Alright, alright, alright everyone here's chapter 3 of my little hero fic, I hope you enjoy.
Ky: "Hm, Juicer bug, a mutated virus related to the Rabies virus that, along with super-humans and monsters, was created during one of the nights of falling stars, the fourth one to be specific which occurred in 1995. Those effected by the virus which include animals and humans are simply referred to as Juicer monsters or just Juicers, the name derives from the derogatory term for steroid abusers since the effects of the virus include extreme aggression, loss of cognition and extreme muscle growth. It was only months after the virus was first discovered that it began to wreak havoc throughout the world especially in places where the Rabies virus was already quite prevalent, it was deemed a category T and potential cat. A threat and by 1997 all natural sources of the Juicer bug were completely eradicated. The only remnants of the virus that remain are more dangerous, mutated, weaponized versions currently circulating in the black market that make massive muscle growth almost instantaneous and can even bend the victims mind to follow commands…holy crap."
Ki: "Alright break time is over."
It's been a few weeks since the fight with the Juicer monster, which I was just researching on my phone, Kirino's broken arm had healed in only a few days, summer vacation had already started but we didn't want to waste any time playing around so we spent every day together just training. She was amazed at my progress, she thinks I might even be on Daiki's level and if I could hone my heating ability I would beat him and the other students easily, though she was unsure how I would do against his brother Aoi, she told me that even though they always tied in duels she knew Aoi held back for just that reason and they would be able to share top rank. Though after the Juicer battle Kirino had attempted to make me do some super strength training but we quickly found out that I was completely incapable of bending metal or bench-pressing more than a hundred pounds so we just gave up on that for now. We only have until the day after tomorrow for the application deadline, right now Kirino and I are at the park just doing our daily routine.
Ki: "Just a few more miles to go."
Ky: "Got it."
We continued our run but a few minutes in I began to hear an upbeat American sounding song playing from an invisible source ahead of us.
Ki: "Hehe, what are you two doing?"
Sa: "Ah, it seems we have been discovered."
Ru: "She's smarter than she appears, though it seems the other one is still rather clueless."
Ky: "I know it's you two, come on uncloak yourselves."
Ru: "Very well."
Almost as if from beneath an invisible sheet Kirino's classmates, Saori and Ruri, appeared.
Ki: "What are you guys doing here?"
Sa: "We thought it would be nice to play some motivational music for Kyousuke's final day of training before he applies for the Chiba Hero Academy."
Saori Makishima, power: physical expansion (She can expand her body up to two hundred feet tall by reconfiguring the subatomic particles of fluid or gaseous matter into materials she can use to expand and strengthen her body), Side Effect: Reinforced Skeleton (her skeleton is naturally infused with strengthening materials so it doesn't break when she expands), she is rank 27th in CHA.
Ru: "Though we wanted to do it in a way that wouldn't distract him."
Ruri Gokou, power: Light manipulation (she can bend light to make herself and anything she touches with her hands completely invisible, make a small area totally dark and even focus light into powerful lasers), Side Effect: Sonar (she is able to see with sound since she becomes blind whenever she uses her cloaking or dark field abilities) along with her power she has been trained with high class martial artists with the skills to down bigger and stronger enemies, she is rank 19th in CHA.
Ky: "I am actually really nervous."
Ki: "That's why we're taking the day off tomorrow, so you can relax and forget about your anxiety."
Ky: "If you say so, by the way what do you have planned for tomorrow?"
Ki: "We'll be going to the summer festival being held here in the evening, you can use the rest of the day however you want."
Ky: "That does sound like fun."
Sa: "And we'll each be showcasing our yukata for our master Kyousuke."
Ru: "Did you have to say it like that?"
Ki: "Well I think we can cut the run short, how about we do the meditation and end the training for today."
Ky: "Sounds good."
Sa: "Ooh, a chance to observe Kirino's mental training, mind if we watch?"
Ki: "Sure but today's meditation is going to be a bit different."
Ky: "How so?"
Ki: "Follow me."
We followed Kirino through the park until we reached the pond.
Ki: "Alright I want you to freeze this."
