Chapter 7
Hurt
.:+:.
He was still watching her, his eyes still fixed on her back- but his feet had hit the ground and he ceased floating on air. She heard him take a single step forward, and she stiffened at it.
Her heart twisted. Hurt and rage and sadness all woven together by regret and betrayal... Broken trust.
Broken where she wished she'd never given it... Where she'd hesitated to give it at all.
This... Does he even realize what he did? Really?
.:+:.
Spirit handed the driver of the car a small folded piece of paper with an address written on it- and with no word nor any reply to it, the car started off and away from Hosu General Hospital with Animal Spirit and Death Arms in it. She walked away from the slightly stunned crowd of people and news vans without further comment, her expression giving nothing away, and got in the car with Death Arms right behind. His first, and immediate question was;
"Are you alright?"
Unsurprisingly
Her red eyes shifted toward him, expressionless, somber, and she nodded just once.
"Fine."
She could feel Death Arms' eyes looking her over and taking in the damage. She knew he was keeping her in his sights without daring to look away- she knew he was worried, and he had questions. But he knew her well enough to know that he had to wait for her to break the quiet... So quiet is what it was all through the car ride away from Hosu and toward where that address lead- Spirit sitting opposite the large man and her eyes closed as she held a folder in her lap.
The car rolled to a quiet stop at the edge of the city of Heiku, pulling into an empty, dark and barren parking lot bordering a small, old looking building that was dark as the outside. The sun was setting fast and the sky turning a (by now, ugly) shade of red. Spirit stepped out of the car, slowly almost as if getting up was a chore- and headed toward the large and slightly rusted door. She didn't cast a glance back at Death Arms before she made her way up to the building and reached up above the frame and to the left a bit, her fingernails hooking under the lip of a brick in the wall and jostling it loose with ease. Death Arms blinked, walking after her and pausing as he watched her pull the brick down and out of it's place- it hadn't looked loose or not cemented in to start with, in all honesty.
The brick fell lightly into her hand as she transferred it over to her other one, leaving a hole in the wall where it had been and her fingers brushing along the inside and out of her eye line- she was pushed up on her toes to give herself a little extra height and her fingertips hooked around a key. She dropped back on to the balls of her feet with the key and brick both in hand. Her arm started falling back to normal level, and her movements faltered as she cringed, her eyes snapping shut against a sudden stab of pain running through her torso and across her shoulder-blade both. Her jaw clenched, a strangled hiss of pain escaping her lips- and a show of feeling her injuries that hadn't come yet, and immediately had Death Arms looking serious, as well as concerned.
He cleared the small distance between himself and the No. 26, his hands extending toward her and swallowing back the lump in his throat. One hand came up gently under her arm in a small attempt at steadying her, "Easy, easy..." he mumbled softly as her body relaxed again, though only slightly. His other hand extended a bit as he gestured toward the brick in her hand. "Let me put that back." he murmured, and Spirit nodded stiffly.
"... Probably should have just asked you to get it in the first place..." She grumbled softly as she handed it over, "... You are much taller than me..."
"... Are you alright...?" He asked lowly, she nodded again.
"Yeah, I'm good..." she murmured,
If only she sounded so sure of that
He grimaced but let it be, replacing the brick in its place as Spirit stuck the key in the lock and turned. The door clicked and she pushed it open, stepping inside slightly and her hand moving to find a light-switch along the wall. Death Arms stepped inside after her, his eyes trailing over the space in intrigue.
The lights flooded on to cast light over the building, it's floors worn and polished cement, the walls cracked and faded and built up of brick and metal grating here and there. There were tables spread out among the room that encompassed what must have been 80% of the building itself, their accompanying chairs stacked up and pushed against the far wall. There was a small stage on on end and a bar on the other, raised up on a small platform above the main level of the floor and surrounded by stools. The back wall behind the bar lit up in an array of neon lights and signs as Spirit flipped the lights on, the colorful glow sparkling off the many taps and liquor bottles lined up along the bar itself, and the shelves behind it.
Spirit moved inside without a care, her hand falling lightly on her side as she walked forward and toward the bar in something of a beeline. Death Arms paused a bit though in the entrance, taking the setting in and the eerie silence of the very empty and dead bar.
"... what is this place?" He murmured, his eyes landing on Spirit's back as she walked away and grimacing when he found the bandages across her shoulders, visible due to the small slits made into the back of the top half of her uniform.
"... hmm...? Oh, this place belongs to my 'uncle'." Spirit murmured, her hands raising wearily in sign of the quotation marks around the last word. She cast a glance over her shoulder toward him, sighing as she shook her head. "... sort of friend, older acquaintance of mine via my... family... he never opens the bar for the Sports Festival... doesn't wanna deal with the crowds, or the mess..." She rounded the bar and started shifting bottles and whatnot, and set the key down on the counter. "... lucky timing I guess..." she mumbled, her eyes flashing, Death Arms grimaced a bit. "... hmm... anyway... got a request for what you wanna drink?" Spirit asked softly, her hands working away in familiarity as she pulled out a glass for herself and started preparing something. "... Red Eye... Yuzushu... Umeshu... Oolang Hai... Beer... Happoshu... Whiskey... you get the idea... I can make whatever you want if that's the way you wanna go... else I'll just.. Pour something... Or grab a can..." she sighed, pouring something for herself into the glass- soda or juice it looked like- before grabbing a different bottle and pouring in enough vodka to outweigh whatever flavor the first would have had.
"... That's the thing here right...? Pour for your friends..." She mumbled under her breath, and low enough Death Arms never heard.
... Beer is a thing here too, but I've never been a big fan of it... Or any sort of alcohol really... irony I guess... A bartender who doesn't like liquor...
"... Beer is fine, Spirit." He murmured, walking toward the bar and her slowly. He wasn't even going to drink that much at all, one of them probably ought to not be out of their senses right now... And Spirit didn't really seem like she planned to be sensible at the moment. She nodded in acknowledgement of the words and turned, pulling open a fridge and finding a can of beer. She set the can on the bar and her own drink with it, before she rounded the counter and took a seat. Death Arms took a seat next to her and there was a small section of quiet between them again as they sat in the empty building, and the sun sunk down far enough in the sky it couldn't be seen anymore. Spirit's (bandaged) hands folded around her glass she simply looked into the pink liquid that seemed a pale and dreadful shade of red that had all the life drained... From... it...
Her eyes narrowed, the edges of her lips curling as her shoulders hunched despite herself- and Death Arms noticed the sudden shift in posture almost instantly.
"... What happened...?" he asked softly, her eyes shut against the question.
What happened?
I met the Hero Killer... I fought the Hero Killer, I bit him... I rushed in without thinking because he was going to kill...
... I faced the Hero Killer and he let me live. He could have stabbed me and hit a multitude of internal organs and been done with it, but he didn't. He wouldn't just miss either.
I was supposed to be working Security at UA but I smelled blood and started running. I jumped in without thinking, and I used my Quirk about a dozen times passed the Limit I'm supposed to stick to. I moved and battled and chased him even when I shouldn't have been able to move... He was... Shit...
... I faced the Hero Killer and I let him leave because I decided stabilizing Ingenium was the higher priority... Ingenium who survived his injuries but now... Now... I...
... I...I've had... Today has been one of the worst days I have ever had... And that's really saying something given my childhood...
Her grip around her glass tightened a bit,
"... You saw the video, yeah...? And heard what everyone is saying...?" She mumbled,
"Yes, but I'd rather hear you tell it." he murmured lowly,
Of course you would
She bit the inside of her cheek, shaking her head at herself. "... It's a long story..." She murmured,
Though maybe not that long... It just feels like... A lifetime...
"We have time." Death Arms replied, "I'm not going anywhere."
Of course not... You're my only friend... For a reason...
She felt her throat tighten and her heart twisted painfully with it, and she bowed her head a bit, her eyes scrunching closed harder. "... I'm sorry in advance..." She apologized, her voice dropping to something just shy of a whisper- and suddenly, but surely- every scrap of restraint, and calm, and collectedness she had managed for so many hours now was just breaking... Crumbling away and shattering and she didn't have it in her to stop it. Not anymore.
"... I hate it when I get worked up... And I don't wanna suffer you through me... Crying..." she hissed, her shoulders hunching more as she bowed her head more too. The stinging in her eyes was getting worse, and the tightness in her throat. "... Damn it... I'm not trying to be such a mess... But fuck..." Spirit hissed, her head bowed so far now her forehead nearly touched the lip of her glass. Death Arms blinked, his expression pulling slightly in sympathy and renewed concern when he saw her start to tremble.
