Hey everyone! Happy New Year!
Geez I suppose this was quite overdue. Mainly because of my Uni studies and my other stories I have been focusing on. BlackPsych bro, I finally understand how heavy uni life is.
I tried powering through this week to write this chapter. I feel like my writing has dipped in this chapter. Well, more so than it has been before heh. It felt like there's too much dialogue, not enough descriptions. But then some things just must be said and I don't know how to 'show' the plot in this chapter.
And I don't know if reading the different Hachiman names is confusing for the readers.
Canon Hachiman – Hikigaya
Spider-Man Hachiman – Hikitani-kun
Huntsman Hachiman – Hikio.
Please review, I'd really like to hear some feedback and suggestions for the story.
Enjoy, and a happy new year to you.
Chapter 6: This unholy triplets
In the apartment's living room, Yukino stood there with trembling shoulders. In front of her were three Hikigaya Hachimans.
One Hachiman was in regular Sobu High school uniform, his posture and that nervous look on his face. She needed one look and she knew that was her Hachiman.
The other two Hachimans, she could sense something different from them. The second one was wearing the same set of school uniform but she noticed the odd metallic bracers he was wearing on each wrist. The second one was in a red long sleeve t-shirt with dark grey pants. His fish eyes had a sliver of hardness. He stood up straight with arms crossed, he was scanning the whole room, every crook and cranny. Looking at them both, Yukino then took note of their biceps. They were both really lean. Like if her own Hachiman had gone to the gym, maybe he could be as muscular like them. And they appeared bigger too, whether it was their posture or their natural build, Yukino could not tell.
Yukino paced around the room, nursing her head as she processed everything. She pointed at the three standing side by side. "Let me get this straight again. There are two other Hikigaya-kuns? From other worlds?"
The Hachiman with bracers raised a hand, making a little wave, "Yo."
The other one gave a nod for greeting. Yukino then turned to the remaining two. Yumiko and Kakeru.
"You two are with them as well."
Yumiko and Kakeru nodded.
"And you two are vigilantes?" The cross-armed Hachiman's eyes narrowed. The bracer-wearing one frowned as well.
"You all were attacked by someone calling himself the magician. As in actual magic. But then he just left." Yukino eyed her Hachiman. "And you just let Isshiki-san go home?"
"She said she just wanted to go home, she didn't want to be involved. I couldn't force her to come with us." Hachiman said.
"But you could force me to get involved in this?" Yukino crossed her arms to him. There was a twist in his gut when Hachiman heard that. Yukino quickly caught herself when she said that, her hand raised up to her mouth.
"Hikigaya-kun, I'm sorry." She quickly apologised, "I-I didn't mean that."
"I'm sorry. I guess I shouldn't have called-"
"No. No Hikigaya-kun." She stopped him, "I'm grateful you that you were forthcoming with me about this. It's just that…I wouldn't know what to do."
"We just needed somewhere to hold up first." Hachiman said, "And you were the first person that came to mind."
"Uh," Yukino's cheeks tinted pink for a second. "Uhum…I-I'm happy that you thought of me."
"Ahem," the sound of clearing throat got everyone's attention. Yumiko stepped forward. "Can you two can do your couple thing later? We need to focus."
Yukino fought against the red flushing into her cheeks, she adjusted her demeanour and straightened herself up. Tobe Kakeru had a smirk on his face, watching the couple in their moment. The other two Hachimans had odd reactions, both were looking away from Yukino. Hikitani-kun was biting his lip, as if reflecting on something. Hikio's brooding glare intensified, he was staring at something specific in the room.
Yumiko then said, "We just need to take some rest right now. Maybe a shower and some food. We really appreciate the help."
"Boys? In my shower? I refuse."
Yukino glanced at the boys in her apartment, suddenly she grew conscious of the notion. No way was she going to let them into her room and see her toys on the bed. Perhaps she could make an exception for her own Hachiman, but Yukino shot her trademark icy look on Kakeru, Yumiko, and the other two Hachimans.
"Huh?" Kakeru tilted his head.
"I refuse to let boys that I do not know into my shower. Using my shampoo and body soap? The thought of such a vulgar idea makes me fear for my life." Yukino held herself.
