"Hey, I almost tripped over this box. Did you order-?" Saitama was slightly unsettled by how quickly the cardboard box was taken from him and followed Genos into the apartment. "What is it?"
"I ordered some supplies for a mission."
"A mission? Whoa. Wait. How much did you get? And what are these?" Saitama looked to the sea of boxes littering the floor of the apartment. "Genos?"
The cyborg had already returned to the kitchen, seeming to ignore the question. "Master Saitama, did you see Noriko on your way home?"
"Uh…no. She's probably training. Are these for her?" The question went unanswered so the bald hero decided to shrug it off and sat at the table. "So how was your date the other day?"
Genos looked toward him with a sort of blank expression. "It went well."
"Yeah? Did you do anything after the movie?"
"Noriko made dinner for us both and we kissed."
There was a pause as he tried to imagine kissing the catgirl. It seemed like it would be unpleasant. "Her fangs didn't poke you or anything, did they?" he joked.
"They did, but her fangs feel nice."
"Uh…really?"
Genos emerged from the kitchen with two plates of food and sat across from him. "I am going out tonight with Noriko so I have made dinner in advance. It is in the refrigerator and will need heated up."
Saitama tilted his head, puzzled. "So the date went well?" Genos nodded, beginning to eat his meal. "Really well?" Another nod. "So these boxes are…?"
"They are supplies for a mission that I am doing with Noriko. She has agreed to let me help her take down Grey Corporation."
The bald hero popped open the nearest box and raised an eyebrow. "Genos, this is full of cat toys and catnip containers."
"The scent of human blood sends Noriko into a frenzy so I have determined that measures need to be taken to insure that she does not smell blood during our mission. I ordered catnip and surgical masks along with more supplies so that she can wear a mask during the mission and keep the smell of blood from reaching her nose. If she smells human blood, she will lose control of her human side and attack with no regard for those around her and I am sure that innocents could be killed."
"Why catnip? What if it makes her act-?"
"I am sure that Noriko can overcome the scent of catnip."
"Okay, but what if she can't?" Saitama waited for an answer, but Genos was back to eating. "So why the cat toys?"
The blonde bowed his head, pausing in lifting his spoon and chewing as he thought about his answer. Truthfully, they were an impulse buy. He had seen them when shopping for the masks and catnip and immediately ordered them. Though he was sure that she would enjoy them. "The cat toys are a gift for Noriko."
"Genos, were you the kind of kid that always played with stray cats and tried to take them home with you?"
Shift P.O.V
She was wary about being out in the open. Ever since her incident with Sonic, the catgirl was very anxious about running into him again. That creep. What kind of person smears blood all over another person's face just to make them fight? Noriko was practicing with her swords in the late afternoon light, in a more open area of the ghost town. She was constantly checking around her to make sure that the ninja stayed away.
Trying to keep calm, she attempted to think about something else. She remembered her date with Genos. Instantly, her heart rate went up and warmth rushed to her cheeks. Rather than think about the horrible things that the people around them had said, she was thinking about the cyborg's kiss. The kiss they had shared in the movie theater and then the way he kissed her neck when they were in the apartment.
The contact had made her feel warm and tingly. She had wanted things to go further that night, but she was afraid to tell him. How could I even bring it up? He surprised me with those blue prints and the next thing I knew…we were talking about breaking into the City W facility. Her ears drew back as she quickened her pace, trying to wear down her frustration through physical activity.
When she felt that she was being watched, Noriko twisted sharply and brandished the sword in her left hand. The tip stopped just inches from a metal neck and she stared up at Genos. She blushed pink and hurriedly sheathed her blades. "Hnn. You…shouldn't sneak up on me like that."
"Are you ready to leave for our mission?" He acted completely unfazed by her nearly impaling his neck with a sword. Instead, he seemed more concerned with adjusting the bag that was slung over his shoulder.
"Hn? What is that?" Her tail curled at the end as she approached him.
"I have stocked up on some supplies that are vital to our mission. I acquired masks for you to wear that will hide the scent of human blood and I have some other supplies that will insure our success at taking down the City W branch of Grey Corporation. I have memorized the layout of the facility so it will be easy to find what we are looking for."
The catgirl felt a half-smile forming on her lips and she nodded. "Ah…thank you. For helping me with this. I'm not sure how long it will take, but it will definitely go faster with both of us working." She saw his approach and it still surprised her when he lifted her in his arms. Her cheeks went pink, her arms subconsciously wrapping around his neck to steady herself. "Genos?"
