A Few More Levels

Chapter 12: Slipping Through

"-something something talk-" - is gonna be them talking mentally from now on to avoid confusion.

*-*-*-*-*

A breath. "Ready when you are Genos!"

"Of course!" There was a buzz of heat and mechanical whirring.

"Alright, I want a nice clean fight! That means you Genos, don't grab Haku on anywhere unnecessary."

The blonde nodded. "Understood Sensei!"

Haku tsked at this. "Don't listen to him Genos! In a fight, you'll be on a disadvantage if you don't take the chances given to you. Because that chance might be a key to your victory, write that down on your Training Journal!"

The lights and the buzzing sound turned off as Genos whipped out his Training Journal. "...I see, take every opportunity to win. Don't let a chance to slip." He mumbled to himself, amazement clear in his golden eyes. "Haku really is a very example of this."

By that he meant, Haku never lets a gig slip pass her. No chance of letting money slip out of her hands.

"Hey! Who's your damn Sensei?! I am, right?! Not this chibi!"

SLAM!

"Quiet baldy or I'll permanently silence you."

Genos just let everything be, after weeks of spending time with this two, he has accepted their way of showing affection and irrate to each other, nothing short of a meteor falling from the sky would alarm Genos.

Though there's a possibility that that could happen, knowing who this two are.

Keeping his journal away on a bullet/fire/water/electric proof pocket, he took a stance. "I am ready Haku."

Haku paused mid sarcastic retort, "Hey Haku! I'm not done talking to you!" "Okay, let's get started."

SCHWOOOMMM!

Genos took the initiative and blasted Haku with heat. Once the smoke cleared, the teen was not in sight.

Where? It took him a split second to register that there was a kick flying to the side of his head and he was just in time to put up his arm in guard.

The force behind the kick sent him flying for a good few meters and it left the arm he put up useless. With that, he was immediately put on the defensive, kicks flying at him with great speed. Genos knows that he couldn't let another of Haku's kick hit him directly, the result wouldn't be ideal for him.

He tried to dodge rather than block but even so, some would graze him slightly, earning him scrapes here and there. The other teen's attack was relentless and Genos noticed that so far, Haku was only using her legs to attack him and for her petite size her strength is impressive.

But unlike her brother, she knows how to control the power behind each assault and even if she wasn't directly hitting the cyborg, the air pressure backing the attack was enough to cause rubble to fly living his field of vision spotty.

The kicks weren't random either, each one aiming for his remaining usable arm. As expected of Haku, the combine use of strategy and execution leaving no movements useless. Each move has a purpose, but what if she uses her esper abilities alongside with it?

"Try to keep up." That's the only warning he got before the girl ducked down to a low sweeping kick, a great change to her much higher assaults from earlier.

Genos wasn't fast enough to completely avoid her so he ended up on the ground facing the sky, but he was fast enough to roll away from the axe kick that left the earth in shambles.

Saitama whistled in appreciation for the damage, before the very start of the fight the bald man already knew who would come out as the winner. It's obvious that Haku was downplaying her skills to give Genos enough of a fighting chance while also being a great challenge. Not to mention, the girl has yet to use her arms and psychic abilities in the mix, because if she had, Genos would have lost before he could even blast off for an attack. Besides, Haku seemed to be planning something.

Her kicks had gone faster, the teen was now using her superior flexibility (superior to even her brother) to make her moves unpredictable. "Lesson number one." She spoke, no hint of emotion from her face.

Her movements slowed down, living an opening for Genos, only for his leg to be caught mid impact. "Don't ever underestimate your opponents just because their guard is down."

The next thing Genos knew was that he was bodily thrown to a cliffside, embedding himself on impact.

"Don't let your guard down either, and don't overestimate your abilities. That could lead to your defeat."

A lesson in the middle of a fight? Saitama smirked, of course that smart girl would think of that.

"Lesson number two." She disappeared from his sight. Genos immediately removed himself from the huge chunk of rock, his thermal heat scanner working in a buzz, trying to locate the girl. He was also keeping himself mobile to avoid being a sitting duck.

"Always have a plan before attacking." A soft voice whispered to his left ear, working through his surprise, Genos directed his palm for another energy blast that was immediately dodged.

Haku dashed towards him, right arm raised for a punch. "Lesson number three," the cyborg was moving for a dodge but a sudden kick on his open side left him flying to the air and being embedded to another rock formation. "Avoid using the same moves."