"Ehh?" Kakeru sulked. "Come on, we're not like that."
Yukino's icy stare did not let up. Hikitani-kun tried to defuse the tension. "Yukinoshita. I assure you. You can trust us."
Hikio for his part was silent this whole time, still eyeing the room around him carefully. Yukino glanced at the boys one by one, until her eyes landed on her Hachiman.
"Uh…yeah." Hachiman uttered, "They really need your help."
That pleading face he was giving to her was working its stuff. She had to accept it. Plus, she was curious herself. She wanted to know what the deal with those other two Hachimans was.
"Ok," Yukino crossed her arms. "But they are not coming into my room."
"Thank you." Yumiko, speaking for the group, bowed in greeting. "Much appreciated."
"Hikigaya-kun." Yukino held his sleeve, "Come with me. We need to talk." She pulled him over to her room. Hachiman felt the looks he was getting from the others in the living room, he wanted to shrink away. The two stepped into her room. Yukino locked the door and forced down the blush in her face. Hachiman was taking in every sight. The pink bed, the study table, and Pan-san toys all over the place.
"Stop staring at them, idiot." Yukino mumbled.
"Right, sorry." Hachiman timidly said. He took a chair from the study table and sat down. Yukino crawled up onto her bed and the two remained in each other's company for the night. What a phone call from her boyfriend this had turned out to be.
She had half expected to see him drunk from a party he should have not been to. Though thinking about it now, Yukino knew Hachiman was someone who would even attend a party. This situation, however, was dialing everything up beyond the max.
"Hikigaya-kun," Yukino said, both hands had a little tremble in them. "Are you ok?"
"Hm?" Hachiman hummed, only then did he notice Yukino's worried face. "Uh y-yeah. I'm ok, physically. Yeah."
"You sure?" Yukino continued to have that worried face.
"Actually, it's those other people we should be worried about." Hachiman said.
"Oh?"
"They're the ones who don't belong here. They're the ones who are trapped."
"Right," Yukino got out of her bed and opened her closet. Pulling out a futon from the bottom drawer, she placed it on her bed before taking out towels.
"Here." She chucked them over to Hachiman. "Give them these. I'm too tired already." She buried herself under her blanket.
Back in the living room, Hikio stood before a shelf with a picture frame on it. He darkly glared at the Yukinoshita Family photograph. Yukino and Haruno were stood side by side while their parents seated in regal postures. He muted growl in his heart. "Yukinoshita Yukari…"
He stepped away and got to the dining table, taking a seat with Hikitani-kun sitting opposite. Hikio held up his mask for inspection. He adjusted his hold to have the mask's side facing him. He peered closer seeing the cut where the exposed circuitry was at. Taking a pair of tweezers, he pinched a loose blue wire and plugged it into a port. He turned the mask around till the pair of red eyes were staring back at him. He pressed the button on the side, and the lenses flashed red for a second. Hikitani-kun held one lens on his mask, he noticed one of the lens' shutter was pressing on another shutter. Hikitani-kun reached in with a finger and pulled it free with his nail. Finally, the spider eyes were functioning.
Putting his mask back on, Hikio activated a pulse of sonar. He saw everything, the entire apartment was mapped out. The bathroom, the kitchen, even Yukino's bedroom. He could see her silhouette on her bed, and Hikigaya-kun on the study chair. Hikio took off his mask and set it back down on the table, he pressed another button at the back of the mask. Another pulse of sonar echoed through and the mask's security motion tracker became active.
Hikio sensed Hikigaya exiting Yukino's room.
Hikigaya approached them with towels in his hands and set them on the table. "Here."
"Thank you." Yumiko said while she sat in between Hikio and HIkitani-kun. Kakeru took his own seat opposite her as well. She continued, "So, we rest up here and then what? Just prepare for the magician to reappear?"
"What else can we do?" Hikitnani-kun asked her.
"Any place we can think of to find clues?" Kakeru shrugged his shoulders.
Yumiko turned to her partner, Hikio, who was still tending to his mask. She nudged his shoulder. "Oi."
