Chapter 3: Change of Plans

"She can't be that- OI! Get your ass back here!" the defense of his captain is broken when he spots the white haired girl rushing passed him with a predatory gleam in her emerald eyes. "Yu-chan where is Taicho?!"

"Coming now! Three...Two...One...Go!" the relationer replies, shoulders stiff as he hunches over the device in his palms. Afraid it may break, he lays it down flat onto the table watching as even though Yatsuhiro and Hanabusa manage to transition near perfectly in their rush- the heaving of Hanabusa's gasps ringing in Yuji's ears. However, already the young woman is half way through the second leg of the trial, rushing through the hallway of the third years, diving through a window that connects one room to another and swinging around an open door. Yuji cannot see her, but he can imagine her surfing down the staircase's thick railing, a frown on her lips as she stares down the path in front of her, her eyes bright with the urge to crush those she has yet to dominate.

Satsuki cannot believe her eyes. She cannot 'see' the gimmicks Tensai is pulling like her cousin can, but she can see the speed at which she is passing through the course. It shouldn't be possible! And yet, there Tensai is, rushing down the floor belonging to the second years, whipping through the appointed course as though it were something normal. "...Yuji," she utters, "Tell me this is her at her fastest".

The green haired male purses his lips, a shutter rolling down his spine with good reason. "...I don't think it is". Somehow she managed to get faster in her time off and away from the races. It makes absolutely no sense at all.

Suddenly Aomine stands, his face blank as he looks down at the tablet's screen. He ignores Satsuki's confused calls as he turns and leaves the table and the cousins with the little device. He's tired of watching little dots race across the screen like in a game of cat and mouse; he wants to see this for real. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he now faintly hears the sound of Satsuki's cousin demanding that the third runner, a second year named Satoshi something-or-other, had best take off and not loose Tensai any more than they already have. Twenty seven- almost thirty- seconds behind her, they are. Aomine figures that this is a massive lead on her part. He ignores the cheering cries, some rooting for the Stride team, others rooting for the singular girl whom has dared to take them on in this twisting and turning plotted out race. If he remembers correctly, the course takes the runners through the school twice but does not go back the way it came. He realizes that he'll probably be too late to spot the third leg, which apparently is the most straight forward portion of the race. So he heads for where he knows the fourth portion of the race to begin. In the gym.

He arrives just in time too, though he had cut through the hallways that Tensai would be- or has, whichever- running through with Satoshi hot on her tail by the sound of the cheering. Or maybe not so hot. He ignores the cries of students demanding for him to get out of the way- to 'get off the course damn it!'- and instead looks in the direction of where the runners should be coming from if he's being yelled at. His navy orbs widen when he spots a figure rounding a particularly sharp corner, her feet kicking off of the ground and making contact with the wall of all things, only to push off before an open window can cause her any sort of harm. Her feet land on the tiled flooring with ease, as though she had never been on the wall in the first place, and she rushes forward. He ignores the cries for him to move or either one of them may get hurt. However, he can see her green gaze from where he stands. Her face, as though bored, is set into a blank state as she goes. However upon seeing him, this suddenly breaks into an amused grin. What's so funny? The fact that she's going to run him down?

But then she cries, "Don't move Aomine!" so loudly that it nearly glues him to his spot.

Bored. Boring. Annoying. A chore. These thoughts had been running through her head as she raced like a thoroughbred down the race 'track', her shoes clinging to each surface they touch be they the wall, a railing or even the occasional obstacle. She could do so much more! This she knows. She feels as though the team isn't even trying, though they have gained on her in this last leg. It would seem that Satoshi is a pro when it comes to sprints and corners- which is just fine with her. She had assumed she was almost half an entire minute in front of them, or there abouts, when the third leg began. Hanabusa, the Captain, had a good start, however she over came him swiftly and with such ease that it felt like he was moving in slow motion. Granted, he was a very fast man, but his hard work did not beat her lazy skill. The second runner, a blond haired third year by the name of Yatsuhiro, had pretty purple eyes and pale skin. He, like Hanabusa, is shorter than Tatsumaki, and dressed himself in a short sleeved shirt and pants proper for this kind of sport. He too had tried hard, racing her against time and the slopes created by the second and third strings. But he didn't help the team much either. However, Satoshi seems to have managed to challenge her, making the time shrink by a rather impressive margin- a whole fifteen seconds. The young man is talented, she'll give him that much. However, she wasn't even trying- and she still doesn't plan to go all out- for the likes of any of them.