The blonde was finding himself on a bind, the part where Haku kicked him caved in and because of this, he would have problems moving his right leg. Some of the wires connecting the leg to his torso is destroyed, causing delayed movements which is such a big hindrance in any fast paced battle.

Haku remained indifferent but a small frown was forming from her lips. "Same moves then it's a pattern, and if there's a pattern, then you're predictable, and if you're predictable you can be countered." She said while leisurely walking towards him, it didn't fail to irritate the blonde, but he knows that what she speaks off was the truth and he was at fault.

"That's not a very good thing when you're facing a stronger opponent. It could leave you dead if you're not being careful." Haku started levitating, rising higher and higher, until she's a good six meters above ground.

"Number four, always have an ace up your sleeve or sleeves." She raised her hand with one finger up, an aura of interchanging white, yellow, blue and red surrounding her.

Genos felt a force pushing him, digging him more to the rock surface, when he was about to be one with it, the force receded. It left him helpless and unable to move. "After all, having just one kinda destroys the purpose of no repetitive moves over the same enemy." The ground started to shake, as if there's an earthquake, huge chunks of earth started floating with the command of her psychic powers.

The cyborg could only watch it all in trepidation and he noted that when Haku was using her abilities her eyes would take a golden hue, the same color as his but more. It glows with the unhidden powers only unique to espers.

Beautiful but dangerous.

The rocks continued to dance in the air languidly and Saitama stood on one of the larger ones where he hadn't bothered to move. When Haku decided to level the field with sheer mind power, he knew that the spar has ended when the girl decided to use her powers.

Saitama knew that Haku doesn't like using her powers much and as of late she'd become antsy, never really using it anymore until now. Other than telepathy that is.

"I think that's about the lessons for now." Haku said plainly, drawing everything to a standstill, rocks stationary.

With a simple flick of her finger, the older teen was out of his hole, teleported, seemingly laid out on the ground. Slowly, the floating rubble was lowered to the ground to their respective cracks as if they were a mega-sized jigsaw puzzle. And with a whoosh Haku was standing over Genos, eyes trained on his broken arm and then to his leg. "Here." A smaller hand with even smaller fingers were offered to him and he stared at it for a while before grabbing a hold of it despite the fact that his functions was still working and he's still capable of getting up on his own.

Genos stared at Haku with awed eyes and determination. The lessons she had given him would be written on his training journal later. Each one of them providing insights about his errors and a way to overcome opponents who might be stronger than even himself.

It's refreshing and humbling in a way to witness the skills of his Master's sister, to know more about the enigma that is Haku. She was still holding back and that's a given, since Genos knows that Haku is a logical person who wouldn't exert more effort than what was needed.

He figured out that the main reason she indulged his request for a spar was because she had seen where he was lacking. The girl had told him when they were getting ready to go to the fighting grounds that she was only doing this because she doesn't want to see him in shambles anymore or worse got killed because of his stupidity.

"God knows Sai-nii suck at teaching."

"Hey, I take offense to that."

Saitama later said that it's just Haku's roundabout way to say that she was worried for him, which in Genos calculation was probably true.

"You're family now Genos."

Small hands moved to block his vision and out of reflex he grabbed them by the wrist with his functioning limb. His eyes strayed down to see Haku looking up at him curiously.

"You alright Genos?" She flatly asked, wriggling her wrist as she did so.

The blonde lets her go. "I am fine Haku, though I would need to visit Dr. Kuseno for the repairs." He confirmed.

Golden eyes were suddenly much closer scrutinizing his face, a downturn on pink lips. "Are you sure Genos? I didn't beat you up that badly to get major repairs right? I don't have to pay for said repairs right?" Haku said while she hovered an inch above him through her telekinesis. She rounded him twice then inspected his leg by going upside down, her face nearly touching the ground.

"I am fine besides, I've been meaning to ask the Doctor for a little fine tuning and that you don't have to pay anything for it."

Haku poked a part of his leg that was revealed by a rip on his pants, it was slightly bent and riddled with scratches. "You sure about the not paying part?"

"Yes."

"I'm still wondering how you get repaired for free, it must cost a fortune to get the right equipments and tools."

