Not that happy with this fucker but, it moves the plot along so...
Days until Boros arrives: 7
Days until the end of the world: 37
"P-please, you have to understand—"
"Oh, I understand alright," a familiar voice said with an undercurrent of an animal like growl. "I understand that if you don't stop pestering me and continue to try to interfere with the patients healing, I'm gonna have to do something about it."
Sweet Mask frowned as he turned a corner and blinked, for he could feel nothing.
Nada.
Zilch.
For all intents and purposes, Zero, siting in a meditative pose a dozen meters down the hallway with his arms crossed and his back facing the door to the room where Tornado and the others rested, simply did not exist.
And yet, his eyes clearly stated otherwise.
As did his instincts, which insisted that if it came down to a fight? Mask would have to go all out to survive, much less win.
And judging by the curiously thinner man, body dyed red, and how his new tail kept slamming into the ground behind and around him, Zero tensing with each smack, no doubt in anger as the appendage left deep groves in the metallic floor…
Well, unless Mask intervened, such an outcome seemed worryingly probable. He started making his way over with slow, silent steps.
"Don't you know who we are? Who you're talking too?!" a fat official whom Mask held in little regard shouted, puffing out his chest, causing his gut, barely contained by his suit to wobble and once again make Mask regret the fact that the fatso and the rest trying to get access to the room were his coworkers…
"Fufufu~ I'd suggest you watch your words, Zero-san," a blonde with more money than brains said, raising her hand and opening her fan in front of her mouth, eyes glinting maliciously. "For if you do not, why, any requests for promotion might get lost and perhaps due to some filling mishap you might get labeled as a traitor and—"
"No," Zero said, and even from a few meters away, Mask could feel as something slammed down on the gathered group. Making them freeze, tremble and sweat. "You seem to be under the impression that is some sort of negotiation, one where you can bargain, or perhaps even blackmail me into doing your bidding."
"W-we are your bosses," McCoy blustered, sweat dripping down and around the star marked eye-patch covering his right eye. "And you need to obey—"
"Shut it," Yuha said and the not-pressure increased while at the same time a second guttural voice seemed to coat Zero's voice, a beast like one.
"Hiii!"
"Let me make something clear to you," Yuha said, standing up and glaring at each official and for a moment, Mask could swear the man's red eyes turned gold. "You. Each and everyone of you, the association itself in general? You are not my bosses. In fact, throw me out for all I care. The people. The innocent civilians and our allies all over the globe are my bosses. They are the ones I'm fighting for."
Despite himself, Mask found a smile forming on his face as he nodded in approval and slowed his step.
"You? You guys are simply signing my paychecks, paychecks I don't even need. And from the looks of it, you seem to think that my words before were mere bluster and I tell you they were not. Those who are innocent, those who fight to redeem themselves, those who fight with me, with us against the greater threat? Those who strive to be and do good?"
Zero made a fist with his right hand and slammed his thump against the middle of his chest.
"Then they are under my protection, no matter their shape, creed or anything else about them. So, you can take your posh styled shoes and lumber on out of here. I'm not letting any of you into the room where my girlfriends, my friends, and yes even some monsters are recovering cause I can smell, nay, I can sense your foul intents and speaking of—"
Before Mask could process, much less follow, Yuha appeared to glitch out, suddenly facing the door and the man's left hand, index extended pointed somewhere inside the room and—
'Zap'
A thin beam of energy left his finger accompanied by the sound of glass shattering and someone cursing while a thin smoking hole burned through the door, the smell of burning wood reaching him.
"You. Out," Yuha growled to someone behind the door, and upon receiving no answer, shook his head with a growl, his muscles seeming to swell for an instant, and yanked his hand backwards, a nurse breaking through the door and landing in a heap in front of the frozen officials, and as the woman's skirt hiked up due to her tumble, around her left thigh a collection of vials could be seen, strapped securely to the limb.
"I…"
Yuha turned, facing the group again.
"Surely, since you intended to inject one of those vials into my girlfriend, then it's perfectly safe and harmless and you won't mind if I inject one into you and another into you, mister Pirate?"
Both the 'nurse' and McCoy paled.
"No answer?" an ethereal drumming seemed to emanate and start to pick up steam as Yuha clenched a fist and flashed a worrying smile towards the frozen group. And this time, Zero's eyes flashing gold, could not be attributed to a trick of the light. "Mmh, that's what I expected—"
Yeah, best to intervene now.