"Mm." He grunted, the first time anyone heard his voice since the park.
"What're you thinking?"
"How to break someone I hate." Hikio's answer stilled everyone. They all stared at him with creased foreheads and disgusted frowns.
Hikitani-kun said, "Isn't it tiring to keep up that scary act? Even out of the mask?"
Hikio tore his gaze on his mask and stared at Hikigaya-kun. The two Hachimans' eyes were locked onto each other. Whatever mental message that was being exchanged, neither Yumiko nor Kakeru could sense it. Hikigaya had a slight chill slithered through the back of Hikigaya's neck as he eyed back and forth between Hikitani-kun and Hikio.
"I am thinking what the magician would be planning for us." Hikio explained himself.
"So you're just sitting there, thinking of the most horrible ways to screw them over." Kakeru pointed at Hikitani-kun and Hikigaya.
"Is there somewhere else I can sit?" Hikitani-kun shook his head.
Hikio ignored that last remark, "Spider-Man. You said the last thing that you were doing in your world was stopping a robbery in an alleyway. That place could be somewhere we can start."
They all exchanged glances with each other, it was as good as a lead anyone else could suggest.
"Then that's what we'll do tomorrow morning." Yumiko declared leaning over for emphasis, before standing and taking a towel, "I'll be showering first." No boy in the room protested. The blondie excused herself and hovered over into the bathroom.
"So uhh," Kakeru got up as well, "If no one else objects, the couch is mine. Too damn tired now, I'll shower in the morning." Kakeru trudged over and laid down.
Silence returned to the living room. The palpable tension was so pressuring. Hikigaya took Kakeru's seat and just sat there awkwardly, Hikio's eyes were drifting to the side glaring at the window, and Hikitani-kun had narrowed eyes trained on the Hachiman opposite him.
"Huntsman huh?"
Hikio turned his head upon hearing his name. Hikitani-kun leaned back on his chair with crossed arms. "Are you going to tell us your story? We told ours already."
"And that was your choice." Hikio retorted, consciously keeping his volume appropriate.
"Isn't that fair huh?" Hikitani continued anyway. "I was bitten by a radioactive spider. Were you bitten by a radioactive bat?"
"No."
"Then what? Who bit your neck and bled you dry?"
"I am not a vampire."
Hikitani-kun raised a brow, "Really? What about that whole summoning that swarm of bats and the shadows thing? So you got super strength or you can fly?"
Hikio remained silent. It took a few moments before Hikitani-kun narrowed it down. He pointed at him, "Wait, you don't have any powers?"
Hikio's annoyance subtly formed on his eyes, Hikitani-kun made a deadpan look, "Are you for real? So you are legit just all theatrics. You mean that you are like…him," Hikitani-kun gestured at Hikigaya, "a guy with no powers in a vampire ninja cosplay?"
Hikio kept his gaze on Hikitani-kun. He then brought his arm up, inspecting a device in his hand. Hikio twirled the device in his fingers, taking note of every detail in it. "This is the source of your projectiles Spider-Man?"
"What the?!" Hikitani-kun edged over the table, it was his web fluid cartridge. He checked his wrists, one of his web-shooters was empty.
"Metallic casing. Aluminum or titanium alloy to optimize weight. Housing compound fluids which would depict webs, fitting the spider theme." Hikio got a closer look at the white in the nozzle. "Broken seal. Supposed to be slotted through a receiver. I'm guessing it's primed or gas pressured from the back to fire through a barrel on the wrists."
"When did you- How the hell did you do that?" Hikitani-kun could not hide his surprise.
"Maybe that's my power." Hikio flicked his fingers, tossing the cartridge over to him, "You should ration that. Save your batteries, given our situation."
Hikitani-kun caught the cartridge and placed it back in his web shooter, "I have enough."
"The compound has a remarkable tensile strength to hold you in a pendulum." Hikio commented, "Must be a very dense polycyclic hydrocarbon resin. I'm guessing an organochlorine compound bond as well for the adhesive properties. Combined with an elastomer?"
Hikitani-kun and Hikigaya looked at Hikio like he just spoke in another language. For Hikio, however, it was enough insight for inference; Spider-Man did not know how to make this fluid, which meant that he was supplied.
