Disclaimer: I don't own The Fantastic Four, The Thing and all related characters are owned by Marvel Entertainment. Sekirei is owned by Sakurako Gokurakuin.
Chapter 3 - Sweet Nothings
Daybreak - Shinto Teito: East Side
The heavy rain is starting to let up in the city, and the morning sun begins to peak over the horizon and past the few remaining dark clouds in the sky. There are constant sounds of sirens throughout the city, and many stores and other businesses are closed up tight. The reason for this is currently making his way out of the make-shift hole he created into an abandoned building that is scheduled for demolition.
His companion is wringing out the moisture on the bottom of her white lab coat that she is wearing, with the wetness causing the coat to cling to her voluptuous figure like a second skin. The large, and imposing form of the blue-eyed Thing stretches out his rock-like arms over his head, and yawns loudly. Ben scans the area to make sure that they are alone before continuing to advance out of the building. "Hrrrm, I don't see none of those Keystone cops that've been chasin' our hides everyplace...looks like the coast is clear!" Ben turns to look at Akitsu, but quickly turns his head back when he sees that the rain has made Akitsu's lab coat see-thru. "We gotta get you some new duds...you're gonna give me a coronary over here." Ben whispers to himself, and wipes some of the rainwater off of his rock-like face.
Ben hears a light sneeze coming from Akitsu, and she is delicately rubbing underneath her nose with her index finger. Ben quickly forgets about Akitsu's now see-thru outfit, and walks over to hold her shoulders with a look of concern. "You need some dry clothes, pronto! We're leavin' the alleys n' I don't care who they send after us...if they try anythin', I'll clobber em'!" Ben holds out his large rocky fist, and smiles over at Akitsu. Akitsu nods her head at Ben, and has a small smile on her face. "Ah...yes, Ben-sama...will you also be looking for your friends?"
Ben gives Akitsu a wide-eyed look, and slaps the side of his head. "Holy Cannolis! Stretch, Suzie, and Flame-head are still tussling with old Metal Face! With all this craziness goin' on I forgot! They need me, and here I am sneakin' about like some long-john wearing yahoo!" Ben holds out his large left hand in slight panic for the fate of his friends, and Akitsu places her slender right hand in his.
"I will help you to find them, Ben-sama." Ben grins at Akitsu, and then they both start running through the alleyway to make it to the street on the other side. Before they can make it out of the alley, a speeding yellow comet in the form of a young teenage girl with short brown hair, and brown eyes comes barreling towards them. She is wearing a tight-fitting yellow jumpsuit with black on the arms, and upper neck area with a yellow stripe down both arms. She also has a Sekirei crest on her yellow jumpsuit near her pelvic area. Akitsu is immediately on guard when she sees the Sekirei crest, and has a cold aura forming around her body.
Ben holds out his large rocky hands, and halts the young girl from hurting herself by running into his broad chest. "Whoa, there! Where's the fire, little lady? You bein' chased by someone?" The young girl looks up at Ben's face, and her eyes go wide in surprise. She puts a serious look on her features, and jumps back a few feet. "Are you with them? They want to eliminate me before I can grow in strength with my Ashikabi. I won't let anyone interfere with my search." The girl starts bouncing on her feet, and has her arms in a fighting stance. "Feel the power of my foot-style! HAA!" The young girl swivels her hips to get more strength, and performs a side kick to Ben's rib area. "No, wait!" Ben's warning comes too late, as he hears the sound of bones cracking in his opponent's leg, and she falls to the concrete nursing her right leg with tears forming in her eyes.
Ben has a look on his face like he kicked a puppy, and rubs the top of his head. "Why'd ya have to do a thing like that?! Now your leg's gotta be busted up, big time! This is a fine kettle a' fish you got me in..." Thing trails off, and has a sad expression when he hears the girl whimpering in pain. "Ah, Geez! I didn't mean it like that...the whole reason why I stopped ya, is that I didn't want ya gettin' hurt hittin' into my bod! This rocky orange hide o' mine ain't just for show." Ben hit his broad chest with his large rocky hand, and it made a solid *thwack* sound of rock hitting rock.