"Zero," he said, coming to a stop next to the group of idiots and crossing his arms, making the man blink and incline his head towards him.
"Mask."
"Let them go, they won't try this again," he said and McCoy's head snapped towards him.
"Sweet Mask, you—"
He glared at the fools with more greed than brains. On the one hand, he could sorta understand what they'd probably been thinking.
Indeed, depending on your point of view, the gathering of heroes and…monsters behind the door guarded by Yuha represented a rare opportunity. Much could be accomplished if, say, some accident happened to some or all of them.
And yet…
Short-sighted fools!
In their greed they'd be sacrificing pillars of the community, like Tornado, Bat, and yes, even Tornado's foolish sister, as well as threatening to spark another war and this time one on two fronts. For recovering in that room was not one, not two, but three princesses. Representing two races.
And for what, for some experiments and some worthless monsters?
Foolish…
Sure, if it came down to a war they would win, after all they had him, and to lose Tatsumaki over some samples? Or yet another attempt to study espers?
Utter foolishness…
If a war broke out, the civilian casualties would be unimaginable!
And all that without accounting for the man in front of Mask, glaring at the fools and balancing on the knife's edge between Saint and Devil.
Yes, Yuha's idealism appeared more and more to be the real deal with each passing day and Mask could but shake his head at the naivety of the younger hero. But, Mask's own…distaste for monsters aside, he couldn't find fault with the man's beliefs, in principle, even if they clashed with his own.
So, no. Mask could not, would not, allow this.
"McCoy," he said, tone clipped. "Shut up, and get out of here. You've made enough of a mess as is, I'll handle it."
The man and his flunkies glanced at him, and the one-eyed idiot, apparently found something on his face that he liked, for a wicked grin spread across the idiot's lips and he nodded as much as he could under Yuha's invisible aura.
Mask resisted the urge to snort, for he had a suspicion that McCoy would be disappointed.
"Y-yes! W-we'll leave it to you then."
Sighing, and tapping a finger against his bicep, he slowly craned his head to the side, staring at them all, veins bulging all over his neck as he let his control slip by the tiniest amounts. "McCoy. Shut up."
"Hiii! Y-yes!"
"Zero, if you would," he all but ordered, and the man, arching an eyebrow, released his technique with a blink.
"Eek!"
"Eep!"
Making the idiots stumble, with one or two even landing on their butts, quickly scampering back up and all of them turning and all but making a run for it.
Taking their disgusting scents of fear and foul perfumes with them as they did.
Now, time to ensure Zero doesn't become a Devil, at least not today.
"So…you'll take care of me, huh?" the man asked, turning his full focus upon him, and Mask resisted the urge to growl in defiance at the younger hero's tone. For despite what his instincts demanded, he knew that doing so wouldn't help matters. "And how exactly do you plan to do that, mmh?"
"You talk different," he said instead.
"Pardon?" the hero asked with a blink.
Mask nodded. "If I had to take a guess, this is the 'true' you, then? Your grandiose usual self being the…mask reserved for the public and the other heroes, to inspire them if I had to take a gander while this is you when agitated?"
Zero sighed, and his slim shoulders slumped. "You…are more right than you know , but, not quite," the man said, shaking his head. "Let's just say that I'm just under a lot of stress right now…"
A tiny smirk flashed into existence for less than a tenth of a second.
Good. Momentary distraction successful. Thin bridge of rapport established. Now to fully de-escalate.
As long as Yuha remained on the side of good, Mask would let him keep his delusions about his mask…For a little while longer at least. After all, he had little doubt that Zero would climb to S-rank in the coming months, and so, Mask would make sure that the younger hero would be well equipped to handle his fame and his image when he did.
The Heroes Association already had a PR problem with Tornado, Atomic Samurai and the others. Even King. But, with the exception of King—what with the man's barely contained blood-lust—everyone else's image could have been fixed if they'd been caught in time. Trained when they were 'young'. As heroes, that is.
Mask rubbed his metaphorical hands with glee.
For Yuha represented a rare opportunity if he remained true. Remained a hero.
One that he didn't intend to let slip through his fingers.
But such thoughts and worries were for later. Now he had a bomb to defuse.
Switching to a more casual speech pattern and behavior.
"Mmh, if you say so," Mask said, nodding, and stepped close to the man, clasping Zero's left shoulder with his right hand. "But that's neither here nor there. What's important is that you go get some rest," he said, making Yuha furrow his brows in confusion.
"What?"