"Anyway," Hikio said, "there isn't much to tell about my world. My life almost has the same plot. Sobu High, Hiratsuka Shizuka, the Service Club, Yukinoshita Yukino, Yuigahama Yui-"
"And Isshiki? In your world?" Hikitani-kun cut in. Hikio fell silent again, both Hikitani-kun and Hikigaya fixed their look on him. They resisted the cold presence from him. The last Hachiman could not get away from this.
Hikio let out a groan before he told them, "In my world, Isshiki Iroha was a dropout. And she turned to crime."
There was a knot in Hikio's guts as he watched their expressions fell. The shock and horror in Hikitani-kun and Hikigaya were plastered on their faces. All Hikitani-kun and Hikigaya could picture was their cute brown-haired kouhai. She may have her sly foxy moments, but she could never be a bad person, a criminal.
"W-What?" Hikigaya's lips were trembling.
"She dropped out of Sobu High?" Hikitani-kun asked. Hikio could tell the skepticism. "How could she?"
"Very bad luck. A horrible twist of fate." Hikio said.
"W-What happened to her?" Hikigaya stumbled in his question.
The pause in Hikio was not a promising sign or them. He answered, "The same thing that happens to any other criminal."
"You hurt her." Hikitani-kun stated with a disapproving face. It was not a question.
"I did what I had to do to stop her." Hikio instantly retorted before he sighed, "Look, I'm saying this for the sake of the three of us. The less we distract ourselves by questioning each other's worlds, the better we can focus." Hikitani-kun frowned and Hikigaya was still processing the notion.
The door to the bathroom opened and steam misted out. Yumiko stepped out, hair damp and her towel slung on her shoulder. Yumiko called to her partner, "Hikio. You're up next."
Hours had passed, a ray of sunlight cut through the curtains in Yukino's room. A mumble escaped her and she stirred awake. She slowly sat up in her bed and yawned daintily. She hears the sound of soft breathing by the side of her bed. She turned her head and a smile was formed on her lips. She could not resist the idea that sight of her boyfriend sleeping snugly in a futon was cute.
The fluffy thought was dampened when she remembered the reason why her Hachiman was sleeping in her room. She crawled out of her bed and exited her room. A part of her had hoped what happened last night was just a very weird dream and she would step into an empty living room. Instead, there was a Miura Yumiko and a Tobe Kakeru asleep on her couches.
At the corner by the window, there was one Hikigaya Hachiman on the floor. He was covered in the shadows and was wrapped in some gruesome-looking black with red steaks cloak with a hood over his head. Despite being asleep, his face was perpetually scowling.
"Where's the other one?" Yukino whispered to herself. Only when her eyes barely caught it, she tilted her head up. There was a man-sized webbing on the ceiling stretched like a hammock, with the other Hikigaya Hachiman lounging in it. She shrieked and fell on her butt. "Eep!"
The cloaked and hooded Hachiman's eyes burst open and he launched himself up. Yukino squeaked in shock again when he landed in the center of the living room in a martial art stance with wicked curved blades in his hands that Yukino could not recognize. His dark cape and hood, his angered bloodshot eyes, and his growling teeth were gripping her with fright.
"What the?!" The Hachiman in the hammock yelped.
He flinched from the commotion and his hands reached up to the ceiling. Pulling his legs up, all of his four limbs were attached to the ceiling and he readied himself upside down. Yukino was hyperventilating by the sight of a Hachiman clinging onto the frigging ceiling and a dark snarling Hachiman opposite her. Seeing the shivering girl on the floor, they slackened their postures.
"Apologies." Hikio removed his cape off himself, took his mask from the table before turning away from her. Hikitani-kun detached himself from the ceiling and landed safely.
"Wha...W-What…" Yukino stammered.
"I uh…" Hikitani-kun rubbed the back of his head, "I suppose you need an explanation."
Yukino's cheek tinted red as she got up to her feet, giving her icy glare at the two. Her cold aura made Hikitani-kun wince, but it did nothing for Hikio. Yukino's chilly demeanor was hindered suddenly when they heard a soft rumble, coming from her stomach. Yukino had to zip away into the bathroom to cover her embarrassment.