"That's because Dr. Kuseno is a doctor of—"

"Quit you guys yapping and start walking." An irritated bald man grabbed Haku by her foot that was dangling in the air, dragging her away from Genos while she was floating upside down.

For some reason Saitama was annoyed and he doesn't know the exact reason why. Seeing the two interact so familiarly with no honorifics to boot (when did they decided to do that?) bothers him in more ways than one.

And no, he is not jealous.

Not one bit at all.

So what if thet call each other by their names, he does the same to both of them.

So what if he'd seen Haku's wide innocent eyes stare at Genos with warmth, she gives him the same look everytime their eyes meet.

So what if Haku's bland apathetic voice would turn soft with worry whenever she sees Genos in some sort of bind, she used to give him the same worried tone most of the time when he wasn't strong as he is now.

So what if her rare smiles (adorable sweet smiles) could now be seen directed at the cyborg instead of just him.

So what?

Saitama is not jealous that he has to share his sister now.

Genos is just a student that decided to barge in their home life nothing more nothing less.

"Let me go Nii-san! I can walk on my own."

That's right. Genos is a student, his disciple. Not Haku's brother. Saitama is the one who holds the throne for being Haku's brother.

Whirring his arm back, he caught fabric and a small waist, the girl reflexively threw her arms on the man's broad shoulders, legs hugging his waist. Firmly, gloved hands supported the teen's legs.

Haku settled her head on the man's left shoulder, catching a whiff of the lemon scented bodywash that her brother loves to use. "But I guess a piggyback will also do."

Feeling the warmth of the small body on his back was a relief for Saitama's nerves. As such, he's not jealous of Genos, not at all mind you, the man just hadn't entertained the thought of another person sharing Haku's time and affection. Her friends were another thing, but they didn't make him feel threatened (not exactly the right word but it will do) in anyway when it comes to her.

All this thinking is probably just his stomache talking. Yeah, that's probably it.

"Shut up Sai-nii you're thinking too loud. It's making my head hurt."

"-And you're an idiot for thinking that I'd replace you.-" A soft voice whispered in his head, silky hair tickling his face when he turned to take a peek of a seemingly sleeping Haku.

Long lashes met her naturally flushed cheeks, warm puffs of air coming from her slightly parted lips. Over all, the girl looked rather peaceful and asleep, but Saitama knew that it isn't like that. It's a reprieve from her worrying quietness the last few weeks. The amber eyed teen might not say it but something's been eating away at her. As if she's worried and scared about something and he has a bit of an idea of what it is. It made the caped baldy antsy and a bit protective of her during those times.

Seeing the hunched stiff small shoulders, dark haunted eyes, furrowed brows, down-turned lips and over all gloomy aura, made him want to smother her in blankets and keep her locked away in their apartment where nothing could ever harm her in any which way.

"-We are going to talk later.-"

.

.

.

"-Okay.-"

*-*-*-*-*

Haku glared at the towering man who was holding up the line. She couldn't exactly hear what he's blabbering about— since she was wearing earphones with rock music blaring at it, the cashier lady seemed fearful of him from whatever he said.

The tall silver haired man that was in front of her was tense, rippling muscles underneath his tight long sleeved black shirt growing taut as seconds passed by as the towering man continued to loom at the poor convenient store staff.

Haku sighed, took off one of the earbuds and placed down her basket of groceries, she was last in the line but she still has to make her place secure or someone else might cut her off. She then calmly strode off to the counter. "Hey kid where are you going?" Haku ignored whatever the silver haired man said, because she is no kid thank you very much.

While the line holduper guy continued to yell, he revealed the sharp knife he was hiding in his sling bag. Panic ensued.

"Give me all your fucking money or this is going straight to your throat!"

The poor lady was about to reply when the teen cut her off with a dry retort. "I don't think that will end well for you Mister."

The guy was muscular (and a good three heads taller than her) she'd give him that, permed hair that looks like a wig on top of his head. Hearing her voice made him face her, squinty dark eyes glared at her, mouth filled with rotting teeth pulled in an impressive scowl to make him look intimidating. Haku ignored it, his 'intimidating' face is nothing compared to her brother's serious mode.

"What do ya think you're doing kid?" He grounded out voice gruff, Haku figured that something died in there.

Haku scrunched her nose. "I should be asking you that question, you're the one holding up the line. If you weren't holding it up then I would've been at home by now. You're making people waste their time."