Mask nodded again. "I know we aren't exactly on the friendliest of terms, but that is irrelevant, for we are both heroes, are we not?" he asked, drawing a slow nod from the man as incomprehension danced between his startlingly red eyes.
Good. Agreement in regards to another common point. As for his eyes…a result of whatever this technique is, perhaps?
Irrelevant.
He patted Yuha on the shoulder and smiled.
"So, why would I not want to help a fellow hero?"
Zero opened his mouth, and his other arm dashed upwards, his index touching the man's parted lips.
"Tut tut!" he shook his head. "No excuses, despite whatever this is, you can't hide how tired you are, the tension around your eyes, the way you hold your hands unnaturally still and stand ramrod straight…I know what someone who pushes their body past its limits looks like, trust me." He lowered his finger.
"Very well. Your words might hold a kernel of truth in them, so, what do you want me to do about it? I can't abandon them."
As answer, Mask offered a snort and an arched eyebrow.
"What?"
"Yes, what. More specifically, what am I? Chopped liver? Please, Zero, focus."
"Focus on what, exactly? On you saying you'd 'deal with me'?"
"Not with you, with the situation."
"Same thing."
A naughty smile spread across his lips, causing Yuha to blink.
"Au contraire, my friend. Not even in the same building, much less the same idol group. What I mean and what they inferred." A hateful snarl formed, causing Yuha's eyes to widen. "Need not be the same thing. After all, dealing with the situation can mean a great many deal of things, can it not?" he asked with his best wink, the one he used on some of his more clingy fan-girls, the one that caused them to stammer and collapse into a blushing mess, allowing him to get away!
Luckily it did not have such an effect here and Mask almost let out a sigh of relief, for that had been one of his worries.
The idea of Zero being some kind of superfan of his…
He almost shuddered.
"You mean…"
He let out a theatric sigh and with his free arm palmed his forehead. "Must I really say it out-loud? Yes, Yuha, I lied." He patted the man on his shoulder a few times and took a step back. "Now, why don't you go get some rest?" he asked with a smile. "And leave guard duty to me? Trust me," his smile dropped and he let a bit of his true self leak once more. "Nobody who doesn't have any business in there will be getting past me."
For a few moments the man seemed indecisive, glaring at him with suspicion, Zero's arms clenching, low dual growls leaving his throat before at last he sighed, his shoulders sagging as if he'd been hoisting the weight of the world and he nodded.
Game. Set. Match.
"Alright…" the man said, before his head snapped back up and he glared. "But if anything. Anything happens to them, to any of them—"
He snorted and waved the man away. "Yeah yeah. Some sort of terrible vengeance and all that no doubt, worry not, Zero. I might have some…distaste for monsters but unlike your old Master, King, I can control my blood-lust if I need to."
Yuha snorted, shaking his head and the man stepped to the side, and in the space between heartbeats released his technique and suddenly, Mask could once again feel the man.
Feel and see the exhaustion swathing the now suddenly much older looking man's body.
"I…I appreciate this, Sweet Mask, thank you," the man murmured, voice tired and as Mask made to enter the room to fetch a chair, he could only blink as Yuha raised two fingers to his forehead and vanished.
When will you stop pulling weird shit out of your butt, Zero?
"Y-yuha?"
Slowly waving an arm and flashing a tired smile at the tall blond, he nodded. "Hey, King, sorry for the intrusion and I know this is unexpected and all but…mind if I crush here a while? Let's just say I've had a…busy day…"
Luckily for both of them, he hadn't teleported in at an inopportune moment. Whether that be a visit to the john or…something else.
For King, even if greatly surprised, by the looks of things, had merely been playing some rpg—
"Y-yamete, onii-chan!"
He blinked, and did not react as King, still looking at him, took his arm off the controller and, cool as a cucumber, pressed a couple of keys on his keyboards and the sound stopped.
Ok, perhaps not, but still, he didn't say anything.
"Y-yeah, s-sure, Yuha…" the nervous man, said.
Nodding in thanks, Yuha pulled a nearby chair and, after spreading his wings some, all but crumbled onto it. Hissing in pain as he did, for due to his exhaustion, he'd forgotten he now had an extra appendage. His saiyan like tail quick to protest him sitting down on it.
Making him momentarily lose control of his body, before with an effort of will and a mental order to his vi, he managed to shift enough that the limb could move freely again.
He'd need to train this weakness away in short order…Luckily, he'd already started doing so, what with his tail's earlier whacks against the association building's floor.
