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"This means someone is talking."

'This means someone is thinking to themselves.'

This means it's a flashback.

This means it's a sound effect!*

{This means I'm speaking in a different language!}

Angel in a Gilded Cage

Day two of the training camp (or was it day three if they arrived on day one?) and waking up was just as much of a trial as before, if not more. Despite the soothing bath the night before, Angel's body was sore in places she didn't even know she possessed. She stretched her body and smacked her lips to the sound of yawns and groans coming from her classmates as they left the dormitories for their morning training.

They were quick to stir when Aizawa blew the dreaded air horn again and at least she didn't fall flat on her face this time. It was definitely still too early for her liking.

'Thought I should probably count myself lucky.' She thought, glancing at Uraraka, whose baggy eyes betrayed how late the remedial lessons went last night.

'Oop, there she goes.' She noted as her friend's head dipped and her eyes drifted closed.

She reached over and gave her a gentle shake.

"Wha-huh?!" Uraraka snorted and jumped. "Where am I?!"

"At training camp, it's morning. You okay? You look like you're going to fall asleep standing up."

Uraraka grimaced and let out a sound somewhere between a sad laugh and a sigh. "I'll be fine." She said, rubbing her darkened eyelids. "I just need a minute. Maybe a coffee or something. You think they'd give us some?"

"I doubt Aizawa-sensei would be that merciful." She muttered as the mentioned teacher approached the front of the crowd.

"You're all here faster than yesterday, good. Now we can get started. Today's mostly going to be more of the same, continuing to build on your foundations with a few changes to maximize efficiency. So expect things to get harder from here on."

The class as a whole groaned and his frown deepened.

"Enough complaining. You all knew what you were getting into when you signed up for this trip, so suck it up. Now, before we get started, there is a matter that needs to be settled."

"Excuse me." A deep voice politely interjected.

The class turned as a large man dressed in a red and black suit entered the clearing. He had a pair of white boots, belt and gauntlets, a thin hose attached to the latter and connected to his back. His head was square with a matching jaw, a pair of small fans peeking out from his bottom lip and the top half of his face shielded by a clear orange visor and his spiky gray hair. He dragged a human sized bundle of ropes behind him.

Even from the few times she had seen him, Angel knew this man to be the pro hero Vlad King, the homeroom teacher of class 1-B.

"Ah, Kan-sensei, right on time." Aizawa stated.

"What's class B's teacher doing over here? Don't you have your own students to deal with?" Kirishima asked with his usual lack of tact.

Vlad King nodded. "Indeed I do. But before that, there is a serious crime that needs to be addressed. Last night, a student was caught trying to intrude on the privacy of their fellow students in the baths."

All heads immediately turned to Mineta who frantically waved his arms. "Hey! I-I-It wasn't me this time! I swear!"

"Yeah right you little creep!" Ashido spat.

"I'm afraid that Mineta-kun is indeed blameless in this case." Everyone looked at Vlad King in disbelief. "In fact, it brings me no small amount of shame to say that the culprit was one of my own."

With that, he lifted up the bundle of rope to reveal Tina Baha, gnawing on the cords holding her like a dog, complete with obnoxious growling. Sensing the eyes on her, she stopped and turned to the class, giving them a bright, toothy smile.

"Yo yo! How's it going, peeps?" She chirped, waving with her only free hand.

"The explosion girl?!" Kaminari gaped.

"YOU!" Iida pointed.

"Hey Four Eyes! Didja miss me?"

Vlad King cleared his throat.

"We caught her last night during the class A boy's bath time, trying to make a hole in the fence with this." Vlad King explained and held up a certain tool in his hand.

Somewhere in the back, Yaoyorozu squeaked and hid her face in shame at the sight of the hand drill.

"Hold up! That chick was trying to spy on us?!" Sero gasped, all the boys blushing and shifting uncomfortably.

"You know it." Baha said, wiggling her eyebrows with such fluidity it was like a wave.

"Holy shit that's creepy!"

"Sucks, doesn't it?" Jiro snorted and received an elbow from Asui.

"Don't be like that. It's a crime either way." She scolded, to which Angel agreed.

