Author's Note 1: For this chapter, guys, I'd recommend the songs"Youth" and "Voices" by Daughter and "Fuel To Fire" by Agnes Obel. Thanks for adds and favorites and criticism is much appreciated.
/!\ And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the last Pre-Canon chapter. The tenth chapter will begin the second part of the story Canon-wise, with divergence. I was fine with Canon, though there were things I disliked because I thought they could have been handled in an another way (i.e a certain gunslinger from Company 2...).
But that's why fanfiction exists, right? Right?
IX: Goodbyes
Tokyo Empire, Special Fire Force Training Academy
From: Karim
Hey. How have you been since last time...? Sorry I couldn't meet you sooner, Infernals have been popping up almost every day, but I have some free time. Are you free this Saturday?
She gave her phone to Atlas with a dejected expression and slumped in her chair while her students worked on their math problems (she'd explained today's lesson as 'humanly' as possible for their brains, so they should be at it for a while). It had been two days since Niobe received that text and she had yet to answer. Worse, she didn't even know what to say; a thank you would certainly be nice, as Karim had been the one to call Atlas so the robot could warn everyone at the guardhouse and set the trap, but... Niobe didn't feel like seeing her ex-boyfriend for the time being. Or ever. And there were two valid reasons for this hesitation.
The first one was obviously Shinmon Benimaru, who'd become her boyfriend weeks ago. Throughout these weeks, he'd personally supervised her rehabilitation with the help of everyone and would make sure she wasn't trying to misbehave. His attention and care made Niobe feel so hopeful and warm, no matter how awkward he was because he was inexperienced in the field of love. But he was learning; he was listening, reacting and comforting as best as he could. She was so thankful for all this effort and work that she cried, which confused him.
"The hell are you crying for?" he'd wondered, frowning at her in puzzlement.
"Well, someone's making a happy circus freak out of me and I wouldn't trade this person for the world!" she'd laughed as she tackled him down to the tatami for a kiss.
Certainly not. All those thoughts about trying to work things out with Karim before he took his vows went up in flames when Benimaru started invading her mind and disrupting her daily life. But what would they have done? Trying to act as if they hadn't broken up in the first place? That didn't sound like them. Plus, Niobe didn't have the guts to test her boyfriend's limits; she'd understood him very well when he'd left countless of love bites and teeth marks on her. Loud and clear. He was the possessive type and wasn't even ashamed to show it to her and everyone. Needless to say that she absolutely loved that moment where he put his foot down and turned her naked body into his canvas.
The second reason was... she truly wasn't ready to confront her ex-boyfriend. Not after he was the one to find out that she'd relapsed again, because she and Karim had been through this shit together as a couple and it had threatened their relationship. Sometimes, Niobe had believed that they'd seriously break up and it had scared her shitless at nights when he wasn't there to hold her the second she'd craved ripping her restraints and start looking for a live target to pound (that was when she really understood just how time consuming being a Fire Soldier in the elite Company truly was and it was awfully painful). How many times had she walked in circles in her own bedroom at her father's mansion, like a lion trapped in a cage? Not being able to release all her rage and resentment had nearly driven her insane.
I didn't deserve this man, she'd thought sorrowfully at the Koi pond in her father's garden. Hurting Karim had never once entered her mind, but she had by abandoning herself to her addiction. He had never deserved to go through this, and a part of the sniper was glad that he wouldn't have to once again. So getting clean was in order and on the menu.
Now, Niobe knew those four years with Karim Flam were definitely over and a beautiful thing from the past she should stop dwelling on. Trying to see him would have... made things immensely worse on her end, as her trysts with her captain had since evolved to red hot, burning love. She really hadn't seen Benimaru coming into her life, nor did he expect her to barge her way into his. And yet, here they were now—an item. Things went so naturally between them and the chemistry was so different from the one she used to share with Karim that Niobe couldn't even begin to explain it. It was... on a different level.
Blinking slowly, the sniper blew a silent breath on the long curl hanging between her eyes and crossed her long legs under her desk. She had to get a serious grip. Dwelling on a past boyfriend while she was harrowing her dear students with math wasn't... good.
"Huh... Niobe?" Ogun called.
Her mismatched eyes focused on the dark-skinned boy, whose eyes held a bright curiosity that she'd observed on her first day in this academy.
"What is it, Ogun?" she inquired.
"Can I ask a personal question? Regarding your induction into the Special Fire Force? We heard that it had been mad difficult to recruit you ever since the incident at the Tokyo Empire Institute of Technology, so what changed your mind?"
The second he finished his sentence, all eyes looked up from the homework she'd given them to gaze at her curiously. Even Shinra looked interested in her answer. Huh. I wondered how long it would take them to muster the balls to ask me, she thought with a blank expression as she sat straighter on her chair. Such sudden interest sparked Niobe's. Which might lead to another outcome—her needing to take it out once again while on break time. Her hands were already shaking a little...
Taking a deep breath, she hid her trembling fists in her pockets and faced the curious stares of her students.
"Asakusa," she responded simply. "I was there that day when the Great Fire happened."
Leaning on her elbows, she eyed them all with an intense gaze.
"Asakusa was worse than what happened at TEIT, as the emergence of Infernals was on a much larger and more dangerous scale. You'd think that a previous experience would have been... helpful in dealing with such horror, but you would be so wrong. Boy, was I wrong to believe that I'd be prepared to face the plight of fighting a large number of Infernals popping up at once."
She marked a small pause to inhale, eyes cast to her desk, then exhaled loudly to set her mind straight.
"So what actually drove me to finally become a Fire Soldier at Company 7? Certainly the fact that I helped in putting so many proto-nationalists to rest when the Special Fire Force failed the Hikeshi. I killed them... and still regret it to this day." She slowly raised her eyes to frown at her students, who flinched on their seats. "Now don't get me wrong, I didn't join my captain out of guilt: he recruited me because he wanted to flip them the middle finger and I wanted nothing more than avoid joining an Imperial Company. So we already saw eye-to-eye about the Tokyo Empire."
"Why... why is that?" Karin asked, very confused.
"Because I'm a proto-nationalist who was raised in the Tokyo Empire by a proto-nationalist father and I share his values," Niobe responded firmly. "And I'm damn proud of it. To be honest with you, I've never considered myself believing in a deity and praying to it when I've never shown a single lick of faith in some being whose existence has never been proven. So can you imagine me saying 'Látom' and tenting my hands in that ridiculous form to send the victim off? I don't." She clicked her tongue in annoyance.
She'd never understood why Karim had been so intent on getting her to accept his captain's offer, knowing full well that the only way to join the elite Company would be to become a sister and have faith in a god that didn't exist in the first place—a proto-nationalist such as Kirishima Niobe would have laughed in his face before saying 'no' with a very straight face. Although her ex's squad was said to be the elite Fire Force Company, Niobe would have felt so... out of place. The grounds themselves were so ostentatious. Even Maki's family mansion had more taste than this holier-than-thou hellhole.
How long would it have taken her to spit at the face of the religious elders whenever they'd gather for mass in the cathedral? Even seeing an altar would make her blood boil—setting it on fire and taking a picture would have been great on her social media page, but so many sheeps would have labelled her an heretic and a terrorist (nothing new here, her arachnobots had already attacked some Fire Soldiers when they presented themselves at her father's mansion). It would be awesome if she could do it again, with Beni's permission.
Still, Ogun wouldn't relent. "So why accepting to teach us if you can't stand the idea of being in an Imperial Company?"