The No. 26 Pro Hero, Animal Spirit- who had always been nothing but firm and collected in all manner of situations- and near never got close to falling apart for as long as he had known her... that woman was shaking, and on the verge of tears.
"... I rushed in without thinking... I jumped at him and lashed out and the whole time... He... Everything about him, it just bleeds murder and maliciousness, and malice... The whole time it felt hard to breathe... My body wanted to freeze, but I couldn't let it... Damn it he... He terrified me... He scares the living hell out of me and I had to... To push passed that... I haven't... no one has terrified me like this... In so long... And my body and my head... I don't know what to do with it...!" Spirit hissed, her voice shaking along with her body. "... Damn it... I was stupid and he paralyzed me in the matter of a few minutes! I lost track of how many times I tried to Shift to just... To just move...! And then after that I didn't care how many times I did Shift... I was fighting with everything I had and he... He let me live damn it...!" Spirit snapped, "He didn't want to fight me to begin with and then when he stabbed me... He could have just ended it right there and he... He... Even after what he did to Ingenium... He didn't hurt me like that... He chose not to..."
Her voice broke on Ingenium's name painfully as memory of his blood pooling under hands rose to the surface with fervor. Mixed and melted together with his mother and his brother- with the memory of hearing the words said as she walked away...
Paralayzed... Because of what Stain...
That was it. The one thought that broke her and shattered what will she had to not fall apart completely- and she hated the heat and the wet and the stinging of tears falling fast.
"... Tch... He... That idiot... He warned me a week ago... About Stain... He wasn't supposed to rush off and... And face him... He... I wasn't fast enough... And now after what Stain did..."
.:+:.
"... Y...ou... You're... Am...azing... You l...lasted s...so... much longer... You w...were... Y...ou... hit... Him... I...i could...n't... I'm not..." Ingenium mumbled, wispy and weak and she growled. "...y...ou... A...are a muc...h... Better... Pro... T...th...an...me..." He wheezed,
"Don't say that." She grumbled lowly, her eyes glittering and a slight bit... miffed. "You're a damn good Pro and don't think otherwise." She growled, her hands still steady on the fabric she was pushing against the wound- it was soaked already, but she didn't care.
"... Y...ou should have... Left... Went af...ter him... Spirit..."
.:+:.
Her jaw clenched harder, if that were possible.
Did he know? Did he realize just then? That his chances of ever being a Hero again were...?
How... How could that idiot even say that though...?
Me...? A better Pro...?
No... I... I only got away because... I wasn't... Fast enough... To...
"... Ingenium... He's... His injuries..." Her voice was failing her and that made her... Angry. Angry at herself, and Stain and... And just fucking angry damn it!
She needn't finish the sentence though, because Death Arms knew what she meant and it made his heart twist to see how fast she was falling apart over all of it. She must have been holding herself back and stuffing all of this down for the entire day...
"... I don't care if everyone thinks I let him go, or made the wrong decision... I just... I feel like I was useless...!" Spirit snapped, her voice a bit more harsh and less shaky now. "I could have called for backup right from the start but I didn't, I just started running and after that I didn't have a single second to just pause or even to really think. I hate that I pushed my Quirk so far and I hate that I had to because I jumped in without thinking and gave him a chance to use his Quirk to paralyze me! I hate how hard it was to keep fighting even when all my body really wanted to do was lock up and freeze... I hate that it's getting me so worked up too, because I never get worked up over this shit and I hate that... that he let me live, it had nothing to do with me or my Quirk or my skills- he chose and I hate that..! I... I just... I just hate this whole damn thing..!"
She let out an aggravated, heated breath and her hands moved as she swept her glass up- and then promptly downed the whole thing. It burned like fire as it went down her throat, but it was a better feeling than the way her soul burned.
The glass knocked against the hardwood of the bar as she set it down with a bit more force than was necessary (or appropriate...), her lips twisted in a scowl and holding her breath against the sting that slowly faded in her throat and her stomach- but not in her eyes. "... tch... and I'm a mess... I hate it... I hate it when things get to me... and feeling like crap does not help. " Spirit muttered lowly, her red eyes fixed on the back counter. She forced herself a sigh that didn't do a damn thing, leaning over the counter and sweeping up a bottle of whiskey. She poured it into her glass and set it down, slowly.
"... today is just... it's been a bad day..." She muttered, her tone rueful as all hell, and pained- pained unlike anything he had ever heard from her, and maybe hadn't ever expected to hear either. He saw the way her shoulders hunched, shaking slightly along with her body as she pressed her hand against her mouth, her head still bowed and her bangs hiding her face... but he still saw the splash of tears against the counter, and he let out a breath.
It wasn't... today was supposed to be easy... why... does the world wanna say 'fuck you Spirit'...?
She sucked in a sharp breath of air and held it, doing her best not to make any noise or let the sobs in her throat escape- she didn't want to be crying damn it, she hated crying... but she couldn't stop herself, and she honestly hadn't the energy to really try.
... I've had a lot of bad days... but... but not for a long time... it's bad enough that even...
She hunched in on herself, the burning warmth of alcohol in her stomach and the new drink she'd poured abandoned- and probably for good. She'd regret downing the first one later... and she couldn't very well drink and cry at the same time, hmm?
I'm... not...
"Hey..." Death Arms murmured, his tone uncharacteristically gentle as he shifted closer a bit. His large frame was daunting and overbearing compared to her own, and he seemed like a big bulky shadow from the edge of her blurry vision. His movement closer might have been enough to scare anyone off, being in what emotional turmoil she was in at the moment- but honestly? The only thing about him she really noticed- was the warmth he gave off with his body heat, that got warmer when he got a little closer- and something in her, somewhere deep a buried and long neglected... she wanted that warmth.
He raised a hand that landed gently on her back, and he felt Spirit shift underneath the contact, her boy craning in toward him as her hands abandoned the glass and bottle on the counter- and she latched her arms around him, tightly. He blinked, a little taken aback by the sudden gesture- before he relaxed a bit and let his arms wrap around her smaller form, the both of them closer than they'd ever been before- but neither of them nervous at the lack of distance. He just held her as she held on to him, her face pressed into his chest and shaking as she cried quietly, his expression worn and somber.
Human contact... contact at all, that was gentle and soft... every living thing craved it, especially at times like this- you needn't be human, or animal... you just...
"... you're okay, Spirit." Death Arms murmured softly, his chin falling on top of her head and leaned over slightly. "... I know today was hard... you did everything you could and you did a great job... try not to beat yourself up about it. No one could have done better, and there was no one there who could have tried... you were there and you did your job." Her hold on him tightened a bit, shaking her head against him and sniffing.
He always made sense, you know. He's always rational, he looks at everything that way... he's serious and to the point.
You know he's right... of course he's right, because you know it, somewhere in all this mess too Spirit...
... you did your best. That's all you can do... You're... Just...
"... tch... I know... I get that... I'm just..." She muttered lowly, he nodded a bit.
"... Yeah, you're just wound up. It's alright... Even Pros get to break every once in awhile." he murmured,
"We're still human."
... Debatable...
It took a long while- she wasn't sure how long exactly- but eventually she stopped crying. Eventually she didn't feel so... Twisted and knotted, somehow crying had made that go away, at least some of it.
Maybe breaking down every once in awhile and just... Letting it out, is good for you...
... I think I read that somewhere, or heard it... Who the hell knows.
She distanced herself from Death Arms again and he let he go the minute she did.
Jesus he was so patient. And he understood, and he didn't hesitate to just... Let her do her thing. He just held her as long as she wanted to hold on to him, and he didn't complain. He didn't even scold her for downing that drink either- which all in all was probably ill advised... He did subtly push the whiskey bottle a bit out of her reach when he got the chance though, and she didn't care.
I picked a damn good friend... I suppose my decision-making skills aren't all that bad after all...
But seeing how she'd used her Quirk today-
... Maybe that is still up for debate too.
The knots in her soul and the bulk of her body went away with the crying- but not the ones in her stomach.
I'm an idiot
She rubbed at her face a bit, somewhat self-conscious about the red paint drawn across her skin under her eyes. She doubted they smeared all that much- if at all- even with the tears... It was supposed to be waterproof/smudge resistant. Either way she was sure she looked like a mess and she hated it. But she let it go... For now.