She believed in turnabout being fair play, but not at the expense of all the boys who hadn't participated in any of Mineta's and occasionally Kaminari's trickery. Poor Midoriya and Koda in particular looked like they were about to pass out from shock. Still, she couldn't deny that after three months of enduring Mineta's concerted efforts to spy on her and the other girls, it was bizarre to see it going the other way.

Speaking of.

"W-W-Wait?! You wanted to see me?! Naked?!" Mineta fervently questioned, a spark of something akin to hope in his eye.

Baha sniffed in disgust. "Ew! I wasn't trying to peek on you, Licorice Head! I'm not into midgets!" She said, making the diminutive boy stagger as if her words had stabbed him like daggers and he collapsed. "No… I like them big, loud and powerful! He's gotta have arms mada dynamite and a booty like POW~!" She sang, her eyes drifted over to Bakugo, who immediately bristled and flipped her off.

"Fuck off! Go kiss a belt sander!"

Instead of the expected and intended reaction, the girl simply blushed and cradled her face.

"Aww Babe, normally I like your siracha spicy, saucy talk, but in front of so many people? It's embarrassing…" She sighed, her tone alluding to how much she was really enjoying this, much to her supposed better/worse half's consternation.

"That's enough Baha-san. Tell everyone you're sorry or it's extra ice for your training today." Vlad King grumbled authoritatively.

As confusing as the threat was, it seemed to do the trick, the girl's rosy face turning pale and breaking into a nervous sweat.

"Okay, okayokayokayokay! I'm sorry! I'm sorry? Yeah I'm sorry! I won't do it again! You wanna hear my apology song? I just came up with it now!"

The hero grimaced and shook his head. "Please don't." He turned back to Aizawa and the class. "Sorry for the trouble. I'll see you all in the training field." He gave them a respectful bow, then walked away, dragging Baha behind him.

"See ya later Babe! You'll always be my Boom-Boom-Sparkle-Daddy!" She called out, sending a wave of snickers across the group. Angel herself wasn't immune to the amusing absurdity, trying her best to keep the laughter from escaping her mouth.

Bakugo clearly didn't share the sentiment, turning completely red with steam billowing from his nose.

"I DON'T KNOW YOU!" He roared, stomping his feet and looking ready to charge when Kirishima grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him into a sideways hug.

"Bwahaha! Hey man, don't be like that to your girl! You two-mmf, are made for each other!" He chortled.

"You could say it's loathe at first sight, ha!" Kaminari added, making several students burst out laughing.

"I'MMA KILL YOU ALL!" Bakugo bellowed, sparks jumping from his palms before sputtering out.

"Save your energy for your training." Aizawa grunted, eyes glowing and hair whipping about. "It's time to get to work."

As promised, today's training was simply a repetition of before, endurance exercises to push their body's limits even further, as per the school's maxim. If Angel had any fantasy of it being easier the second time around, she was sorely mistaken as the pros increased their burdens.

In her case, the metronome was set to double its previous speed at four beats per second in her shooting practice. It gave her less time to charge up, forcing her to pick up the pace. The flying trial was even worse, her weights got bumped up from twenty to forty pounds around each limb. All together, Angel was carrying the mass of an average adult for hours.

It was just as painful as before, if not worse thanks to these advancements, but Angel didn't complain. It was what she needed to do, it'd just be a waste of breath to do so. It instead came out in arduous gasping and grunting, but she digressed.

If she could grasp any feasible improvement over before for some form of consolation or motivation, it was that she at least didn't fall into the lake this time. Although a cool dip didn't sound so bad in the May heat right now. She was just glad it wasn't later in the year, she likely wouldn't survive.

Perhaps it was how she had gotten used to the routine by this point or her recollected focus, but the morning felt like it had passed by faster than yesterday. She had nearly fallen out of the sky in surprise when Mandalay's call for the noon lunch break popped into her head. She couldn't be the only one who found that jarring.

Regardless, it was a graciously welcome reprieve. Once Angel safely touched down, if a little too fast for her tastes thanks to the weights, she removed her burden and made her way back to the center clearing. The class was met with several tables that, just like last night's dinner, was stocked with raw ingredients for them to prepare for cold cut sandwiches. It was an easier ordeal than curry and rice at least and quicker too. If she had to guess, it was by Aizawa's design for them to get filled up on food loaded with calories in order to keep them going for the rest of the day, while also getting them back to training as quickly as possible.