Niobe tilted her head and smirked at the Yoruba. "Gotta make money, right? My institute has closed until further notice and we students are astray, so I might as well get some source of income somewhere. Even if I despise the Imperial Fire Force with everything I've got, this isn't going to prevent me from getting my new tattoo." Then her expression turned serious and she pointed at Karin. "But get that: I've never wanted to become one of you, despite having powers. My goal wasn't to become a Fire Soldier so I could put my life on the line for others, as it wasn't an obligation. Just like you didn't have to enlist in the Fire Force, you did it because you wanted to be... 'useful'. That's fine, I won't laugh at you."
At the very least, that was how the sniper saw things. The Companies needed pyrokinetics to fight a mysterious phenomenon no one knew anything about and that might never be stopped, so the Empire would stop at nothing to acquire new toys. This way, they could die for this godforsaken country and believe they'd helped and had done a good job. Niobe almost wanted to snort and scoff in derision, but squashed the furious and tempting need to do so. If some of these Fire Soldiers and future rookies decided to enlist because they wanted to serve a so-called purpose, found their calling in putting their lives on the line for stupid sheeps and an old, shriveled relic who would never be able to get the respect of her captain, fine. They could do it so long as they breathed. If they wished to kill themselves in the line of duty because they believed it was the right thing to do, fine. Who was she to tell them otherwise?
I don't have to follow their lead and I certainly don't intend to burn my life away for them, Niobe thought crossly. After TEIT and how she'd been treated, the people who believed in the Holy Sol Temple and were devout followers could burn in whatever eternal place of torment for all she cared. They were so fickle-minded that if the Empire told them 'jump', they'd already be in mid-air. It was too problematic. The people of Asakusa were so different from them that she was baffled she used to live among these sheeps for most of her life.
With that being said, Niobe blew on the sole curl hanging between her eyes.
"C'mon, you brats still got some work to do. And I'll think about not giving you any homework this time."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Now that she's cleared the air a little, Niobe could go back to thinking about her next trial—Karim Flam, the sexy punk who will actually become a Lieutenant Priest. Was she ready to confront him and sort out their differences once and for all? Probably. They may have spoken a few times over the phone these last few months before her trysts with Benimaru got serious, but they still hadn't said goodbye properly. They needed proper closure so they wouldn't have any regrets—Niobe had none for all she knew, but she wasn't sure about Karim. After all, the man did love her for four long years and they were each other's first love, first time, first everything. They lasted a very long while.
Should they meet up to have closure, the sniper was certain he'd figure out that she had a new lover—if she didn't tell him, then something else might clue him in. The love bites and teeth marks that Benimaru loved to leave on her skin (especially her neck and breasts), her behavior and how distant she'd be, anything would prompt Karim to wonder if she'd already moved on with her life. Maybe he wouldn't be surprised, but might be bitter for a while. Probably angry at himself and her too.
"A girl such as yourself wouldn't be left single for too long," Karim had told her one night, as he was peppering sweet kisses and tender love bites all along her back shoulders after a heated lovemaking. "That's what I quickly understood since our first anniversary. Didn't you notice how other punks would look at me after they've noticed you?"
"Didn't care about them," she'd murmured with a light moan as his hips rolled teasingly against her ass. "Though I did feel some stares when we were at the café..."
Irritated, Karim had clicked his tongue.
"Then I should have let you sit on my lap just to see how they'd have reacted and they'd have backed off."
Grinning, Niobe had slowly raised herself to her knees with a hum and had thrown her boyfriend a lustful glance over her shoulder.
"Well, how about you mark me all over again? I am yours, after all."
The heated, feral gaze and the broad grin Karim sent Niobe was all she saw before he thrust back in, shoving her into her pillow as he drilled his hard cock to wreck her insides once again with more vigor. And all she could do was moan and mewl in pleasure wantonly, in tune with his hungry grunts and groans.
If a few months counted as 'not too long', then Karim had been dead on; Niobe really hadn't expected falling in love once again after him, and especially not with her Company captain. And they both fell so hard they couldn't even really put a definite stamp as to precisely say when their feelings for each other started growing. When they bloomed and got stronger. Was it during their shared breakdowns after ensuring that no one would see them shedding tears? Or was it when they'd both taken the time to comfort one another (be it with heartfelt hugs, with sweet kisses or with hard and heated lovemakings that would leave them euphoric and begging for more)? Benimaru was just... wholesome.
Niobe had no clue. All she was sure of was that she and Benimaru wouldn't let go of each other. It was far from an unhealthy obsession, but being away from each other for far too long would put them in a foul mood—it has been verified once with Benimaru when she'd hurried to come back from a night out with her friends, refusing Baccarat's invitation to stay over at her appartment. The minute she'd slid the door of the silent guardhouse shut and had sat down to remove her sneakers, she'd heard him walk her way. Niobe had been welcomed with a tender, deep kiss as he'd scooped her up to walk directly back to their room. They'd spooned in bed, their legs tangled and the covers to their necks. He hadn't even needed to speak what was on his mind, his actions spoke for him; the way he'd hugged her tight against his hot body all night had been all she needed to understand that Benimaru had missed her. Deeply. Same for the sniper, who'd made love to him slowly and tenderly in the early hours of the morning, just to feel him going crazy under her while she was riding him raw and good.
Aroused and his body hard for more, Benimaru had taken the lead after the first orgasm, favouring the missionary position this time. Following her pace, he'd never strayed his eyes from hers and had hugged her close to him as he was thrusting deep into her womb. The warm softness in the candy cane coloured eyes admiring her raptly and his smile had made this moment so intimate and important for both that Niobe hadn't wanted their embrace to end. Not even after Konro came to get them for breakfast. Since it had been a day off and the weather had been so capricious lately, Benimaru had suggested a very relaxing schedule—bath, nap, snack time, (anime watching for Niobe, choosing her favorites such as Bungou Stray Dogs, One Piece and its movies, Death Note or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood) and sex. No working on spiderbots or her most recent project: an AI that would watch over Asakusa—if Beni gave her his approval.
A very relaxing day off indeed, which ended with everyone being in a good mood—especially Beni, who'd hauled his girlfriend on his shoulder and had headed for a late night bath. Taking baths with him equaled taking the edge off and just enjoy intimacy, something that they started to like doing whenever they could. Straddling his lap without riding his cock, snuggling his chest and the crook of his neck while his arms were wrapped tightly around her soaked, naked body and just enjoying this moment was all they both needed. When Niobe asked in a whisper if they could do this more often, her face nestled in his neck, her captain had hummed a positive answer.
"You're tempting me to fuck you here and make you mine from time to time, Hime," he'd rumbled affectionately against her lips, his eyes heated and feral.
"Do it, I triple-dog dare ya," she'd purred sensually before kissing him.
Once they'd retreated back in the privacy of their room, they'd made love again. Tenderly and slowly at first, with Benimaru taking the lead in the missionary position because he'd wanted to feel all of her one last time before sleep. It had been so... intimate and wonderful. So much that tears of happiness had sprung from the corner of her eyes. Niobe only had had his name on her tongue, in her moans, sobs and pleas, while she was being physically and emotionally undone and overwhelmed by such display. The grin he'd given her had matched the searing look on his sweaty face—predatory and lustful, which had made her yearn for more and Benimaru had happily conceded. Her sex-drive was already high because of her relationship with Karim, but her captain's was obviously something else.
While Beni can't say the words, he can show me and does it so well, she thought with a hidden and soft smile that she concealed from her students. Though Karim was able to say the words, her current boyfriend's way of showing his feelings was so unique that she just had to love it. A bit hesitant at first, but still very affectionate when Niobe told him to just be himself—not the Destroyer of Asakusa or Waka like all the citizens had started to call him, not Hibachi's heir, not the captain of the 7th, but Beni. Whenever it was just the two of them and no one else, she wanted Beni. The look he'd given her had been one of silent awe, as if he'd never expected her to tell him such thing. Or as if no one had ever told him to be... himself. His response had been to pull her to him, his mouth on hers for a slow, but hard kiss that spoke louder than words.