Moments later, the entire group was in Master Donut café. Six of them sat in the corner. Yukino, Kakeru, and Yumiko sat on one side of a table. Hikigaya, Hikitani-kun, and Hikio were sitting opposite them. Each of them had their own plate of pastry for breakfast. And there were three cans of MAX coffee for the three Hachimans.
Yukino cleared her throat to gather everyone's attention. "Uh…u-uhm…s-so let me get this straight. Hikigaya-kun."
"Mm." The three Hachimans said in unison.
"U-Uh you." she pointed at Hikitani-kun, "You can do whatever a spider can."
"Mostly." Hikitani-kun said.
Yukino then pointed at the other one, "And you. You're a ninja."
Hikio remained silent. He took another gulp from his coffee.
She brought a hand to her chin, giving her trademark judging pose. "Spiders, ninjas, and vigilantes. Gross. So even worlds away, Hikigaya-kun would associate himself with such horrible rotten elements."
Her Hachiman could not help the small grin at the corner of his mouth, Yukino's jabs may be annoying, but they were her jabs. Hikitani-kun could only sit there awkwardly. Yumiko and Kakeru eyeballed Yukino, they did not exactly appreciate her remark.
"And even worlds away, Yukinoshita hides behind her cold attitude."
Everyone turned their heads to Hikio with dumb-founded faces. This was the first time anyone has ever heard someone talking back to Yukinoshita Yukino. Apart from Yumiko, everyone had a lump in their throats. Without realizing, Hikigaya's grip on his coffee can was slowly tightening.
"Excuse me?" Yukino's cold stare returned and she crossed her arms. Her icy display, however, did nothing for Hikio.
Hikio said, "I get it. You're scared, and that's understandable. But your-"
"I'm not scared." Yukino cut in, "Please restrain your rotten mind from assuming-"
"Point is," Hikio raised his voice up, "your trash talking didn't help anything then. It's not going to help anything now, and it's not getting us anywhere. So I suggest you stop it."
Yukino gave another glare at him for a second, Hikio simply looked back at her with a stoic expression. With puffed cheeks, she tore her glare away and tended to her croissant.
Attempting to move on from the tension, Yumiko took the stage, "How far are we from the alleyway?"
"Was it about…seven blocks away?" Hikitani-kun counted in his head.
"Ten." Hikio corrected.
"Do we even know what to look for?" Kakeru chipped in.
"No…" Yumiko's fist clenched on the table, "Dammit we are walking blind in the dark on this. There has to be some way to call the magician out."
"But he didn't leave any tracks, nothing to make a trail." Hikio shook his head. "We have to get ready when he does reappear if we find nothing later."
Yukinoshita was lost as she tried to keep up with their conversation, she turned to her boyfriend. Hikigaya could only give a sheepish wince for her. No one saw it coming when there was a blustery voice.
"HikiGerma eh?"
The three Hachimans stiffened instantly when they recognized the voice. They directed their attention to the entrance. There stood a face they had not seen since middle school, and it was an unwelcomed sight. A broad-shouldered boy with light brown short hair, wearing tattered jeans and a black t-shirt.
"K-Katsura?" Hikigaya muttered with shocked eyes.
"Katsura Yosuke?" Hikitani-kun whispered with a frown.
"Katsura Yosuke…" Hikio silently hissed behind clenched teeth.
Yosuke sauntered over with hands in his pockets with that same smug face the Hachimans had seen in middle school. Each of them had their own inner feeling swelling.
"Wow, there's a face I never expect to see again." Yosuke snickered at Hikigaya. "Oh that school uniform? In Soubu High eh HikiGerma?"
"U-Uh, yeah." Hikigaya muttered again, he could barely keep in eye contact.
"Man it's been so long huh? Missed all the times you treated me for the arcade games." Yosuke's lips curled, and Hikigaya sat there frozen.
Yosuke then turned to the other two, the other two Hachimans that were watching him. "Whoa what the shit? That your brothers? You are triplets? Where were you two then heh? Didn't see you in middle school."