"If I carry you, it will be faster. We need to reach the facility by nightfall if we want to time this correctly. Most of the scientists employed by the City W branch leave the facility just a few hours from now. We will need to infiltrate the facility before the first round of security guards patrol the area. I will disable the security cameras before we enter, but we will still need to be quick."
"You've…really thought this through."
"I know that this is important to you, Noriko."
She clung tightly to him as he ran, silently cursing herself for not being faster. If I could at least keep up with him…I wouldn't feel so weak. Her heart started to pound as she thought about what they were about to do. It was exciting, but also terrifying to go back to a laboratory.
When they reached the facility, the catgirl leapt down from his hold and let him set about disabling the cameras. She was eager to finish the job quickly for a number of reasons. The first being that she was nervous about the laboratory. The second was that the security guards could appear at any moment. The third was a fear that Grey Corporation could wake her nemesis and send him to stop her.
As she ran down the empty halls of the facility, her mind raced with possibilities. They needed to track down the laboratory, destroy the research, and then move on to the holding cells. Anyone that got in their way was swiftly struck down with her blades. Luckily, she was wearing one of the masks that Genos had prepared for her. The pleasant smell of catnip kept her in a strangely euphoric state as she stabbed through a staff member's gut with her right sword.
"Noriko, I am going to focus on the electronic data and notebooks. I will let you handle the samples," Genos announced as they entered the laboratory.
She nodded and set about knocking over shelves. Vials and dishes shattered. The ones that failed to completely break were smashed beneath her sneakers. The smell of catnip was heavy in her senses as she looked around for more to destroy. It was so strong that she failed to catch the scent of a dog.
Teeth sank deep into her calf through her pants and Noriko twisted to impale the attacker, but froze. A chill ran down her spine as she stared down at the horrific abomination that drew its teeth from her flesh. The creature licked their lips and flashed a vicious grin before launching at her neck. She stumbled back, dropping her swords and trying to grab the thing's shoulders to keep it from reaching her throat. "Hnnn! What do you think you're doing?! I'm here to help you!"
"Let me down! I don't need your help! The great and mighty Emiko doesn't need anyone's help! I'm Grey Corporation's greatest watchdog and I won't let you break in here and cause a mess and run away!" their high-pitched voice snarled.
Genos, puzzled by the new voice, turned from his task and saw the last thing he had expected. Noriko was struggling with a small child that bore floppy hound ears and a wagging tail. "Noriko, do you require assistance?"
"No! Hn! Don't come over here! Stay back!" She winced as the child began to pound her small fists against Noriko's shoulders and the top of her head. "Stop it!"
"You left me! You left me behind! So I'm going to bring you back! You can't get out and just leave me behind! Emiko doesn't tolerate deserters!"
"Are you sure that you can handle this alone?" Genos asked.
"I can handle it!" Noriko felt a pang of guilt as she hurled the little girl into some shelving against the wall. She quickly grabbed her swords and crossed them in front of her, trying to warn the child. What is Emiko doing here?! She was supposed to be in the City G facility! They had to have known that I would be here! But how?! Panic made her heart race and she took a step back. "Genos, we have to hurry!"
"I have finished disposing of the data in the computers." He stared down at the child as she struggled to her feet, spitting blood on the tiled floor. Her droopy canine ears looked almost comical when coupled with her glare. "Noriko, should we leave this here?"
"Yes. We have to get out. Now. They knew that we were coming. They probably-" Her feline ears turned back as she caught the unmistakable sound of dozens of running footsteps. The girl's tail swished side to side as she looked toward the laboratory door. "They're here."
"Do you want to fight them?"
"Hn. I don't…I don't know if we can take them all. And I don't know if they're like me or if they're hired guards." Looking back to the little dog child, she frowned. Emiko. She's only ten. Too young to be living like this. Growling to herself, she rushed forward and wrapped an arm around the girl's midsection. "Make an opening! We're taking the puppy with us!"
"Emiko is not a puppy! Put me down, you heathen!"
Genos destroyed a portion of the wall with a powerful blast and let her run through before following. He turned, watching for attacks from the oncoming enemy. They appeared to be ordinary human security guards wielding guns. Without hesitating, he released a burst of flame that sent the men falling to the floor.