The class got into a couple lines in front of the tables and began chatting away as they waited, shuffling forward one step at a time. Angel found herself behind Yaoyorozu, who seemed a little green around the edges of her face.

"You okay Momo-chan? You look a little sick."

The taller girl turned her head and grimaced a bit. "A bit, yes. You'll have to excuse me. I've spent the last seven hours eating and creating. My stomach is roiling right now, not to mention my jaw." She mumbled, rubbing the sides of her mouth.

"Right, you make stuff with the fat cells in your body. Sheesh, that sounds awful."

"It's no small amount of discomfort, yes, but I'll be fine. How about you?"

"About the same I'd say. My arms and legs feel like they're going to tear off and my head is like Kirishima's punching bag."

"Truly? Have you taken some painkillers?"

"I wish." Angel groaned, trying not to rock her head in fear of more stinging. "I asked Aizawa-sensei but he shot that down. Said something about no shortcuts on the road to improvement or whatever, I can't remember right now."

Yaoyorozu nodded. "I can see where he is coming from. If we desire to break our limits, handicaps like medication could render our efforts moot. A harsh, but astute instructor is he."

"I guess, but isn't he the one who uses drops when his eyes get all irritated?" Angel questioned, making the other girl pause, open and close her mouth a couple times then laughed in resignation.

"You've got me there."

Right at that moment, the line moved up and the two of them finally arrived at the table. It was covered with coolers, chilled containers of various toppings on ice contained within. Vegetables, meats, cheese and sauces, all fresh and dripping with condensation. On the side were many types of bread and the utensils ready for use.

Stepping forward, the two girls got to work.

"Y'know, I have an old friend back home who worked out a lot. Guess this is that "no pain no gain" thing he always talked about, heh." Angel joked while sawing through the white bread with a knife.

"That's a thing?" Yaoyorozu asked, using a pair of tongs to fill her plate with lettuce and cherry tomatoes to make a light salad. Likely the only thing she will eat considering how much bread, meats and sugars she had gorged on the whole morning.

"Apparently. But considering how big he is there's definitely merit to it. Though that might also be a side effect of how much testosterone his body produces from his quirk." She continued, spreading some dressing on the underside of the top loaf, then reaching for the sliced chicken.

"I was homeschooled by tutors my whole life, I never really had to exercise that much until the apprehension test on our first day." Yaoyorozu added, once again making an unintentional reminder of her wealthy background.

"I was mostly the same myself."

'If you count robots as tutors I mean.' Angel thought, draping the last few leaves of lettuce on before placing the top loaf and cutting it down the middle, finishing her foot long sandwich. She snagged two bottles of water as she stepped away to let the next person move up in line. Yaoyorozu raised a brow.

"I know I'm not one to judge, but are you really going to eat that whole thing? And two drinks?"

"I'm, uh, really hungry. Plus I'll need a lot of water for the rest of the afternoon" Angel answered quickly.

"I see. Shall we find a place to sit?" The heiress asked, an excited spring in her step as they left the table.

"Actually, I have something I need to do. Sorry." Angel said and Yaoyorozu's expression immediately dropped.

"Oh. Okay." She mumbled with all the dejection of a sad kitten, kicking Angel right in the heart.

"Don't worry, it's not you, just some personal business. You can sit with me and my other friends at dinner if you'd like?"

She instantly perked up. "That'd be delightful! See you then!"

Angel gave a little wave and a smile as she walked away. Then with plate in hand, she turned and walked back into the forest. Yaoyorozu was right. Even on her hungriest days, she probably wouldn't be able to finish the large sandwich was carrying right now.

Good thing that wasn't her intention.

The clamor of her peers faded behind her with every step, replaced with the buzzing of cicadas and chirping of birds. Eventually, she entered the small clearing designated for her afternoon exercises. She glanced about, eyes scanning for a certain shape.

There, peeking out from behind a tree was the smallest bit of burgundy. Kota.

The corners of her mouth twitched, but she made no movement to indicate she had spotted him yet. Now that she knew the young boy had been spying on her, it had gotten remarkably easy to spot him as she trained. He thought himself so sneaky, not realizing that she had picked him out almost a dozen times over the last several hours. Every time she had turned her head, he would panic and dart out of sight. It was kind of adorable in a way.