You don't want me to be someone I'm not. Thank you, Kitten.
All these moments spent together, whether they were talking or not, were slowly bringing them closer, which they both loved. Benimaru's behavior was now completely relaxed around the sniper; though he'd still study her with his mismatched eyes to learn all of her quirks, he never hesitated to give into cuddling whenever they were lounging and always had his hands on her body (her legs, her waist, but he loved nestling his face into her neck, pressing his lips on her hot skin and kissing her back tattoos one by one). Benimaru quickly grew to become very affectionate, which was demonstrated by him coming into her lab and locking the door, creeping silently behind her and wrapping his arms around her body to pull her flush to him. With just a few words whispered in her ear, Niobe would immediately stop working and curl up with him on her cushion.
"Avoiding paperwork, Tiger?" she'd asked with a knowing smile, her fingers massaging his scalp.
"And what about it?" Benimaru had rumbled against her skin, kissing her throat tenderly.
When she came back to reality, she gracefully got up to go and survey what and how her students were fairing. Out of her own volition, she lingered around Shinra to check how he was doing and was quite pleased to see that he was managing really well. Math seems to be his favourite subject, Niobe thought with a small and encouraging smile as she nodded at the young shark-toothed kid. Even though Ogun clearly was the best one here, Shinra wasn't far behind. She could even say he was just second to the Yoruba (Arthur was pretty much a lost cause concerning all subjects where thinking was needed). He smiled back toothily at her, despite the instant glowering of most of his male classmates. When her eyes flashed in warning and she used Beni's pissed off scowl in their direction, all eyes swiftly turned back on the homework.
Tch. Idiots. Sheeps even. The sniper didn't have to think and behave like them towards Kusakabe just because of unfounded rumours: after getting the gist of what happened to him when he was a kid, Niobe had been overcome by the utmost sympathy. Although she wasn't an orphan like he was, she'd also lost her mother at a very tender age, so young that she didn't really remember her anymore. She couldn't remember her face, her smile... the only pictures she had of Kirishima Diana were in her father's study, at the Kirishima residence. Shinra must miss his mother and little brother Shō so terribly.
Being the only survivor of such horrific event and being branded as a murderer at such young age is no way to live, she thought as she went back to sit at her desk with a solemn expression. His mother's family had even refused to take Shinra in, fully believing him to be responsible for his family's tragic and traumatic death. Predictable reaction, but fear shouldn't make them abandon one of their own and hate them just for the hell of it. Where the hell was the father in all this? Was it just the three Kusakabes until horror struck? Shinra must have felt so alone for years. Did he even have real friends in this Academy? Niobe had often seen him with Ogun and Arthur, but that was it. Karin reveled in antagonizing the little shark, never missing a chance to remind Shinra of what he supposedly did and that he'd never be a hero. Girls must be giving him such a hard time as well, probably repulsed when there was nothing to be afraid of.
Damn. Another reason to despise sheeps.
Moments later, after explaining the latest math equations to Arthur (in the most simple way she could find) and giving her students some tips about an upcoming 'test', Niobe freed them. But this time was different: when she noticed that the brats weren't getting up and stayed rooted to their seats, as if waiting for something, she blinked owlishly at them.
"What?" she asked. An amused smile pulled at her full lips. "You want homework?"
They shook their heads all at once, Arthur looking more horrified and pale than the others as his blue eyes widened in fear. Ogun cleared his throat once the fright passed, then gazed at Niobe with his bright, yellow spiral-shaped eyes and a hopeful smile.
"Before you arrived for today's lessons, we were all wondering if we could see your powers in action?" he asked politely. "If you're not against it, of course?"
Niobe frowned a little.
"Why? Didn't you all watch the video that was posted on many social media outlets?" she snipped, crossing her long legs. "The girl who recorded me had a pretty good view of me shooting arrows at the Infernals. Besides, I dislike showing off."
One of the girls hesitated. "True, but... it's not like the real thing: seeing you in a video and in action isn't the same thing at all. This time, there won't be Infernals. It would be like training." She gave Niobe an encouraging smile, imitated by many of her friends. "Maybe you'd like to give us tips upon facing our first Infernals after being drafted?"
"As a devoted knight, I'd be honoured to witness the empress sharing her knowledge of mastering her fire powers and would gladly become her apprentice," Arthur declared proudly, stars shining in his bright blue eyes and a smirk in place.
What?
Of course, the self-proclaimed knight king would agree with his peers. Despite being dumber than a box of frogs, he could also rally everyone to reach a decision like Ogun could—the Yoruba was just as popular as he was, especially because he was both good-looking and the top of this class. The sniper scoffed, crossing her arms under her heavy cleavage, and leaned her head back to survey all her students with an annoyed stare.
"I didn't sign up for this part of teaching you, brats. That goes well beyond my contract: at no point did it stipulate that I also could take you under my wing and teach you how to master your pyrokinesis and—are you serious?" she grumbled in astonishment, suddenly sitting straight with wide eyes.
While the boys were merely staring at her with stars shining in their eyes and big grins radiating hope, the girls opted for the cute puppy look. You've got to be bloody kidding me, Niobe thought as she cringed at the unnecessary and stupid trick that was being used here. She leaned back in her chair, her mismatched eyes narrowing. It was the same thing Bo used whenever she wanted Niobe and her father to attend her family's ridiculous parties, and if she blatantly refused, the aristocrat would wail so loud in public that she had to be shut up and the wailing would only stop with an agreement to come to these parties—ever since her father had saved her aunt via surgery, Bo's family was forever indebted to Kirishima Ashura.
Those kids weren't going to let her breathe; since math class was over and they now had the rest of the day off because it was Wednesday, they weren't going to take no for an answer. And the hesitant, yet hopeful look on Shinra's face was just... Tch, so young and so impressionable, Niobe thought with a huff, aggravated to all hell.
"Guess you brats won't let me off the hook until I cave in," she grumbled as she got up. "At least, my clothes are fit for that kind of exercise..."
Even though she could easily have done that with a tank top, shorts and pumps—because of her balance and gracefulness she'd earned through training with her father and becoming a gymnast—, her light green overalls shorts that stopped at the thighs, short-sleeved white shirt, long black socks that reached her thighs and high white sneakers were enough to move sufficiently good. If Niobe asked some of her students to fight her so she could assess their level, then it would give her a taste of what this new generation of future Fire Soldiers had to offer.
As predicted, the brats cheered almost at the top of their lungs. Karin and Ogun even took the liberties of leading her towards the court by pushing her while she openly scowled moodily (using Benimaru's expressions sometimes helped in getting people to back off and leave her alone but this time, it wasn't working), snickering at her lack of enthusiasm. The others followed eagerly, clearly dying to see some good action that would be a lot more different than their usual training sessions with their instructor.
"First off, let's make this clear!" she exclaimed to her students, her eyes narrowing. "I'm not responsible if you start whining that you got bruises because I didn't go easy on you. My training was really different from the one you're receiving at this Academy and I might go overkill..."
"Yes, ma'am!" they all chorused.
"Tch!"
Sometimes Niobe believed that these children truly had no idea just how rough and brutal proto-nationalist fighters could get whenever they got riled up for a fight. All she hoped was that she'd get the opportunity to test their resolve and skill—without hurting them too bad. She could do this, Beni had been supervising her rehabilitation step by step to make sure she wouldn't lose it again. So she could do this.