Akitsu is watching the interaction between Ben, and this unknown Sekirei and her grey eyes narrow in suspicion at the Sekirei in question. "Who are you running from? If you try to bring any harm to Ben-sama again, I will end your existence." The cold aura around Akitsu increases in intensity, and Ben quickly goes over to Akitsu with his large arms up in the air to halt her advance to the injured Sekirei. "Easy there, Akitsu! I'm A-Okay over here...no harm, no foul! The kid just acted outta surprise is all! Heh-heh-heh!" Akitsu stares into Ben's blue eyes, and sighs lightly. Ben watches as she powers down, and nods his head at her with a smile. "Heh. That's my girl!" Ben turns around, and walks over to the young girl, and crouches down to eye level with her.
"We're gonna haveta make a quick detour to get ya some medical attention for that leg." Ben turns his head to glance over at Akitsu with a probing look. "I'm fresh out of ideas over here, and I'm open ta any suggestions on how we're gonna pull this one off!" Akitsu stares down at Ben, and shakes her head. "Ben-sama, she is a Sekirei like myself and she is dangerous...it would be best to leave her here and begin the search for your friends." Ben stands back up, and walks over to Akitsu with a easy smile. "It feels nice ta have someone worrying about me, but I got this one Akitsu! No way old blue-eyed Benjamin can leave a damsel in distress! Helping people is what us hero-types do!"
Katsuragi listens to Ben, and Akitsu's debating with disbelieving ears. "The Scrapped number is correct. When I'm winged by an Ashikabi, I will fight anyone to keep being with the one I love. I don't know what to make of the rock skinned creature. He has the outer appearance of a monster, but he wants to help heal a future enemy. How strange...wait! I hear fast moving footsteps approaching us!" Number 86, Katsuragi thought to herself in worry, and watches as two shadows drop down from the top of the building next to them, and land with nearly no sound in the alleyway.
"See! I told you that she would hide out here, Hibiki-chan!" A proud, and somewhat arrogant voice calls out getting Ben, and Akitsu's attention. "Do you want me to gush about how right you were, or do you want to remove her crest so we can get some rest, Hikari-chan?" The other voice huffs loudly. "Fine, fine! You win! Let's get this over with!" The figure folds her arms over her chest, and then starts to shake in slight panic, and points her index finger at Ben.
"W-what in the hell is that thing?!"
Ben, and Akitsu stare over at the two new arrivals, and they are twins with long black hair worn in two ponytails and both have hazel eyes. The twins are tall with a slender build. One of the only differences between the twins is that the one wearing violet has a larger bust size than her sister wearing pink. The outfits that the twins both wear make the onlookers believe that they are into S&M. Akitsu frowns over at the two, and comically walks to stand behind Ben, and covers both of his eyes with her slender hands. "Hey! What gives, Akitsu?!"
"Ah...Ben-sama...they have no shame. Perverted twins." Both Hikari, and Hibiki grouse at Akitsu's words, and Hikari shakes her fist covered in lightning sparks at Akitsu. "T-these were given to us by the CEO...w-we had nothing to do with picking them out...a-anyway, what's it to you? You jealous because that orange monster over there likes how we look in them?" Akitsu narrows her eyes at Hikari, and large ice spikes jut up from the ground around their feet causing Hikari, and Hibiki to jump, and flip in mid-air to land safely away from the dangerous ice spikes.
"Looks like I struck a nerve with the Scrap Number, Hibiki-chan!" Hikari holds out her right hand straight out towards her twin sister, who sighs deeply. "Hikari-chan, I really wish you wouldn't antagonize our opponents like this. Can't we just finish up here with Number 86, and be on our way?" Hikari scoffs, and her right eyebrow is twitching and has a large grin on her face. "No way! This is too good to pass up! We can take out Number 86, AND the Scrap Number in one fell swoop!"