A bunch of sane bystanders looked at her with abject horror, mouth gaping and eyes bugged out. Haku ignored them too.

He took a step towards her, looking down at her. The amber eyed teen hates that. "What did ya say?!"

Her lips tug downwards for a few millimeters. "Oh, so you're deft? My bad."

The man turned red, gritting his teeth as he took a hold of her collar, lifting Haku easily from the ground. "Don't mock me shrimp," Haku's eyebrow twitched. "or your pretty little face wouldn't be so pretty anymore." The knife's flat surface touched her cheek, eliciting fearful gasped from the faint hearted people.

Haku's gaze was unflinching, if anything she stared right to the man's eyes, unnervingly so. Amber flickered to gold for a bit, making the man flinch slightly.

Haku opened her mouth but was cut off by another voice. "Hey, why don't you put the kid down and fight someone your own size."

It was the silver haired man from before, and he was gripping the meaty wrisk of the man taking her hostage.

Haku's eyes narrowed at him, he did just imply that she was short after all.

"Ha?" Perm head said unintelligently. "And you think you will do?" He raised one fuzzy eyebrow.

Albino hair smirked as he tightened his grip, Haku could almost hear the grinding bones, forcing the hand to let her go. "Ye—" "I think I'll be good enough." Haku interjected, earning an annoyed glare from Albino.

"Shut up kid and just go to your Mama or something." Yellow eyes glared at her, but there's no hint of malice in them, annoyance more so and a bit of concern.

Just go already so you won't get hurt brat.

Amber eyes glared in return. "I'm not a kid, I'm turning sixteen, and my Mama lives faraway from here or something, old man."

I don't need your concern and I could take care of myself.

They stared at each other challengingly, forgetting about the armed man between them. The taller of the two noted that the teen before him has nice features, has rather large almond shaped eyes that made the ravenette look harmless and young. The thing is, because of the nice features, it's not easy to determine whether the not-kid is a boy or a girl, the baggy loose clothing doesn't help either but the obvious bump on the chest area gives it away. There's a look harboring in those amber depths, challenging and fierce.

Haku observed the young man with a weird hairstyle preference. He has quite sharp features and added to his hair, it made him look like a wild wolf. His lean muscled physique suggests that he's quite active and base on his clothes and the stance, he might also be a practitioner of martial arts.

"You could've fooled me, I thought you were ten and I'm not an old man, I'm seventeen almost eighteen."

I'm older than you, so you better listen to me.

"You could've fooled me, I thought you're just a senile old dude."

I don't have to listen to you so just scram.

The other people and the other workers at the convenient store had easily vacated during their exchange. The only ones left was the two teens, the cashier lady and the burglar, the burglar who was currently forgotten by the two teens.

"Hey you both really wanna have at it ha?"

"Shut up Perm Head/Fugly Face." The two said in unison, not letting off their staring contest. Rich amber clashed with burning yellow in a heated glare off.

It easily pissed off Mister Fugly Perm.

He raised one meaty hand and jabbed the sharp knife towards Haku who was the 'easier' target. "Don't fucking ignore me brat!"

The yellow eyed teen's eye widened and he was about to intercept the knife with his bare hand when the ravenette beat him to the chase.

"Pointing sharp things is highly dangerous Perm Head." Two fingers. She held the knife's point in between her thumb and pointing finger, the sharp object dangerously close to her left eye.

The man tried to pull it back but the surprisingly strong grip left the attempt useless, so he whirred back his other arm to punch the girl in the face, only for it to be captured by one tanned hand.

"Easy there, it's not right to hit young girls in the face." The other teen said, though he wasn't quite sure if the other really was a girl. He's just banking it all in his instincts and the neutral reaction seems that he was right. Halfheartedly, he made his grip tighter, almost crashing the knuckles of the thief.

"Ah!" The man cried out, his hold slackening on the knife.

Haku yanked it away from his hand and placed it gently on the counter where the gawking cashier lady still stood. She gave the woman a slightly concerned glance. "Miss, I think you should go outside. Saa, call the police or something." Haku told her carefully with a soft voice. The woman nodded shakily to as she scampered quickly away from them and out of the store without a second glance.

"Quick thinking girly."

"Hmph. Shut up old man."

"Fuck the both of you!" The man snarled spraying them with unneeded spittle.

Haku wiped her face with a handkerchief she somehow procured. "Ew."