Satoshi has got to be the shortest out of all of them, however his impact has been the largest. Putting his team just under fifteen seconds behind her gives them a fighting chance. The black haired one seems to be silent- she had noted upon passing him- his neatly kept black hair and pretty aqua eyes filled with a determination she has seen in many before. It's a shame she's still smothering him with her dust.

Slow.

They're all so slow!

Now all that's left is for them to give up, to fall under her might as so many have before her.

It had been so droll, the entire thing. Couldn't they think of a harder course for her?

That was until she spotted Aomine standing in the middle of her pathway of the second floor for the second year students. A dull look covers his entire face, though as cries for him to move don't budge him, she can't help but grin. This guy, even though he irritated her a little earlier, is funny! A gutsy bastard, he is, as he stares her down with a dark piercing gaze, the natural scowl that litters his face daring her to mow him over as though he were never there.

She'll take that challenge!

As her feet land from being on the wall, her stride not even breaking for a moment, she cries for him to not move. She wants him to stay there, to say just as up right as he is. As tall and so very much like a wall as he seems to be. He seems to take her challenge, her dare to stay where he is and not even flinch. The prideful ace does this, meeting her greens from a small distance, and only stiffening slightly when she continues to barrel down the hall like a bull in a rage. Treating him like a wall made just for vaulting, she leaps, spreading her legs wide as she places her hands firmly on his broad and well muscled shoulders, pushing off of him with an amount of force he probably thought she didn't have. She lands with the grace of a feline, rushing down the hallway and around another corner as though nothing had ever happened. Swinging around a near by open classroom door, she passes up the runner of the fourth leg.

This one, she can tell, is of red hair and pretty golden eyes. He's tall, probably only a few centimeters shorter than herself, and lean. His arms and legs are long like a monkey's. And as she passes him by, her grin falls. She hears no footsteps behind her, though she doubts Satoshi got caught by Aomine- the guy probably moved after she vaulted over his massive height, clearing him with ease. Although for a second there she thought she was going to hit her head- what a wipe out that would have been. She slides under the first of the many obstacles in her way, it sitting up high as to force the runner to go over or under. Upon entering the gym, she finds the walls laced with people, each cheering or booing her arrival. She cares not as she sets to the task at hand, weaving around poles that sand up straight and guide her to the next destination, a balance beam, and then the third. As any normal person would do. She runs across the monkey bars instead of swinging across them, and leaps over the water 'pit' instead of swinging over knowing well that she could make it. When she's forced to enter a line of roping that zigzags and does circles around itself, she opts that leaping over the ropes is easier. And when she is met by a tall wall not meant for vaulting over but rather running up and hurtling over, she pushes against the ground with powerful legs.

Almost like a spider, as she goes her fingers grip the flat surface, not really helpful for anything other than simply keeping her moving. Her muscles have begun to ache and burn with the familiar sensation of use. It is a nice feeling, a thrilling feeling, even though she knows her body can give more. The wind created by her pace keeps her skin dry though she knows the moment she stops she'll begin to sweat up a storm. As she flings her legs over the top of the wall. She lands and rolls to keep her momentum going, using her hands and feet as she momentarily runs on all fours of all things before lifting again to two feet only. Her lungs burn for proper oxygen intake, however she refuses to give them anything. Instead, she demands that they continue to work regardless of her rapid but steady breathing. She can hear the feet of the fourth runner, she's pretty sure his name is Misoka Kaoru, is another third year. However this is all she knows about him. He seemed pretty happy to run when she met him before going to the starting line. She can faintly hear him gaining on her, the gym having perhaps even helped him bring their times closer together than even Satoshi did. She smirks an almost cruel smirk. So close, yet so very far away.

