The city was so eerily quiet around them. Like they were the only two people left in the world. For all either of them knew, that could be true. After all, the smartest survivors tried to avoid each other. Trust was so hard to come by because everyone just desperately wanted to keep themselves alive.
Trust. Aoki had placed her trust in Sako, but she kept a bit of a distance between them as she limped through the gray haze. He seemed friendly enough, but she couldn't forget the fact that he was a villain. It was possible he might turn against her, especially if he found out that she was a hero.
As far as "end of the world buddies" go, he was pretty decent so far. He knew when to stay quiet and it seemed like he knew the layout of this ward well enough. At that moment, he was leading her to a residential area to try to stakeout where they'd stay for the night.
Two different people with two different goals wandering a post-apocalyptic world. Both of them lost in their own thoughts and only drifting back to the present when they heard the sharp cry of a crow. A multitude of other crows joined in and drew their attention to the right. The haze was thick so they couldn't see what exactly was happening, but there were flapping and scratching sounds.
Sako half-turned to Aoki and held out his right hand, his mouth set in a deep frown. He didn't speak, but he beckoned her closer to his side and kept his eyes on the direction the noises came from. In this uncertain world, no one could be too careful and he wasn't about to lose his new companion as soon as she joined him.
He wanted to put her on his other side so he could be between her and whatever was happening, but to do that, he'd have to use his left hand to hold her right hand. His prosthetic, metal left hand. Something he hadn't wanted to show her until he absolutely had to because he felt just a little self-conscious about it. Now, it didn't seem like he'd have a choice.
Aoki glanced from him to where the crows were and raised both eyebrows when he moved her to his left side. Metal fingers intertwined with her right hand and she looked down. She could see it was a prosthetic, but it honestly didn't bother her. What was bothering her was that loud thumping sound that came with the crows' noises and the scratching.
They kept moving, but at a slower pace. Careful of each step and trying to be as quiet as possible. It could just be crows feasting on some unlucky bastard that'd died in the street or it could be something even more sinister.
She was injured. Sako remembered this and looked to Aoki for a moment as he thought about his options. With her leg injury, she wouldn't be able to move very quickly. It they had to run, he'd have to compress her and carry her. He just hoped it wouldn't come to that. If they could just avoid whatever this was.
Both of them jolted when they heard something in the haze. Something eerily close to a human's grunt, followed by something being dragged. Sako's fingers tightened around Aoki's and he stopped walking. Frozen in place with both of them staring in the direction of the sound.
Words were being said, but they were slurred and muffled by the fog. Heavy footsteps against the pavement told them that whoever it was, they were moving toward them. Slowly and with purpose. They kept moving closer and then suddenly stopped as another noise could be heard in the distance.
Aoki could hear rustling somewhere far off, but she couldn't be sure of what direction it came from. She could hear her own heartbeat and she was afraid that they could hear it, too. Her teeth sank into her lower lip and she tried to focus on the movements of the person that was closer.
The one that'd been approaching them scuffed their feet over the ground and the footsteps started again, but in the other direction. Apparently whatever made the rustling noise had drawn their attention elsewhere. Still, she held onto Sako's hand tightly and kept listening in case they turned around again.
He narrowed his eyes to try to make out the figure in the fog, but it was almost impossible. All he could really tell was that they were kind of big. Tall, broad. Not someone he'd want to deal with at the moment. He'd already used his quirk a lot and he needed to conserve his energy if he wanted to protect Aoki.
As he turned to look at her, he felt something like adoration. The expression on her face was so serious, but those sky blue eyes looked so worried. She needed his protection, didn't she? She was clutching his metal hand so tight that her knuckles were turning white and when she glanced up at him, he could see a faint hint of pink on her cheeks.
When he was sure that it was safe, Sako began leading her again. He slipped down an alley and off in the direction of some houses. Vacant and damaged; sitting in the fog like they'd been waiting for his arrival. Silence hung in the air as he picked one and led Aoki through the broken front door.