Neither Hikitani-kun nor Hikio said anything.
"So are all three of you in Soubu High now? Over there chasing skirts huh? Like you tried with the class representative and Orimoto?"
Hikigaya simply there and took the jab. In the café, other customers were noticing the scene.
"Excuse me," Yukino interjected, "but who are you?"
Yosuke laid eyes on the raven-haired and blonde beauties on the table. He puffed his chest, "Nice to meet you honey. I'm Katsura Yosuke."
"Could you take your leave? You are disturbing us." Yukino coldly requested.
Yosuke was taken aback for a second before his smug face came back. He jabbed at Hikigaya again, "That your girlfriend HikiGerma? Wow, you nailed a tsundere huh?"
Yukino gave him an icy look, but Yosuke was enjoying it.
"Then who's the blondie? Your second choice?"
"Hah?!" Yumiko exclaimed in her seat, "Whoever you are, just get lost! Gross!"
"Oh ho ho." Yosuke sniggered, "An Ice Queen and a Fire Queen. Struck gold huh? You need your ladies to talk for you?"
Kakeru turned around in his seat to face Yosuke, "Hey bro, how about you stop bothering us huh?"
"Shut up loser, no one's talking to you." Yosuke shot him down and leered at Yumiko, "Hey blondie, if you're unsatisfied, why don't you hang with me?"
"Hah?!"
It was at that then someone finally stood up. Yosuke raised an eyebrow when Hikio was going around the table towards him. He took slow steps, stalking towards Yosuke.
"What? You got a problem?" Yosuke smirked.
Once Yosuke saw his eyes, however, he was held in place. Unlike the Hikigaya he picked on several times in middle school, this one was different. This Hikigaya was giving him the darkest glare he had ever seen in his life. And he definitely looked tougher, he had lean muscles accentuated in his arms and neck.
"You got something to say Katsura Yosuke? Say it to my face." Hikio's voice was low and gripping, "After what you've done to my brother, try me. Go on, test me you dog. See if you will keep half of your teeth afterward."
Yosuke had something to say, but it never escaped his mouth under fear he never felt before.
"No?" Hikio said, "Well I got something for you." He inched closer. The dark glare was peering into Yosuke's soul and pulling it into an abyss. He gave a hellish snarl and pointed at Yosuke's face.
"Fuck off you dumb cunt."
The whole café went silent, every patron had a jaw-dropped gasp by the insult. Yukino and Hikigaya had eyes widened like orbs. And surely enough, someone else rom the table got up as well.
"Apologise." Hikitani-kun stared with arms crossed, "Apologise to my brother, and everyone else here. Or what he said, beat it."
Yumiko and Kakeru got up as well, banding together to glare at Yosuke.
And so, Hikigaya Hachiman's former bully in middle school was backing away. Yosuke had a tremble in his shoulders. He quickly turned tail and bolted out of the café. Hikigaya, for his part, was frozen in his chair.
"Gross," Yumiko huffed, "Even in this place, I have to deal with freaks and creeps."
Hikio picked up his bag and took the helm for the group, "We mobilize. We're behind time already."
Shaken out of their stunned surprise, Hikigaya and Yukio got up and joined up with the group exiting the café. Witnessing some people standing up for him, it should have been a warming sight. Instead, it made Hikigaya remember Hayama Hayato standing up for him against Orimoto Kaori and Nakamachi Chika. It was like he was getting pitied again, and it made him bitter.
Some blocks down the path, the group was on their way to their destination. There was a strategic formation in them. Hikitani-kun and Yumiko were taking point at the front. Hikigaya, Yukino, and Kakeru were in the middle. Hikio was at the back.
With Yukino, she slowly took her boyfriend's sleeve to get his attention.
"Hikigaya-kun?" She whispered, "Are you ok?"
"Huh?" her boyfriend grunted, "Fine. Why?"
"Who was that earlier?"
"Someone from middle school." Hikigaya said. His thoughts drifted back when in middle school. He pondered on how the other Hachimans suffered in middle school, leading to their reaction back at Master Donut. But if it meant garnering more pity on him from the other two Hachimans he would not have it. It did not take too long before they were at their destination.