The teen with sharp features grimaced in disgust. "Gross." He let's the crushed hand go in lue for wiping away at his face.

The man now freed growled, then gave another punch to the smaller teen. She easily dodged, letting it sail above her head as she kicked from below catching the man's hip, making him stumble and howl in pain. The shelf rattled ominously from behind him but thankfully remained standing.

The familiar move and the audible crack from the hit made the wolf like teen whistle in appreciation.

Getting back up again, the man snarled and grabbed the small shelf of ramune behind him and threw it towards the two teens.

The young man easily moved in front of Haku, arms whirling elegantly this way and that, easily deflecting the glass bottles. He was expecting the sound of breaking glass but none of it reached his ears. Glancing from the corner of his eyes, he saw Haku holding all the bottles in a great show of balance and flexibility.

Annoyance was etched all over her face having expected the situation. The girl was only on her right foot, the left leg angled so that the four shiny bottles were enclosed between her thigh and calf, her arms was kept close to her chest, where there are three in each of her hand, two each between her biceps and four each under her armpits. On her left shoulder there were two bottles tucked in the crook of her neck being clamped down with her head, kinda like how you hold your phone when your hands are busy. And lastly, the last bottle stood proud on the right side of her head, perfectly balanced. The thief gaped at her and she ignored the surprise from both males.

"Idiots, don't you guys know that when you break stuff that you'd pay for it?" Carefully, she slowly bent her right knee to get closer to the floor, once both legs have met on the floor she relinquished her hold from the bottles between her thigh and calf first, it tinkled softly against the tiled floor. Next she righted her legs into a crisscross position but with a gap in between to make a dip, the bottle on her head not even moving. After that she proceeded to carefully lower the contents in between the gap of her crisscrossed legs. Then finally, she took off the one bottle in her head and the two on her shoulder.

There are twenty five glass bottles saved in just a moment, the martial artist couldn't be more impressed at the skill it took to achieve that. Though he himself could have done it, but when he deflected the carbonated drinks it was flung to different directions. The girl must be pretty fast to be able to catch all of that, has a good eye, agility and coordination too if she was able to predict where the drinks would end up and getting there on time. Her balance too is something to be commended, because if it was him, the bottle on the head would tither so and so but of course it will not fall. He's too stubborn and prideful to let himself slip up if that's the case.

This girl is something alright.

A swishing sound was the only thing that alerted him from the whack he's going to receive from behind and he ducked low, letting it go over his head. He delivered a turning kick right at the man's gut, blood and saliva splashing him.

A blue and black blur moved towards the man before it settled for the image of the girl jumping, her legs tucked in her chest. She turned her tucked body horizontally, then letting her right leg struck out hooking it at the large man's neck, with the help of gravity, she easily brought the man down.

The sound of the large body hitting the floor was the only sound that filled the convenient store. Haku landed quietly beside the fallen unconscious man, some of his rotten teeth spilling out of his mouth.

Haku turned to the slightly surprise teen behind her and giving him a firm look.

"Still think I'm incapable?" She said challengingly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Yellow eyes blinked at her for a moment, then a wolfish grin etched itself on his tanned face. "Na, I think your pretty capable little Missy-" "Don't call me little." "Wow sorry, just Missy then?"

She sniffed. "My name's Haku." For some reason the girl was pouting.

"Garou then." The wolf like teen snorted. "For someone capable you sure looked like *Pambi or some shit."

"I am not a deer."

Garou chuckled. "Of course you aren't." Curiously the girl moved towards one of the baskets left in the panic and he noted that it was her basket. "What are you doing?"

The girl deigned him a short glance. "I'm getting my stuff checked out." She said plainly which Garou couldn't help but laugh at.

"You're really serious aren't ya?"

"Of course. I always take my groceries seriously."

Garou watched the ravenette as she went to the counter and scanned all her goods without missing a beat. Looking back, Haku's moves earlier were familiar in a way. She moved the same way as that girly looking boy in that unsatisfying martial arts tournament that he 'competed' to last year. He remembered it being the Cherry Blossom Dance Fist or something.

The strangely colored haired boy (an extra light pink from the crown of his head to a deep pink) forfeited before they could even exchange fist which greatly annoyed Garou to no end. The boy was good, really good, probably the only one to pose as a competition to his skills. He saw how the kid easily defeated each one of his opponents even going so far as letting his opponents reveal all their techniques before soundly defeating them with one signature move.