'Sorry Kota-kun, but you're no Zer0.' She resisted the urge to giggle.

Now that Angel knew where he was there, it was time she got some answers.

She set herself down on one of the stumps reserved for the lamps. Reaching over, she placed one of the bottles of water on the next seat over. Then taking one half of her sandwich, she left the plate with the other piece there as well.

It was a basic plan, trying to lure Kota out with food as one does a dog. But as Moxxi once told her, the way to a man's heart was through his stomach. Of course, it was under a different context, as she wasn't trying to seduce the ten year old, but surely there was enough overlap in logic that she could coax him out of hiding right? Especially considering that he apparently had a childish fascination with her, according to Ashido and the other girls last night.

With her back to the brush that her target was hiding in, Angel straightened and took a breath.

"I know you're there." She called out in a soft tone. There was a small rustling. "It's alright, I'm not mad." She quickly added before he could run away. "Just curious."

She didn't hear anything, which was a good sign that she hadn't chased him off yet. She needed to choose her words carefully.

"Look… I'm not freaked out over the whole spying thing, though it was a bit of a surprise I'll admit. And I didn't see you at the lunch table, so I made you a sandwich. It's yours if you want. I just want a little chat."

Silence. She pursed her lips followed by a shrug. "Well, it's there for you if you want."

Her piece said, Angel lifted her half and took a big, slow bite. The bread was nice and soft and the toppings cool and flavourful.

"Mmm… that's good stuff." She hummed loudly, making a show of it. "I think I outdid myself there."

More silence. She chewed for a bit more and sighed a little. Should have guessed it wouldn't have been that easy.

'Well, I tried.' She thought and went for another bite.

She froze as there was more rustling, followed by the sound of small footfalls. Craning her head a bit, she saw the sullen boy gradually step over to the other stump and pick up the edible peace offering.

"It doesn't have peppers does it? I don't like 'em." He muttered, giving her a sideways look.

Angel shook her head. A moment of contemplation passed, then Kota finally sat down on the stump and took a bite. His perpetual scowl lessened a little and after a few seconds of chewing he began eating in earnest.

Angel leaned down and smiled. "How is it?"

Kota jolted and swallowed, his face flaring up. "It's pretty good I-I guess." He answered, a little startled at being caught acting his age for once.

Angel snickered slightly. He really was just a kid.

"So," She started and continued to eat. "Want to tell me a little about yourself?"

"Not really." He uttered, his voice low and making it clear how little he actually wanted to talk. Angel pushed regardless, but carefully.

"Are you sure? There's nothing about you you'd like to share? Hobbies? Dreams? Things you like?" She pushed, getting a scoff.

"There's nothing about me that's interesting." He grumbled.

'Well that was a dead end. Maybe try something else.' Angel decided.

"Can I at least ask why you keep spying on me?"

Kota blushed again and turned away. "N-No reason!" He coughed out. Even to one as socially stunted as her, Angel knew what that look meant.

Point to Ashido, not that Angel was ever going to tell her she was right. She would never hear the end of it.

"Riiight." She drawled. She let things be silent for a minute or so to keep the conversation calm, taking the opportunity to twist off the cap on her water bottle and take a drink. It soothed the dryness that suddenly appeared in her throat, from her earlier training perhaps? Perhaps not.

Either way, she wasn't getting anywhere at the moment. Maybe it was best to stop beating around the bush.

"There is one thing I am puzzled over." She said, setting her bottle down and taking another chunk of sandwich. She swallowed. "Why did you punch Izuku-kun back then?"

Kota's scowl returned. "Why? Is he your boyfriend or something?" He asked and suddenly it was Angel's turn to blush.

"What? N-No! Why does everyone keep asking that?" She questioned, mostly to herself. "Nevermind that. Izuku-kun is one of the nicest people I've ever met. He was just introducing himself and you punched him in the… t-there. Of course I want to know why."

"Hmph." Kota angrily bit at his food. "Because it's like I said. Why should I care about you big kids becoming dumb heroes? Heroes and their stupid quirks are fricken stupid."