She took in a long, slow breath and let it out just as slowly- straightening up a bit in her chair and eyes closed. He sat there next to her and kept her company as they both settled in to just drinking... And this time around Spirit managed to recant the full story without falling apart. She was collected and cool and she told him exactly what happened with Stain, and what had gone on after- and as always, he was an excellent listener.
The city outside was dark and the night settled in deep by the time Spirit drew up on drinking. She'd had little other than the first full cup, and a cup after that... Wanting to drink or not in the first place- she still wasn't a fan, and that reflected in her... Moderation, was the word.
It was near to 10 pm when they called it quits and decided to head home- all well and good, because at that point she felt her stomach churning, her wounds an incessant throb, and at some level- felt her temperature rise too.
Fucking fever... Damn it
They got into the car with the driver that had been waiting so patiently the entire time. Spirit told the driver Death Arms' address and the car ride that followed was quiet. He offered to let her stay the night with him again- to keep an eye on her of course.
What few people she ever trusted enough to know more about her Quirk- he was one of those. And after how much she'd used it today, both he and she knew full well that she was going to be feeling like hell for awhile now.
Sick seemed to most accurate word
"... Hmm... Thanks for the offer, but I'll be fine." Spirit murmured softly, "I just suffered you through a sob-fest, I'm not suffering you through me throwing up all night, and all morning too." He grimaced,
"Are you sure? Your body's not just being affected by your Quirk- you're injured too."
"Yeah, if it gets super bad I'll call you or head back to the hospital... But really I think I just need sleep."
He didn't argue with her and she appreciated that more than he knew... And she was sure he'd be calling periodically to check in.
He's sort of a worry-wart... Most people would never guess...
He got out of the car and they said their goodbyes as they reached his address. He stayed on the sidewalk, watching the car roll away and frowning, tense... Worried. He watched until it was out of sight, and he sighed to himself as he turned toward home.
"I take it you know where my place is?" Spirit asked the driver dryly, the car turning around the corner and view of Death Arms lost.
"Yes." Was the simple, one word reply and she sighed in slight exasperation.
Of course you do, you work for Dante... And as always, he knows everything about me
The car was deadly silent as it drew closer and closer to the Red Light District. She drew the folder that the UA Principal had given her into her lap and hesitated to pull her phone up and see what plethora of notifications were sure to be there.
'Deadly confrontation in Hosu'
'Hero Killer strikes again'
'Hero Killer evades the No. 26!'
'What we know about what happened in Hosu'
'UA Sports Festival takes nation by storm'
'Explosive victor at UA'
'Animal Spirit justifies decision'
'Hero Killer escapes'
'Lineup of UA Students!'
'Animal Spirit battles Hero Killer- video!'
... And so much more. Her phone was at 6% now from receiving what sheer mass of notifications there were. She hit the button to clear all of them all at once, and left it at that, her red eyes dropping in weariness as she watched the city and the buildings float by outside the window lazily.
"There is a jacket for you." The driver announced with about five minutes to go, his thumb gesturing toward a small side compartment. Spirit blinked, the sudden information not quite registering- "You can use it to cover up a bit before you get out of the car." The driver elaborated, once it was clear she wasn't sure of why he mentioned it so suddenly. Spirit sweatdropped slightly, her eyes falling on her person and sighing.
Riiight... I'm dressed up as Animal Spirit... Can't have anybody seeing me like this around my house...
She pulled the jacket on (a long, black trench-coat sort of jacket that covered the bulk of her person and her Hero Uniform quite nicely), and pulled the hood up to as she cast the driver a small, almost disgruntled 'thank you' outside her building- and then stepped out of the car with the UA files tucked under her arm. Getting out of the car itself hurt... Like a lot, and she had to do her best not to hiss as she stepped forward and left the car behind. It drove away not two seconds later and she was left in the open with the familiar, restless humm and the persistent feeling of unseen eyes that was normal for 'home sweet home'.
She headed down the stairs to her front door and the underground of the building, her hand holding to the rail and leaning against it a bit too much to look normal. Her legs were shaking no matter how much she didn't want them to, and her body just hurt. And it was steadily getting worse along with the warm, uncomfortable, hazy feeling hanging over her hear and her senses from a fever getting steadily higher.
Oww... Fuck me... And you too, Stain...
Getting the key into the lock was much harder than it was supposed to be. The longer she spent fiddling with it the dizzier she was getting, and by the time she got inside and shrugged the jacket, and her shoes off- she barely had the will nor the upright balance to change out of her Hero Uniform and into loose, comfortable sweats and a t-shirt that she didn't care if it got ruined. She didn't even bother to turn any lights on, spare the bathroom, before she abandoned the folder from UA on her nightstand and plugged her phone in to leave it there too.
She sank into her bed stiffly, teeth gritting against the pain that flooded through her from her shoulder and her torso. A few minutes of moving and trying to settle, she found a semi-comfortable position on her left side and let her eyes drop.
She felt nauseous, and dizzy and weak and she felt hot- she was in pain and she wasn't really comfortable... But despite that, it took two seconds after she let her eyes close, before she slipped into a place of endless empty, and a deep, dead sleep. Alone and in the mostly dark, modest 'box' of her apartment in the basement... In the Red Light District...
... What a...Terrible... Terrible day...
.:+:.
5:32 am-
"... Ah... I'm not gonna make it in today... Do you mind covering my shift, Jeriko...?"
"Do I mind? Of course I mind! I'm working overtime here!"
"... I understand that..."
"-was I complaining? Seriously, working your shift means more money for me! Take as much time as you need, Kage~! It's not like I need to sleep or anything ~!"
"... You're strange, do you know that...?"
"No I mean it! I don't have to sleep- ya know, 'cause of my-"
"-Your Quirk, yes I know... You're still strange, but thank you for taking over for me..."
"Mhm, any particular reason you're skimping out on work today?"
"... I'm sick..."
"Hangover huh?"
"... No, I don't... I am actually sick... But whatever... You're gonna think what you want anyway..."
"Hangover, definitely."
"... Oi... Uhm, I might need you to pick up my shift tomorrow too...?"
"More money for me? Hell yeah."
"... Thank you..."
... Jeriko was a strange person. It was hard to tell when he was annoyed or not, and his mannerisms were... in-authentically cheerful. She supposed he had to act that way, what with never sleeping a day in his life... That sounds like a terrible Quirk.
But right now my Quirk is just as terrible
Spirit staggered out of the bathroom after a few hours of being reduced to sitting on the floor by the toilet- you know, retching her life away.
Everyone's Quirks had limits and drawbacks, right? That was a common part of having a Quirk- and with 90% of the population having one, it was a common thing to live and deal with for most everyone. And her Quirk was no exception, naturally. But unbeknownst to just about everyone- she has something of a personal rule:
Never Shift into more than three different Animals with less than 12 hours between each of them
The reason?
Well if she surpassed that limit- as she most certainly had when fighting Stain- she ran the risk of overextending her Quirk. It took a lot of energy and conversion on a molecular level to Shift into different animals, and her body could really only take so much of altering her DNA like that in a short time frame. Not only was it exhausting- but all the surplus cells and strands of DNA left over between Shifts was floating around in her body when she wasn't in the form of some animal. Queue up too many different sorts for her body to keep track of, and keep a ready copy of, it starts rejecting those bits and pieces of 'foreign' biomatter until most all of the copied bits are just... Gone
Which pretty much meant she was forced into throwing it all up, which was just unpleasant- and kind of gross.
I hate it
Those queued up and bits of biomatter were like copied text on a computer that's being saved for later on a 'clipboard'. Her Quirk worked by converting sections of her cells, and producing new cells entirely- and converting them to create different bits of DNA to match that of animals. Of which, the important 'building blocks' portions of those new strands of DNA and whatever- all got stored in her body when she Shifts and left there floating around even when she reverts back to her human form. They persist as something of a easy-grab, biological template to make Shifting between forms fast and seamless.
Those floating portions only last about twelve hours or so before her body breaks them down naturally, though. But in the (regular) event that she changes between a few forms every few minutes- her body keeps the most recent Shift DNA around for fast rewriting and replicating. Which, using that lingering and recent DNA building blocks to Shift? Using that was a lot easier, and requires much less energy to Shift- than if she were starting from scratch and using a different form she hadn't used in that time 12 hour time frame. And for the bulk of her life and her training to be a Pro- she'd only ever really managed to keep 3 separate DNA's formed and lingering inside her body in those 12 hours, before it reacted and she ended up sick as hell.