Garou bets that the kid did it to give the opponent a fighting chance but to also learn all of the other school's technique.

Unbeknownst to him, said girly boy was actually Haku in disguise. She entered the competition because one of the patrons on the maid cafe she works at requested her to do it. The poor guy, Makoto had been on an accident while he was training and to save face for their school, his Master requested her to do it. The Master had heard of her through Makoto, heard of Haku's reputation as a maid and a bouncer which the old man tested. To say the least, he got soundly beaten by the stoic girl and he asked her to be his only apprentice's replacement. She only agreed because of the payment and the rewards she'll get from winning the competition and she settled for second place.

The old man doesn't want her to win all the way for some reason.

(The prizes she received were a two door refrigerator, microwave oven, dishwasher, a washing machine and a brand new state of the art Laptop.)

Makoto and Haku had the same lithe build and height. Makoto's hair was a soft shade of pink and rounded mint green eyes which could easily be done through a wig and contact lenses. There were slight difference in their facial features, Makoto's face is more rounded while Haku was heart shaped, Haku's lips were more full and Makoto had a cute button nose. But all of that was easily fixed through the power of makeup which Haku excelled in as a cosplayer.

By the end of it, Haku looked like the long lost twin of Makoto and still no one was able to find out about it until this day.

"From what school are you?"

Haku gave him a suspicious glance. "And why do you want to know?"

Garou quirked an eyebrow. "To learn what type of school of movement you practice."

Haku blinked and got back to scanning her milk. "I thought you were some loliconning creep or whatever. Don't just ask questions like that old lecher."

"I'm not an old lecher, you reverse trap loli!"

"Saa, haven't heard that one before, but to answer your question I don't go to any martial arts school. But I do go to high school."

The glare receded to confusion. "What? Your kick from before looks like the one from the Dance of the Cherry Blossom Fist."

At his statement, the hand grabbing a carton of eggs stilled and the girl looked up at him.

Haku scanned his features carefully and she noted that she doesn't remember anyone having that kind of memorable hairstyle from the competition. Though the way he held himself and his clothing brought one answer to her head.

Haku doesn't like lying even if she's good with it so, "It's the Dance of the Flower Goddess."

"What?"

"That breathing style, it's called the Dance of the Flower Goddess."

This time it's Garou's turn to give her a look. "Breathing style?"

"Yes, it's a breathing style. Only a select few still knows about it. Breathing styles varies from different Masters of this art, there used to be a large variety of them each one mimicking some sort of embodiment of nature. The very first one was the Breath of the Sun and it branched out from there. These breathing techniques are used to strengthen the body via circulating oxygen in the right place, it is said that one who uses them could be stronger than an average person better yet as strong as a demon."

"Are you serious? There's something like that?" Garou's head was churning at the knowledge of an old used part of martial arts, something that could be even stronger than what the world's greatest martial artist's style. He has to know everything about it.

Haku snorted. "Of course not. That thing doesn't exist. I picked that up in a new popular manga." She casually bagged her groceries and fished for her wallet in her pants pocket.

"What? So you're just baiting me?" Yellow eyes glared at the head of spiky black.

Haku having paid for her groceries left the counter. Two plastic bags held in one hand. "Yes, but what I said about it being called the Dance of the Flower Goddess Fist was true."

"And how would you know that?"

Garou leered at her slighter form as she stopped right in front of him. "Yes, because I was there." She handed him a cold bottled drink, a coke. "You were eyeing that earlier so I rung it up for you." She said while turning away and striding pass him towards the entrance.

"Remember to pay for that before you go Garou-jiji." With that, the girl was out of the store, the only thing that was left was the cold bottle in his hand and an unconscious thief.

"Wait, what did she say?"

"Yes, because I was there."

She was there that means, his mind flashed to her moves, her face and her build. Once it fully registered to him, he ran outside the store, the cold beverage still in his hand.

Turning his head this way and that to find a small back and a head full of dark hair. But much to his irritation there's no more sign of the girl who once again slipped pass him.

Looking down at his cold hand holding the carbonated drink, his lips stretched into an anticipatory grin, yellow eyes gleaming in excitement at the prospect of a possible challenge no, a possible prey.

You won't slip past me next time kid. I won't let you.

