Chapter 6: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Saturday began with a loveless chill. More than a few people had to hastily retrieve blankets put into storage in anticipation of warmer weather that hadn't yet stabilized. Frost had dusted the darkened ground but it was gone long before dawn, which brought spring back into the air.

As light was leaking into the sky, Ayumu and her massive cat were getting ready for work like always. With no outstanding requests to speak with any hospitalized patients, they were looking at a full day of running the school store at U.A.

Honestly, Ayumu was looking forward to it. Her psychiatric work was important and made many people's lives better, but those days when she took it easy and spent time with the kids were much more satisfying. She especially hoped that Togata-kun and Amajiki-kun would stop by and give her a good cheering up.

The loss of the patient the previous day was still weighing heavily on her. She never - or almost never - lost patients, being a doctor of the mind rather than one of the body. But that just meant that she had that much more difficulty dealing with those rare setbacks.

What had been going on in his mind? Sleep deprivation and stress had caused the psychosis and mental fracturing, but what had brought them on? And who had that figure been?

She had told the police what she could. From what she could determine, it had been someone with a Quirk like Dreamwalk who had invaded that mind and damaged it, whether intentionally or unintentionally. That damage was the source of the cognitive collapse and possibly hallucinations. What had confronted her might have been just an afterimage rather than the perpetrator in person.

Her experience the previous day made her think the attack in the hospital had been premeditated. If that had been the actual villain, he'd been watching and waiting somewhere in that mind. For her? Or for something else?

Still, she should've been able to do something to help! She may not be a hero, but in dreams she could fight just as well as anyone: better than the average civilian for sure. But between her assumptions and the surprise nature of the attack, she'd been ousted before she could launch a counterstrike. Then she'd been dragged off by All Might, leaving the patient at the mercy of the invader.

There went her blood pressure. Without meaning to she kicked the edge of her couch, allowing some of her frustration to vent.

Up until the day before, Ayumu had considered herself a fan of All Might: not a rabid fan, but she was fond of the perpetually smiling hero. Now though, she was too furious to recall what she liked about him.

What had he been thinking?! Maybe it'd looked to him like she was in danger, but his interference had broken her concentration and left the patient defenseless. He should've listened to what she'd said and kept his distance.

But that thought just depressed her all over again. She sighed and rubbed a hand across her eyes and forehead. She had to try to put it out of her mind for the day or she'd spend the entire weekend in a funk. Or worse, a rage.

Ayumu swept her long hair up into a ponytail with a dispirited air. The depression was sucking all the energy out of her - she couldn't be bothered to fuss about making a bun or braid.

She took a breath, probably to sigh again, and then glanced down when she heard a couple of sharp coughs from below her floor. She paused, but heard no other sounds.

That was another point of exasperation for her: she hadn't thanked Yagi-san properly the night before. Sunk in an abyss of self-loathing, she'd been roused from her stupor when he'd come to her and attempted to offer comfort. It'd been awkward but genuine - he hadn't said a word the entire time, he had just wrapped his arms around her and let her cry into his chest. The rest of the night after that was a blur of emotional exhaustion.

The gesture hadn't fixed the cause of her sadness, but she was grateful that someone she barely knew would care so much. She wanted to do something to express her gratitude, something in addition to merely saying thank you.

In any other case she would've invited the person out for some drinks as thanks. But since Yagi-san had already told her he couldn't take alcohol, that idea was out. But on its heels was a related idea: maybe he'd accept an invitation for coffee or tea. Hell, she'd buy him a can from a vending machine if that was all she could do to convey her appreciation.

Satisfied with the plan, Ayumu finished getting ready for work and left her apartment with Onimaru by her side. The day's dawn had begun, the sky streaked with rose and orange. Despite the predawn cold, the air now held the scent of spring and the promise of some warmth.

Onimaru let out a rolling chirp as they made their way down the stairs. The strange cat had been stuck to her like a burr since the previous night, practically smothering her in his efforts to console her. But she appreciated his concern and tried to take his hovering in stride.

He reached the ground floor and automatically turned toward the front gate, only to halt in confusion when she instead went the opposite direction. When she stopped in front of Yagi-san's door, Onimaru came bounding over and the loud purring began.