(And that's all just assuming she fully Shifts into one animal or another- as opposed to Partially Shifting. You know, the hands and feet with claws, wings when she's still mostly human- Partial Shifts were more taxing and exhausting than Full Shifts. The semantics of it being her Quirk had to find some way to balance her human DNA and the animal DNA at the same time and keep them persistent enough to allow her those Partial Shifts... she had built up endurance of course, but she couldn't really Partial Shift for very long, and she refrained from doing so for the most part)
She grumbled, her head aching and her body throbbing with it as she staggered across the short distance between the bathroom and her bed. She'd been in there (as she'd said) for two hours or so and now she felt like she had a bit of time before she was throwing up again... and she needed a break. Every time her body convulsed to throw up, it made the stab wound running through her hurt- terribly.
She could see a bit of blood seeping through the bandages, and her entire form felt uncomfortably warm... but very much so around the wound.
... I better not be getting a damned infection... I swear...
She sat down on the bed and grabbed hold of a few of the medications that the hospital had prescribed- popping the tops off and popping the pills into her mouth. She swallowed them dry and leaned back against the headboard, her eyes dropping closed and her entire apartment dull and dim in the morning, and lack of other lights turned on. She'd managed to fall asleep until about 3 that morning, and when she woke up she felt like hell.
Queue retching
She forced a breath, her hand falling lightly over her torso and breathing in shallow breaths to avoid any pain.
She hated she had to hand over her shift to Jeriko, by the way... but there was nothing to be done about it. She could hardly make it across the room she was so dizzy and faint right now, there wasn't a chance in hell she'd be able to man the bar... or even get from here to there.
Her eyes dropped, she hadn't the will to keep them open, her senses and her head were in a haze that surely wouldn't lift for a long while... I just need to sleep it off... I'll be fine...
... and the next time she woke up, it was to the (annoying) sound of her phone ringing, and she hadn't even realized she'd dozed off. She was more or less just fading in and out of lucidity and it was all a big blur...
"Back in blaaaack~"
She groaned, her eyes refusing to open as she rolled over a bit and immediately regretted doing so when she landed the wrong way on her side. She hissed, cringing as her hand found the phone and she rolled back over the way she had been- and relieved the pressure from the very much agonizing wound.
Fucking... hell...
Her phone screen hurt her eyes in the dark of the room, and she barely managed to position her thumb over the answer button and press. "... mmm... what...?" She grumbled,
"How are you feeling?" Was the simple question from a voice she'd expected... because who the hell else would call her at... what time is it?
"... terrible of course... what time is it...?" She grumbled,
"Almost 5 in the afternoon." Death Arms murmured,
"... damn... last I remember it was 5..." Spirit mumbled tiredly,
"... in the morning?" Death Arms asked,
"No, five in the afternoon..." Spirit sighed,
"Spirit you weren't-" Death Arms started, she sighed.
"No, no... yes, of course I mean 5 in the morning... idiot..." Spirit grumbled, her hand raising to rub at her face a bit. "... sorry... I feel like shit... and you just woke me up... I'm not trying to be an ass..."
"Don't worry about it." Death Arms murmured on the other end, "I get it, you're allowed to be an ass sometimes- especially if I woke you up, sorry about that."
"It's okay." Spirit mumbled, "... So... Is the world out for my head yet...? Cause I 'let the Hero Killer go'...?"
"You chose Ingenium over Stain, Spirit. You saved him, and it's not like you didn't go after Stain once Ingenium was taken care of. You didn't just 'let' him go, he just... Got away, despite your efforts." Death Arms reminded- unnecessarily, mind you- and Spirit let out a small sigh.
"Yeah I know, but not everyone is gonna agree with that..." She replied softly,
"... from what I've been seeing, most people do." Death Arms said simply, Spirit blinked in surprise. "There are some people still grumbling about the whole thing of course, but the bulk of them are on your side, Spirit." She paused, her eyes opened and fixed on the roof overhead as she just lay there.
... What...?
"There's even been a few other Pros commending you for what you did, and for your fighting skills in the video. A lot of them have agreed with what you said yesterday, when you got out of the hospital. It's a Hero's job to save people... and you did just that, even when it meant you got hurt, or had to choose Ingenium over Stain." Death Arms went on, "People are pretty much raving about you all over Japan, and further than that too... there's been talk you might pass up Bryzair in the Rankings after yesterday."
Her eyes narrowed to slits, swallowing slightly as she bit the inside of her cheek. "... you're kidding... right...?" She mumbled, "... I expected to drop down in Rank, not go up... besides, Bryzair is much more powerful than I am... that wouldn't make any sense..."
"Power isn't everything." Death Arms hummed, "Speaking of him- he's one of those ones who commented about you. He praised your actions... though of course it wasn't very energetic, but that's just him."
"... Bryzair... said something nice about me...?" Spirit echoed flatly, "... the No. 25... said something nice about me... I'm still asleep, right?"
"No luck there." Death Arms murmured, "You're not dreaming, and you shouldn't be so surprised. I know you're really worked up about all of this-"
What gave you that idea? The way I broke down crying last night?
"- but you did do everything you could, and all things considered- you came out on top. You did your job and you did it well, it's not a wonder other people see it." Death Arms murmured,
"... mm... fine... I guess I might have thought the worst about all of it..." Spirit mumbled, "... and I appreciate the support and trying to make me feel better, don't get me wrong... you're milking it a bit though..." Spirit sighed, her lips twitching at the corners in a weary smile despite herself.
"Hmm, you must be feeling better if you have the energy to scold me." He commented, she shook her head a bit.
I suppose
"Anyway, I was just checking up on you." Death Arms murmured, "Sorry to wake you up, I'll leave you be so you can go back to sleep... call me if you need something, alright?"
"... hmm... will do..." Spirit murmured, smiling wryly. "... thank you for checking in, mum..." She heard him let out an exasperated sigh on the other end, and she chuckled. He sounded a bit amused though, despite it-
"... yeah, yeah..."
.:+:.
She only ended up sleeping until 7 rolled around, before she woke up again and the minute she did- her stomach flipped.
So she went to the bathroom and threw up what (she hoped) was left of that 'foreign' biomatter created from her Quirk, and decided it was worth her time to take a shower... and it was supposed to be pleasant, really- but it wasn't. The lukewarm water hurt like a bitch against her wounds and she recoiled the minute the water bounced against her skin. She bit her cheeks and held her breath, standing stiff under the stream and biting back the hiss of pain in the back of her throat. The longer the water washed over her, the harder her injuries throbbed, and the water ran pink from the blood that dripped anew before fading. She forced herself a sigh, the initial sting of the water fading after awhile, as she moved her hands and started working through her hair and gently scrubbing the grime and the blood and the paint away.
"...There's even been a few other Pros commending you for what you did, and for your fighting skills in the video. A lot of them have agreed with what you said yesterday, when you got out of the hospital..."
... mm... Pros saying good things... what a surprise...
... he didn't say anything about Ingenium though... I guess they've probably not released anything...
... not that she'd bothered to look at her phone, or any of the news/notifications. She was somewhat avoiding it, to be honest. She shook her head at herself, wilting slightly.
I'm sorry... Ingenium... I wish things hadn't... damn it Spirit, stop.
After awhile, even the barely warm temperature of the shower started to make her feel hot and dizzy. Her hand found traction on the shower wall as she let the water fall over her bowed head,
... I should probably get out... before I pass out...
She got out of the shower and dried off- pausing only long enough to wind some bandages around the wound through her side- before she headed out and pulled on an oversized t-shirt and a pair of shorts. She sighed, her eyes lingering on her phone for a few seconds before picking it up- and the UA folder too. She didn't head for her bed this time around, though she was very tempted to. She went toward the small kitchen and pulled a glass down to pour some water into it. She placed her lips against the edge of her glass and her attention found the small window across the way and the darkness outside.
... usually I'd be out working Patrols... nothing sounds more unpleasant than that right now.
She took a tentative, small drink from the cup before her hand fell and the glass with it. She set it down on the counter and headed toward her couch, falling into the cushions and propping her feet up on the armrest as she held the UA folder in front of her, and just looked at it for a few long moments.
... I'm not going anywhere anytime soon... and I don't think I'm gonna fall asleep too quickly right now... so maybe... I might as well just give it a look...
She thumbed the edge of the folder and opened it up, revealing a multitude of papers clipped together and sectioned by student... a lot of paper-clipped little packets of information, and more than she expected.
... Mmmm... Hopefully it'll wear me out... I guess...?