*-*-*-*-*

"Achoo!" Haku sneezed, earning a concern glance from Saitama.

"Don't tell me you're catching a cold now. I thought idiot sisters don't get colds."

Haku glared at him by the corner of her eyes, hands busy with putting away her groceries into the shiny relatively new refrigerator. "I'm not catching a cold if you must know."

Genos gave the girl a scan and he nodded as well. "Haku is healthy as can be, there is no sign of her getting any sort of sickness soon or possible future long term diseases."

"Thanks Genos."

"Your welcome Haku." The blonde said while he filed away the girl's snacks on a cupboard. Saitama glared at him.

...

"By the way, what's for dinner?"

"Does cold soba, simmered salmon and pickled radishes sound good to you?"

"Yup, sounds great."

*-*-*-*-*

"So what do you want to talk about?" Haku started, looking down at Saitama who had his head resting on her lap.

Currently, Saitama was reading a light novel that was from Haku's impressive book collection. She has great taste when it comes to the stuff, the one he is reading right now is about a girl who died and was reincarnated slash summoned into a new world to become a maid because the kingdom was lacking some staff, but the girl in the story wants to become an adventurer or thought she was summoned because she's going to be some hero. The downside was that only men are allowed to become an adventurer and Saitama was currently on the part where the girl was protecting her charge, the princess, from a demon who wants the princess as his bride.

Oh, and what do you know, the demon got convinced to take the girl instead as sacrifice, now the demon is binding her to be his eternal maid servant. Really interesting stuff, and no he is not ignoring the matter at hand.

"Nii-san?" Haku prodded the man's head. "Niiiii-saaaaaan~" she poked him repeatedly. Until she decided to take the book from his hands easily getting the man's attention.

"Hey give that back, it was getting on the good part!"

"No." Haku said flatly and with a thought she levitated and moved the book towards the shelf in the corner. "Now what are we suppose to talk about?"

Saitama sighed, looks like there's no getting out of it.

"Haku are you alright?"

Haku looked confused at this. "Didn't Genos said that I'm healthy and that I don't have any growing disease?"

Saitama rolled his eyes, "I'm not talking about that." He sits up to meet Haku's eyes properly. "I'm talking about here." Saitama points at his chest, where his heart should be.

"I'm fine."

"Tch. We both know that you are not. Something's bugging you, tell me what it is." The bald man crossed his arms over his chest, his face stern— a rare sight.

Deep brown stared down at amber, it was just a few minute but the whole ordeal felt like hours for Haku to decide whether to tell her brother about her childish thoughts.

It was silly to worry about something like that truly happening but the idea still lingers in her mind like a very stubborn fungi.

Like it was going to come true and she would be living in a nightmare once again.

"It's nothing."

"No it is not just nothing when you're all gloomy and broody. I need my cute apathetic little sister, not this gloom and doom girl who's got nothing better to do but stare off into space.

"I'm not staring off to space. That's impossible to do when I'm on earth, but I'm letting you slide for calling me little."

An eyebrow twitched. "Of course you're still a smartass no matter how broody you are. And let me just call you my little sister for once okay. It's cute and I like it."

"Well I guess it's better than being called a reverse trap loli." Haku mumbled to herself, thinking back to the young man with a wolfish grin.

"What did you say?"

Haku gave him a bland stare. "Nothing. I said it was better than being called a Baldy."

"Why you—" Saitam started, but he shook his head when he's decidedly going off track. "Stop that. I'm not getting off your back easily young lady. Now," his eyes were sharp as they drilled holes to her, "tell what's been bothering you. No half truths either, I want the whole of it."

Looks like her brother was really, really serious. Seriously serious.

The teen sighed through her nose as she struggled to come up with an answer. She's going to make it as brief as possible. Not even a full sentence if she could help it.

Just the thought of explaining all of it makes her feel uncomfortable picking out every single bone in the closet she kept locked out sealed in the dark bottomless pit of her memory. Nightmares upon nightmares of giant glass tubes, scalpels, syringes and a metal chair of horror comes to mind.

Haku wants to further let her memory fade but she couldn't have that even if she can. It would be unfair to them if she just forgets.

"You. House of Revolution. Lab. Doctor."

Haku closes her eyes and she thinks of the cold pairs of eyes as they strapped her down on a metal bed. They didn't even blinked when she screamed her throat out and when tears fell down her cheeks.