Again with the hateful statement and probably the crux of his issues. The way that he spat the word hero and quirks with such disgust, it threw Angel off guard coming from a little kid. His crush on her was probably the only reason why he seemed to be holding back from using the more colorful language he used on the first day of camp.

"I get that, but what I'm asking is why!"

"I don't need to explain it to you." He growled. "You just assume that you'd be able to relate. You and that green haired dweeb!"

"Green hair? You already talked to Izuku?" Why wasn't she surprised he already got himself involved?

"Yeah, that dumba-dummy tailed me last night. Tried to feel all sad and sympathetic about-" He caught himself. "I'm not hungry anymore. I'm leaving." He said, leaving his half eaten sandwich on the plate and started to leave.

Meanwhile, Angel tried to put the pieces together. Why? Why would he feel this way about heroes and quirks? The whole hero world?! What could it have done to him to make him feel like it had wronged him?

Then she stiffened and she lowered her meal.

The same sort of things that it had done to her. The same things that had her asking why ever since that day in the parking lot.

From there the puzzle pieces fit together.

"Your parents." She said quietly, turning her head just enough to catch Kota halting in his tracks. "This is about your parents isn't it?"

His silence only strengthened her theory and the clenching of his fists sealed it.

"Mandalay's your aunt and you're staying with her even when she's on the job helping Yūei. It's not a stretch to guess that they might have been heroes too. Am I right?"

He didn't answer and she took the lack of a negative as her confirmation. If that was true, that his parents were heroes, then their absence could only mean one thing.

She stood up. "That's why you hate heroes and quirks. You feel this whole world took away your family."

Kota clicked his teeth and whirled around, a furious glare on his face with his teeth bared. "So what?! You going to lecture me too?! How they were just doing their job?! That I should be proud that they're dead?!" He screamed.

Angel didn't answer, being respectful enough to hear this boy's suffering to the end. It's what she would have wanted in his shoes.

"Well?! Aren't you going to say something? You going to preach about "justice" or "self-sacrifice" or something?! People have spewed those words so much that they've lost all meaning to me. But they can't bring my mom and dad back, so don't bother saying them." He spat, lowering his head and panting. "Still nothing huh. Got nothing to say because I'm right?" His eyes widened. "Oh I get it. You're going to give me some sob story about something that happened to you. About how your problems and my problems are the same right?! That you know exactly how I feel?!"

"No." He stopped. Angel's eyes were on the ground, staring wistfully into nothing. "I'd never do that." She took in a deep breath, brushing her bangs away from her face. "You're right. Bad things have happened to me too, but I would never invalidate your pain by comparing it to mine. I don't know what it's like to be in that kind of situation and I won't assume I ever can."

She tilted her head up and their eyes met. She saw the anger and hurt swirling in them. "But you shouldn't assume to know what we are going through either, what I've been through. Why we want to be heroes and why your parents wanted to as well. It wouldn't be fair of me to say that I can understand what you've gone through, but it wouldn't be fair to me if you write me off like that."

Kota remained quiet, some of Angel's words and the weight behind them making his expression soften. She could tell that she hadn't solved anything, he still looked confused and resentful but he at least seemed to be considering her point. That was about as close to a victory that she could get at this point and she had gotten the answers to her questions, more or less.

She let out another sigh, putting the last bit of her lunch in her mouth.

"Regardless. I'm not going to butt into your problems if you don't want me to. We all go through these things in different ways. Just… I know we both pried into things that didn't concern us, but can you try to apologize to Izuku? He didn't have any real motive, he was just trying to be nice."

"Bwa? Why should I-?!"

Angel leaned down and gave him a pleading look.

"Please?"

He blushed again from their close proximity, sputtering.

"I-I'll think about it!"

"Good enough for me." She smiled, grabbing her water bottle and moved to leave the clearing, only to stop. "Oh right! Almost forgot! Can you please not take pictures of me with your phone or anything? I don't mind you watching, but I don't really like people recording me."

Kota blinked. "I don't have a phone."

She stopped, frowning. "You shouldn't lie like that Kota-kun. My quirk lets me sense electronics."

"No really, I don't have a phone. See?" He told her and pulled out the sleeves of his short's pockets, completely empty.

A quick scan of his face, he didn't appear to be lying. Angel focused her sixth sense in and true to his word, he didn't have a single device on him, let alone a phone or camera.