The sky was covered in a thick sheet of grey, the alley was almost as dark as the night with the sun blocked out by the clouds. The sight of an alley gave Yukino had a chill in her spine, she held Hikigaya's sleeve and he stayed by her side. The 'visitors' went in without any hesitation. The shade in the alley grew, pieces of litter scattered with the damp air heavy on the ground.
While they all spread out searching for anything in every corner, Hikitani-kun and Hikio stood in the middle. Hikitani-kun spotted Hikio having knitted brows, his lips showed melancholy. This alleyway meant something to him for some reason Hikitani-kun could not guess, but he did not deem it important now.
"Ok," Hikitani-kun began to explain, "Back in my world, I was stopping a robbery in this exact spot," he gestured over to the center of the asphalt. "The robber in the windbreaker was holding up a student girl at gunpoint. He robbed her of her bag already but still pointed the gun at her head. I came swinging in from above. Tobe was by the side, he was about to take a picture of me stopping the robber."
"Tobe was photographing the crime instead calling for help?" Hikio asked with accusing eyes trained on Hikitani-kun.
"I had that robber. I swear I had him." Hikitani-kun insisted, "But the robber and the girl turned to me, then the electricity sparked all over and I was here with Tobe." He then asked, "What were you and Miura doing in your world before you got here?"
"A routine scouting through the city, Miura was on an overhead bridge by herself after her dojo training. We crossed paths before the same electrical field occurred." Hikio said, "Still there aren't any clues resembling a magic-based element here."
The two got quiet for a moment while the rest were still searching around the alley for anything.
"Is Tobe a combat-fit? Is he a fighter?" Hikio asked.
"Not really but-"
"You shouldn't have let him come with you while that robbery occurred. You put him in danger."
"He's my partner," Hikitani-kun gave Hikio a side glare, "we work together. And I told you already, I had that robber in the moment, I had it under control."
"Evidently."
"I don't need to hear criticism from a vampire cosplayer," Hikitani-kun circled around Hikio to face him eye to eye. The two stared into each other as if sparks were igniting between them again. Neither of them noticed the entire group was watching them.
"Scary guy in a vampire outfit." Hikitani-kun said, "Without that, what are you?"
"A cut above you." Hikio leaned forward, "Someone who's not dangerously naïve like you."
Hikitani-kun shook his head at his counterpart. "I've seen enough things and beaten my share of enemies. So you don't get to stand there and 'handle' me, thinking I'm some kind of noob."
"Really?" Hikio raised up his hand again, holding a web cartridge again. "What's your web fluid made of?"
"What the f-" Hikitani-kun's teeth gritted. Hikio tossed it over and he caught it, slotting it back into his web-shooters again. Hikitani-kun frowned at Hikio, "That's the last time you are ever going to do that."
"You don't even know what your webs are made of, or whoever is supplying them to you can be trusted." Hikio said, "Equipment's been given to you and you just take it without question?"
"Don't insult my intelligence." Hikitani-kun snapped back, "I've been given the equipment sure. But I know it is trustworthy and the system Tobe and I operate in works."
A tension of silence continued brewing between the two until Hikio asked another question. "Then tell me. Why are you Spider-Man?"
Hikitani-kun recoiled, his hard edge was knocked down. The stunned silence gave the answer away for Hikio. Before anyone else in the group could go on, a rumbling boom exploded off in the distance. Everyone steadied themselves as the ground shook for a brief second.
"Whoa! The hell?" Kakeru exclaimed, "Earthquake?"
"No, it's sound like an explosion?" Yumiko added, "A bomb."
"Hikigaya-kun." Yukino shuddered and Hikigaya rushed over, holding her close.
With the two vigilantes, their tension was broken. Hikitani-kun gave Hikio a look one last time before hopping over his head, clinging onto the wall and running upwards. Leaping into the air, Hikitani-kun removed his school uniform with twists and turns. Putting his mask on, Spider-Man landed on the building's top and webbed his clothes onto the wall of the rooftop access.
Jumping into the air again and with a 'thwip' Spider-Man swung his way over to the source of the explosion.