"Experiments." She whispered closing her eyes at the memory.

A gentle touch ghosted over her cheek, she flinched but then leaned into the touch. Haku marveled at the callused texture, noting that it was clearly different from cold rubbery gloves.

The bald man's brows furrowed in worry. The girl was back to her first speaking pattern. All stilted words that made sense and at the same time didn't, but at this point of their relationship Saitama knew what she meant. He has to or he wouldn't have understood her in the first place.

A rocky coast came to mind, more stones than the usual sand, a giant glass tube with moss growing on it with reefs tangled on the wire that was attached to the thing. He remembered seeing her for the first time, floating inside the tube all tiny and long black hair fanning around her, he was ten and he thought that she's some sort of a baby zombie at some point.

But now she's one of the most important part of his life.

"Hey now Kohaku." Kohaku is her full name, something he thought of at the top of his head when naming her. It means amber (just like her eyes) but she likes to be referred to as just Haku. It fits her both.

He takes hold of both her cheeks, carefully forcing her face up to look at him.

"You do know that I can take care of myself. You don't have to worry about me anymore." He tells her softly, tenderly, as he rubbed her cheeks with his thumbs. The girl opened her eyes not looking at him.

"Aside from that, I got you and Genos to rescue my butt if I really need it."

Not that I would need it of course.

Saitama doesn't want to put Haku on another uncomfortable situation. Kami knows that his little sister needs some peace of mind after all she's been through.

Her natural pink cheeks turned red and eyes not meeting his. Saitama thought that if she had cat ears they're wilted right now and flat on her head.

Out of nowhere, Haku suddenly threw herself at him, burying her face to his chest and Saitama didn't hesitate to return the hug.

"-I knew that. I was just being stupid.-" Her even voice echoed in his head. She was clearly trying to hide her embarassment.

It made Saitama smile.

.

.

.

"Can you give me back the light novel now?"

*-*-*-*-*

Genos got out of his room and into the hallway, having the urge to consult Haku about a few pointers to improve his fighting.

As he walked towards the other living room where his sensors are telling him were both siblings are. Golden eyes with black scelera glance at the door connecting their apartments together.

Just last week, Haku decided to create an entrance to join their abodes together, she reasoned that it made things easier for both parties. Each apartment cell has two bedrooms, a living room, a tiny kitchen and of course a bathroom. Currently, the other room on Genos side was unoccupied and the girl had dubbed it as their guest room.

It made things more convenient just as planned and no one has to knock on each others door anymore or barge in each others places without permission.

Correction, they can now go into each others place without the others permission more freely because of Haku's brilliant idea.

"Saa, it's our home Genos, remember that."

He reached the location in no time and what he saw made his lips quirk upwards in a smile.

Quietly, he went towards Saitama's room, fetching a blanket and two extra pillows on the closet where the other blankets are located. After that, the blonde went back to the living room and he carefully set down his baggage.

Mechanical fingers gently extracted the light novel from smaller ones, they twitched and for that moment Genos held his breath. The fingers went lax.

He settled the book at the low table and with much difficulty, he lifted his teacher's head and placed a pillow underneath, he repeated the same actions to the small teen and once done he spread a blanket over the slumbering duo.

Genos stood up and looked at his work. A blue blanket with cloud prints settled over their slumbering form. Saitama had one of Haku's legs tangled with his own, facing each other one firm arm encircling the girl's waist, small fingers clutched the man's shirt tightly and a general sense of peace exuded from both person.

Genos figured out that whatever Haku's facing was now resolved and it truly amazed the cyborg with the tight bond the two shared. With one last look, Genos moved to turn off the light and when he was about to retreat to his room a soft sleep addled voice spoke.

"G'night Genos, Th'nk yo'."

Genos went back to his room with a smile that surprised even himself. He never knew that he could actually do that anymore after being mechanized. He suspects that the warmth he felt was not from his core any longer.

*-*-*-*-*

A/n: So Hi peeps am back with a new chapter and probably in the process dying from college work. This has been siting in my saved files and now I managed to get a hold of sometime to update. Some things were revealed in this chap and I hope the fight scenes was to your liking because it is certainly not in my field of expertise with my meager grasp of the English language. Did you get the reference of Haku's supposed fighting style? Probably. I was laying it pretty thick.

*Pambi- Bambi

Bye y'all~