"Huh… you're right. Sorry about that. I… I've got to go." She mumbled, brows narrowed as she walked away.

If it wasn't Kota, then what was that blip yesterday? Did she just imagine it?

Angel's troubled thoughts followed her through the rest of the class's lunch break and into the afternoon training. Kota seemed to have tolerated her presence enough for the day, as she was left alone for her channeling practice. It was a long four hours, her mind otherwise preoccupied while her hands automatically clapped, switching the lights back and forth over and over. Preoccupied with her recent discoveries and second guessing what she thought she felt yesterday.

Ironically, it made the rest of the day go by very quickly and it was dinner time before she knew it. They prepared a stir fry this time and as she promised, Angel invited Yaoyorozu to eat with her usual friends. The casual conversation helped distract her from her thoughts, though she did notice that Midoriya also seemed similarly distant. But she decided not to push it, feeling like she had poked around enough for now.

After they ate and the dishes were cleaned, the Pussycats announced a night time event that she had missed them mentioning earlier.

"Gather around everyone! It's time for the test of courage!" Pixie-Bob cheered.

"Yay! I'm so excited! I'm really good at scaring people!" Toru bounced about, arms waving back and forth.

"A test of courage h-huh? Not sure if I'm up for it, h-heh-heh." Uraraka shivered.

"What's a test of courage?" Angel asked her.

"It's basically a game where people walk through a dark, scary place while other people try to spook them."

"This is going to be sick! I hope I get paired up with one of the girls!" Kaminari pumped his fists.

"Sorry to be "that guy"…" Aizawa interjected. "But I'm afraid tonight's remedial lessons start now."

"NO WAY!" The remedial students minus Tokoyami screamed as they were lassoed and dragged away.

"Regrettable."

"Aww… I wanted to play too!" Dark Shadow whined.

"C-Can I come with you guys?" Angel asked nervously. She had obviously never done this sort of game before and she was not great with horror. Especially with how gloomy and menacing the forest was looking under the setting sun, the long shadows stretching like beckoning fingers.

"Don't worry! Its not going to be that hardcore, just some fun scares!" Ragdoll assured her, stepping to the front. "The game will go like this! Class B is first up, hiding along the forest path ahead. You guys will leave in duos every few minutes. At the furthest point of the hiking path, I'll be waiting to give you a card to take as you loop back, as proof that you made it. Physical contact is forbidden, but quirks are not! The winner will be the class that scares the most creatively and makes the most people pee themselves silly!"

"That's gross." Jiro muttered.

"Time to assign pairs! Step up and draw a lot!" Mandalay instructed, holding a box.

One at a time, the students received a slip of paper with a number and searched for their match.

"Number three. Who has number three?" Angel called, waving her lot.

"We meet again, Mademoiselle!" She jumped when the french blonde of class A smoothly sidled up next to her.

"O-Oh, hey Aoyama-kun." She greeted. She had never actually interacted with him much until now. There was just something about his flamboyant personality that struck her as odd.

Looking across the clearing, she spotted Midoriya paired with Ashido, the loud, pink girl making him blush at how she casually leaned on his shoulder while talking up a storm. Better for him than Bakugo at least, though she did feel bad for Todoroki having to put up with the resident hothead.

As for Iida, he had drawn a rather short straw. A diminutive, purple straw.

"Ugggh, you got to pair up with Angel-chan?! Aoyama, swap partners with me please!" Mineta begged. Aoyama promptly shook.

"Not on your life, creep." She growled at the pervert, who shrunk back.

"Do not worry mon ami, I will keep you safe." Aoyama promised, a twinkle in his eye.

"Uh, thanks." Angel smiled.

"Alright, looks like everyone is paired up! Let the games begin! Woooo~!"

As decided by the draw, Angel and Aoyama were third to go. This meant that they got to spend six minutes hearing the various roars, howling and other assorted hair-raising sounds emanating from the dark forest.

Finally it was their turn. They stepped onto the unlit, barely able to see more than a few feet ahead of them. Angel swallowed nervously, forcing one foot in front of the other.