But, unlike then, right now he didn't have God Mode active, the technique and its inherent benefits being of great help in upping his resilience, his pain tolerance, his senses, everything.
And of course, offering a ludicrous multiplier to his power level.
Ssj eat your heart out!
Only, just like ssj, it seemed he would have to train in order to acclimatize to the form. And manage to wield it to its true potential, or for that matter, reach its full multiplier and not the unstable mess he could currently manage.
Once, in another lifetime, in another world behind the comfort of a screen, Yuha had scoffed and wondered how weak and lazy a certain saiyan duo must have been.
Otherwise, why would they not quickly master this new form and then proceed to master ssjb and infuse God Ki into their even higher forms?
But now…now that he had his first taste of this evolved form of Ki…he could understand.
"S-so, what was you day like?" King asked and Yuha, smiling at the man's kind, if unneeded, gesture, proceeded to tell him.
King's eyes widening more and more, the man continuing to pale with each word out of Yuha's mouth until, by the end of his tale, his friend's palate resembled that of a ghost.
"W-wow…to think that even at the end there you managed to show mercy…Sasuga…"
His smile turned fragile at that, a bit wooden. For he hadn't shared everything with the man, nor did he plan to. And thus, to an outsider, him sparing Psykos would seem like an unfathomable act of mercy.
When nothing could be further from the truth.
He clenched his fist around his knee until it hurt.
The…woman had dared harm his precious people. His Tatsumaki, and for that, nothing less than her life would do.
And he cared little whether that meant her actual life or her life.
For even if she managed to survive his love-tap, the stamp would, in just a few short days, ensure that Psykos would die and Psykos would live.
After all, a…less than willing capture would not enjoy the stamp's work or find its touch as light and unobtrusive…
A terrifying smirk spread across his lips, and he resisted the urge to let out a dark cackle.
Deep down, Yuha didn't know how he felt about the stamp. People across the breadth and width of the universe hated and adored it in equal measure. As for him? Well, as that often shared quote back in his old dimension's internet went, Yuha had 'no strong feelings one way or another.'
Still, despite a heart full of neutrality, that didn't mean he cared to use it willy-nilly, nor did he intend to.
Cause despite not being an actual dragon—although he planned to rectify that when he got out of this hellhole—he had the greed and possessiveness of one.
And so, any girls he stamped? He intended to keep. Forever. He'd be the one ring to his girls Sauron. For if he liked something about the stamp, that would be the fact that, with the exception of the asshole contractors, it was forever. And so, he wouldn't have to ever fear his girls love for him fading ever again. No divorces or cheating spouses in his future!
So, yeah. Not something he would offer, or use willy-nilly.
But, as revenge for what Psykos did to Tatsu and the rest? Or in other desperate situations that merited its use?
…well, he could make an exception here and there, and besides, if the woman survived she'd be much more sane…or at least, Yuha would be able to steer her in the right direction.
After all, what he knew of the girl painted an image of a brilliant, driven mind, much more brilliant than his at any rate and one which, if sane, like she'd been before driven mad? Someone whom Yuha would happily call friend.
So, yeah. Even if he still harbored doubts about his choice? He'd live with it and Psykos both if it came down to it.
"Y-yuha?" he blinked.
Why is King shivering—Oh. His bloodthirsty smile didn't help matters, did it?
"Sorry…was just thinking about…something."
"Oh, ok."
Sighing, his spine touching the back of the chair, Yuha gazed at the ceiling and a bittersweet smile spread across his lips.
At least, if Psykos survives, I'll…I'll have someone who'll come with me after I leave this world…
For much as he didn't think it possible, think it probable? It had happened.
He'd grown attached. This world, its people? Yuha had formed bonds and, foolishly started to care.
You fool…You'll have to leave, you know that…
And yet, logic mattered little to the heart.
Still, if nothing else, he didn't intend to stamp Tatsu and the girls. For they deserved better than that, better than him, to be honest.
He hastily averted his thoughts away from the future that awaited all the variants of his girlfriends in the nearby timelines connected to this one once he detached them from proper history…
More reason not to bring them with me. After all, I'm no hero. Just a fraud pretending to be one. He stared at his friend, who'd gone back to his games. King is more of a hero than I am!
Yes. This was for the best.
And besides, the only other way for the girls to join him, would be if they really cared for him that much and all but confessed their love for him, whether out-loud or in their minds.
He snorted.
What are the odds of that, though? After all, I look less like a man and more like a roach captured by evil children with overactive imaginations and with access to a wide variety of brushes and colors.