Tatsumaki passes the fifth runner with a cold heart, pleased. Satoshi and Misoka may have given them more time to gain on her, but she is done with this race and she knows it. The last portion is another sprint; she can see the finish line in the distance. A full on, dash to the goal, this is. Sometimes, she hates herself when she gets competitive. Naturally, Tatsumaki is a happy girl whom loves to smile and joke- the other day with Osaki-sensei being a prime example. That is, not including when woken from naps or denied food- times like those bring forth a rude and snappish side of her. However, when it comes to Stride, she is a terror, a Shinigami in a girl's body some have said. Her mind becomes dark and threatening, her eyes predatorial, and her lips almost always slip into a sneer of confidence. She cannot help it, being this way, knowing that she is the best of the best. Knowing that no one can out run her, out race her. Such a portion of her personality cannot be stopped when it comes to Stride. She just becomes a monster.

All the same, the fifth runner she believes goes by the name of Asei Hayate- or something like that. He looks like a gentle soul, with his long black air done up in a low pony tail and his matching black eyes meeting hers as he hears her approach thus causing him to look over his shoulder curiously. A worried frown touches his lips, as she passes him by like her namesake, ripping through the course and leaving nothing but destruction as she goes. With the last leg being not only the home stretch but a completely straight line- bad move on their part- she lets her legs go. Much like a jockey of a race horse lets go of the horse's head and lets them run as they please, she lets her legs relax and stretch further to cover more ground. Her feet slam against the dusty earth as the gate to the campus is her finish line, a thick pathway open like a red carpet just for her. Even as she can just barely feel rather than hear or see her last opponent racing after her at full kilter- coming upon her at an alarming pace too- she continues her pace, She knows that despite the kind third year's burst of full on speed, he will not catch her. Asei has no chance.

Through the simple ribbon her hips rip, breaking the finish line and causing a buzzer to go off without even giving Asei a chance to get two thirds of the way to the finish line. He still dashes through, however, a moment later with his lungs heaving and his body coming to a slow halt as the crowd of students and the occasional teacher alike cry out their surprise. No one knew that something like what just happened was possible.

Aomine stands and watches as Tensai opens up her chest cavity by placing her hands behind her head and spreading her arms wide, allowing her lungs to fill to their full capacity even as the once damp skin of her face becomes drenched. As though someone dunked her into a pool, her clothing slowly soaks through without wind around to keep her dry. Despite this state, however, she looks as though after catching her breath she could do more. Much more. He recognizes the disappointed look on her face with ease, knowing that he's worn it on more than one occasion in his past. He does not see Satsuki nor Nobuyuki just yet, which is good because he plans to go home in a few moments regardless of whether the bascketball team goes back to training or not- luckily he doesn't see any of them near by either.

Before he can turn away fully and walk away, though, he hears a voice call out his name catching his attention. Blue eyes dart to the owner of the voice, only slightly recognizing it despite its winded state. He stands there, hands shoved into the pockets of his pants, blandly waiting as she makes her way up to him. She's already begun to fully catch her breath, he can tell, and her hair has been let down despite her still soaked face. "Hey, thanks for the little surprise," she grins up at him, a joke in her gaze, "You're a pretty tall wall you know that?"

Oh. That.

Aomine shrugs his broad shoulders, "Whatever. I'm leaving".

"You and me both. I'm tired," she announces with a sigh as she uses the hem of her crop top to wipe her face free of sweat allowing the bronzed teen a better peek at her stomach and the bottom of her black bra.

The ace raises a brow. No shame, huh?

Unfortunately for the two of them, a certain annoying voice calls for the both of them. As Aomine looks, he finds Satsuki dashing towards them, her pink hair bouncing this way and that as she goes. "Aomine-kun! Tensai-chan!" She waves wildly even as people part to make way for her in all her apparently adorableness- though Aomine honestly doesn't understand where they get that from. Hot on her tail is a casually jogging Nobuyuki, his face a painting of disappointment and displeasure.

"Hmm?" Tatsumaki tilts her head as the two shorter beings stop in front of her and her fellow tall person. "What's up you two? Yuji, are you sore about me winning? Because let's face it, we both knew I would".

Yuji sighs as he tucks the team's tablet under his arm, having already checked on the team of regulars and made sure that they weren't drinking to fast lest they hurt themselves. "Yea yea," he utters, "It was still worth a shot though. Did you get faster or something?"