Hibiki gives a deadpan stare over at her twin sister, and points a gloved finger over at a grumbling Thing. "What about that, Hikari-chan? We don't even know what it is! It looks strong...I think we should fall back until we know what we're dealing with." Hikari waves off her sister's concerns, and laughs loudly with her gloved hands on her hips, and her chest puffed out with pride.
"Come on, Hibiki-chan! That thing is powerfully on the ugly-side, that's the only thing powerful about it! We can take it out together!" Akitsu scowls at Hikari for her comment, and her slender fingers are twitching in anticipation of fighting them.
Ben has an unreadable expression as he walks over, and crouches down to scoop up Katsuragi bridal style. Akitsu's left eyebrow twitches slightly at seeing another Sekirei in Ben's arms. Thing walks back over to Akitsu with a speechless Katsuragi in his arms, and stares into the Ice Sekirei's eyes with his baby blue ones.
"I know I'm askin' a lot from ya fer doin' this, Akitsu...but could you hold on ta her while I deal with the S&M twins over there?" Hikari starts shouting obscenities over at Ben, with her sister Hibiki trying to hold her back. Akitsu blinks, and after a few moments nods her head in the affirmative.
"I will do as Ben-sama asks, but should you need me...your life will always come first for this Akitsu." Ben smiles, and lets out a hearty chuckle. "We got each other's backs, and I wouldn't have it any other way!" Ben turns his head to stare at the twins, and grins with confidence. "Now ta give these two the spankings they both deserve!" Both Hikari, and Hibiki blush a scarlet hue on their cheeks, and start stuttering nonsensically.
"Y-y-y-y-you want t-t-t-o do...WWhaaaTT?!" Both twins subconsciously put their gloved hands over their butts, before catching onto themselves and gritting their teeth in anger. "We aren't gonna let that happen! I'll turn you into charred briquettes! Hibiki-chan, let's do it!" Hikari holds out her purple gloved hand, and Hibiki intertwines the fingers of her pink gloved hand with her sister's.
"Yes!...ohhhh!" Hibiki starts to respond, but then suddenly lets go of her sister's hand. Hikari stops her tirade, and stares down at her twin sister in worry when she drops to her knees, and is having trouble breathing. "No! Hibiki-chan! What's wrong?!" Hikari cradles the downed form of her sister, and it looks like she has a high grade fever from her blushing cheeks.
Ben forgets all about the Sekirei women threatening him earlier, and lumbers over to the twins with concern marring his rock-like features. "What's happen-in' to her? She got a fever or somethin'? You'd better call off the briquette barbecue you got planned for yours truly, and get her some help!"
"STAY AWAY FROM US! WE DON'T NEED HELP FROM AN ORANGE APE LIKE YOU!" Hikari yells with anger over at the Thing. Ben stops moving towards them, and sighs with a look of acceptance in his blue eyes. "This how it's gonna be from now on? Okay, I got lotsa experience in turnin' the other cheek when it comes ta this stuff. I'm not gonna hurt ya...just take care of your sister...family's a precious gift n' it's all we got in this world. Take it easy, kid." Ben turns around, and walks to the alleyway exit, with a relieved Akitsu following close behind with a grumbling Katsuragi being put into a fireman's carry on one of Akitsu's shoulders. Before turning the corner with Ben to leave the alley, Akitsu sends a frosty glare at the twins before disappearing around the corner.
Hikari frowns over at the location where Akitsu once stood, but soon re-directs all of her attention to the form of her sister, who is still breathing heavily with her pink gloved hand on her chest. Hikari holds her gloved hand in hers, and gives a reassuring smile down at her sister. "Don't worry, Hibiki-chan...the monster is gone, and we're safe now." Hibiki frowns up at her sister, and shakes her head. Hikari is puzzled by her sister's response, until she drops down to the concrete along with Hibiki, and shows the same symptoms as her sister.