"Eh, Yuha? You need something?" King asked with a blink, pausing his game and turning towards him.
Only for Yuha to wave an arm and shake his head.
"No, sorry, thinking, as I said. Anyway, I think I'm gonna take a nap if you have no problems with it?"
"Eh? No, but do you want me to—"
Again he waved.
"No need. I'm perfectly comfortable where I am."
Not quite the truth, for even the experiences of another life did not make sleeping on a chair any easier.
But, a chimeric body and an eager to help vi, did.
With a mental command, the world dimmed and he let out a sigh as his senses faded, his thoughts following.
Tatsumaki…
"Get out, get out, get out of my head!" Psykos, clutching her head with both hands, dried out blood trailing past her lips as she shook her head, sitting on her knees, each time she shook her head, trails of agony shooting up and down her back.
For the front of her previously pristine dress, now marred with cuts, dirt, and bits of crushed stone, sported a massive hole within which her almost black stomach could be seen, the bruise bleeding in places. But, she managed to stop the internal bleeding and stabilize her back and hold back the fragmented bits of bone and away from her nerves. And so, it would do, for now.
After all, the fact that her spine cried in agony and if her concentration lapsed for but an instant, she could kiss her ability to walk, to feel goodbye, at least, until she could manage to make it back to her base?
All of it inconsequential. All of it irrelevant in the face of Yuha's parting gift.
What a fool I'd been… she'd thought the man stamping her to naught but some ploy to distract her, which admittedly had worked, but still. The act and the stamp's real purpose…
A horrified laugh escaped her as light continued to drift into the hole she'd made after being finger flicked, smacking into this mountain and luckily, breaking into a wide open cave, and landing in a small, hitherto untouched lake.
A lake of which no sign remained beyond some glistening stalagmites far above where the super-heated steam, after reaching them, did not carry enough strength to destroy them as it spread around the cave and, for the most part, out of the hole she'd carved into the mountain.
Ah~ Such strength Yuha has~ What a fool I'd been, tee~hee~! Those weren't her thoughts, even if they were in her own voice. Even if they felt the same.
"Get out. GET…OUT!" she roared, she cried, she plead. And yet, with each passing second she could feel her mind warp, thoughts and instincts not of her own make and volition slither into her soul, guided by the hand of something higher, something which for all of her power she couldn't affect in the least. Pushing, smashing against it with all her strength, amounting to nothing more than chipping the metaphorical finger's nail. A nail which promptly regrew, continuing about its work with an unhurried, unbothered pace.
The only bitter mercy being the fact that the higher dimensional finger did not seem to mind or try to stop her from fortifying the, for now, larger parts of her mind still left intact. Content to work at its own pace, and why wouldn't it?
After all, as her futile efforts had shown, whatever the finger claimed? She could not get back.
So, unless she managed to find a way out of this…
No! I will not die to this…this thing! I refuse!
She would fight to the bitter end.
"Gkah!" a pained gasp escaped her lips, for the finger annexed another tiny piece of her mental land. "Get out. Get. OUT!"
Garou wanted to punch someone.
For peering through old musty tomes for days on and in between his training breaks? Or, a few days before, in between tailing Grayfia?
Let's just say, not his idea of fun.
In fact, after scouring the libraries of a few cities, and visiting a few monasteries and perusing their tomes—and by that he meant beating the guardians of said monasteries before asking them if they had even slightest idea about what he was searching for or had any books relating to it—suffice to say, after so many days of scanning through musty tome after musty tome?
Well, if he had to continue doing so for much longer…The idea of making some sort of time traveling technique to go back and beat the inventor of books no longer sounded that bad!
In fact—
He blinked, and focused back on the open book, re-reading that passage again, before frowning and hastily scanning the rest of the yellowed page, flipping it over to the next, and then, after a while, to the next one, and the next!
All the while, the candle next to him continued to dwindle and a comforting silence surrounded him.
The toga wearing monks apparently having learned their lesson. No longer bothering him.
Is…is this it? He wondered. Had he finally found it? He kept reading, even shouting for one of the weaklings to bring him a replacement candle once the current one dwindled down to nothing. A nervous priest entering the room and making his way over with tiny whimpers and hesitant steps before scampering back out of the library.
Soon enough, Garou finished reading. And then, following the references near the final pages of the book, sought out another tome, one that the text had mentioned and read that one too. Before sitting with his back against the chair, his arms crossed as shadows continued to play across the wooden table and the scent of old parchment and dust reached him.