So she started flipping through the pages and reading the information and little notes about their personalities and their Quirks- all graciously put together by UA's Principal... and who had handed it to her for some reason she still wasn't sure about. She folded the corners of interesting ones and set the ones she wasn't interested in on the floor. Soon enough she was absorbed in her reading and quickly losing track of time and place, her eyes narrowed and trailing along the lines of words as she took everything in.
... useful Quirk... and winner of the Sports Festival apparently... though 'anger issues' is noted under personality...
She dropped that one on the floor and kept on reading. Her thumbing through the pages drew up after awhile when she got about halfway through,
... hmm...?
She pushed herself up a bit, her back hitting the armrest and knees propped up as she blinked.
'... a shy and quiet fellow, and lacking a bit in confidence. But he's got a lot of drive and determination, as well as potential.'
Her head tilted a bit, blinking once or twice as her finger brushed along the margins of the page and darting down toward the description of the student's Quirk.
... Huh... That's interesting... you'd have to be clever with that power... And keep in mind where you are... The environment... Different strengths...
She bit the inside of her cheek, humming under her breath as she read through the full length of the information available on the student- musing.
... I wonder how it would work with my Quirk...? ...and... Using this Quirk... It'd not be that far off with how I fight... Maybe...
She sighed, folding the file up and wedging it between herself and the couch.
Internships are not your thing, remember?
She skimmed through the rest of the files until she had nothing left to look at- and she picked up the folded one again.
... You already decided not to... Besides, you're busy with two jobs... You don't have time, even if you wanted to Spirit...
She looked to her phone for the first time in hours and ignored the notifications stacked up on the lock screen- and promptly deleted all of them. She was sure if she took the time to look through them she'd get worked up, and she didn't want to be.
9:02 pm
... I was reading for awhile... Huh...?
She pushed (or rather, struggled to) herself up and off the couch, storing away all the papers back in the folder. She paused when she got to her feet, her head spinning at getting up after so long and waiting for it to clear before she started walking over to the kitchen counter stiffly. She set the folder on the counter and took the hardly empty water glass with her as she headed back to her bed- and hopefully toward sleep.
But an hour later of turning and fidgeting in said bed, and failing to find any semblance of the word 'comfortable'- she rolled on to her left side and glared at her phone on the nightstand for a long, long while... before boredom and restlessness got the better of her.
She swept it up in hand and unlocked it, the light bright in the dark of the room and painful on her glassy, tired eyes. She lay there with her shoulder tucked under her pillow and her hands hooked around the device and leaning against the bed instead of holding it in all on her own. Her mind wandered away from herself and even the phone too as she started to tap absentmindedly against the screen as she played solitaire without really seeing what she was doing... Her thoughts went to all sorts of places.
Some weird places, some boring ones... And some terrible ones too of course. She recanted the rush of her fight with Stain, the memory of moving and hurting and the aftermath of it. She recanted the feel of Ingenium's blood on her hands and what he said-
"... Y...ou... are very... Hard... To get... A b...bead... on... Animal... Spirit... You... Sur...prise... Me... Y... ou're... Noth...ing... Like...I...i...ve... Ass...u...med..."
What did that even mean? What did he 'assume' about her?
She wasn't sure she'd ever know, or get the chance to ask... And she wasn't sure she wanted to either.
So she forced her mind away from the Hero Killer and the armored knight, and traversed down a tangled line of thought involving her job at the Strip Club and bartending... And Dante knew about that, of course. And he'd reappeared after so long...
... Yeah, not thinking about that either- next thing!
So the thought of bartending lead to drinking and then to Death Arms and their little... Adventure last night. Another bad place to go to and she hated it was so easy to fall into those places, but 'Death Arms' lead to their meeting and the food, and inevitably toward what they'd talked about.
No, not me crying... That other thing, when I was ranting... About...
"...He sounds like the sort of guy that has to be really interested in something to ever spend more time on it than a passing fancy, and even take it seriously. And the way it's going- he's clearly interested in you... Maybe his interest in you might be enough to let him learn something- or at least consider listening to what you have to say."
... Right... I was ranting about Bird-Brain...
And it took simply 'Bird-Brain' flashing through her mind before she went on a rapid-fire trip down memory lane of the last week and the Winged Hero that had dropped into her life... In all his boyish, cocky, carefree self. Persistent and nonbothered and never seeming to take anything seriously, and all the numerous ways he'd popped up and tried to place himself in the forefront of her life and her thoughts.
And though she hadn't realized it until just then- Hawks had been the absolute last thing on her mind throughout this whole Stain ordeal... Huh
Come to think of it... I'm a little surprised he didn't manage some way to bud in yesterday... There's not a chance in hell he didn't see that video, or not hear about what happened. He's all about social media and staying connected and with the times, right?
.:+:.
"Hmm, okay, maybe not numbers just yet~ How about Line?... I'll take that look as a no... hmmm... How about Instagram? Do you have one~? I know there's a lot of fake accounts under your name from your fanbase, but I haven't been able to track down an official one~!... No... you don't have one..?!"
"Why would I?"
"Because you're the No. 26! You're a celebrity Spirit, you gotta keep up with the world and all your fans~! You have an Image Spirit, you're a top Hero! Don't you think all your fans wanna see what you're up to, in to, or just wanna celebrate you~?! Please tell me you have a Twitter at least~? I couldn't find that one either-"
"Nope."
"HOW?! How can you not have an Instagram, or a Twitter...?! How are you the No. 26 Hero and have no Social Media outlet at all?! I thought I just couldn't find your official accounts, but they just don't exist~?! Spirit~!? Why not~?!"
"It's not my thing."
"What do you mean it's not your thing~?! All Heroes have some sort of Social Media for the world to check out! Even the ones who don't hit the top 100! You're the top 30!"
.:+:.
... Obsessively so, almost. So it is weird... He's such a child, I'd totally have expected him to just drop in at the hospital, regardless if he was wanted or not.
... Maybe he just got really in to watching the Sports Festival...?
She clicked the home button and dropped out of her game of solitaire, flipping through the list of what few apps she had on her mobile (and most of them news apps and the like...), until her finger lingered over the app store.
.:+:.
"But that's all part of being a Pro! People look to you as an icon! You're a fan-favorite! I can't even count the number of people out there who put you in their top-ten Hero list! Plus you're one of the few Heroes in Japan who has a flawless Capture rate! Every Villain you have faced you have caught, the first time! You've never had to chase someone down again cause they got away! Even I can't attest to that~! And that's a stat not even All Might has anymore after that Sludge Villain thing~!"
.:+:.
... I can't attest to that anymore... you'd probably be disappointed in my less than flawless record now, huh Bird-Boy?
Her thumb shifted away from hovering over the app store and toward the icon for solitaire again, but she hesitated to tap it.
.:+:.
"People are super in to you, Spirit~! You gotta keep up with the digital times, let the world be in to you- you gotta stick with it~! Put yourself out there~! Take a step into the spotlight~! You've got a stellar track record, you're strong as hell, you're quick and you're resourceful and you get the Job done! And your Quirk looks cool to boot~! And you! Despite being grumpy as hell in person, you do make little appearances in the public- small, sly, coy little things and that just adds to the whole mysterious allure you got going on! That's an angle you can use! And people love that! Especially since despite being all secrets and shadows and things- you're always friendly with the general public! You've got the whole 'dark and mysterious but with a heart of gold' bit going~!... But even that isn't gonna keep everyone happy for very long~! You got to give them something, throw them a little tidbit- give a comment to a newstation, pause just long enough for a good paparazzi photo~! Doesn't matter what, just give the world a tiny little glimpse more into their Hero Animal Spirit~! Keep their attention, keep them interested and vying for you~!"
.:+:.
"Don't ruin it. Stay still and shush for a minute." Spirit ordered quietly, his eyes raised in clear intrigue as her hand caught his elbow and halted him once they were a few dozen feet away, and they'd shifted a to have their shoulders facing the crowd. His brow quirked, his hands stuffing in his pockets and intent on what she said and what she was doing-?
Spirit let out a small, almost exasperated sigh and shook her head at him. She lift a hand, her index finger extended and raised, and her other hand on her hip. "You get one 'pause just long enough to get a good paparazzi photo'." She said simply, he blinked. "And only because I turned you down on a meal, when it's my turn to pay."
