I need to change how I approach this now. I've been planning as if my only enemy was the security at the facilities. I should've changed my way of thinking after Emiko showed up. Noriko sprinted along a rooftop's edge, eyes focused on the horizon. She had no target at the moment; she was just trying to work on her speed and agility.

Leaping to the next roof, her tail swished back and forth behind her. The catgirl crouched for a moment, sniffing at the air and letting her ears swivel a bit to take in sound. She was not alone in the ghost town, of course. Saitama, Genos, and Emiko were still back at the apartment. However, there was something else in the area as well.

Noriko could hear footsteps echoing in the empty streets and there was a distinct smell of blood. Her pulse quickened and she turned in the direction of the source. More than one thing. Monsters? I smell human blood though. The swaying of her tail grew more rapid and she crouched low, narrowing her eyes on the streets below. Where are you?

There was no movement in the streets around her, but her left ear twitched as it picked up the footsteps again. She turned and bounded along the ledge, her gaze fixed upon the road as she moved. The smell of blood was getting stronger.

Just as the catgirl was sure that she was about to reach the source, the scent became dull. It now smelled more like blood residue instead of the fresh blood of a new injury. Her head tilted and she perched on the corner of a roof.

The weakening of the aroma could be due to a number of reasons. The first, and most likely, cause was that the person had been eaten by a monster. She could still smell a monster nearby, after all. The second cause could be that the person was now well hidden. The third possibility was that they had covered the wound to mask their location.

Her tail lifted, the tip swaying side to side as her predatory instincts took over. Where are you…? She caught sound to the left again and her head turned in that direction. Charging down the street was a monster with exceptionally thick limbs and scales. She could see a glistening on the surface of the scales and realized that the cracks between them seemed to be oozing. "Hn?"

It paused at a street corner, turning its head this way and that. The monster's four beady eyes swiveled around in all directions as it tried to pinpoint where its prey had disappeared to. Large hands lifted, fingers flexing as it released a bellowing sort of laugh. "You can't hide from me! Come on out and face your doom!"

Noriko tensed every muscle in anticipation. She reached to her right sword and prepared to draw it. The monster began to charge again. The footsteps were heavy, indicating to her that this was going to be a tougher opponent. Thick limbs, a thick neck, and enough weight to probably crush her bones if it stepped on her.

It was getting closer and the laugh turned from amused to outright psychotic. Just as she prepared to leap down and aim her blade at the top of its skull, the monster's chortling abruptly stopped. Everything stopped. The monster's body tumbled forward, in pieces, and blood soaked the street below.

The catgirl raised an eyebrow and leaned down a little, peering inquisitively at the mess. Her nose scrunched up as she caught a whiff of human blood once more. Fresh human blood. Her gaze fell upon a silhouette in the doorway of one of the abandoned buildings and she gripped her sword tighter. What is he doing?

Sonic was losing a lot of blood and not just from where his skin had torn on his legs. It was very apparent that these wounds had slowed him down, making him easier prey for monsters and any other opponent that would challenge him. He looked exhausted and he was still wearing what she had seen him in the night she was rescued.

It was almost comical, if she could look past how pitiful he appeared. He's standing in the ghost town in boxers and a tank top. With no shoes. And he's bleeding. This is justice. Noriko sneered and turned away from the sight, slinking across the rooftop confidently. The smell of his blood was making her pulse race and sent adrenaline rushing through her veins. She had to get away.

In his current condition, he was far from a threat. Even if he was, she had no desire to interact with him. She immediately tried to regain her train of thought from earlier and smirked. It's going to be more difficult, but it's good to have a challenge, right?

She had initially thought that security guards were her only obstacle, but she knew better now. Kenta had been repaired and was back in working order, albeit he had required two more repairs since their unhappy reunion. Not only that, but Grey Kyona was in the fight as well. While Kenta was a large threat, Grey was even more dangerous. With her electrical attacks, she could potentially kill Noriko with a strong shock.

Thunderous footsteps pounded against the cement and drew her attention far off to the right. A second monster was approaching and this one was similar to the first, but with horns all over its head. Prey! She smirked and sprinted along the roof to meet it. This one is mine!

Noriko leapt down, shoving her left sword deep into is skull as a handhold while using her right blade to slash across two of its eyes. Blood poured down its face as its footsteps faltered and she twisted. The sole of her boot slammed into another eye and forced it to pop. The catgirl used her swords to help maneuver herself up onto its head and perched between the two largest horns. She grabbed on tightly and turned, trying to redirect it away from Sonic. "Hn! Come on! You're not getting away that easily! You're mine!"