The inside was littered with pieces of the last occupants' lives. Family photos, children's toys, broken items, and a pair of empty pet food bowls. Aoki paused in the sitting room doorway as Sako went to scout out where they'd sleep. This place reminded her of her own house, when she'd returned home after the catastrophe.
A house that was empty of life. Her mother and father dead along with her much younger sister. Her sister, who'd only just started middle school. It'd taken her a while to get home, navigating the chaos and still trying to help other people. By the time she got to the house, they were gone; killed by thieves that'd broken in and taken anything valuable they could get their hands on.
Aoki's boot nudged a child's doll as she walked into the room and she leaned down to pick it up. Memories of her little sister were sparked as she looked at the doll's smiling face. Her chest started to hurt and she gently put it down again.
"It's empty," Sako whispered beside her ear.
She jolted and turned around sharply, hands curling into fists. Met with the sight of him holding up both hands, she relaxed. "I'm sorry. You startled me."
"Sorry. Ah. Your face. It's starting to bruise." He tilted his head slightly and lifted a hand. Red-gloved fingertips brushed gently over her bruised cheek. His eyes half-closed and he stepped closer. He'd almost forgotten what it was like to have this kind of contact with another person. He just wished he'd taken his glove off first.
"It doesn't hurt. I'm okay." A lie, but she didn't want to come across as weak. This was a partnership for survival, after all. Not that she didn't like how his touch soothed the bruised skin. "You said the house is empty?"
He almost seemed to pout as he withdrew his hand. "I checked every room. We're alone in here so I think we could barricade ourselves in one of the bedrooms and just stay for the night. We'll need to be quiet, though. I don't know who that was earlier, but they didn't sound friendly."
Sako ran his fingers through his dark hair and offered a smile. "Not to worry, Aoki. I won't let anything happen to you. I've found a good way to deal with the unfriendly ruffians that wander too close. I'm sure it shouldn't surprise you, but I prefer a good ambush. Lying in wait for them to get close enough for me to compress down to a marble. As long as you stay at my side, I'll be able to protect you from them."
She looked down at the doll again before she nodded. "I…I can use my quirk, too. It isn't very strong right now, but if I save up my energy, I should be able to at least make barriers." Her stomach growled and she looked away.
He offered his hand to her and started to lead again when she placed her hand in his. "It wouldn't hurt to check the kitchen before we settle in. When was the last time you ate?"
"It's been three days. I can't…remember what I ate, though." She'd been scavenging in a shopping area when it was late at night and came across a bag of something. It was dry and kind of tough, but it was flavorless. Whatever it was, it'd kept her alive for the past few days.
Sako searched the kitchen as quietly as possible. Not that he was necessarily in a rush to find rations. No, he'd been stockpiling since the disaster! His pockets were filled with marbles containing a variety of supplies, but they were mostly water bottles and nonperishable foods.
Honestly, Aoki Noa was a pretty good find. She was quiet and obviously pretty intelligent. She'd survived for this long so she had to be know what she was doing. And if her quirk could produce barriers, then he was sure she'd make a great addition to the League of Villains! The only question was…what was her goal?
Every survivor had a goal of some kind. Whether it was something like his, where they were searching for someone, or whether it was as simple as trying to stay alive. There was something driving everyone that had managed to survive this far into the chaos the world had been thrown into so he knew there must be something she wanted.
Sako's eyes fell on something tucked away near the back of a cupboard and smiled to himself. A little something special that someone had painstakingly hidden from the rest of this household behind a collection of mugs. He slipped it into his sleeve, planning to give it to Aoki later.
She found some jars hidden in a cupboard beneath the sink, behind some bottles of dish soap. What they were doing there, she had no idea. It didn't seem like the safest place to store food. They were still closed, though, so she was sure they were still good.
"I found something," she whispered, holding up a jar of strawberry preserves. There were three jars; strawberry, apricot, and one marked "sour cherry". All of them were closed tight and had handwritten labels.
A sense of pride washed over her when she saw his eyebrows lift and his smile grew. Sako crouched beside her on the floor to take one of the jars and looked it over. "Do you think they're still edible?" Aoki watched as he compressed the jars and tucked them away.