Surely…it can't be that easy, can it? He shrugged. Well, only one way to find out.
He focused, following the books' instructions and as for an animal…well, he did have a fondness for wolves, did he not?
Eyes closed, sweat dripping down due to intense concentration, a gasp left his lips as a new power surged into being within him. Blazing. Burning.
Garou grinned.
Days until Boros arrives: 6
Days until the end of the world: 36
"And that's more or less the gist of it."
Tatsumaki, wrapped in bandages, and under the light streaming in from the open windows, the light pink curtains swaying in the soft morning breeze, the woman, with half her body under white sheets, coupled with the bandages resembled the world's cutest mummy.
She blinked and gave a slow nod. "That is…"
"Absurd?" Yuha asked. "Unbelievable? Mad?"
The woman snorted and shook her head. "All those things, yes, but, what I was trying to say is, about what I expected."
Yuha blinked and tilted his head, drawing a huff and a grumble from a certain someone.
"Eh? What do you mean?"
Tatsumaki's smile dimmed. "That woman, Psykos—" Yuha bit back a growl at the esper's name. Partially due to the fact that he didn't want to agitate his recovering girls any further and partially because, after a good night's sleep, he wanted to find the nearest wall and slam his head repeatedly against it.
What was I thinking?! He wasn't. Mouthing off like that against the assholes running the association, showing more of my true self? And, losing control like that, when I've been trying to avoid doing just that?
He suppressed another growl and fought the urge to glare at his new appendage, the tail being weakly grasped by Tatsumaki's right hand, the sneaky little limb having sneaked under the sheets.
It would seem that I was, once again, mistaken. The Good Doctor most certainly did not grant me the standard Cell package. I'm certain of this more than ever. But, if that's the case…
What else had the man altered and added? And even more worryingly, if, as Yuha suspected, he had a lot more saiyan DNA than he expected in him, then, as the previous day showed, he'd need to work extra hard to control himself. For he suspected yesterday's experience to be but a prelude to the full blown saiyan arrogance inherent in all saiyans...
And unlike Goku and Vegeta I don't intend to let that get the better of me. I follow the Trunks school of thought thank you very much!
Tatsumaki sighed, and gave his tail a light squeeze, about as much as she could while still recovering, but still, enough to make him wince even with God Ki once more coursing through him.
He loved the girl, he really did.
Manifest new bullshit and a new tail? Besides shaking her head, she took it all in stride.
Tatsumommy is the best!
"I-idiot…" the girl mumbled, but her voice lacked its usual heat. "At any rate, no, it doesn't surprise me. Psykos…is driven."
He snorted.
"Yeah, and water is wet."
Growling, Tatsumaki squeezed his tail.
"Eep!"
"None of your usual sash, Yuha."
"Yes, mommy!"
Tatsumaki groaned. "You're hopeless. But back to what I was saying. Psykos is driven and thus, given her apparent dealings with monsters? Suffice to say that it doesn't surprise me that she'd create something that horrible. Still, you're certain she won't be a problem ever again?"
Unlike yesterday, even though he knew he shouldn't, a low dark cackle escaped Yuha's lips.
"Oh, definitely."
One way or another.
The esper grunted and leaned back with a sigh.
"Good." the girl growled before letting go of his new tail. "Yuha, I'm sorry, but—"
"I understand. Get some rest and get well soon, yes?"
The girl's lips pulled into a naughty grin as she cracked open an eyelid, piercing him with a green eye.
"Mmh, you want me to step on you that bad, huh?"
His face burned.
"I…I…"
And she chuckled, making small shooing motions. "Get going, Idiot, and worry not, the doctors are saying me, Fubuki and Lily are healing remarkably fast, although in the little flower's case—"
"-m not little…" the sleeping Lily mumbled from the bed across Tatsumaki.
"She wasn't hurt that bad to begin with."
Nodding, still blushing and with a silly smile on his face, he stood up, earning an annoyed chirp for his troubles before he took stock of the room once more, and its many rows of beds, most of them occupied.
He hastily averted his eyes from the wrapped in bandages Charanko, the man confined to a wheelchair while recovering, having rolled over next to the blonde monster's bed.
Do-s, was it?
With the blonde, a tiny hint of red peaking through the sides of her mask, ordering and grumbling at the silly, smiling man.
Shuddering, he averted his gaze. Yeah, I want nothing to do with that. Godspeed to you, you crazy bastard.