"Huh? Why wouldn't I have?" the freshman asks the second year cluelessly. Just because she stopped doing Stride competitively, doesn't mean she stopped doing it casually. Why else would she get up in the damn morning? The blanching gaze given to her in turn is an amusing sight. With the whole race over, she's happy to return to her normal happy self. It's easier to smile anyways.

"Anyways," the elder male continues, shoving to the side his amazement at such an obvious answer, "What do you want now that you've won?" Around him the Captain and the others of the regular string of Stride runners gather. They stand there with towels around their necks or over their heads in an attempt to cool down. Hard stares are sent to the winner of the mock battle, Yatsuhiro's gaze especially displeased as she appears to be able to do that race another two times and even then still have the stamina to keep going.

Tatsumaki raises a brow and then looks from Yuji to the string of runners she had smothered with her- well, her everything really. Shrugging she puts a finger to her lips, tapping them with it as she ponders. And then she grins, "How about to join the team?"

There is silence.

And more silence.

Blank gazes stare at her smiling visage, her pearly whites offered for all to see.

A third round of silence.

"EH?!"

Aomine wiggles a finger in his ear, annoyed by the loud exclamation of even Satsuki, her red eyes wide with surprise as the others stare the female racer down. Honestly he saw that coming. How could he not? He had seen, despite the bland cold expression that there was a love for the sport in her eyes and heart. Even if she can't be beaten, like him it would appear she just can't stay away. It's one of the reasons as to why exactly he still plays basketball- it's a very part of his being. But still, the shock of those in front of him and the girl oddly at his side didn't need to be screamed. Did it?

Tatsumaki laughs as she grins to the Stride club members, finding their reactions funny. The Captain of the team, Hanabusa, steps forward with a careful gaze, his lips turned down into a frown, "Why? You just finished beating all of us. What's in it for you?"

The white haired first year merely shrugs and turns her back on the lot of them though the smile is still rather obvious in her voice, "I have my reasons. Those are allowed, aren't they". She doesn't care even if they're not. "Consider me a part of your team," though she does have a catch. She looks over her shoulder to meet the hazel gaze of the first person she ran against. He's the same height as her, meeting her look levely with ease, "One one condition".

Annoyed, Yatsuhiro steps forth, a scowl on his lips and curses on his tongue and purple eyes the color of poison. "'Condition'? Seriously? Taicho, you can't take her in. she might be skilled but she's a brat! Listen to her talk like she's on top of the damn world!"

Hanabusa releases a long, tired sigh. Despite the fact that he has also managed to catch his breath, his muscles still pulse with the force he had to use in order to get the ball rolling. Looking at her, he would never think her to be the woman that passed him with ease minutes ago. To think it was minutes ago is also something extraordinary. However he shakes his head, "Calm down Katsu-kun," he denies, "You know we need her on our team badly. We're great as it is, but we'd be unbeatable with her as our anchor. I know you don't like it, but I don't mind sacrificing some things for the sake of victory". It's something he's always wanted. To be the winner of something. Such is the life of a man who lives in his older brother's shadow. If this girl can lead him out of it, damn right he'll listen to her conditions. "What's your condition?"

Tatsumaki does not turn to fully face them still, seemingly determined to be ready to walk away as soon as possible. "I'm not going to race or train unless I figure it's worth my time. You guys focus on yourselves; I'll focus on myself. Don't worry about me getting any slower or anything, or about transitions. I'll make them work. You guys just focus on not slowing me down. 'kay?"

Before Yatsuhiro can further complain, a silent hand is placed onto his shoulder, dragging his attention to Misoka whose eyes are offering merely a kind glance. In the mean time, it is Asei whom speaks up, his tone of speech soft and kind, almost like a breeze during the very season the year is in no. "And how are we to know what races you will run and which ones you will not?"

Tatsumaki shrugs, "I'll let you know. I'd suggest base your running order off of what you guys wanna do. If it ends up that I wanna run, I can fit in anywhere". A long, tired yawn escapes her lips, her bent wrist lazily covering parted lips. "Well, I'm leaving now. There's a bed calling my name y'know". She turns completely forward, ignoring the gazes of her new team mates and instead opting to go home.

Damn she's tired.