Ky: "Freeze what?"
Ki: "The pond, obviously idiot."
Ky: "W-wait you want me to freeze the entire pond?!"
Ky: "Yes."
Sa: "Ah, that would be amazing."
Ru: "Hm, a true test of your ability."
Ky: "I don't think I can freeze something this big."
Ki: "If you can't at least do this then there's no hope of you passing the qualification test."
Ky: "…Couldn't hurt to try I guess, there's nobody in the water is there."
Ki: "Who would want to swim dirty pond water, besides it's against park rules to swim."
Ky: "Okay then."
I walked to the edge of the pond, placed my hand into the water, closed my eyes and began to concentrate, I felt the water begin to cool, after a couple of minutes it got so cold my hand began to sting and I attempted to pull it out but it was stuck.
Ky: "Huh?"
Ki: "Whoa."
Sa: "So cool."
Ru: "Amazing."
Before me was the completely frozen pond.
Ky: "Holy crap."
Ki: "I think you froze it all the way to the bottom."
Sa: "It's like an ice skating rink."
Ky: "My hand's stuck."
Ki: "Do you feel hot or anything."
Ky: "Strangely no, with the amount of heat I just took in I would've usually passed out by now but I'm only feeling a little stuffy."
Ki: "Hm, it seems your endurance has increased as well and all that built up heat energy gives me an idea."
Kirino then grabbed my trapped arm and broke it out of the ice.
Ki: "I want you to try something."
Ky: "What?"
Ki: "Hold your hand up and aim your palm at the center of the pond."
Ky: "Okay."
Ki: "Now I want you to concentrate like we usually do in meditation, focus all that built up energy at the center of your hand imagine it accumulating into a ball."
Ky: "Okay."
I focused and felt the heat in my hand rise until it started to hurt, when I felt the air moving around weirdly, I got curious and opened my eyes to see heat tendrils violently whipping about my hand almost like a see-through flame.
Sa: "Wow what a cool trick."
Ru: "It's kind of mesmerizing."
Ki: "Hey idiot don't lose focus yet!"
Ky: "Ah, but this really hurts."
Ki: "Try to bear it a little longer, come on keep focusing!"
Ky: "Owowowowow."
Ki: "Saori, Ruri get back!"
{FWOOOM}
Just as they got a good distance away I lost my focus and the ball of heat popped releasing a powerful explosion of hot air that knocked me and Kirino several feet backwards.
Ky: "Ahhh! Hot hot hot!"
Ki: "Whoa that felt like taking a heat gun to the face."
I jumped onto the ice face first to cool down my steaming face.
Ky: "Damn that hurt."
I got up and looked back to where I stood and saw a fifteen-foot circle of dead steaming grass, Kirino was over by her bag wiping her steaming face with a cold wet towel.
Sa: "Looks like that could use some work."
Ru: "But if he keeps practicing it could eventually become a special move of his."
Ki: "Yeah but that's going to have to wait till later, still I think you're ready, with this kind of power you'll definitely pass qualifications, maybe even make it to the top ten."
Ky: "I don't know about top ten."
Ki: "Daiki is technically second rank and you're already more powerful than he is."
Ky: "More powerful?"
Ki: "Well yeah, your able to do everything he can and more."
Ky: "You know I've been kind of wondering; how did Daiki make it to co-top-rank?"
Sa: "Well one reason is that since CHA isn't that famous of a school most of the students have either super strength or super speed, you know average powers, and they're pretty easy for him to beat if he just freezes them."
Ru: "And out of the rest nobody has heat based powers so he just freezes them too."
Ky: "I see, so your saying most of the other students are just pushovers."
Ki: "Well yeah, did you really expect CHA to be filled to the brim with nothing but overpowered students? With your power you'll easily make it to the top one hundred, it's actually kind of hard to believe just a couple of months ago I thought you'd get the lowest rank."
Ky: "Heh, now your big brother going to become a big strong superhero and when I graduate I might just make you my sidekick."
Ki: "…"
In a flash Kirino immediately had me on the ground with her foot on my head, my face in the dirt and my arm stretched up into the air behind me.