After beating the brats to the ground, Niobe would text Karim back to tell him that she'd meet him this Saturday. Goodbyes had to be made properly and they both needed this—him so he could focus on his future duty as a Lieutenant Priest of Company 1, and her so she could finally move on from her initial disgust at losing her ex to a fake Sun God.
Once Niobe got to her side of the yard, she turned back towards her students and gave them an appraising look. While some of them were fidgeting in trepidation, others were now starting to feel apprehensive. And she could understand them: since they'd all watched the footage of her putting the Infernals to rest at TEIT, the only thing they'd seen was her using her Ignition Ability. They knew nothing about her prowess as a martial arts practitioner and were in for a nasty surprise. As far as she was concerned, they still were eager and excited for a session with their teacher—who was only supposed to hammertheir heads with math!
Shuffling her hands into her pockets, Niobe cocked her head to the right when Ogun lifted a hand. "Are we still in class, Ogun?" she drawled with an amused grin.
"Somewhat?" the dark-skinned boy answered with a crooked smile, witty. "Then I believe it's only fair to ask you what fighting style you use before we get down to business. I'm not so dumb to think that you only have your pyrokinesis."
Niobe gave him a nod. "Me not having any fighting skill would have probably made things easier for you to defeat me—snipers mostly rely on their shooting abilities because they excel with guns. Which could have been my case," she added with a drawl, cracking her neck from left to right. "So, quick question: who can do hand-to-hand combat in this class? Be it hands or feet?"
Just a few of the brats raised their hands, Shinra and Ogun being among them. Niobe hummed, perking up, and her eyes gleamed in interest.
"And how many can use weapons, be it normal ones or powered by your pyrokinesis?"
Arthur raised his hand proudly with a sufficient smirk. Again, it made him stand out among his female classmates, who were now gushing about him in hushed whispers and smiles hidden behind their hands. They were even giggling like... well, high schoolers. Should have probably guessed he'd be this popular, Niobe thought with an exasperated expression.
"I see. Arthur, what kind of power do you have?" she asked, gazing at the self-proclaimed knight.
His blue eyes gleamed. "Why, plasma is the best pyrokinesis for a knight of the Round Table and especially fit for the knight king," he bragged, taking out a sword with a cross-shaped hilt. "Deadly and efficient."
Niobe had to agree with that. "Indeed. Though it depends on how good of a swordsman you are..."
To prove her point, the sniper disappeared from sight. Everyone jumped and looked around, confused and surprised, but Arthur was the only one who reacted—quick enough to attempt a counter-attack, but not quick enough to avoid the flurry of well-placed kicks she gave him to his stomach. Blue eyes went wide in shock as her right foot hit him square in the gut, and he would have doubled over had she not held him by his right arm. Since he seemed to be right-handed, then this one should either be rendered useless or limp.
One, two, three, four or five kicks made contact painfully, making him gasp and cough some spit. This time, Arthur doubled over on one knee, overwhelmed by the sudden attacks and wheezing like crazy. That was all Niobe needed before she brought her leg high up in the air in a 180° angle and slammed her heel on his back. The force of the impact was enough to instantly knock the knight out, whose eyes remained open though.
When realization finally struck the brats that Arthur had already been defeated before he could even ignite his sword, they started acting all frantic. Some were mortified, others were awed. Maybe a little scared. Niobe didn't really care as she gathered her curls into a ponytail, her foot on the blonde's back.
"H-How...," Ogun stammered, his golden eyes wide in bewilderment.
"Good eyes, but his reflexes aren't sharp enough," she remarked, her tone cheerful. She released Arthur's arm. "I guess I should attribute this to the fact that we've had different kinds of training and that you lack experience in combat training." Then her eyes lazily slid towards the next target.
The second her hair was neatly tied, the sniper struck. Two graceful cartwheels and one somersault were enough to reach Ogun, who snapped back to reality just in the nick of time to block her first kick that was about to whack him beside the head. She smiled toothily, her eyes crinkling in mirth. The strength Niobe put in her leg caused his legs to buckle slightly under him, but the boy held strong with determined eyes.
"Nice," she praised. "But your counter-attack must follow."
Shifting on the toes of her left foot, she performed a complete 180° on herself like a graceful ballerina and swiftly raised her leg as if to high kick Ogun square in the face, but stopped a few milimeters before it made contact. The Yoruba froze and just... stared. Wide-eyed, he could only stare at the sole of her white sneakers. Blood slowly trickled out from his nose down to his chin, with small droplets falling on the ground. The strength she'd put behind the kick had been akin to a small shockwave that had rattled his bones and entire being—thus explaining the nosebleed.
This time, Niobe wasn't smiling anymore. Using Ogun's shock to her advantage, she raised her hands and formed her bow; bright green, eerie flames emerged from her fingertips, grew large and menacing.
"From what I've seen and heard, not all Infernals are the same," she said loud and clear to all of her students, so everyone could listen. "Some you'll meet will be slow, almost languid and therefore easy to put to rest. They'll be wandering around like the mindless creatures we've always determined them to be, as their conscious would have slipped away upon turning. Others would be... almost sentient." She frowned, retracting her long leg. "As if they were still retaining some kind of conscious and would act on it."
That was exactly what had happened back at TEIT. Niobe hadn't told her father, friends and Karim about this, but one of the Infernals she'd put to rest at her school had behaved as if... it had tumbled around, whimpering and roaring in pain while the flames ravaged the dining hall. At first, she hadn't understood why it wouldn't lunge at her like all Infernals seemed to do, so she watched the flaming creature while having it at gunpoint with a dumbfounded expression. Until it hit her straight in the gut.
It had been trying to run away. Run away from death—the one who was about to fire an arrow at it to end its suffering. The Infernal had tried to save itself from Niobe.
Maybe it had been Matsumoto Shinji, who used to be such a paranoid but funny fellow, or maybe it had been Smith Alexander who, despite being an handsome jock with brains, had had some sort of self-preservation left and had tried to run? Niobe couldn't have known. All she could remember was the way the Infernal had tumbled away from her, roaring and whimpering in pain... and she'd hesitated. Her hands had trembled so much that her bow had threatened to dissolve into flares. Until she'd finally gathered her last nerves to end this dreadful nightmare with an arrow that shot through its core. The tears that had ran down her face had been unstoppable, even when her friends had found her after the disaster and had tried their hardest to comfort her.
It was more than likely that the future rookies would meet this kind of Infernal.
Niobe shifted on her two feet, regaining her balance easily. "The sentient Infernals will be more difficult to deal with, because there's got to be a reason they're still conscious about their environement and actions," she said, slowly pulling back a fire arrow. "Some will be extremely aggressive, probably moved by a solid willpower to protect. Be it themselves or something they hold dear."
"Why is that?" Karin asked bravely.
"Honestly, who knows? To this day, I'm not even sure the studies about Infernals have revealed everything about them." Her gaze grew somber. "All I'm saying is that your reflexes need to be on high alert around your targets. All the time. Train hard, because the Fire Force will demand that you lay your lives for this Empire. And the second you'll be facing death, there won't be a chance to have regrets."
She locked eyes with Ogun, noting his solemn expression.
"It's fine to be apprehensive of what's awaiting you once you're drafted to your future Companies, because you'll be diving into the unknown." Her mismatched eyes surveyed the entire class. "My advice for you, should you decide to take it seriously, is to remind yourselves that your life is important as well. Fire Soldiers may fight to protect the citizens, but along this duty of theirs, they tend to forget that they could stop valuing their own life in order to save another's. And for a glorified 'hero' like the Fire Soldier, that's a damn shame."
Another reason for Niobe to not die for the sheeps of the Empire was that she loved her life too much to let it burn away. As selfish as it was, if there was another alternative to save people without throwing her life away, she'd take it. Hell, she'd create it. The Hikeshi fought for their people, following her boyfriend's lead, and she respected that very much. The loyalty was beyond comparison.