She gave three sharp raps on the metal and then it occurred to her that he might not even be awake. It seemed like he would meet her outside on mornings when he was already up, so it stood to reason that today he wasn't yet up and about. Why hadn't she thought of that sooner? Or he might not even be home right now - it was a logical assumption that he got up at the same time as her to go somewhere. Sure, she'd heard coughs but maybe that had just been a trick of her mind.

"Just a minute," a masculine voice called from within. Okay, so he was home.

Ayumu waited, shifting from one foot to another as Onimaru stared intently at the door. Oddly she was starting to feel nervous - why was that? As she dried her suddenly sweaty palms on her jeans, the lock clicked open.

Yagi-san, dressed in pajamas that hung from him like a tent from a pole, slipped into the gap as the door opened. His hair was squashed flat on one side of his head and there were creases pressed into the skin on the same side. He'd obviously just woken up from much-needed sleep. Shit, she should've waited until the evening to talk to him.

His eyes widened as he recognized her. "Nozomi-san! Is something wrong?"

That knocked her even further off-balance. "No, I… Um, that is…"

God dammit, why was this so hard?! That's what she said. For whatever reason, the rote joke calmed her down enough to start making sense. She took a deep breath and started over.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you so early, Yagi-san. I… wanted to thank you for yesterday." Unsure of what else she could add, she bowed.

He lifted his hands as if warding her away or about to grip her shoulders. "There's no need to thank me. I just did what anyone would if they saw a young woman in distress."

"But still, I wanted to do something to show my appreciation. So, I was wondering if you'd let me treat you to lunch tomorrow?" Her palms were sweaty again and she wiped them on her pants.

Yagi-san looked completely taken aback. "Nozomi-san, you don't have to do that! I'm just glad that you're feeling better today."

"Please, I insist. It really meant a lot to me and I want to do something for you in return."

She stared deeply into his eyes, trying to impress her sincerity on him. He had very intense blue irises - they shone out from his shadowed eyes like stars. They were beautiful.

It seemed like something got through to him. He blinked and looked away, and she thought she saw his cheeks redden. "W-Well, if you insist…"

Ayumu smiled happily. "Thanks." Then she felt a wave of shyness overtake her. "Uh, can I get your phone number? I'll get a café recommendation from a friend of mine and text you."

"Yes, of course." She brought out her phone and entered him as a contact as he recited his phone number. "I look forward to hearing from you, Nozomi-san."

"I'll text you as soon as I hear," she replied and she bowed once more. "Thank you again for everything."

The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows through the silent streets. This was a wealthy neighborhood - the sort of wealth that didn't feel the need to flaunt itself but instead was just there, behind security gates and privacy hedges. The owners of those fortunes lived in grand homes, served by equally grand teams of staff, and hardly ever set eyes on the rest of the city.

Tsukumo Kai always felt paranoid when he came here. It was almost a given that there were multiple cameras trained on him as he walked, with the persons manning them scrutinizing his every move. Undoubtedly their hands hovered just above the panic button to call the police down on him in an instant.

It wasn't surprising - he was obviously not a resident of the area and didn't look like a staff member out on an errand. Even out in the regular city he tended to draw stares; an accident in childhood had left him with wicket scars along his jaw. In bad lighting it made him look like his mouth stretched from ear-to-ear. He'd gotten sick of the "kuchi-sake-onna" comments a very long time ago. But wearing a mask around this neighborhood just made him look more suspicious.

He fidgeted with his scarf, trying to pull it high enough to cover his scars as he rang the buzzer for one of the stately homes. The colder months gave him an excuse to hide them - he could almost pass as normal in society.

There was a buzz and a whirr as the gate camera focused on him. He stared back calmly.

"Ah, Kai my boy," crackled the speaker. "Do come in."

The electronic lock on the gate clicked open and he stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. Just like the streets outside, the yard inside was deserted and still. It was always like that when he visited, and he wondered sometimes if it was out of consideration for his appearance or simply to have fewer witnesses to their meetings.

In silence Kai made his way up the long drive and to the main door, where he was let inside by a blank-faced butler. They exchanged no words; the manservant seemed to know that his master would always want to see Kai when he showed up on the doorstep and led him in without question.

It was an elegant western-style mansion with a Gothic flair - or so the owner said. Kai was no architect so he couldn't confirm or deny that. He only knew that it was neither traditional Japanese nor the more modern construction used in most homes. The outside looked plain, but the inside showed the difference in style more clearly. The halls were made of a dark wood which seemed to draw light out of the very air. It made for a gloomy atmosphere, compounded by the heavy enigmatic furniture and wall hangings. Vastly different than the usual aesthetic, but rich people needed to spend their money on something.