"H-H-Hikari...chan...r-re-acting..." Hibiki stretches out her right arm, and points a shaking finger at the exit of the alley. Hikari scrunches up her face in thought, and continues to breathe heavy gasping breaths. Hikari's hazel eyes go wide, and shakes her head vigorously in the negative.
"N-n-n-no! I-I refuse to b-believe that...that...thing is our...A-ashikabi!" Hibiki looks over at her trembling sister with a solemn expression, and takes her hand to comfort her. "H-Hikari-chan...w-we're reacting! Y-you feel it...t-there is no...doubt it's him!" Hibiki is trying to stand up on shaky legs, and gestures for Hikari to take her outstretched hand. Hikari stares down at the ground angrily, and reluctantly puts her gloved hand out, and takes her sister's hand to pull her up.
Both twins are now standing on their own, and their reactions are dying down somewhat with their Ashikabi's absence. Hikari is rubbing her right arm with her left hand in nervousness, and jumps slightly when she feels her twin sister's hand lightly touch her shoulder.
"We...we can still catch him before he gets too far. What do you think, Hikari-chan?" Hikari is still looking down with her long front bangs shadowing her hazel eyes. "No...I don't want...that as my Ashikabi! I'd rather have no Ashikabi at all!" Hibiki gasps with her gloved hand over her mouth. "Hikari-chan...do you know what you're saying? You would be condemning me to a life without an Ashikabi too! You know I won't wing myself to him without you getting winged alongside me!"
"You know...I believe that I have the solution to both of your problems." Hikari, and Hibiki both gasp when they feel foreign hands on their shoulders. They can feel rough fingers moving down from their shoulders to fondle a breast each on the twins. Hikari, and Hibiki both have tick marks on their foreheads, and try to activate their power over lightning to fry this guy to a crisp. They both are in shock when their Sekirei power isn't working, and they find out that they can't move a muscle to stop the perverted man from groping their chests.
"Oh! You've got a great rack...Hikari-chan, was it? We're going to get along really well." Hikari growls at the man, but can do nothing else to stop his roaming hands. He circles around them while maintaining his contact with his hands on their bodies. Now, the twins can see the face of their molester, who is leering at their breasts with a perverted grin on his face. He's a fairly tall and lean-built man with brown hair and a gruff, wild look on him. He is wearing a chain around his neck with a pair of dog tags attached to it, and also wearing a white undershirt with a pair of jeans.
"You'll both be my Sekirei, and I'll be your loving Ashikabi. Much better than this monster you kept talking about. Don't worry, though...I'll make this quick, and you won't even care that you never reacted to me. I'm quite the catch for an Ashikabi, if I do say so myself." The man grins a feral grin, and the twins shudder at the fact that he wants to forcibly wing them both. The man looks up in thought, and then chuckles mirthlessly. "I forgot to tell you my name...it's Seo Kaoru. Just think of it as the name you'll be screaming for nights to come!" Seo looks over at Hibiki's chest, and frowns.
"If only you were more of a matching set...what a disappointment that your tits are so much smaller than these!" Seo starts to grope Hikari, who is screaming at the top of her lungs for him to stop. Seo smirks, and continues his molestation of her breasts and sighs. "Oh well...guess you can't have everything you want. Now, pucker up girls!" Seo puckers his lips, and starts moaning and moves his lips closer to Hikari's.
"No...no...no...no...NO! THIS ISN'T WHAT I WANT!" Hikari screams in her head, and has a look of fear in her eyes as Seo's lips draw ever closer to hers. Hibiki is screaming for Seo to stop, but he just turns his head, and scoffs at Hibiki. Seo then returns his attention to Hikari, until a large shadow looms directly behind him. Seo looks over at his two captives, and sees the relieved looks on their faces with pink blushes on their cheeks.
Seo feels two very large hands grasping his shoulders very painfully, and looks down to see that they are made of an orange rock-like substance. The pressure on his shoulders becomes too much to take, and the pain forces him to go down on his knees. The rocky hands that were on his shoulders are now gripping his arms, and spinning his body so that he can see the face of the creature that has him in a death grip. The orange rock-skinned creature growls loudly at Seo, and his blue eyes are boring a hole in Seo's head.