But it was much more different with the sheeps of the Empire. All pious followers of the Holy Sol were so easy to manipulate through religion that they wouldn't defy that old goat who was their Emperor, unless they'd be refused 'salvation'. Niobe bet the citizens would be ready to even give up the Fire Soldiers who put their damn lives on the line for them just to be 'saved'. Because the head of the Empire would have said so. Thus, they were 'soon-to-be traitors' in her mind and they'd certainly remain that way. Anything the Empire says and does is the absolute truth for those indoctrinated sheeps, she thought derisively.
Sighing, she compressed and reduced her bow into one projectile that she kept ignited with her forefinger. Shuffling one hand in her pocket, Niobe turned towards the rest of the class.
"Always remember this, brats: your life is your own and you choose your own path. Just don't bitch and whine about having regrets later on." She played with the projectile by allowing it to roll between the tiny gap between her fingers, much like a coin. Back and forth. "That would be your greatest shame."
Gathering the projectile with the pads her thumb and index, she flicked it in Karin's direction. Though it wasn't as powerful as her arrows, it was small and deadly enough to go through the boy's head.
"What the hell?" Karin shouted in complete surprise before he hastily lifted his hands, panicked.
Before Niobe's interested eyes, a small barrage of red scales appeared to shield the boy just in the nick of time. Her projectile hit the wall, missing his forehead completely, and bounced back. She avoided it nonchalantly.
"Amazing," she whistled in praise. "You're a shield, Karin? That's a rare power that all Second Generations would probably kill to have!"
Adrenaline pumped in her veins, hot like burning fire, and spread all over her body. It was enhancing her senses and she was already tingling with overexcitement. It was too late to turn back and leave now, Niobe was way too excited. Curtsy of these kids, they wanted to see her powers in action for real and some tips for when they'd graduate from the Academy to finally become Fire Soldiers. In other words, if Benimaru were to scold her for giving them bruises (which he certainly wouldn't because he wouldn't even care), she'd pin the blame on them. She totally would and should.
Because it was far too tempting to finally make the Imperial Fire Force understand why the former Hikeshi Fire Brigade always relied on themselves about everything. Showing off really wasn't Niobe's thing and she couldn't care less, but those brats had been begging for something worth more than getting math homework to grovel over until late at night. So I shall deliver, the sniper thought with a relaxed grin.
Karin blushed at the compliment, taken by surprise. "Er, thanks?" he stammered, a tentative smile on his face.
Niobe was in his face less than a second later, her eyes crinkling in mirth and a broad grin threatening to split her lovely face in two. She cradled his face in her hands. Strongly. Karin blinked far too late for her liking.
"But don't lose focus. Always. Stay. Sharp."
Her knee suddenly dug into Karin's gut once to knock the breath out of him, then twice in the face to send him up and back on his back as well. The poor bully didn't get back up and held his stomach, his arms wrapped tightly around his body. Niobe chuckled in mirth as she shuffled her hands in her pockets, then used her foot to forcefully push Karin on his back and slammed it on his chest. He gasped in pain, his eyes wide and drool leaking from the corner of his mouth.
"Stop it, Niobe!" Ogun exclaimed, grabbing her shoulder. "You're too strong for us to handle!"
"Hey, Karin? A question for you," Niobe called aloud, ignoring the Yoruba.
She leaned in, her mismatched eyes staring with an eerie glint. The smile became somewhat... kinder. And it was actually kind of creepy.
"Aren't Fire Soldiers supposed to be a team? Be it colleagues, teammates or friends? If so, then why do you isolate and shun Kusakabe?"
Karin drew a shallow breath but didn't dare cough, lest he anger her.
"Because of what you've heard about him, you're doing all this so he can quit while he's at it? Seriously? That's your reason for shunning him?" Then the smile finally slipped off her face as she leveled her cold glare towards everyone—including Shinra and Ogun. "You all decided that he didn't deserve to be one of yours because of what happened to him in his past? Because Kusakabe is a supposed 'devil', he shouldn't be a hero to your Empire? What, there's no benefit of doubt anymore?"
Niobe hissed, her eyes flashing. The sound was so sudden that it made the young students flinch, so much that Ogun himself was backing away from her.
"Some future Fire Soldiers you all are," she drawled, sarcasm dripping from her tone. "There's no sense of unity and community in each of you, only idiocy. According to your assumptions, Kusakabe doesn't deserve the title of Fire Soldier and protector of the people at all, but you do? Get real, brats: you're all choosing to lay out your damn lives for what you believe to be the right thing and here you are, already freaking out because of some blasted rumor you have no fucking idea if it's true or not. You're already breaking apart, dividing yourselves like complete sheeps! Do you even realize how truly stupid you all are?!" she laughed incredulously, shaking her head.
Every time she came to the Academy to teach, she'd hear the whispers and the damn gossip—all about Kusakabe Shinra, how he'd straight murdered his own family and kept smiling a demonic smile. That he'd burned his mother and baby brother until there weren't bones to bury, not even ashes. It wasn't just the words and insults, it was also the way they'd talk about this horrible disaster as if they'd witnessed it with their own eyes and therefore knew what the hell they were talking about.
These idiots literally had no idea, as there hadn't been any proof that Shinra had indeed killed his own mother and brother. None. Though she'd remained pretty much neutral about the stupid gossiping and would ignore the other teachers probing at her during coffee breaks (their coffee machine sold garbage, by the way), telling herself that she really shouldn't care about it, Niobe had reached her breaking-point with their bullshit.
And these guys believed they'd make better Fire Soldiers? No backbone, all talk but no spine and balls to take a step back and think for themselves. Pathetic.
"Tch! I'm outta here," Niobe declared, walking off. "I need to cool off."
She had to, because she just might beat all those kids to the ground and leave them in a very... unfortunate state. Time to go home and cool off with Beni, Konro, the Hikeshi and the girls. She'll also call Hajiki so they could hang out together, because she needed to take the edge off and she missed him. Picking up Atlas and her backpack, she allowed her teddy bear robot to deactivate itself so she could tuck him into her backpack and stalked straight towards her bike.
You
Hello. I'm... fine. Getting better each day.
Saturday sounds fine. How about I stop by your Company at ten?
From: Karim
Perfect. I need to show you something. See ya this Saturday then!
When Saturday finally rolled by, Karim got up early to take a long shower in order to calm his mind. Getting a case of nerves on his nerves the day he and his ex-girlfriend would resolve things for good wasn't going to cut it. Leaning against the wall with his arm and forehead against the cool tiles, he sighed heavily as he tried to gather his stormy thoughts and sort them out. Alone, he could hardly do it and that prompted him to either meditate with Rekka and Huo Yan or get Niobe to help him with his problem. But with the impending ceremony being just a day away, Karim was stuck.
What should they do? He'd be lying if he said he wanted her gone after they'd finally sorted everything out—he wanted to spend the whole day with her and fully enjoy it, as this would be the very last. Seeing the girl he'd loved for four wonderful years would put his mind at ease before the ceremony. And he wanted Niobe to see him in his new robes so she could understand a very important thing. Even though I believed in everything you hated, you still loved the heck out of me, you beloved idiot, Karim thought with a small smirk. While she was a genius at Robotics, his ex really had been shit at figuring out that it had never mattered that he was a follower of the Holy Sol during those four years.