Ki: "Do you mind saying that again?"
Ky: "Owowow, I'm sorry! Uncle! Uncle!"
Ki: "Hmph, that's what I thought."
Ky: "Ah that hurts."
Ru: "Why must you be so ruthless with your brother?"
Ki: "Who else is going to keep that head of his from inflating."
Sa: "Hmhm every moment with the two of you tis comparable to a television comedy."
Ki: "Alright you can leave now, training's done for today."
Ky: "But what about the pond? I think we might get in trouble if we leave it frozen."
Ki: "Then just reheat it."
Ky: "Did you not just see me release all the heat I had taken from it in that dud blast?"
Ki: "Oh yeah I forgot about that."
Ru: "You really just forgot about that?"
Ky: "And it's going to take me a while to thaw it with just the heat in the air."
Ki: "Hmm…hey bitch cat you think you can focus the sunlight onto him."
Ru: "As you wish."
Ruri stood in front of me and almost like a magnifying glass she focused the sunlight onto me and I was able to start building up heat.
Ky: "You know Ruri if I ever do become a pro hero maybe we could become partners, our powers work really well together."
Ru: "{Blush} You really thinks so?"
Ki: "Ahem did you forget that you already have a partner."
Ky: "But we're only going to be partners until we graduate, besides do you really want to have to deal with your annoying big brother all the time?"
Ki: "…Idiot."
Sa: "Hehe, poor Kiririn."
Ky: "Okay Ruri that's enough."
After feeling I had gotten enough heat I walked over to the pond, placed my hand on the frozen surface and within a couple of minutes the ice was completely melted.
Ki: "Okay that's done, you can go ahead home, I have to stay and talk with these two about something."
Ky: "Alright I'll see you girls later."
I left the park and started down the path home but when I rounded a corner I hear a familiar voice behind me.
Ko: "Hey Kyousuke?!"
Ky: "Oh hey Kouhei."
Ko: "Hey man did you just finish with your training?"
Ky: "Yeah, you want to hang out or something?"
Ko: "Sorry I can't, I was just on my way to go meet with my soccer teammates to do some summer practice."
Ky: "That's too bad."
Ko: "So you're really going to apply to CHA huh?"
Ky: "Yeah, the day after tomorrow, Kirino says I have a good chance of passing."
Ko: "Man with you changing schools Manami is going to be pretty bummed out."
Ky: "And you won't be?"
Ko: "Nah, I just hang out with you cause your plainness makes me look better by comparison."
Ky: "Hehe, well don't be too sad, I'll be able to come visit you guys during the weekend."
Ko: "That's good at least, hey have you already been to the campus?"
Ky: "No but I did ask Kirino about it, she says it's not really that different from a regular school."
Ko: "Heh that's disappointing, thought they'd have something cool like robots or force fields or something."
Ky: "You watch too many action movies."
Ko: "Hehe."
Ky: "So you think you'll be free tomorrow? My sister is letting me take the day off of training, so you, me and Manami can hang out."
Ko: "Sounds good, one final day of hanging with us before you set sail for new horizons."
Ky: "You make it sound like I'm going to the other side of the planet."
Ko: "Well anyway I'll see you later."
Ky: "See you."
Before parting we raised our arms for a fist bump but the moment we made contact a small jolt of static shocked him.
Ko: "Ah! Hey."
Ky: "Hehe sorry."
Kouhei left and I continued my way to the house.
[The Next Day]
Ky: "{streeeeetch} Ah, finally a whole day off, so what do you guys want to do?"
Ko: "How about we go to the arcade."
Ma: "That's sounds nice."
Ky: "Yeah, do we have enough money? I found a couple thousand yen on the pavement the other day."
Ko: "My parents gave me five thousand for cleaning the gutters."
Ma: "I have a few thousand from working at my parent's bakery."
Ky: "Great sounds like a day at the arcade it is."
{Bzzt}
Ky: "Hm? A text? From Kirino?"
|Which color do you prefer? Pink or red?|
Ko: "What'd she say?"
Ky: "I don't know, just something about if I like pink or red better."