"Whatever you are, I'm ordering you to let me go!" Seo shouts to Ben, and that earns him a painful squeeze of his arms from the much stronger man. Thing growls again, and Seo quickly decides to keep his mouth shut. "I don't think I heard ya right, Casanova...them ladies over there said they wanted the same, but ya didn't do it. Listen closely, ya little pond-scum! When a lady tells ya to stop, what do you do?" Ben uses more of his strength, and Seo can feel the muscles in his arms starting to tear. Seo grits his teeth in severe pain, and eeks out. "Y-you stop?"
"Veeerry good, Mister Wizard! Now you're gonna undo whatever hocus pocus you used on em', and if I see you ever pullin' a stunt like this again...I'll rip off that little appendage that makes ya a man, and feed it to the guppies when I toss it out ta sea!" Seo starts to sweat profusely, and nods his head. Seo concentrates as best as he can under the pain Ben is causing, and soon Hikari and Hibiki are able to move on their own again. Hibiki smiles, and bows to Ben with Hikari pouting and looking away from the blue-eyed Thing.
Ben has a big grin on his face, with Akitsu nodding at Ben for his decision to return to the alleyway after hearing Hibiki's shouting. Seo looks around Ben's shoulder, and leers over at Akitsu's body in want. Ben sees this, and squeezes harder getting a shout of pain from Seo. "Don't ever look at Akitsu like some piece a' meat, you low life! Even Doc Doom's got better manners!" Ben gives a savage grin to Seo, that has him gulping in fear. Ben looks over his shoulder at Akitsu, and asks her a question. "Hey, Akitsu! You happen to know what day today is?"
Akitsu takes a moment to think about it and then answers Ben back. "Ah...yes, Ben-sama...today is Friday." Ben changes his grip on Seo to a one-handed grip, and gives a thumbs up to Akitsu.
"Thanks, Good Lookin'...that's perfect timin'. Today's garbage day, and what better time to take out the trash!" Thing moves over to an old dumpster, and lifts the lid with one hand, and chucks Seo into it covering him in rotten smelling garbage. "Peee-yeww! Gotta say, you're giving this garbage a bad name! Later loser! Give my regards to Minnie, and Mickey when ya see em' in there!" Ben slams the dumpster lid shut, and uses his super strength to bend the metal on the lid of the dumpster so Seo can't get loose.
Ben ignores Seo's shouting, and cursing and claps his large rocky hands with a look of happiness. "Well, that waz fun! Nothin' like a little Spring cleaning to make the air smell so much fresher! Heh-heh-heh!" Akitsu shakes her head, but starts lightly giggling with a slender hand over her mouth. Katsuragi has a small smile on her face, and a look of approval for Ben's actions.
The Lightning Twins were staring uneasily over at Ben, and the reactions they were experiencing earlier are starting to affect them with Ben being so close to them. Akitsu narrows her eyes at the twins, and drops Katsuragi earning a painful yelp from her. Akitsu takes one of Ben's arms, and hooks her's around his and snuggles into his side. Thing looks down at Akitsu, and scratches the top of his head in confusion. Ben just sighs, and shrugs his shoulders and decides to ask Akitsu about her odd behavior later.
Hibiki turns to her sister Hikari with a blushing face, and labored breathing. "W-what do you...want to do, Hikari-chan?" Hikari folds her arms over her large chest, and furrows her brow in thought. "I-I don't know, Hibiki-chan...he saved us from that lecher...so he's earned a lot of points for doing that. He's also strong...super-strong, and that's what we'll need to beat everyone else and win this game!" Hibiki nods her head, and agrees with her sister. "Did you see how he bent that metal like it was wet newspaper? No other Ashikabi can do that...we'd be sure to win with him on our side!"