"Monster! Monster! Get off of me!"

"I'm not a monster!" The hero struck at the side of its head with her blood-covered boot and caused it to nearly fall onto its side in the road. She had to tighten her grip on the swords as it started to shake its head violently, splattering the ground and surrounding buildings crimson. Her hold was slippery from the blood and she gritted her teeth, trying with all of her might to stay on its head.

The monster summoned forth more power and it blended with its adrenaline in a dangerous combination. It jumped and thrashed, sending Noriko flying into the side of a building. She smashed into the bricks, causing pain to explode in her back and shoulder. Her vision went white for an instant as she struggled to stand once more.

It was running at her now, its single remaining eye trained on the catgirl and its arms spread to grab for her. Before it could reach the girl, a figure came down upon it from above in a magnificent Rocket Stomp. Blood splashed all around it, soaking Noriko's hair and clothes, dotting her face. She stared in amazement as Genos stood upright in the mess and held out his hand.

"Hn…thanks." Noriko shook herself before she got close, trying to get the blood off of her. Shaking did very little to help. At the very least, the smell of monster blood masked Sonic's blood so her adrenaline began to go down little by little. When she had caught his scent earlier, it had started to send her into feral mode. This was why she had been so eager to fight the second monster.

"You should not be fighting in your condition. You are still healing, Noriko. I suspected that something like this could happen. I anticipated either a monster attack or retaliation from Speed o' Sound Sonic." Genos seemed to not care in the least that she was covered in blood. He took her hand and looked her over for new injuries. "Were you hurt?"

She shook her head. "Just a little messy." Grimacing at her appearance, the catgirl realized that returning to her apartment in this state would probably terrify Emiko. "Hnn. I need to clean up. I…can't let Emiko see me this way."

"You can use the bathroom in Master Saitama's apartment. He went to see King. I am sure that he would not mind if you used our bathroom." The blond cyborg lifted her in his arms and began to run back in the direction of the apartment building. His gold and black eyes narrowed as he sprinted along, his hold on her tightening. "Noriko, I am surprised that you did not take your revenge on him while you had him cornered. Speed o' Sound Sonic has lost a lot of blood. He would be easy for you to finish off if you were to attack him now."

She bit at her lip with one fang, frowning. Her arms slid around the cyborg's neck and she closed her eyes. "Hn. My predatory instincts wanted me to kill him, but…I couldn't do it. It wouldn't be very heroic to kill someone when they're like that." As much as she hated to admit it, leaving him behind to continue bleeding and suffering was very unheroic as well.

Noriko rinsed away the worst of the blood in Saitama's bathroom, but knew that soaking in a bath would be a bad idea. Her wounds were still healing. She left the bathroom to find Genos waiting for her with a medical kit. "I'm probably alright," she murmured.

"I need to apply fresh bandages to prevent you from getting an infection." He made her sit at the table and he seated himself behind her. Everything seemed to be alright and it was easy enough to put on the new bandages. It was when he finished that he frowned to himself. "Noriko, as a cat person, do you have the urge to lick your wounds?"

She winced. "N-no." Her tail twitched at the tip. She was a bit embarrassed that he would ask such a question. "Genos…I need to rethink my approach with Grey Corporation," she started. Her words faded as she felt arms wrap around her from behind. Warmth began to emanate from the cyborg's chest and served to dry the fur on her tail as well as warm her up.

He heard her purring softly and leaned down so his lips were near her ear. "Does this feel good?" The catgirl nodded. "Is there anything else that I can do to make you feel good right now, Noriko? I would like to help you relax. If you continue to fight, your wounds will take longer to heal."

"Hnn…I'm…I'm fine…" Her voice was quiet, ears twitching forward and tail curling contently. She could feel metal fingertips gliding up from her waist, tracing a warm path up her chest and resting against her breastbone. Noriko's purring grew louder and her hands settled on his knees, her head tilting back a little.

A warm, pleasant feeling pulsed in her lower abdomen as she felt his mouth against the side of her neck. A soft gasp escaped her and she leaned back further into his hold. When she felt the very gentle, careful closing of teeth on her delicate skin, she released a yowl. Her back arched as the teeth left her skin and a warm tongue traced the bite. "…hnyaa…" Heat rose to her cheeks as she panted.

"Do you like this, Noriko?" Genos was pleased when she nodded. "I have researched a few techniques like this as well as researching cats. Would you like for me to show you what I have learned?"