Ma: "Maybe she's asking you for advice on an outfit."
Ky: "She's never done that before, but if that's the case then pink would look best on her."
|Pink|
Ky: "Okay let's go."
We left our meeting spot and made our way to the arcade, once there we bought some tokens and Kouhei and I decided to face off in a fighting game while Manami offered to get us drinks.
Ko: "Alright you ready for this?"
Ky: "No!"
Ko: "Ultimate…COMBO!"
Ky: "Nooo!"
Ko: "Oh yeah! The champion wins again!"
Ky: "Am I ever going to beat you?"
Ko: "Don't feel too bad about it bro."
Ma: "I have the drinks!"
Ky: "Thanks Manami."
Ko: "Yeah thanks."
We took our drinks and gulped them down.
Ko: "Ah, the best part about summer, the heat makes cold things more enjoyable."
Ky: "Yeah as soon as I'm finished applying for CHU I'm going to the beach and I'm buying a ton of snow cones."
Ma: "That does sound nice."
Ko: "Yeah, plus there's all the hotties in bikinis, I'd like to get me some of that."
Ma: "Ooh, Kouhei stop being so dirty."
Ko: "Hehehe."
Ky: "Honestly I wouldn't mind seeing some girls in bikinis."
Ma: "Eh?!"
I wonder what Kirino looks like in a bikini…why does that thought make me feel funny?
The rest of the day we spent together just having fun as friends and making plans for the rest of the summer given that I won't need to train as much anymore. I invited them to join me and the others at the summer festival, Manami agreed but Kouhei said he had to do something for his sister.
Ky: "Okay, all dressed time to get going."
I exited my room and went over to knock on Kirino's door.
Ky: "Kirino are you ready?"
Ki: "No, just go ahead of me, I'll meet you there."
Ky: "Come on Kirino it's easier if we go together and I doubt it takes that long to put on a yukata."
Ki: "Yeah but…I have to do a bunch of other girl stuff to get ready and it's going to take me a while to finish, just wait for me at the park entrance."
Ky: "{sigh} Fine just don't keep me waiting alright?"
Ki: "Alright just go and I better find you waiting at the entrance or else I'll kick your ass as soon as I find you."
Ky: "Yeah yeah."
Once again conceding to Kirino's demands I went downstairs and exited the house to make my way to the park which glowed with the light of dozens of lanterns, food stands and game booths, once there I leaned against some railing. After a couple minutes the smell of all the delicious food was starting to make me impatient, I was tempted to just abandon my post and get some takoyaki or a corn dog but it was then that I heard Manami, dressed in her dark blue yukata.
Ma: "Hey Kyou!"
Ky: "Ah, hey Manami, I thought you were already in."
Ma: "I had a little trouble finding my yukata but what are you doing out here? Are you waiting for someone?"
Ky: "Yeah I promised my little sister I'd wait for her at the park entrance while she finished getting ready, she didn't want to have to go through the trouble of finding me in the crowd."
Ma: "I see; d-do you mind if I wait with you out here?"
Ky: "Nah, go on ahead in, you'd just get bored waiting here with me."
Ma: "No I insist, besides the festival wouldn't be as fun without you."
Ky: "…I-I guess you have a point."
For the next few minutes we waited there together just chatting until a sudden chill went up my spine as I sensed a menacing presence nearby and I turned to see Kirino standing several feet away starring daggers at me, she was dressed in a pink yukata with red flowers and her hair was in a short messy pony tail. I could practically see the dark aura emanating from her as she looked at me in anger and, like only she was able to do, she made me fear for my life.
Ky: "Uh, h-hey Kirino."
Ma: "Hi Kirino."
Without saying a word, she immediately walked over to me, grabbed my arm and pulled me over behind a street light.
Ki: "Kyousuke can you tell me why the glasses bitch is here?"
Ky: "W-well it is the summer festival, why wouldn't she be here."
Ki: "No I meant why is she here with you? You didn't invite her did you?"
Ky: "N-no she just happened to be walking by and insisted on waiting here with me."
Ki: "And why didn't you just send her away."
Ky: "She's my friend I can't just push her off, that's rude."
