"Hnn…nyah!" Noriko leapt up from the ground, pouncing onto a monster's face with both swords poised to pierce into one eye and one ear. Her legs wrapped around its neck as best they could, her sneakers digging into its furry hide to give her a better hold. "Stop running, damn it!"

"Let me go, you disgusting freak of nature!" The massive weasel thrashed its head side to side, trying to dislodge the catgirl.

"Just who…are you calling a freak?!" She drew her left arm back and thrust a sword deep into its ear. It shrieked in a high pitch, freezing in place when it felt the cold steel of her other blade against the tender flesh beneath its eye. "Hn. Stop it. Now."

"I stopped! Do you see me still moving?!"

"Good." Noriko squeezed her legs together, her heels digging in deeper. "So…now that you're listening…what are you doing here?"

All around the two were various onlookers. Parents and children that had been visiting the playground when the monster slithered up out of the sewer. Noriko's nose wrinkled as she tried to ignore the stench of its still wet hair. The girl was also ignoring the stares of the onlookers. Her hood had fallen back to expose her pointed ears and she could hear them talking about her. Like the wounded beast beneath her swords, they were wondering what she really was.

The monster snickered quietly, even as blood gushed around the blade buried in its ear. "They think you're a freak! They know you're just a freak like me! Why are you fighting me when you could help me take them down?!"

"Hnn." She drew back her right arm, leaning back to give herself some room, and thrust the sword through its eye and into its brain. It fell forward, screaming and rolling over the ground as blood seemed to run from the wound like a river. Noriko leapt off of it before it could begin thrashing and landed gracefully on her feet a few meters away.

The catgirl wordlessly pulled up her hood, hearing its dying breaths and the alarmed cries of the families. They were calling after her and she wanted to correct them. She wanted them to know that she was a hero; she was there to help. That would mean talking to them. That was something she simply could not handle.

I need to change clothes. I didn't get too much of that stuff on me, but just knowing that I was so close to that gross hair makes my stomach turn. She heard a soft ringing and turned in time to see a hero on a bicycle approach her side. Noriko met his goggle-hidden gaze and felt her left ear twitch. He's a hero. What was his name…?

"Are you Samurai Catgirl?" He was coasting along beside her, not ready to finish his questioning. She nodded in answer to his inquiry, her tail swaying slowly side to side. "I heard that you were in City Z. I don't think we've ever met. Mumen Rider." He slowed to a stop and held out his hand for her to shake.

"Hnn. Noriko." She tentatively shook his hand, but glanced away toward the crowd of people in the park. "So…?"

"Oh! Uh…well…you know. Cats ears are kind of different so…"

"So…they called a "real" hero to take care of the cat mutant…right?" The catgirl bit at her thumbnail as she walked, slightly irritated. It was something she was accustomed to, but it still bothered her every time she was mistaken for a monster. "I'm leaving. Just tell them not to worry."

"Huh? But you helped them."

"It doesn't matter. I look like this so I must be a monster." She glanced back to them again and scowled. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she shouted, "Watch your kids better and maybe a monster won't try to take them!"

Mumen Rider winced and shook his head. "Why did you do that?"

"It doesn't really matter. I'll see you around." Noriko began running to put distance between herself and the crowd and other hero. She only slowed when she reached the ghost town. A sigh escaped her as she trudged back to her building. I'm a freak. I know I am. I don't have to be reminded. There's no chance I'll ever wake up thinking that I'm normal. I just wish they wouldn't call for other heroes to try to detain me.

Her thoughts shifted from the crowd to someone that she knew would never call her a freak. It brought a rush of blood to her cheeks and a smile tugged at her lips. She and Genos had only begun their relationship a few days ago, but she felt immensely happy each time he spoke to her. She found herself unable to look away when he talked. Though she still found it odd that he liked her.

As she climbed over the window ledge, Noriko felt that she was being watched. The second that her feet were on the ground, her eyes adjusted to the dimness of the building's interior and she spotted a figure crouched near her bag on the floor. The violet fur on her tail puffed up and she narrowed her eyes, her hands curling into fists. "Get out."

"You think that you can make me leave?" He stood and remained where he was, one foot planting on top of her bag. "This is where you live? It's just one level above a shack."