If he wanted to spend the whole day with Niobe, it better be outdoors and certainly not indoors, as he'd be tempted—who knows if he was going to be able to keep his hands and lips off her body? She'd spent so much time at the grounds of Company 1 and in his room that he could always picture her bustling around, helping him clean his instruments while wearing his clothes, relaxing on his bed with him as they watched old movies she'd found, old animes and played video games. Stroking her perfect legs or running his fingers through her shiny, smooth curls while she was so focused had been things Karim will forever love doing, even after going their separate ways. God, he also loved helping to moisturize her scalp, even doing it himself because it relaxed him so much.
On week-ends, they'd alternate turns on coming over, which was quite fun. Her apartment in Shinjuku provided them the privacy they both needed, as the dorms at Company 1 were full of his colleagues—and said colleagues were sometimes too nosy for their own good, trying to get a good look at Niobe while she was sound asleep in his bed (this always resulted in Karim slamming the door straight against Rekka's side of the head, hurting the hot-blooded idiot on purpose). So they'd just hang around in Shinjuku ward as a couple, out of everyone's prying eyes.
Those were the good times he never wanted to forget. Ashura Kirishima's precious daughter was a woman like no other and the idea of replacing her with someone else was just rubbish in his mind, no matter what Rekka said. This hot-blooded bastard could be as loud as he wanted, Karim wasn't in the mood to have sex with a random girl. And he'd never go down that road.
Getting with another girl had been... difficult. Downright impossible. Although he knew he had to move on to welcome the new duty that was awaiting him, Karim hadn't been ready to feel the cold disinterest in the dating scene after Rekka had finally mustered the guts to tell him to fuck someone; never had he wanted to kill that idiot with his grinning-star grins after suggesting such bullshit this much. He could have, of course, as a cute girl had managed to bring the cold Second Generation back to her apartment, but the second their lips met, Karim had felt like it just... didn't feel right. It truly didn't. So he bailed out, with a half-assed apology, and walked back to Company 1 in a very foul mood. The second he locked himself in his room, he'd nearly called Niobe so she could come and he'd have locked both of them in the privacy of his haven. He'd have fucked her hard on his bed, against the wall and on the ground in all the positions they loved the most. Over and over, until they were both spent and sated.
Shaking his head with a frustrated groan, the blue-haired pyrokinetic turned the water off and snatched his towel. Dangerous thinking is too dangerous and dangerously tempting, Karim thought as he dried himself. He really didn't want a stiff erection the day he and Niobe were to meet up again, which would be so awkward to explain after everything that happened between them.
He went back to his room, fully clad in dark slacks and white shirt. He even had his mohawk up, something that he did only when he wasn't on duty because Niobe used to love running her fingers through his hair. And also because he used to have it up before being gifted headphones that went along with his Ignition Ability.
When Karim rounded the corner, he had the pleasant surprise of seeing the object of his thoughts doing a handstand in front of his door with just two indexes. Given how agile and graceful she'd become over the years, Niobe was quite the remarkable gymnast—and she just couldn't resist doing cartwheels and somersaults to 'exercise'. Presently, she was doing a handstand with two forefingers supporting her entire weight, her legs crossed and without even a care in the world.
"Early as usual, aren't you?" Karim remarked with a smirk as he stopped in front of her. He crouched to her level. "You don't do mornings, so how did you get out of bed this morning?"
Bright, mismatched eyes looked up at him from her upside down position. "It is an important process for you, isn't it?" she replied, her voice soft and quiet. "For me as well. We both need closure. Isn't the ceremony tomorrow, like you said?"
"Yeah, it is," he nodded, his eyes softening.
Humming, Niobe untangled her legs to stand on her feet once again. As she had her back to him to rearrange her attire, the Second Generation also stood to study her with attentive eyes. It wasn't so much that he hadn't seen her in ages, but more like he'd never seen her with her Fire Soldier outfit: a dark blue haori that was ample enough to hide her buxom figure, grey baggy pants and black boots. She was wearing black fingerless gloves as well, as per her style—when she wasn't wearing traditional kimonos at Bo's parents' extravagant parties at their mansion. The outfit suited her.
Snorting, Karim turned around to unlock his bedroom door. "Well, come on in before Rekka suddenly pops in out of nowhere," he drawled. "I don't want this hot-blooded jackass around when it's just the two of us."
Not anymore, he thought as he let his ex trail past him. Closing the door and locking it, he took a second to inhale her perfume and sighed silently to himself. The delicious smell of cocoa butter and shea butter filled his nostrils, as intoxicating as ever, and he had to shake himself out of his trance before he did something he'd certainly not regret later on. When he turned, he spied Niobe sitting comfortably on his chair, the back supporting her weight on the front so she could face him on the bed.
Taking her distances as well. Good, they were on the same page already. If Karim ever tried to coax her on this bed, she'd just thrash his ass and leave him unable to move for the next hours. Sitting down, Karim stared at her intently and she merely stared back in silence with a small smile. Niobe looked... rested. Solemn. Her arms, which were crossed and supporting her head, weren't trembling. And the look in her eyes had changed as well: the previous anguish and stressed gaze she'd given him when he found out that she'd relapsed had set him on edge, had made it hard to focus on his duties as well—so much that Rekka, Huo Yan and their captain had been worried about him. Karim had been testy, foul-tempered and prone to snap even more than usual, which had clued them in. They must have guessed that whatever had disturbed him was connected to none other than Niobe herself, since only she could get him so stressed out.
And now, her aura was so peaceful and unperturbed that it was relaxing him. But he had to make sure of it.
"Tell me, Niobe: how have you been since last time?" he asked as he scrutinized her.
"Bad. Depressed. Stressed out. Mad at everything and everyone," she answered honestly as her smile faltered, her eyes emotional. "All because I had rediscovered the insane rush the Underground offered me when I pounded those idiots to the ground. This used to be my personal haven, remember?"
She sighed, long and loudly with a somber look.
"Now I've lost it again. For good, this time: Dad got me forever banned and the ringleader of the Underground will have to find himself a new champion. Though that shouldn't be difficult, plenty of undisciplined idiots are crawling around with street fighting skills, so he should be satisfied with just them." She scowled. With her cute pout. "What do you think, Karim? Will the Underground lose its appeal now that they've lost their prime fighter? I bet they will. It's gonna drive them crazy. Boy, am I glad to have saved all this money I've earned, it's gonna pay for my new tattoo! Maybe Rekka can take my place, since that hot-blooded fool could just scream "FIRE!" like a maniac with his stupid star grins and his opponents will scurry away like terrified mice!"
"Holy Sol, just shut up," Karim groaned, face-palming. "Shut up about that damn place and shut up. Stop rambling!"
But that was exactly what they needed—the second Niobe started laughing uncontrollably in front of him, his lips twitched, his shoulders quaked and he was grinning. Soon, he was laughing with her. Laughing and laughing, until his stomach started hurting, there were tears of laughter in his eyes and he was red in the face. Once their mirth faded and they could breathe again, Karim felt a thousand times better. His grin had never been this big and he wasn't ashamed to admit that he'd missed this as well.
"You just couldn't help it, could you?" he drawled, a smirk on his face.
When Niobe focused back on him, she was glowing and her eyes were crinkling. "Nope," she responded airily. "It was just far too tempting and I wanted to show you that I'm feeling better."
"I've noticed that you were not wearing the restraints from last year," Karim remarked, his eyes scanning her bare wrists and forearms. He returned his gaze to hers, prudent. "So... are you good?"
Niobe stared at him straight in the eyes.
"Much better, Karim," she replied genuinely. Then she bowed her head to him. "I'm so, so sorry for having stressed you out again with this. You never deserved to relive it, never mind living it in the first place. This... this has been a real nightmare for you."
His hands shot out and grabbed Niobe's before he could stop himself—which he didn't regret at all. Karim waited until Niobe mustered up the guts to face him, shame written all over her lovely features, and he grinned reassuringly at her. Though his grin was as sad as her expression, he could only hope it would be enough to show that he'd help her get back up.