While a few beds over, a grinning Sneck seemed busy schooling one of the reptile sisters, the angry one, on chess, with the woman's sister cheering them both, while yet another few beds over, Metal Bat lay sweating next to the window.
Not out of any sort of major injury or due to excessive heat, no.
Rather, the man's sweating had more to do with the fact that the humming Maiko woman tried her best to play nurse for him, something which Nisha, the subterranean brunette princess whom seemingly also had a similar idea…had opinions about.
Shaking his head, Yuha gazed at the bed opposite Bat's, where a mostly unharmed Kisha sat, conversing with her mother, and, noticing his stare, smiled and nodded, causing a blinking Shivara to glance and incline her head, remorse shining in her eyes.
That girl…he'd already talked with Shivara, but, despite how much he tried, he couldn't convince the woman that she had little to be apologetic about.
She didn't cause the previous day's mess, for Marika's sake!
Still, guilt had a funny way of making people feel bad even for they shit they shouldn't.
Oh well, I guess I'll try to convince her again tomorrow.
For tomorrow, Kisha would be released, and so, and coupled with Tatsumaki all but ordering him to take a short break, he'd asked the white-haired beauty if she was up for that tour.
Needless to say, Kisha agreed.
Her enthusiasm did worry him a bit.
But only a tiny bit.
Turning around, he made for the room's repaired door, coming to a stop but a few feet from it.
For there, he found his other girlfriend. Fubuki busy training with Grayfia, the two women encouraging and cursing at each other, if softly at that, so at to not disturb the rest of the recovering patients.
Both of them under the careful eye of his Master. Bang having replaced Sweet Mask sometime earlier this day.
He licked his lips and approached Bang, as Fubuki struggled to complete another rep.
"Come on you big tittied cow! Don't tell me that's all you've got! I bet even Lily can do more push ups than you!"
"You're…heavy!" Fubuki grunted at the woman siting on her back, causing Grayfia to arch an eyebrow.
"Oh? You didn't hear me complain when it was my turn, now did you? Now shut your trap and give me another ten! Oh~ look~ Your boyfriend is watching~" Grayfia purred with a wicked gleam, nodding towards him, regret shining in her eyes, similar to Shivara's.
"Why, if you continue to fail perhaps he'll ditch you, and choose a younger, fitter model~"
Fubuki growled and started pumping out rep after rep, her limbs trembling.
"Sensei…"
"Yes, Yuha?"
"How long have they been at it?"
Bang shook his head.
"Since before you came in," the man murmured and turned an eye towards him. "But, Yuha, why didn't you come to me yesterday, why didn't you come home?"
At that, Yuha averted his gaze, gazing at the wall, ignoring, or at least trying to ignore the two women hurling abuse and encouragement in equal measure at one another.
"I…I'm sorry, Sensei, I have no excuse. I'll admit, at the end there, I wasn't thinking straight and so, I headed over to King's and—"
A gnarly, calloused hand landed on his shoulder with a soft 'tap', causing him to turn and see warm eyes staring back at him.
"Son, I'm not judging you. But as your Sensei, it is my duty to see to your wellbeing. To any of my students well being, and while it does hurt that you don't seem to trust me fully yet, it is heartening that you sought your old Master in your moment of need, and hey," the old man closed his eyes and flashed him a warm smile, his mustache twitching. "The fact that you did so, says there's hope for this old man as well, eh? Ohohoho!"
Yuha winced and nodded with a weak smile.
Heh…this web is of my own making. The result of my own bullshit…
"But, son?" Bang asked with a blink and a tilt of his head.
"Yes, Sensei?"
"Err, you are aware that crouched on your right shoulder—"
Yuha sighed and nodded. "I'm aware, sensei…trust me, I'm aware," he said.
For indeed, Kuku sat on his shoulder, perched like a bird, or an owl, with her head buried in his hair, sniffing them.
The woman refusing to let go ever since the moment he stepped into the room. In fact, when she saw him, she'd let out an excited chirp, threw of the covers from her bed and practically made a beeline for him, clambering up his back much to the doctors despair.
"As long as you're aware," Bang said, the old man confused but not looking to push. "Still, any idea what's up with her?"
Yuha had an idea.
After all, it's the only thing that's changed about me.
"Yeah," he said, before raising his left arm, and patting down the sky princess' hair, earning a pleased chirp for his efforts. "Kuku, please let go, I need to go, I have things to do."
A grumble.