"Hn…just get out then." She could see that he was dressed differently from the last time she saw him. He was wearing a skin tight black bodysuit and armor with a long purple scarf around his neck. Part of the suit was pulled up to cover the lower half of his face, but the corners of his eyes still revealed that he was smirking behind the dark material. Noriko smirked back as her tail started to move side to side. She was remembering their fight. As painful as the injuries had been, it had been one of the most exciting battles she had ever experienced. He was a true challenge. Crossing her arms, she felt her ears perk forward. "You like it…and you know it."

Grey eyes moved up and down her figure, taking in every detail. "You heal quickly," he realized, excitement trickling into his tone. "Is that accelerated healing or were you just faking the pain last time?"

"Accelerated healing. So…what do you want?"

"I want a rematch. And I'm not leaving until you agree to fight me again." He tugged down the tight fabric to reveal his grin and felt a spark of amusement when she continued to smirk. "Come on, Noriko!"

She leaned back against the window ledge, absently running her sharp nails along the wall behind her. "Hnn. Now how would that be fair…when you're still healing?" The catgirl was about to laugh, but immediately went silent when she found him standing right in front of her. He was still wearing that wide, unsettling grin and she found herself at a loss for what to say.

"Fight me. Right now."

"If you're Saitama's enemy…why not fight him instead? He's stronger."

"I'm not looking for a real challenge; I'm looking for something fun. And nothing would be more fun than making you fall and beg for mercy." A light laugh accompanied his words as he saw a faint blush rise to her cheeks. "What's the matter, Noriko? Cat got your tongue?"

"I'm not putting up with cat puns," she snarled, tilting her head to glare up at him. "You want a fight? Fine. At least now…I can go all out without being mistaken for a monster."

"Not here."

"Hn?" She was glad when he stepped back, but her fury ignited again as he slung her bag over his shoulder. "What…do you think you're doing?"

Sonic's grin did not waver as he started toward her once more, his steps slow and a little threatening. "I don't want any interruptions and if we stay here, your friends might interfere. I'm taking your bag to make sure that you don't back out of our fight."

Shift P.O.V

He was still healing from their last fight, but when he found her hideout, he knew that he had to act fast before she moved on. From what he could gather, she rarely stayed in one place for more than a handful of days. However, Sonic had not expected for her to be fully healed. His own wound was just now starting to become a scar, still occasionally opening and bleeding a little.

Waiting for her return had been exciting, but when she appeared in the window, he felt his heart begin to race. He could not wait to challenge her to another fight. It was only when he got close that he found his heart pounding for a different reason. When her ears drew back, it was oddly cute. Her sharp green eyes glared up at him with a fire burning in their depths and that made his grin spread.

She was interesting. She was mysterious. Above all else, she was actually a skilled fighter and presented a challenge to him. He could kill her if he went all out, but the challenge came from toying with her. Too much and she would die. Not enough and she could really do some damage. The challenge was to find a balance.

As she ran at him with both swords drawn, Sonic could feel his grin returning behind the partial covering. He easily blocked her strikes, watching her adjust her stance to try to change angles. The ferocity in her stare was like a cat's, determined to catch the light from a laser pointer. It drew a laugh from him, which she clearly did not take kindly to. "What's the matter, Noriko? Can't keep up?"

"Hnn. I'm just…getting started, you creep!" She began to swing the blades more wildly, spinning as she moved to pursue him and gaining momentum. Her long, vibrant hair twirled behind her like a violet banner.

A windblade kick sent her hurtling onto the ground backwards, the air knocked from her lungs. She quickly regained her balance and shifted into a crouched position, but he soon had her dangling off the ground by her neck. The points of her swords pricked against his sides, but the tip of his own katana pressed at her chest through her shirt.

Noriko bared her fangs in a silent hiss and tried to lunge forward to bite him, but was stopped by his grip on her throat. Her ears were drawn back, tail whipping at the air violently as she pressed the points of her blades closer against his sides. The catgirl's lips moved, but no sound came out. It was still clear what she was saying. "Let go."

Sonic pushed the katana forward, cutting through the fabric of her shirt and nicking her skin. Blood ran down her chest as her face contorted in pain. He pulled the blade away and sheathed it smoothly, not taking his eyes off of hers. He knew he was grinning and he knew it was unprofessional, but this was not business. "Are you going to beg?" He loosened his grip on her throat ever so slightly to let her take a deep breath.

"Hn…please…let go." She was rewarded with his grip relaxing and as she dropped to her feet, she was alarmed to find him already attacking again.