels and general energy had been restored to - what she considered to be at least - acceptable levels.

Which meant it was time to cause more mischief. How was she to know how far she could push things if she didn't know where the boundaries were? No, getting everything out the way before children returned to what she was 99% sure was a school was the best option.

And also she was bored.

So, after lunch, she decided to stretch her legs, do some more reconnaissance...

See if she could track down that burning sugar smell...

Maybe get a snack from the kitchen again.

-/-

Cook was bustling around cheerfully when she reached the kitchen. She observed him quietly from one of the air vents, listening to his cheery tune. It was pretty catchy.

When he turned to fetch something from the dry stores cupboard, she head butted the vent cover. She was gentle, she didn't want it to fall off or anything. With the screw missing, it should have easily slipped open.

The screw was still missing, but the vent cover didn't budge. Her magic wasn't finding any of those tiny little latches either. Aurora scowled to herself. What was she missing...?

Narrowing her eyes, she cast around until she saw the other vent that led into the kitchen. She had to stick her head against the grate and squint at the reflection in a saucepan to spot it, but it was just possible to see if she squinted. For the briefest moment, she had half a thought to work her way around to that vent and then sneak in that way, but it was immediately very clear that wouldn't work.

Someone had sealed the edge of the vent with something the grey colour of cement. It traced around the edge in a carefully pipped line, flourishes on each corner in the form of little rose swirls. Aurora could do many things but cracking that discretely so she could slip in wasn't one. In fact, getting so much as a claw point under the edge wouldn't be possible either.

She would need another entrance.

Wriggling back out the vents, Aurora casually strolled along the corridor until she could loiter next to the canteen door. There was some sort of metal shelving unit there, empty except for tiny notches up the sides, as if someone had forgot to add the actual shelves. There was a convenient cat sized gap underneath unit for her to fit in, and chill for a few minutes.

Waiting.

Some how this was a better option than heading all the way back to her Bear's to beg for scraps.

-/-

Lunch Rush did not believe in mysterious teleporting tigers, nor did he believe in stealth-quirked feline shapeshifters. He would not fall into the same paranoia as his coworkers. Nezu was a practical creature for all that he was prone to... his meddling. He would not truly endanger the school or students... for example, by risking food poisoning from an interloper with a fascination for his kitchen.

So no, Lunch Rush was not truly worried. The air vents were sealed. Whatever Nezu had unleashed on the school would not be getting in the way of preparing good, satisfying, hygienic food for those who needed it.

At least, he didn't until he stepped out to unlock the kitchen shutter and returned to find a large white sludge pile of flour and milk.

He'd only paused to talk for two minutes!

-/-

In Aurora's defence, she hadn't meant to knock over that jar. Or the jug. She'd been slinking along, target in her sights when there had been a whiff of a canine scent that was so incredibly familiar she'd startled and done a double take.

She had been a hundred percent convinced for a good minute that Remus had just walked past.

The crushing loneliness when she had a moment to notice the differences in scent was... well. She'd been a bit angry. She hadn't looked where her butt had gone when she'd spun around back towards the fridge and the two containers had slid straight off the edge to clatter on the floor. Her attempts to shove the lid back on the flour hadn't got her anywhere either. It had just left a pile of sludge instead.

She did feel bad about it.

Enough that she made sure not to leave tracks all over the kitchen while she enjoyed some smoked salmon and investigated the can shelf. She couldn't read much on it, and what she could read made no sense whatsoever, but the pictures looked promising. Next time she would have to see if she'd guessed right and the picture of a chicken in a sailing boat was actually the can with tuna in it.

-/-

Lunch Rush was a calm man. He was a sensible man. He could deal with a little mayhem. Chaotic supply lines, hungry refugees and localised famine were all well within his scope as a support hero (retired). This. This was on another level.

The thing was there weren't any paw prints.

He could picture it now. UA's Cryptid would have come in, tail waving like a flag, picked its way through the slush pile, squishing it into irregular lumps, and then not left so much as a smudge in it's passing as it went on to explore the rest of the kitchen. That wasn't... Cats didn't do that. Teleporters didn't do that. Intangible menaces who were always getting stuck in walls didn't do that. No one did that!

But he would not be defeated.

If Nezu's Cryptid wanted a war, it would get one.

No one meddled with his kitchen.

-/-

Shouta had found a new napping spot. It was quiet, peaceful and well out of the way of the other teachers and students. Even better, it was in a shady sheltered spot so he got full advantage of the gentle breeze and the sweet smelling summer air without any risk of summer drizzle. It was the perfect place to chill, wrapped in a sheet, on top of his sleeping bag.

Koi seemed to agree.

She'd appeared and curled on top of his stomach (well where his stomach would be) while he was sleeping. He'd only woken up to discover that when she had started twitching in her sleep. He'd wriggled out enough to spare a hand to sooth her ears, but neither that nor his wriggling had woken her up. It did seem to help her settle.

For a moment he sat there and eyed the rapidly setting sunset. He'd have to go on patrol soon but there was still some time. He was warm and comfy, and there was a warm fluffy cat curled into his lap. He ran another hand over her silky ears and sighed.

...Koi smelled of fish.

Shouta eyed her and sniffed his hand. Thankfully, he didn't smell of fish - just Koi.

Mentally shrugging to himself, Shouta allowed himself five more minutes before removing himself completely from the sleeping bag and crouching next to the kitty, lips quirking up into a soft smile.

"You're an angel really, aren't you?" He murmured. "Wouldn't hurt a fly."

Koi wriggled slightly, squirming into a more comfortable position.

"Unfortunately, we can't stay here all night. Nezu will be worried for one, and I have patrol."

He scooped her up, bag and all and cradled her carefully to his chest.

"Let's get you back."

Koi snuffled a little and burrowed into his chest. Shouta felt the soft smile grow and did his best to suppress it. He had a certain reputation to maintain. It wouldn't do to let it slip. Not among students or coworkers.

Not even when faced with a perfect Angel like this.

-/-

"Snipe."

"Ummm... Hi?" Snipe hadn't known that the gentle, always cheerful cook could exude quite that much menace.

"I need to see the camera footage again."

"Of- of course. Anything in particular?"

"I'll know it when I see it."