His eyes gleamed, his attention breaking briefly from her face and toward her shoulder as he saw a haze of black-red begin to appear behind her, bits and pieces of the air wavering like black shards of glass. It was a cloud of distorted reality that slowly but surely started to condense and form something he'd seen before-
She smirked, almost coy as she stepped up and passed him- her hands brushing along and parting the feathers in his wings as she kept walking, slow and purposeful as bits of black glass made of energy or whatever fell like a rain behind her. Dancing off and falling from the pair of large, slightly see-through, ghostly black wings at her back. Her red eyes caught his from the side in a single instant, her gaze glowing faintly- before their line of sight got broken. The simple sensation of her hand meeting his wing sent shivers up his spine. Her fingers ran through the feathers as she kept walking, his wings arching under the contact and stiff in his spot as he instinctively stretched them out behind him, following her movement and raising them up high as her hand left the sea of red. Her wings lift too, the topmost feathers brushing against his own and mixing- both wings extended in air and woven together here and there, both Pros standing with their backs to one another. Hawks with his hands in his coat pockets and head tilting back, smirking to himself and Spirit pausing, her hands on her hips and head tilted downward, smiling a bit.
Their feathers mixed, brushing against each other and clashing- his red and almost burning in the lights of the city nightlife around them... and hers dark and shimmering, swallowing up the light and ghostly- almost a shadow of his, reflected on water. A wash of glittering black sand in an ocean of fiery red, two pairs of giant, elegant wings touching and forming an arch- outlined in a backdrop of deep blue and the outline of rising buildings dotted among a night sky you couldn't see the stars in... and at either end the No. 26 and the No. 24, both of them smiling.
The few, fleeting seconds Spirit paused in her walking and stayed like that with him- they seemed to stretch to something much longer, somehow... in it's own way it was almost ethereal.
.:+:.
She sighed, shaking her head at herself as she hummed a bit.
I already gave in to your damn paparazzi photo... and guess what, it went viral... I ranted at the press too, outside the hospital... I think that's my quota for out of character behavior, hmm...?
She tapped her index finger against the edge of her phone pensively, she could still feel the sensation of their topmost feathers twining... a ghost of a sensation that radiated through thin air where her wings were meant to be, and turning into a tingle that ran around her shoulder-blades and down her back.
Her thumb tapped against the screen lightly as another window popped up and she started to type something into the search box.
.:+:.
"Try not to get yourself killed, yeah Bird-Brain?" Spirit hummed lightly, never bothering to glance back toward him. Hawks smirked, his eyes still fixed on the sky but all his attention on her regardless.
"Hah, will do~!" He hummed brightly, "You be careful too, huh Spirit~? Not that I'm that worried about you anyway, you're a bad-ass, you can take care of yourself no sweat~"
.:+:.
Maybe I'm not so much of a badass after all...
She blinked, her eyes narrowed at the progress bar for the installation of an app as it slowly climbed up toward 100%
... I certainly don't feel like much of a badass right now... I just feel like hell... and I'm bored...
She opened up the freshly installed app and shook her head at herself, smiling wryly.
Boredom... right
That introductory page popped up and the registration fields with it. You know the ones- type in your email and your password and the username you wanted the world to see you as.
Username: ?
Spirit bit the inside of her cheek, pausing for a few seconds as she stared at the keyboard and the keys with little a clue what to put into the field. It could literally be anything, it needn't be telling or specific to who she was... after all, she wasn't making an account with the intention of using it. All she wanted to do was browse the platform... she wasn't planning to be active in any way on it. No posts, no sharing, no... what was that thing... 'likes'?
Her thumb tapped along the keyboard as she entered in;
EbonyAnimalSpirit
A bit on the nose maybe, given her full title was; 'The Ebony Hero; Animal Spirit'... but honestly, what did it matter? This account was just gonna be a boring, bland,empty name that never did anything.
She drummed up a password and entered in one of the several different emails she had just to have them, before hitting submit and sighing as she got transferred to her account page and directed to add a few things.
... oi...
She tapped the profile picture and uploaded one of the few pictures she had on her phone- an artist rendition of a black cat covered in a haze and surrounded by fractured pieces of black, with blood red eyes and perched on the edge of it's nose- a moth. It was one of the hundreds and thousands of Animal Spirit related art out there on the internet, and maybe a bit odd to have art of herself- but she liked this one, and she'd saved it awhile ago.
She ignored the bio and all other things and simply opened up the search panel and typed in one thing;
Hawks
The number of hits that popped up with his name was insane, and she could scroll through them all night and never reach the end... not that she cared to. What she was looking for was what popped up on the very top- his account, his username with a check-mark by it to signify it was his actual, verified account.
Hawkward
She blinked, her eyes widening slightly as she felt her lips twitch- trying to hold back the smirk that threatened to break out over her face when she read his username.
Seriously...? That's what he came up with...? 'Hawkward'? Oh my god... what an idiot...
She chuckled under her breath despite herself, and hissed when the action made a sharp stab of pain run through her side.
... owww... but... still... of all the things in the world... he went with 'Hawkward'
What a child... it is amusing though, I'll give him that...
His circular profile picture was himself- unsurprisingly- a sort of sideview with his head tilted up at the sky and the city bright and lit up behind him... huh
She tapped on his name and was brought to his profile page, the bio under his name reading just this;
'You're friendly neighborhood Hawks here to sweep you off your feet~! Saving people's what I do, and I'll save you if you need me of course~! In the meantime, yakitori's on the menu, yum~! '
He is a child
She scrolled up and started moving through his posts with only the faintest bit of intrigue- the most recent being yesterday at around 8 in the morning and being a selfie of him hovering over the UA stadium:
'Lookin' forward to seein' all the kids at UA!'
She shook her head at herself and scrolled further down, wading through an ungodly amount of selfies and candid photos of him flying above the city or otherwise just hanging around- and then there were a multitude of his lunches, breakfast, dinner, snacks... all of them (literally all of them) yakitori or some form of chicken.
Bloody hell he is obsessed
... but I guess... he knows what he likes...?
She skipped passed those with little a care (oh, and the amount of comments and likes on these damn things? MILLIONS) and drew up in surprise when she found that (by now very much viral) photo of her and him in his feed. You know, the one with their wings touching- and in the caption of the photo he'd written:
'Mighty Wings x2'
... Mighty Wings...? Is that... That's what his Quirk is called, yeah?
Oookay...
She scrolled passed that one and kept going, quiet and still in her place in her bed in the dark of her room with only the light of the phone available. He posted so many random things it took awhile to get through the last few days worth, let alone the last wee- EH...?!
Her scrolling came to a dead stop when the photo of a black cat curled up asleep and taking up near the full frame came onto view. A black cat curled up asleep and the picture taken at an angle above it slightly and with the caption:
'So cute~!'
No
Her eyes raked over the picture, taking in every detail, every little thing- the date it was posted, a week ago.
He didn't
No no no he did not-!
She felt her face heat up uncomfortably as her heart skipped a beat- anger and annoyance and shock and frustration ramming into her like a freight train. And all she could do was just stare that the screen, stiff as a board and hardly daring to breathe- because... He...
... Fucking hell, did he seriously take a picture of me when I fell asleep on that roof?!
The more she stared at it, the more she was convinced that that was exactly what he had done.
What the fuck?!
She bit the inside of both her cheeks, hard. Those cheeks of hers and her face that felt like a fire now, and a certain sort of fire rising in her core too.
How dare he...?!
'Cute'...?!
Who the fuck does he think he is...?!
She growled, her eyes snapping shut as she did her best to crush the surge of emotions- you know, lest they get out of hand. As it was, she wasn't in any sort of shape to really be getting worked up and she was sure if she did she would regret it... So despite the annoyance that flared and the frustration, she quelled it, and managed to force herself a sigh.
She pressed her finger against the lock button to shut the screen off, before letting it go on the bed and shutting her eyes too. She ran her hands through her hair and grumbled under her breath, muttering a few curses and the like as she let herself lay there and boil about it for a few long minutes.
... What an ass... You don't just go taking pictures of people like that...!
... At least the idiot had the better sense not to mention it was me in the caption... But still!
What is wrong with him...?!
She forced herself another (not all that) calming breath, her body relaxing slowly and her heart slowing down a bit too from being elevated.
... Oi... What a complete ass... He's got me all tied up in knots now... I'm supposed to be relaxing damn it.
She growled, picking her phone back up and unlocking it with ease as she scrolled to the top of his page again, and tapped the drop down in the top right corner, before clicking another option from the list.
... I swear Hawks... You are impossible!
.:+:.
He froze
His phone had buzzed and he pulled it from his pocket with little a care nor thought to the people all around in the stands at UA. He pulled it up and blinked in surprise when the only words of the message he could read, and that had not been cut off due to lack of space on the lock screen, were;
ANIMAL SPIRIT LETS THE-
Animal Spirit?