"Don't. It happened and you managed to get over it. Sadly, that's how fucked up life in this country is—Spontaneous Human Combustion is fucked up and will keep fucking us up until we figure out a way to finally put an end to this shit show. So I understand, Niobe... and you were right: I had absolutely no right to be mad at you for searching a way to escape reality, no matter how violent and messed up it was," he groaned bitterly, casting his dark eyes down with a scowl.
"Would you have done the same?" she suddenly asked, making him look up. "Would you have found another outlet to vent other than the sanctuary offered to you by this stupid religion?"
Ignoring the jab, he shook his head. "Exhausting myself into pointless fights has never been my style—that's Rekka's job. I had you, Niobe. You and my faith. And you were more than enough." He squeezed her long fingers. "All these moments we've spent together after I've come back to you from purifying Infernals, doing something or nothing, helped me in more ways than you think; you being with me, being here for me... was enough."
It really was. And Karim wouldn't have had it any other way, as her presence had been like a soothing balm to his tender soul. Each time he'd go to her after purifying Infernals, he'd hole up with her in her apartment or in his bedroom and relax—amongst other things. He'd love every second of it, just because he was with her. Whenever he'd go back to Company 1, not even Rekka's exaggerated and passionate behavior could irritate him for the next four hours.
Raising his eyes again, he backed off a little to respect the distance between them with a smirk. "So tell me, how do you find your new Company?" he asked curiously. "I'm too curious to let my curiosity fade just like that."
At this, her mismatched eyes crinkled once again and she launched into her tale. Karim listened intently, without any interruption. From what she was saying, Company 7 was nothing more than an entire bunch of disrespectful thugs born into the rough town that was Asakusa—well, her father hailed from there and taught her very well. All of them despised the Empire, thoroughly spat on both the Holy Sol and the Emperor, so she got along with them just fine.
When she talked about the sense of community that she felt in her Company, Karim could tell that it affected her positively. Each time they had an Infernal to purify, they wouldn't mourn the dead—they'd celebrate it together. Not just the Hikeshi, but the civilians as well. Apparently, Benimaru Shinmon had quite the unique way to purify the Infernals on his turf, one that was so different from the Imperial prayer. In fact, he'd vehemently objected to the idea of having a cleric stationed at his Company, sending all those who'd volunteered to go back to the Holy See with less than pleasant words. The Second Generation also absent-mindedly noted that Niobe's voice got calmer and calmer the second she started talking about her lieutenant, Konro Sagamiya. Her eyes were no longer sad and empty as she talked about how the tephrosis was still crippling him, just... resigned. She must have found a way to cope with the guilt, he thought sympathetically.
Then, her expression completely changed when she spoke about her captain—Shinmon Benimaru, as she called him. Proto-nationalist to the core, raised and born in Asakusa. Months after the Hikeshi Fire brigade was inducted into the Fire Force as Company 7, Karim had to give into listening to the excited gossiping of his colleagues about the man leading the proto-nationalist squad; from the reports he'd read about the Great Fire in Asakusa, the two monsters who could actually go toe-to-toe with Captain Burns just happened to be her lieutenant and captain.
"I heard that your captain, Benimaru Shinmon, was a rare kind of pyrokinetic," Karim said, crossing his arms. "Is it true?"
"Absolutely!" Niobe exclaimed with a broad, blinding smile. "He's a compound Fire Soldier, the rarest kind there is: he can control both Third Gen and Second Gen powers! I've never met anyone like him and I've gotta say, training with him is marvelous in more ways than you could ever imagine! He's both resourceful and so skilled! I may have never fought your captain, but I'm certain Beni can surpass him!"
Her smile and gaze softened considerably, showing an emotion Karim instantly recognized. It made his hands tighten into fists and his blood boil. How many times had he admired that expression on her face around him and only him?
"He may seem like a disrespectful bastard like all proto-nationalists, but I can tell that he cares about Asakusa and its people," she continued, beautifully flushed. "He cares a lot, ten thousand times more than he lets on because he's guarded. Like a fortress and... a puzzle."
"You're in love, aren't you?"
His voice bit out in the air, cold as his ice. It was also confident and rough, contrasting with the burning jealousy that suddenly surged from his chest. What an ugly emotion, probably the ugliest he'd ever felt ever since meeting, loving and dating Niobe. During their four years together, she'd never done anything to make him jealous—not on purpose, of course, but he'd also seen her jealousy. It was such an irrational emotion that would make him think crazy things, do crazy things and act like he was crazy. Sometimes he'd fear for the most ballsy girls who'd hit on him when it wasn't painfully obvious that he was in a relationship, as he was very private and Niobe had respected that.
The last girl who'd hit on him while his girlfriend had been nearby was a tenacious one, trying to piss her off on purpose. The disrespect had been downright insulting, and she'd have lost many teeth had he not hauled the sniper in his arms to get her away from her terrified would-have-been victim. She'd almost shot an arrow through her skull.
Inhaling and exhaling, Niobe met his cold glare head on with her steely, sincere gaze.
"Yes," she answered truthfully.
I'll be damned, he thought humorlessly.
"And does he love you back?" he asked again.
"Yes."
He almost snorted. Almost. Karim knew what she was doing: she was choosing not to elaborate not just because he wasn't asking her to, but also because he didn't want to know the details. He truly didn't, as this would just piss him off even more and cause him to snap at her. So she chose simple answers. The way she was also gauging him suggested that she was readying herself to leave his room anytime—to give him space, to give him time to process the whole situation. And to be honest with himself, Karim needed to. So he could move on like she did. Slowly, but hopefully completely.
He barely acknowledged Niobe when she got up and left the room to give him the space he silently needed right now. But he thanked her in his mind—because she'd always known what he needed and wanted. Always. That was Niobe, the Niobe that he'd loved so much and now needed to let go because his duty wouldn't allow him to keep her for himself.
"Son of a bitch!" he hissed through gritted teeth.
For the first time, Karim Flam may have despised the Church for being so strict and unfair.
It took him a very lengthly moment to finally accept the reality of things as they were now, during which he had to purge himself of all the negative emotions that were clashing in his body and mind. Being jealous was normal and human, but Sol did he despise that particular emotion. When he thought he'd seen the visible teeth marks on the nape of her neck earlier, Karim had initially dismissed it as a figment of his imagination and had classified this as... something else.
What the hell was he thinking? Something else? He'd left the same marks on her sometimes. And on purpose too. Those teeth marks were still so red the future Lieutenant Priest knew they'd been put there to make a statement—Niobe Kirishima was taken and belonged to someone else. He may not know the man personally, but Karim was ready to bet a whole month's salary that Niobe's new boyfriend had to be no one else than Benimaru Shinmon. She'd never go for older men—that wasn't her thing at all. It must have started the day she went to Asakusa for a first visit to the roughneck town; she was also there when it went to shit because of the Great Fire, helping the Hikeshi Fire brigade to end the disaster.
Karim sighed loudly as he finally managed to put on his cassock. I have to stop, he thought he took another moment to breathe and calm the hell down. This had been expected after all.
"A girl such as yourself wouldn't be left single for too long."
His words, not hers. Niobe hadn't probably believed him in the first place, as she mustn't have expected to fall in love again after him. It was life happening around them. And just like life, love wasn't something anyone could control. It happened.
A knock sounded at his door, almost timid. Another cleansing breath and Karim went to open the door again, his face more composed. Niobe stood awkwardly and stiffly, her hands shuffled in the ample sleeves of her happi coat. She also took a breath and slowly met his eyes with a solemn expression.
"Do you want me to leave?" she asked softly.