'It's just a game. It's just a game.' She repeated. The people lurking in the shadows were students just like her, no harm would befall them. Besides, whatever class B could come up with paled in comparison with facing off against crazed maniacs like Shigaraki or Bubba.

This mantra helped keep her nerves level. She was alert, but not shaking her shoes. That was Aoyama's job, despite his earlier promise.

"D-D-D-D-D-Dark t-t-t-t-tonight isn't it? N-N-N-Not s-sparkling at all!" His teeth chattered, sweat pouring down his face.

"Here." Angel lit up her marked hand and held it out. "Is that better?"

He latched onto her appendage and nodded. "O-Oui. Thank you! When do you think we'll hit the first-?"

In the next instant, a series of small, flaming pops erupted at their feet, making them jump back. Something swung down from a branch overhead.

"OOGA BOOGA!" A wild, screaming thing whipped its head and tongue around in a blur of frenzied movement, eyes spinning like tops.

"HIYEEEEE!" Aoyama squealed and hid behind Angel who only shuddered and gasped in comparison.

"Heeheeheehyahahaha! I gotchu!" The creature cackled and in an instant, Angel recognized the upside down face of Baha Tina. "Man, you screamed like a guinea pig on helium! Victory for Tina!"

With that, the ekrixi-philiac flipped back into the trees.

"Y-You, you okay?" Angel breathed, collecting her wits.

"O-O-O-O-Oui." Aoyama whimpered, retaining a tight grip on her shoulders.

"Come on, we have to keep moving." She told him, resuming their hike with an added shiver in her step.

"I-I must beg f-for your forgiveness. I-I am as-shamed to admit that I-I am not that great with horror. M-Much too inelegant."

"It's okay. We all have things we're not so good at. I almost drowned in the pool last week, remember?" She laughed a little at her self depreciation in an effort to calm him down. It appeared to work a bit as he hummed with amusement.

"You know what helps me out? The knowledge that nothing in these woods wants to hurt us. Besides, we're heroes, remember? And heroes don't let fear get in their way!" She said, twisting her neck to look back at him.

A wobbly smile grew and he opened his mouth to say something.

"Attention!" They jolted as Mandalay's voice slammed into their heads. It was different than when she contacted them during training, her tone clear and devoid of her usual energy. "This is an emergency message! Two villains have invaded the grounds!"

A tremor ran down Angel's whole body. Villains?! Here?! The camp's location was supposed to be secret!

Mandalay's bulletin continued. "It is unlikely they are acting alone! All students, make your way back to the main facility! Avoid confrontation, I repeat, avoid confrontation at all costs!"

"Non… non, non,non, non, non! Not again!" Aoyama whispered fearfully, pupils shrunk to dots as he shook, holding himself.

Angel grabbed his arm and gave him a shake. "Snap out of it! You heard Mandalay, we need to get out of here! We-!"

*Ca-chunk!*

She froze. She knew that sound and what followed.

"DOWN!" She hollered, throwing herself against the boy and knocking him down. The air shuddered with a thundering boom as the tree behind Aoyama's head exploded, a scattering of golf ball sized holes embedded in the bark. Splinters bounced off her scalp.

With how her ears were currently ringing, she almost missed the deep, throaty chuckle emanating behind her.

"Heh, nice reflexes."

Angel's heart nearly stopped.

"No…" She shivered, wishing this was all a bad dream. She almost didn't turn out of a desperate hope that the voice behind her would cease to exist. But turn she did, and her nightmare came true.

A blood red pinprick of light pierced the shadows, bobbing left and right in rhythm to the sound of steel combat boots crushing the brush underfoot. She'd never forget his towering stature, protected by a yellow and white flak jacket and pants, a bandolier looped around his torso laden with munitions and pouches. The way he comfortably held the combat shotgun in his meaty hands, a red, black and gold model not sold on the market as it was the only one of its kind, custom made by him. Both his brunette crew cut and dutch beard were perfectly straight and groomed, but did little to hide the geometric indents in his forehead. His wide grin promised nothing but brutality as the light reflected off the telescopic lens where his right eye should be.

"It's been a while, little bird." He grunted, ejecting a spent casing with an effortless pump of his smoking firearm.

Bile rose in Angel's throat as she shook, the name that escaped her lips making her feel like what she once was, a terrified little girl.

"W-Wilhelm!"