He was confused and curious all at once, and he opened the message not knowing what video was enclosed or what was on it... Not ready or prepared for the sight of a furious battle, or the looming, malicious image of a Villain with so much blood on his hands.
He wasn't ready to see Animal Spirit's blood added to the list. He wasn't ready to see her fighting so hard or getting cut here and there... And he wasn't ready to see the sword be plunged into, and through her.
The video's start is what made him freeze- but when he saw that... That made his heart stop, and he wasn't ready for what rush of panic and worry hit him our of nowhere. He wasn't ready for the lump that fell into his throat or the way his stomach lurched painfully at the sight- he wasn't ready nor even expecting his body to react like that... He felt like he got stabbed too, and it was painful.
He wasn't ready for his body to respond that way- not about her, or anyone really- but it did and it hit hard.
His hand moved up to cover his mouth, his fingers brushing against the underside of his nose and grimacing as he just stared at the screen in hand. He was silent and unmoving and utterly stony standing there and not making a single noise as the rest of the crowd around him started to become aware of the video, and the incident that had gone on in Hosu while they were all enjoying themselves at UA. He stood there, in his own head and unaware of all of them- all he saw and heard was that video, and the Hero Killer and the No. 26 locked together and both of them bleeding.
Shit
He'd stayed in his spot and took to searching through the web about what happened and trying to find out more. What happened to Ingenium, if Stain were still at large, if Animal Spirit was-
Not many people made to leave UA even as the news started to circulate, but many got diverted from watching the end with their utmost attention. But among the grumbling masses- he stayed where he was and stood quiet with nothing but a flat expression and he watched the end of the Sports Festival. He came to watch and there was nothing he could do about the thing in Hosu that would do any good at the moment.
But regardless of that, several vermilion feathers left his wings and floated out among the masses in silence. He stayed there and watched and those feathers flitted around the stadium and outside it toward the press, picking up on anything and everything, listening to what news he could of Spirit and the Hero Killer- and all returned shortly before he took off into the air with not a word when the Festival was officially done.
And by the time he made it to Hosu General Hospital- even he, the Winged Hero with nothing but speed- Animal Spirit was already gone and there was not a clue where she went.
And he didn't try and look- that felt... Wrong somehow.
What are you doing to do if you run into her right now?
Probably just piss her off...
... So he stayed away and he just listened, and read, and kept an eye on his phone and on the articles and the like. He read everything he could and he kept an eye out for reports of how Ingenium was, what injuries Spirit must have had (though there were no real details), and what became of Stain- which was nothing. He sent out a multitude of feathers and he flew over Hosu hoping to find the Hero Killer himself- and like Spirit, and several others before him- he found nothing.
And he watched the newscast of Spirit coming out of the hospital a few minutes before he got there. He sat on the edge of a building, all alone, and he listened to what she said in sheer, fixed silence. He watched and he saw resolution and steadiness of a caliber he'd never seen in anyone, let alone her. And he could see and hear just how much she meant what she said... How fierce she was in her ideals, and hers beliefs- and her job.
The first job of a Hero is to save people, no matter the cost
He supposed he hadn't realized how seriously she did take her job as a Hero... Like it was more than just a job. And maybe more- he hadn't realized how much they agreed with what Heroes really ought to be doing.
Saving people is the job, above all else... He'd believed that way longer than he'd been a Pro, or even been training to be one.
There was no news about Spirit or anyone spotting her for the rest of that day- and he'd long since given up the idea there would be. He'd perched himself on the edge of one of the tallest buildings and sat there on the ball of his feet- rewatching the leaked security footage of her and Stain in utter silence. The more he watched it, the less it made his stomach churn- the more invested he got in just seeing her move and fight and dodge around. In all honesty- he'd never actually seen Spirit in action before. Most coverage of the fights she had had, never actually recorded the fight- they always just arrived after she'd already apprehended her targets. A credit to how efficient she was maybe- and even when he popped up the last week she had always been done with what she was doing. And of course there were some things, small snippets of fights she'd had- but never with any sort of substantial enemy, and it wasn't the sort of fight that needed her to work hard either.
But now he had a record of it and she was fighting hard. And against an enemy of a caliber she nor hardly anyone else had gone against before... And an enemy she was the only one to come out against and not be dead or hospitalized.
And in all due respect- she was good.
The way she moved and wove around Stain, dodged and retaliated- she was moving around so fast she wasn't giving Stain time to gain an upper hand. She was like a blur and the speed at which she was using her Quirk was... Incredible, to say that least (and that's coming from him). And she was using it with so much skill and accuracy it was turned into sheer force and power that he didn't expect from her.
She was good, even great- and Japan, as well as the world, were really seeing it for the first time. The full extent of her power and her fighting ability- and even the full extent of her drive and will. For what was probably the first time, the world was getting a real and clear view of why Animal Spirit was the No. 26 Hero in Japan.
He'd called her badass before but he hadn't realized how accurate a description it was.
So where was that badass, fierce as hell (and maybe even a bit grumpy) Hero now after her battle with Stain?
There was nothing about her all night and all day after, and he kept an eye out on his phone in case there was some sort of notification about her. He was on his phone periodically throughout the next day like always, but not because he was posting things or anything like that. He floated out over Hosu and Heiku and everywhere else in between, working away through the whole day and stopping thefts and accidents and helping people with literally anything at all- as long as it kept him busy.
That usual carefree, bright smile that the Winged Hero Hawks seemed never without- wasn't there. He smiled at the people he saw but it wasn't the same, and he couldn't make it be even when he tried... he just didn't seem to have the will to today.
And as night fell on that day after the UA Sports Festival, and the battle between Animal Spirit and Stain- he had little hope there'd be any news about her for that day. He found himself perched on a water tower overlooking the nightlife of the city below him, sitting cross-legged and a box of yakitori mostly untouched in his lap. He chewed pensively on the end of a stick, his headphones over his ears and playing music he wasn't really hearing nor paying attention to.
It felt stupid, but he couldn't stop thinking about her... he just wanted to know what went on and where she went. Curiosity he was known for... but... more than anything, he thought maybe he just wanted to know she wasn't really all that hurt.
She couldn't be, right? They wouldn't have let her out of the hospital if she really was hurt that much, yeah?
And yet he'd seen her get stabbed over and over when he watched that video a multitude of times- and there was that small, lingering, little inkling of doubt.
Why do you care so much all the sudden anyway, hmm Hawksy? I mean you did wanna get to know her, cause she seemed interesting... but this is a bit out of the norm...
He sighed, dropping the stick back in the box and leaning back- propping himself up with his hands behind him. "... I'm just tired, yeah...? Haven't slept in awhile... guess that makes me a bit of a hypocrite for getting on her for not catching a few winks, huh?" He smiled wryly at himself, humming under his breath. "... heh... and now I am talking to myself... probably a sign I call it quits for today."
He sighed and pushed himself on to his feet, stretching his arms over his head and his wings doing the same behind him as he paused for a few seconds to do that before heading off and toward home. His hand fell in his pocket to find his phone and turn the volume of his music up a few notches, stepping forward toward the edge of the tower simultaneously and the box of yakitori balanced on one of his feathers. He paused though, his phone buzzing in his hand at the exact instant he let go of it- and he retracted, and pulled it out to read what notification had earned the buzz in the first place.
'EbonyAnimalSpirit wants to send you a message'
His eyes widened at the words, blinking several times in surprise.
Huh?
He tapped the notification and unlocked the phone, the app and the message with it popping up; a picture. Specifically- a screenshot of his Instagram feed and the post he'd made of a cat curled up asleep, and these words underneath it:
Taking pictures of people while they're asleep
is rude you know. As well as fucking creepy,
Bird-Boy.
Hawks stared, his eyes gleaming slightly as his jaw dropped just a little bit.
No way
His lips twitched at the corners, smirking as he shut his mouth and chuckled.
He hadn't said anything about the cat or who it was- so there was no way anyone would know about it...and even if they guessed, he doubted some random stranger could match that foul mouth and grumpy attitude so well.
His thumb tapped lightly against 'Accept', still smiling and standing on the edge of that tower with no intention of going anywhere now. He started typing away,
EbonyAnimalSpirit
Taking pictures of people while they're asleep
is rude you know. As well as fucking creepy,
Bird-Boy.
...
Aww, you can't be that mad at me!
You were cute, and it was a picture
ripe for the taking! I couldn't resist!