Ki: "Does it look like a give a damn? I don't want her here, now tell her to leave."
Ky: "Kirino listen she's my friend and she's not going anywhere, either deal with it or we'll just go on without you."
Ki: "…Fine but I'm not talking to her."
Ky: "Che."
Why do I feel like I just had an argument with my jealous girlfriend?
After coming to our agreement we entered the park but when Manami hooked her arm with mine Kirino decided to grab my hand and she squeezed on it just hard enough to make it hurt as much as possible without overstepping my pain nullification threshold.
Why the hell is she so mad?!
After a bit of wandering we eventually found Ruri and Saori.
Sa: "Uh, hey there guys."
Ki: "…"
Ky: "Ugh, hey, I'd like you, guh, to meet my childhood friend Manami."
Ma: "It's nice to meet you."
Ru: "Likewise."
Sa: "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
It was then that Kirino had finally let go of my hand and walked over to her friends.
Ki: "Come on guys let's leave these two love birds alone, we wouldn't want to ruin their date."
Ma: "D-date?!"
Ru: "Are you sure?"
Sa: "But what about your-"
Ki: "Let's just go."
Sa: "Uh, okay."
Without saying another word Kirino and her friends walked off leaving me and Manami on our own.
Jeez what's up with her? Why does she hate Manami so much?
Ma: "Is she going to be okay? I didn't say anything wrong did I?"
Ky: "Just forget about her, besides I can have more fun with you anyway."
Ma: "Really?"
Ky: "Yeah, come on let's get some food."
For the next hour or so Manami and I played games and ate festival food, though some of the games look pretty smashed up for some reason when we passed by them, it was when we were eating some crapes together that I suddenly got a call from nature.
Ky: "Guh! Hey Manami do you mind holding my crape? I have to use the bathroom."
Ma: "Sure."
Ky: "Thanks."
After handing Manami my crape I power walked to the nearest bathroom which had a pretty long line, but I wasn't going to be able to last long so I opted to use the parks bathroom building which was actually pretty far away from the festival. When I got there the area was pretty dark but I was still able to see the distant glow of the festival, but still I had this feeling that I was being watched. Ignoring that I went inside and took care of business but before I could leave someone else came in, he had a ski mask on and a knife painted completely crimson red pointed at me.
Ky: "Oh hey, are you here to mug me?"
?: "…"
Ky: "Well if you are I'm going to have to call the cops."
I wasn't really scared of guys like this, I've dealt with them a couple of other times, but once I reached into my pocket he lunged at me and attempted to shove the knife into my abdomen, it was then that I felt an unfamiliar feeling and an intense pain.
Ky: "Huh?"
I dropped my phone and immediately with all my strength pushed him backwards into one of the stalls causing him to hit his head, I looked down at my shirt in shock, it was soaked in blood…my blood. I touched my stomach and I could feel a hole where the knife had pierced me, I looked down at my hand and could see more blood dripping off of it causing me to stumble back into the wall.
Ky: "What just happened? What the hell is going on?"
The man got back up but looked off balance from hitting his head, before he could get his bearings I escaped the bathroom but because my wound caused me so much pain I wasn't able to move very fast and I was starting to become dizzy from my loss of blood, but I still tried to move as fast as I could back to the festival. But before I could go any further the same pain from before shot through my right leg causing me to fall over.
Ky: "Agh!"
I looked down at my leg to see the man's red knife stuck in my calf and I could see him silently walking over to me, once he reached me he bent down to grab his knife and yanked it out of my leg.
Ky: "Aaagh!"
With his knife in hand he looked down at me menacingly, with absolute hatred, as if he were finally exacting vengeance for something.
Ky: "Why are you doing this?"
Before he answered me he took off his mask, he had black, crew cut hair, brown eyes and looked pretty old.
?: "Because your continued existence is a threat to humanity."
What the hell is he talking about?
?: "If you care about this world you will accept your death with grace."
He lifted his knife for one last stab but before he could a drop of dark fluid fell from above and hit his forehead, he stopped moving, his eyes rolled up, he dropped his knife and he fell backwards onto the ground and another man jumped down from the tree above.