"I think so. These are an excellent find, Aoki. If we're careful, we can make these last for a while. Ah. Here." He helped her stand and supported her when she stumbled. "I noticed you limping earlier. Are you alright?"
"Ngh. I just…had some bad luck. It just needs time to heal." She started to protest when he put her arm around his shoulders, but he wasn't accepting any arguments. Aoki lowered her head and let him guide her to the room he'd picked for them.
There were no windows, but there was a bed and some other personal belongings of whoever used to live there. She felt a spike of anxiety at the idea of barricading herself in with this villain, but at the same time she didn't have any other choice. If she went back outside, she'd be free game for whoever was lurking in the fog. Staying with Mr. Compress from the League of Villains was her best chance for survival now.
She helped him take the blankets and pillows off the bed before they shoved the mattress against the door. This way, if anyone tried to break into the room, the barricade should at least buy them enough time to prepare an attack. She really hoped that wouldn't happen, though.
"I think it's time for a break now." He sat on the floor and leaned against the wall, patting the space beside him to invite her to sit with him.
Aoki was more than happy to take a seat. She tipped her head back and ran her fingers through her tangled, dark teal hair. It was embarrassing. It really was. Since she saw that doll in the sitting room, she kept feeling the start of tears at the corners of her eyes.
Crying? Not the best option in this situation. He'd think she was weak. Whether she was afraid of him trying to take advantage of that or if she was afraid of him deciding to abandon her, she couldn't say. Maybe it was her years of training to be a hero that kept her from wanting to shed tears.
It didn't go unnoticed by Sako. He lowered his head and pulled off his glove. Tapping his fingers against the knuckles of his metal hand, he watched her from the corner of his eye. Saw a tear finally slip down her cheek and saw her try to quickly wipe it away. "I suppose now is as good a time as any to show you what I found while we were checking the kitchen."
She was trying to be inconspicuous about wiping her eye, but she knew he'd seen it. Before she could argue, she heard the crinkling sound of a wrapper and looked over. Sako was holding a chocolate bar and carefully peeling back the wrapping. When he caught her looking, he flashed her a sheepish grin and broke off a big square of chocolate.
"Here you are. We'll save the rest for later, but I thought you could use something sweet right now." He held it out to her and expected her to maybe mumble a "thank you", but what he got was so much better.
Taking the chocolate, she broke it in half and offered him a piece. "Thank you, but…let's share it, okay? I want you to have some, too." She saw his grin waver before it settled into a warm, genuine smile. Aoki nibbled on her piece of chocolate and let him pull her closer to lean against his side.
"My dear, that's very sweet of you. Alright. We can share this, then." He put the rest into his pocket and took his first bite. It tasted as sweet as he imagined she tasted. "I was wondering. I told you what my goal is; I'm trying to find the rest of the League of Villains. What's your goal? There must be something you're surviving for. Are you searching for someone?"
She thought of him and her chest grew tight. He had to still be alive, right? He was strong, durable, and determined. There's no way he would've died during the catastrophe so he had to be out there in the world, surviving. The romantic in her kind of hoped he might be looking for her, too.
"I'm trying to find someone that's really important to me." Aoki lowered her head to let her hair fall forward around her face. "He's someone I look up to. Someone that I've loved for a while. I never had the courage to confess so I promised myself that if I find him, I'm going to finally tell him how I feel."
Sako tilted his head a little so it leaned against hers. "Ah. So you're in love with him." He heard her quiet confirmation and it didn't make him feel good. It's just so unfortunate.
Perhaps it was due to loneliness, but Sako was already falling deeper into infatuation with Aoki. She was such good company and she really was cute. The thought of losing her as quickly as he found her? It didn't sit well with him.
His right hand took her left one and he laced their fingers so they were touching as much as possible. "Well! I suppose I'll have to help you find him, then! He must be special, for you to be so determined to reunite with him." A promise to help her, but not to let her leave his side. Honestly, he was sure he could make her fall for him completely before they ever crossed paths with her mystery crush.