He was led down a series of halls to his Sensei's study. There the butler left him, and out of courtesy he knocked and waited for an invitation to enter.

"Come in, Kai."

The room was bathed in the afternoon light, offsetting the wood and thick drapes on the window which would otherwise have shrouded the place in shadow. Shelves of books lined the walls with a massive desk taking up about a third of the room and a plushly upholstered chair behind it.

Seated in the chair was Tsuchigumo Rafu. An elderly man of slender build, he looked almost frail enough to shatter like glass at the slightest tap. He wasn't the least bit intimidating at a casual glance. But when one was face-to-face with him, the strength of his willpower became evident. His dark eyes glowed with ferocity and energy, and the person before him would realize that they were outmatched.

It was that strength that had drawn Kai in. Intrigued and mesmerized, he'd listened to what the old man had to say and found it resonated with him too. He'd asked to join his Sensei's mission of social justice and was accepted - in the years since, they'd worked together to clean the streets of villains and those who misused their Quirks. Technically they weren't licensed as heroes, so law enforcement would've viewed them the same as those they pursued, but their work did as much to keep crime down as the police.

That intense gaze was on him now - his Sensei was strict but fair. "Welcome, my boy. Did your task go well?"

"Yes, sir." Kai brought the object he'd been sent to retrieve out of his bag and handed it back to Tsuchigumo-sensei.

He was obviously pleased. "You never fail to disappoint."

"I still don't understand your attachment to that thing. Why do you need it back each time?"

"Now, I've explained this before," Tsuchigumo chided. "In order to use my Quirk, I need a familiar object near the person."

"I remember. But why this thing each time? Couldn't you just get a new one?"

"I could, my boy, but I'm quite fond of this one. And being so familiar with it lets me connect to it easily. What would be the point of having to familiarize myself with a new item each time?"

"Still, it's a weird thing. What did you call it? A dream…"

"A dreamcatcher, my boy." Rather than being annoyed at having to repeat himself, Tsuchigumo was enthusiastic to talk over his favorite subject. "Though that's the bastardized name for them."

He held it up and ran his long slender fingers over it. It was a small wooden hoop, about five inches across, strung with some kind of cord with a few tiny blue beads suspended in it. Not a very impressive object, much like the holder himself. It was old and worn, the edges scuffed and the wood dull with age. Anyone else would've tossed it into the trash without a second thought.

"Today there are many sold in America, but they are cheap knockoffs. This is an original, made by hand by natives from the Great Lakes. It serves as a protective charm, a web to catch evil while one sleeps. The natives' spider goddess could travel between the webs to protect her People no matter how widely they scattered. It seemed a fitting thing to use for my Quirk and our work."

"And you're not worried the goddess might take exception to you using her symbol?"

Tsuchigumo scoffed. "It's been decades. Their goddess is either asleep or unconcerned. More importantly, did you scout out any more villains?"

"Yes, sir." Kai handed over a slip of paper. "I extended the usual offer and there were a few who showed interest. Three in particular would be best to get off the streets."

"Ufufufufu! Good work!" The two of them sat on either side of the desk. Since Kai had been invited, there was tea all ready to pour; the younger man served as Tsuchigumo read over his notes. The two of them were always careful to research the people they were going to confront - it was better to move slowly and be prepared than to rush in and risk themselves and their mission.

Tsuchigumo ruminated on the list for a time before making his choice. As the lead of their team, he was in charge of selecting who they would pursue and with making first contact. Their team was one of brains rather than brawn, so their approach to confronting villains was much different than that of hero teams in official agencies.

Kai sipped his tea and watched with mild interest as his mentor used an untraceable phone to make contact via text. It was another security measure since they lacked the protection of an agency - one could never tell what higher connections a common street criminal might be hiding. The time passed mostly in silence, occasionally broken by the sounds of the texting or by Tsuchigumo thinking out loud to himself.

Eventually the sun painted the room gold and rose and the old man set the phone down with a contented hum.

It woke Kai from a light doze. "So?"

"You'll be meeting them Sunday at noon. Kayaba Coffee in Meguro. Take the usual approach and be careful."

"Yes, sir."

"This goes here. That goes there."