The twins were so involved in their own conversation, that they completely forgot that Ben, Akitsu, and Katsuragi were just 10 feet away from them. Ben has a clueless look, and stares into Akitsu's grey eyes to ask her another question. "Do you got a clue what they're talkin' about? Ash-e-what-now? Sounds pretty important to em', got any idea what that is?" Akitsu is deep in thought, and has her hand resting on her chin.
"Ah...yes. I will tell you about this later, Ben-sama. Now that they are safe, we should get back to searching for a place to stay, and getting this little one medical assistance." Katsuragi pouted like a child on the concrete, and is making circles in the dirt with her finger on the ground. "I have a name...it's Katsuragi, Akitsu-kun." Akitsu glares at Katsuragi for the inappropriate suffix added to her name.
Ben, Akitsu, and Katsuragi turn their heads when they hear loud coughing coming from the Lightning Twin named Hibiki. "Umm...we heard that...you...You're all looking for a place to stay." Hibiki gets nods coming from Ben, and Akitsu with Katsuragi giving a look of indifference to the conversation. "We..we know of a place where you can stay. The Landlady is a bit strict about following her rules..." Hibiki hears her sister Hikari scoff, and laugh mirthlessly. "That's putting it mildly...she's got that broom she's always using wedged so far up her ass that she...*mmmpphhhh!*" Hibiki is laughing nervously, and has a slender gloved hand over her sister's mouth.
"Shhhh! Hikari-chan...Don't listen to my sister...she's exaggerating! Miya's a great Landlord...right, Hikari?" The last part was said in a threatening manner, and Hikari huffs and nods her head.
"You see? She's a good person, and she never turns away anyone in need...so she'll help you for sure." Ben walks over to the twins, and smiles at them causing them to blush and fidget slightly under his gaze. "Thanks for the info, ladies! Sorry about earlier n' all that...just glad I got back here before Mister Fun-times could get his jollies. We'd better get goin'! Thanks again, and maybe we'll see ya around!"
"WAIT!" Both Hikari, and Hibiki shout at the same time seeing Ben leaving with the other two Sekirei. Ben glances over his shoulder to address the twins. "What's up?"
"Y-You don't know where Maison Izumo is...right?" Ben stumbles forward, and chuckles in embarrassment. "Heh-heh-heh...You got me there, ummm...could ya maybe show us the way?" The Twins move so fast over to Ben, that he thought they had super-speed powers like Quicksilver.
"Whoa! Okay, that was fast! Well...thanks fer helpin' us out. We owe ya. Just gotta avoid gettin' into it with the local beat cops, and we're golden! We drop off Katsuragi to the Hospital, and then next stop: Maison Izumo!" Ben starts leaving the alley with Katsuragi in his arms, and Akitsu, Hikari, and Hibiki bringing up the rear.
"JUST YOU WAIT UNTIL I GET OUT OF HERE...I'LL HAVE EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU AS MY LOVE SLAVES, AND FEEL UP YOUR BREASTS ALL DAY LONG!" The loud voice of Seo could be heard from within the dumpster. Akitsu, Hikari, and Hibiki stop in their tracks. They stare at each other, and have an unspoken conversation. Hikari, and Hibiki join hands, and Akitsu powers up her icy aura around her body.
"*Icicle Snow Storm!*" The dumpster is bombarded by large flying Icicles that puncture the dumpster like wet paper. Seo's loud girlish screaming can be heard from within the dumpster.
"*Standing Needle Thunder!*" A strong lightning blast engulfs the metal dumpster that acts as a conductor for the electricity with Seo screaming bloody murder, and whimpering like a beaten dog after the lightning barrage finishes.
Akitsu smiles at the twins, and in a show of respect shakes their hands with the twins reciprocating the gesture. All three Sekirei look back at the smoldering dumpster with large Icicles embedded within, and smile evilly before rounding the corner of the alleyway to catch up with the Thing.
Author's Note: Thanks for reading Chapter 3 of 'Things Change'! Let me know what you thought of the chapter in a review, and I hope to see you again in chapter 4! :D