.:+:.
Spirit blinked, brow quirking when the reply to her message popped up in about a minute's time... what was he doing, sitting on his phone already? Who answers that fast?
Hawkward
Taking pictures of people while they're asleep
is rude you know. As well as fucking creepy,
Bird-Boy.
...
Aww, you can't be that mad at me!
You were cute, and it was a picture
ripe for the taking! I couldn't resist!
Spirit bit the inside of her cheek, huffing at the non-bothered reply from him and not sure why she was surprised at it. She grumbled and started typing,
Hawkward
Taking pictures of people while they're asleep
is rude you know. As well as fucking creepy,
Bird-Boy.
...
Aww, you can't be that mad at me!
You were cute, and it was a picture
ripe for the taking! I couldn't resist!
...
It's creepy
...
Ah well, I think it was worth it~
But look at you! You made an Instagram
after all! And you were creeping through
my feed to boot~! What's up, huh? You bored?
...
...
Shut up
I can do whatever I please, and
I was not 'creeping'. You're the creepy
one in this situation, Feathers.
...
Ah, so you are bored huh?
...
I did not say that
...
So how are you anyway? You're
not too banged up after what
went on, yeah?
Spirit paused, her expression pulling a bit at the question and hesitating to come up with an answer. Because of course he had to ask that... but why does he care?
She sighed to herself, her fingers tapping slowly against the keyboard.
Hawkward
...
So how are you anyway? You're
not too banged up after what
went on, yeah?
...
...
...
...
No, not too 'banged up'
...
Good to hear~! So, if you're
bored, how about we go get
that meal, huh~? Grab a drink maybe~?
What do ya say, Spirit?
She paused, again- biting the inside of her cheek and her eyes flicking away from the phone screen and her head lifting off the pillow a bit as she glanced toward her side... and the fact that her shirt was stained by tiny little blotches of red.
Oh great... she'd bled through the bandages a second time. Lovely.
And it wasn't just that, her whole torso was throbbing terribly and hot... even a little movement was enough to make her hiss, and she honestly didn't think she could get herself out of the bed even if she wanted to.
She let out another sigh, and her head fell back against the pillow again.
Hawkward
...
Good to hear~! So, if you're
bored, how about we go get
that meal, huh~? Grab a drink maybe~?
What do ya say, Spirit?
...
...
...
...
Not today, Bird-Boy.
...
Aww, too bad~! Guess we'll have
to try another day, huh?
...
Are you sure you're okay, Spirit?
...
Yeah, I'll be fine.
I'm just gonna have to take
a few days off.
...
I gotcha~! You take all the
the time you need to be in
tip-top shape again, yeah?
Where would we all be without
our No. 26?
...
The same place. you'd all be fine without
me.
...
But the world would be awfully
empty without the badass Animal Spirit
in it!
Spirit's eyes flashed, biting the inside of both cheeks again as she grimaced a bit.
Hawkward
...
But the world would be awfully
empty without the badass Animal Spirit
in it!
...
You're an idiot
...
And you're still grumpy as ever!
But that's okay, I don't mind~!
...
Soooooo, what've you been up to
all day?
...
You're also very nosy
...
What's wrong with a little small-talk?
You messaged me first, ya know~!
...
Look, Spirit, if you'd rather not talk about
it, that's fine. I can leave you alone if you're
not feeling up to it right now
She blinked at the sudden change in tone (or whatever you could consider 'tone' when talking in text...).
He almost sounds... gentle, maybe? Weird...
Hawkward
...
Look, Spirit, if you'd rather not talk about
it, that's fine. I can leave you alone if you're
not feeling up to it right now
...
...
It's fine, Feathers. I did initiate
the conversation, I guess, though
only to scold you. We can talk for a little,
but don't expect anything interesting.
I've done nothing but sleep today
...
Any sort of talking with you sounds fun,
doesn't have to be anything interesting~!
Sleep huh? You must be pretty beat~
...
Musy be
...
You're still tired, huh?
Must be
'Cause I'm pretty sure 'musy' is not
a word
...
Shut up, I just hit the wrong
key
...
Most people notice they hit
the wrong key before they hit send
ya know
...
fine. I'm tired still.
Fucking sue me
...
Why would I sue you?
You've got every right to be tired!
So you're tired and bored, why
not just go to sleep?
...
Oh, do you have a thing about sleeping?
Like insomnia? Or are you just opposed
to it and like to be stubborn?
...
I have nothing against sleeping.
I do not have insomnia either
...
So why you having a hard time
falling asleep, huh Spirit?
...
Who said I was?
...
Why else would you be making
an Instagram and talking to me?
Can't have just been to yell at me~
Or maybe, have you finally warmed up to
me Spirit?
I admit I am charming, most people
can't resist me!
Have my devilish charms finally had
an effect on you?
...
I'm sorry, what 'charms'? The only thing
you are is persistent, and nosy,
and hopeless
...
ooof, that stings Spirit!
Is there really nothing about me you
like? Not just one, little thing?
And she paused one more time, her tired eyes trailing over the words and quiet. What sort of a question was that? 'One thing I like about you'?
I'm not sure I like anything about you at all, Bird-Boy... there's a lot of things about you that irk me, though.
She just looked at the screen for along while, lost on a reply- and as the minutes ticked by, Hawks apparently got antsy.
Hawkward
...
ooof, that stings Spirit!
Is there really nothing about me you
like? Not just one, little thing?
...
...
...
...
...
...
Hello?
Is that really so hard to answer?
You're kinda killin' my confidence here
a bit Spirit...
...
...
... did you fall asleep on me?
Her eyes narrowed at the words,
Is this just him trying to boost his ego? Or does he actually care what I think of him? Why would he?
And what the hell am I supposed to reply anyway? I don't have any sort of honest answer, and I can't think of one... What if I just make something up?
He might take it the wrong way, whatever it is I just toss out there... Maybe I'll just let him think I fell asleep?
Hawkward
...
... did you fall asleep on me?
...
You fell asleep
...
...
Definitely asleep
Spirit sighed, shaking her head slightly as the messages continued to pop up in the small stretch.
Hawkward
...
Definitely asleep
...
I like watching you squirm
...
What do you mean, watch me squirm?!
That was rude Spirit!
...
Actually I thought it was rather funny,
seeing you get all worked up.
...
You're kinda evil!
...
You 'like watching me squirm', huh?
That's a bit kinky~!
Spirit's jaw snapped shut at the text, her face heating up as much as her wounds felt.
Hawkward
...
You 'like watching me squirm', huh?
That's a bit kinky~!
...
Shut it
...
But really! That's a bit sadistic of
you!
Can honestly say I wasn't expecting
that! Guess ya learn something new
everyday~
...
Shut it before you ruin it Feathers
...
Alright alright~! I won't try and
work you up too much tonight~!
Spirit shook her head at him (or rather, the screen), before pausing when another message popped up after the last.
Hawkward
...
Alright alright~! I won't try and
work you up too much tonight~!
...
It's nice though, you actually have
a sense of humor huh?
...
Of course I do
...
Well this is the first I've seen
you really make any sort of joke!
I guess that means we're getting closer
and closer to earning enough points to
get into the 'friends' level?
...
Slowly, Feathers. Very, very
slowly.
...
Slow isn't really my thing, but I
can give it a go for you~!
Knowing we're making progress
will just have to be enough to
hold me over~!
...
You really are a child
...
...
... but I suppose if you try and slow
down, I can't snap at you too much
...
Appreciated~!
... how are you always so cheery...?
She didn't remember what time it was when the conversation ended- but she did remember it lasted quite awhile, somehow... and by the time it halted, her eyes were so tired and her vision so blurred from exhaustion she could scarcely see the words on the screen. And her will to keep a firm hold on her phone was fading as quickly as her senses were, and the bulk of what the conversations was- was just him talking away, and small, nearly one word replies on her end. She barely remembered typing into the phone that she was going to sleep- but she did remember the last message that popped up, even when she lost all sense of wakefulness soon after.
Hawkward
I'm going to bed Feathers
...
Gotcha, no worries Spirit we can pick
up our chat another day! You rest
up now~! You've definitely earned
it~
...
Sweet dreams~!
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
**Just a heads up, since I think I have failed to mention it! I Have a DeviantArtAccount and I have a few pictures of Animal Spirit up on it!
**Check out my profile page to find out where to see them!
Anyhoo, thank you for reading! And thank all you guys for all those Reviews! QwQ I appreciate all the feedback, so, so much!
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