"Kuku…"
"—o. No! I don't wanna!" the girl mumbled again, going as far as to shake her head, tickling his scalp with her nose. "You smell nice, you feel nice, warm, familiar. Nuh uh!"
I don't have time for this.
With a bit of focus he stopped the fusion within him, letting his dense ki relax and spread apart once more, causing his form to bulk up once more, his youthful features vanishing along with his body's red tint and his hair to revert from a 'shishou purple' back to its customary pink.
And Kuku grumbled, pulling her head out of his hair, gripping the front and back of his shoulder-blades and leaning her head so as to stare him straight in the eye upside down.
"Meanie!" she pouted.
And at the sight, Yuha couldn't help but smile.
"Sorry, sorry. But, as I said, I have things to do."
Train. Train like a bat out of hell while Helltaker's futa Lucifer is after me, after imbibing a lust potion.
"But, I can drop by later, or you can come hang out whenever you want—" he blinked, and hastily amended his words. "That is, whenever I'm not too busy." After all, Kuku was Kuku…
And I have an idea where I should go to train…
"You mean it?! Dechi?!" the girl asked with excitement, a brilliant smile spreading across her face, making her glow.
"Yeah."
"Wonderful! Dechi!" the girl said, planting a smooch on the side of his cheek, making him blink bemusedly before leaping back and away from him.
"…zzz, competition…" Lily mumbled in her sleep.
With that out of the way, he met Bang's bemused gaze once more.
"So, Sensei, can I trust you to keep an eye on them?" he asked, inclining his head towards Grayfia and Fubuki.
"Ohoho! But of course, son, I'm old, but not that old. Ohoho!"
"Then in that case—"
The door to the room banged open and in stepped a short red-eyed, red-haired woman with a short pointed black horn peeking through her hair near the top of her forehead, the pale-skinned woman wearing a rather revealing white dress showing a whola lot of leg and—
"Ma'am you can't just—"
"Shut up!" the newcomer growled at one of the frantic association guards behind. "Now, where's my little sparrow and the one with that aura?"
"Mama!" Kuku shouted, springing towards the newcomer.
And Yuha stared with bulging eyes even as he send out his ki sense, scanning wide, and upon failing to find him, slipped back into God Mode, his senses magnifying and finding his target, but, doing so, appeared to be a mistake for the newcomer—
"Ah…there you are," the woman said as she hugged her…daughter? Gaze snapping towards him, eyes narrowing.
"Hell-sparrow…" he murmured.
"You know of me, dechi?"
Nope!
Nope!
"That is good. Hearken to me young one, for I wish to have words with you and—"
He wanted nothing to do with any of this! For if this woman bared any resemblance to her counterpart from another reality…
Yuha raised his left arm and, as he dropped back out of God Mode, two fingers touched his temple.
And teleported the hell out of there!
Still getting the hang of his new power, Garou blinked as Yuha appeared out of thin air.
"Hey, Senpai, up for a spar?"
He blinked.
And then a grin stretched across his lips.
"As expected of you, Junior. You know just what to say!" he roared and slammed his fist in the man's cheek, Yuha's fist, having rose reflexively, digging into his.
Days until Boros arrives: 5
Days until the end of the world: 35
Psykos sobbed. Her attempts, her efforts. In the end, they all had amounted to nothing.
She could feel the end, her end closing in. More than two-thirds of her were gone, replaced by this…this abomination.
And to add salt to the wound, she could feel her power grow, new abilities, new powers opening up to her, even if she could access but the smallest pieces of them, the bulk of the new strength available to the abomination.
But, as she pushed her new strength to its limits, trying to see, to find any path which led to her salvation amidst the wider, much wider branches of infinity then she'd ever thought possible, she found nothing.
Gkh! What is… in the seas of time and in front of her third eye, a tiny little bubble, nothing more than the equivalent of a soap bubble, slipped into view, making her frown before with a growl she dismissed it and shoved it out of the way, not bothering to pop it and peer at the hiding fool, for she had more important things to deal with.
As she turned her sight away from it, the bubble seemed to shiver, and adapt, it's color shifting to that of the sea of time and as it shifted it sunk beneath the waves, akin to a submarine…
Psykos continued to search, and search, her despair growing…
So, as you can tell, in my view, the stamp works quite differently on confesion/willing targets vs unwilling ones...the seconds suffering quite a bit more, especially if they, say, are powerful for example...
Also, worry not, this Dechi is not the Fate Dechi, merely a faceclaim and they share some of the same traits, like say, roasting your cooking.
'horrified Cuha noises'