A beat.
"No," Karim answered truthfully, stepping out of his bedroom. "I want you to look at me."
"I-I'm sorry?" Niobe stammered, a brow raised in confusion.
"Look at me, Niobe," he repeated coldly. Very coldly. "There's something you thought you've never been able to accept in our relationship and I'm going to prove that you actually did. You were just too damn stubborn to see it."
She blinked twice and frowned, more confused than ever. So Karim stood tall and proudly in front of her to make her realize that he was, at this moment, wearing the clerical outfit he'd be wearing for as long as he was Lieutenant Priest. He stared her down with his dark eyes, arms crossed against his chest, his scowl in place to show that he wasn't fucking around. Niobe's gorgeous face lit up as her eyes noticed his clothes. The white cross hanging around his neck that symbolized and meant so much to him, as a reminder of what he believed in and where he'd always belong.
This was who he really was. This was Karim Flam. The man she'd loved.
Taking a step back to fully take him in, Niobe allowed her eyes to roam over his figure. Ever so slowly, she studied him with an unreadable expression. As for Karim, he also studied her closely to spy the slightest shift on her face that might indicate her disgust, judgement, something—anything. He was so tense and stiff that he felt like exploding at the first jab. Since his ex had been raised by a strict proto-nationalist and had met her father when Niobe's mental state had been at its lowest, he'd been subjected to his meaningful, dubious stares each time he'd come to their home and hole up with his daughter.
Ashura had never hidden his disdain and hatred for the Holy Sol and the Empire, which had tripled when offers to join the Fire Force had rained down on his precious little clone.
But here he was, showing his hand to her. Because she'd loved him despite his faith in a religion she despised, which she should have understood much sooner.
When Niobe sighed loudly and smiled softly, her expression softened as well, Karim thought he was hallucinating.
"Damn... guess I really was a stubborn idiot for not realizing that I had accepted you as who you are," she murmured, cocking her head to the right.
This can't be right, the Second Generation thought as his body relaxed and deflated like a hot air balloon, flabbergasted.
"That's it?" he asked her, disbelieving. "You're not gonna throw a hissy fit?"
She shook her head, snickering. "You were right, Karim—trying to ignore your faith in the Holy Sol Temple was a pitiful excuse I was using," she said, her eyes closed. "Because you were so unusual in my eyes the first time we've met, you just... stood out the most. That faith of yours actually helped me fall in love with you when I was doing my best to deny my feelings."
Niobe approached the nearby window and gazed outside peacefully.
"I made you suffer, right Karim?" she murmured guiltily.
At this point, Karim had to approach her from behind and wrap his arms around her small body for a tight hug. Fuck Captain Shinmon for the time being, he thought unapologetically as he hugged Niobe against him. She stiffened a little at first, then relaxed progressively.
"Enough. It's all in the past, Niobe," he assured her in her ear. "Believe me when I say that you were the best thing to have happened to me, you truly were. You have no idea how happy you made me when you chose me instead of Rekka: I actually thought I wouldn't get anywhere with you, that I had no chance."
She snorted, amused. "Funny, because Rekka had never gotten my interest like you did," she scoffed.
"What about Huo Yan?" Karim inquired as he released Niobe to lean against the wall next to her. "Have you ever considered him?"
"... you wanted me to corrupt the purest and most religious boy of the trio?" She sounded incredulous and amused at the same time—hell, she even looked incredulous and amused at the same time. "Huo Yan was untouchable for me and not my type. Although he's handsome as he is, we wouldn't have been a match."
"He wouldn't have been able to handle you like I did, anyway. Only a rude and disrespectful punk could go to town with another rude and disrespectful punk."
This time, a full-blown insolent grin grew on her lips.
"See? I knew there was a reason my heart chose you!"
For all time's sake, Karim face-palmed with a groan.
But still, he was so glad and relieved.
"Since you're up this early, do you need a sugar rush? I bet your sweet tooth is about to kickstart any second now," Karim drawled.
"How many crepes can I get on your dime?" Niobe asked gleefully.
"Two and that's it."
"Whatever. I'll be going back to sleep anyway."
"After that sugar rush? Yeah, right."
"Aren't you a sour puss, Karim?"
So they didn't get to spend the day together like he'd initially wanted, but that was surprisingly enough for a last day with the girl he loved. They got to talk, hash it out and finally resolve their main issue. Karim was feeling ten thousand times lighter, and by the looks of it, so did Niobe.
The break-up may be absolute and there may not be take-backs, but they had been happy. There was love and trust between them, respect of each other's spaces and commitment. The best four years of their life. Now, he could only hope that Captain Shinmon would treat her well.
"So, the redundant punk really is going to become a Lieutenant Priest, huh?" she mused.
They'd reached her bike and she was in the process of putting her helmet on. Karim crossed his arms with a proud smirk.
"You betcha your ass I'm becoming Lieutenant," he boasted. "I've worked my ass off for that position and no way am I having second thoughts."
He couldn't see her smile with her helmet, but he knew that she was smiling. "Congratulations, Karim," she replied sincerely. "You deserve it and I actually mean it. Your efforts to stand out among your peers weren't fruitless and you're getting the recognition you were looking for."
Blinking, his smirk widened. "What was that?" he probed, cocking his head to the side. "I didn't quite catch that, Niobe."
She clicked her tongue with a roll of her eyes as she mounted her bike.
"You heard me the first time!" she huffed before starting the engine.
The green beauty revved to life, producing a smooth purring sound. Karim snorted before backing off.
"Just go back home and go to sleep, 'kay?" he asked.
Nodding, Niobe waved at him one last time before driving off, heading back to Asakusa. The Second Generation stood there, watching her until she was out of sight, then sighed to himself.
"Best of luck, Niobe," he whispered, trailing back towards his room.
Closure. Goodbyes. Painful, but needed.
Exhaustion quickly caught up to her as Niobe managed to get rid of her boots before literally dragging herself towards her room. Nonetheless, she felt... lighter. As if she'd been ridden of a great weight off her shoulders, heart and mind. And it felt great.
Yawning, the sniper slid the shōji open, entered the silent room, and slid it back shut as silently as she could. Slowly, she got rid of her clothes until she was in her thong and bra. The latter was removed and a dark blue oversized T-Shirt covered her buxom body mid-thigh. While she was tying her curls into a bun with mechanical gestures, she heard shuffling sounds behind her. Then a sleepy groan echoed in the room.
"Niobe...?" Benimaru slurred.
Still asleep, like I believed he would be, she thought with a soft, loving smile as her heart beat faster at his voice. Turning around to face him, her keen eyes found her man slowly sitting up and she couldn't help the way she was biting at her lower lip upon looking at him; disheveled, his yukata had slipped off on one shoulder and his hair was mussed. His Tic-Tac-Toe eyes were half-closed, but she could tell he was staring up at her. Very, very sleepy Benimaru. Downright adorable.
She walked up to him, then carefully straddled him to cup his face in her warm hands. Her lips found his in a tender, slow kiss that he tried to return as much as possible.
"I'm back, Beni," she murmured against his mouth, stroking his cheeks.
She felt him smile against her lips, his strong arms wrapping around her waist to pull her flush. Then he fell back on his pillow, Niobe nestled in his arms.
"You good?" he asked in a slur, his fingers stroking the nape of her neck.
"Yeah. I'm good." She pressed a long kiss against his pulse. "Now, it's us."
Though he seemed like Benimaru was on the verge of falling back asleep any second, the deep purring sound his throat produced at her words had Niobe blushing lovingly. His arm round her waist tightened, lazily but possessively. He nuzzled her head, very much how like a cat would.
"Just us," he repeated, a smile in his voice.