Hard at work cleaning up the school store, Ayumu almost didn't hear her phone chime. The day had gone quickly but her mood had greatly improved throughout. Just as she'd hoped, talking with the teachers and seeing the students had cheered her up, easing the sadness and regret clinging to her like a shadow. She tried not to dwell on her earlier feelings and just appreciate the moment.

Lounging on the counter, Onimaru brought her attention to the phone. "Mrrow!" he said, pawing at the noisy device.

"Mm? Oh!" Ayumu bounced to her feet and grabbed the phone before her troublemaking cat could send it tumbling to the floor. "Hey, don't go trying to break my phone!" she scolded.

Onimaru let out another lackadaisical meow and began washing one of his ears. The phone in Ayumu's hand chimed again and this time she noticed it. "Oh, that must be…"

It was the reply she'd been expecting. She smiled at the message, pleased by what it said; after sending a quick thank you in answer, she started a new text to Yagi-san.

"It looks like we'll be going to Kayaba Coffee," she said to Onimaru. The cat showed not the slightest interest.

As she clicked 'send' for Yagi-san's message, a familiar voice rang out from down the hall. "Ayumu-chan!"

She glanced up and spotted a familiar friend. "What are you doing here, Nemuri-chan?"

Kayama Nemuri - better known as the hero Midnight - was beaming at Ayumu and her bear of a cat. She was still dressed in her unusually scanty hero outfit, meaning that she wasn't on her way home yet.

"I wasn't going to leave without checking up on my cute little friend and her handsome cat," she replied as she drew closer.

"Come on, I may be younger than you but that doesn't make me little or cute," Ayumu protested.

"That's exactly what makes you little and cute!" Nemuri cooed as she patted her friend on the head and scratched Onimaru under his chin.

The cat threw himself into the caresses with his usual enthusiastic abandon while Ayumu pouted. How did she keep making such weird friends? But Nemuri was a kind and caring person, despite her eccentric obsession with those younger than herself.

"So, why did you really come here?"

She twitched and her smile became more forced. "W-Well, I thought you'd like to go out drinking! Just the two of us!"

Onimaru gave the hero's hand a swat in protest of that phrasing while Ayumu thought it over. "Are you flirting with me, Nemuri-chan?"

Nemuri smacked her on the head. "No! You know my style is more direct than that!"

Giggling in response, Ayumu brushed her friend's hand aside. "Thanks, but I can't tonight."

"Come on." Nemuri's expression softened. "It'll cheer you up."

"Huh? W-What makes you think I need cheering up?"

"Come on. Did you think your friends wouldn't notice those red eyes?"

"Shit." Ayumu rubbed at her eyes, belatedly realizing that the action would only make it worse. "Double shit."

"Enough of that. Just come out with me tonight and we'll drink all our troubles away!"

"That's not how alcohol works."

"Fine, then we'll find some cute guys and work off the issues that way." Nemuri's gaze unfocused and she licked her lips hungrily. "A nice young stud can cure all kinds of ills~."

Yikes. Ayumu had to snap her out of that mindset or she might take a refusal personally. Nemuri could be unexpectedly aggressive when it came to pursuing boy-toys.

"Really, Nemuri-chan, I appreciate the invitation but I can't go drinking tonight. I'm meeting someone for lunch tomorrow and I shouldn't be hungover for it."

She expected that to convince her, but the mention of her having a Sunday lunch with someone else only redirected the older woman's simmering passion. Nemuri pounced onto Ayumu, eyes glittering intently. "Oho, you have a date?!"

Unable to help herself, Ayumu blushed. "No! It's not a date!"

The blush invalidated her protests and Nemuri cackled eagerly. "Ohh, you do! What's he like?! Young and buff? Tall and suave? I have to know!"

"I told you, it's not a date!"

She wasn't listening. "No, I've got it! I bet it's a handsome older man! I know you've got a thing for the mature guys~…"

Ayumu opened her mouth to object further but paused as she remembered Yagi-san's face. Well, Nemuri wasn't wrong… But that thought only made her flush worse, ruining any chance she had of convincing her friend that the lunch was just a meeting between friends.

"I told you, it's just lunch! I want to thank him for what he did for me last night -"

Too late Ayumu realized the door that her phrasing opened. Nemuri practically wrestled her out of the tiny store window, squealing with delight and demanding any and all details about what she meant.