?: "That'll teach you to steal my stuff; man, he really messed you up kid, looks like I came just in time."
The man spoke with a hoarse and somewhat monotonous voice, he had spikey, black, medium length hair and his eyes were blood red with a dead and emotionless look to them, but besides his eyes he looked young, almost my age.
?: "Doesn't look that bad, with your powers you'll survive."
He then went over to my assailant, grabbed the knife and threw his body over his shoulder.
?: "Well kid I'll see you later."
As he walked off into the darkness my vision began to fade and I finally passed out. When I came to I stared up at a white ceiling with rectangular fluorescent lights and I could hear someone crying near me. I looked to my right and could see Kirino, still in her yukata, with her face buried in the blankets crying her eyes out and for some reason the door to the room had cracks on the wall all around the frame.
Ky: "Kirino?"
Ki: "Kyousuke?"
She lifted her head and I could see her makeup was all smeared and runny from her tears.
Ky: "What's wrong with you? Did someone die or something?"
Ki: "…I thought you were dying!"
Ky: "What are you talking about? I feel fine."
Ki: "B-but what about your cuts? You were bleeding all over the ground."
Ky: "Cuts? Oh you mean those stab wounds I got?"
Ki: "Yes!"
Ky: "Yeah those hurt like hell, but come on Kirino you know me, I'm unkillable, don't you remember that time I got hit by a truck? Or the time I got lost at the ski resort and the police found me frozen solid? I was fine then."
Ki: "B-but there was blood, you had deep cuts on you."
Ky: "So somebody has the ability to damage my body, it's not like they could've killed me."
Ki: "…"
Ky: "Come on stop being a baby, see look at my stomach no scar or anything.
Ki: "Eh?!"
Ky: "My leg's fine too see? So calm down."
Ki: "{sniff} You really scared me you jerk."
Ky: "Oh suddenly my abrasive little sister actually cares about me? That's so sweet."
Ki: "{Bonk}."
Ky: "Ah! Hey!"
Ki: "{sigh} Why do you have to be such a friggen' idiot?"
Ky: "Grrr, oh hey? Where's Manami and the others?"
Ki: "I told them to go home, but the glasses bitch refused to leave so I had to scare her off."
Ky: "Guess that explains the damage to the door."
Ki: "…I'll go get the doctor, you stay there."
Ky: "I'll go with you, if they see that I'm fine they might let us out sooner."
Ki: "Just stay there, I can't have your clumsy ass getting yourself hurt again and flopping at the exam tomorrow."
Ky: "Fine, oh, by the way did they catch the guy that jumped me?"
Ki: "Yeah but they had to shoot him down, so he's worm food now."
Ky: "That's good to know."
Ki: "…"
The doctor came to check on me and to his surprise, besides the big knot on my head that Kirino gave me, I was perfectly fine, no damaged organs, no poisoning, no infection and no internal bleeding, it was as if I was never attacked. So they decided to discharge me and to MY surprise I saw mom and dad waiting for us in the lobby though UNsurprisingly they didn't seem all that worried, so they drove us home and Kirino and I made our preparations for tomorrow.
Ky: "Okay so that's all I have to do?"
Ki: "Yep, if you can do all that your in."
Ky: "You make it sound easy."
Ki: "It's supposed to be easy, this isn't some elitist school that only takes in the best of the best, but you still have to at least pass these qualification tests."
Ky: "Well then I guess I'll see how good I do tomorrow."
Ki: "Okay then, {yaaaawn} I'm going sleep, remember not to stay up too late."
Ky: "Yeah yeah."
Ki: "…U-um."
Ky: "Hm? What is it?"
Ki: "…Are you sure you're okay?"
Ky: "Are you sure you're my sister? Because you're acting really out of character right now."
Ki: "…Hmhm, {sigh} whatever, goodnight big brother."
Ky: "Yeah good nig- Eh?"
Did she just call me big brother?!
AN: And that's the end of this chapter hopefully it wasn't too dark at that attempted murder scene but I thought this chapter needed some suspense, but anyway I'll see you guys in my next update.
