Feel kind of bad making you guys wait, seems like I always hit my stride when writing more than one chapter at a time!
This one's the longest yet and I didn't even notice because I was having so much fun writing it so I hope you enjoy it that much more!
"The boy seems to be growing at a rather impressive rate"
"How observant of you my lord!"
"Whis, between you and the Saiyans I'm about to reach my wit's end…don't patronize me"
"Huhuhuhu! My apologies, Lord Beerus." The taller figure overlooking the abode of the God of Destruction placed a finger curiously on his chin and continued to wonder.
"I do wonder why the lords' eyes were set upon him, it's extremely rare for Father himself to show up and give us such directives"
"And a human nonetheless, his abilities may be strange and very unlike your regular human's but he's still just a human and when we first brought him here he was no stronger than the weakest humans from the saiyan's little battle gang"
"I do believe Goku and Vegeta have made great strides in training the boy"
"Quite, he's grown considerably as you've said"
"I do seem to remember you were also tasked with preparing him…wouldn't want the kings to catch you leaving it all to the saiyans and skipping on your task now do we?"
"G-Guh! QUIET WHIS, they can hear us you know?" Turning back to the trio still sparring on his grounds meant for leisure, the destroyer grumbled quietly to himself and analyzed the movements of the blonde currently trying his best to withstand the onslaught of two saiyans.
"Gah! Ease up will ya!"
"Not a chance buddy hehehehe!"
"It would be a badge of honor if you can at least block an attack boy now keep your wits about you!"
"Shit shit shit!" Feeling his senses overloading with the flurry of kicks and punches he kept getting pummeled with, Denji was becoming increasingly stressed as even in his hardened body, bruises were starting to form as he did his best to guard against their barrage.
"Heyy, you're getting the hang of it!" The bigger opponent commended him as he launched a roundhouse aimed at his face.
"Good, guess now we can hold back a little less" The shorter, more direct fighter sent a punch headed for the ribs.
"Ya fuckin' sadists!" Denji held his forearm up to absorb the impact of the kick and grabbed the punch with the palm of his other hand, wincing as he felt his bones cry out.
"His movements are becoming sharper" Observed Whis.
"And his ki control is getting much better. His rate of growth is impressive…I wonder..." Clasping his hands behind him, Beerus looked on and past Denji's movements to the flow of ki currently moving along his body. It was a strange phenomenon where two sources of energy resided in the same being. Right where his heart was, another font of energy welled up and released into his body as he fought and grew.
"...If his strange heart the Grand Priest spoke about is the reason behind it"
"Well, it certainly is an odd occurrence…Father did say he carried a very special project of the kings within him"
"Their imagination knows no bounds I suppose, they keep creating all of these strange new little worlds with different power structures and hierarchies" Crossing his arms, Beerus continued to express his worry.
"Seems to me like we might have a shortage of destroyers soon, and I already have my hands full with this universe"
"Well my lord this is exactly why you were initially tasked with the boy"
"I'll handle it once I see he's up to the task, it's only been a year and a half, mind you. He's a quick learner but he's not at that level"
"That much is true…"
While the god and the angel chatted away, Denji was left panting and clutching his right arm in pain, feeling several of his bones were broken. He groaned and fell to his knees once they indicated the sparring was over and could only muster up different expressions of pain and exhaustion.
"Grrr, You guys take this shit way too far sometimes!"
Walking up to him, the shorter of the saiyans studied his body and with a small grunt, motioned the bigger man to also walk over to them.
"Oh, so it's pretty bad huh? My Bad Buddy!"
"A couple of fractures, he'll be out for months if it's not healed any other way"
"Alright, gimme a sec" A small blade of energy protruded from the man's index finger and he proceeded to make a small incision on his forearm drawing out his blood. Squatting next to Denji, he extended his arm over his open mouth and the steady trickle of blood began to fall and once consumed, resulted in his fractures healing and his pain subsiding.
"Agh, you know, your blood tastes weird"
"Saiyan blood may look like a human's but fundamentally, it is entirely different so don't expect it to taste anything like it"
"Ya, we're a whole other ballpark but anyways….let's eat! Broly's coming in a bit and I wanna be ready!"
"Who's that? Another crazy buddy of yours?"
"I wouldn't call him a friend, but he's a pure-blooded saiyan of incredible power. Once he's here, you're gonna see some great stuff kid, so eat up and go rest, now it's our time to hone our skills"
"Oh yeah! this is gonna be great!" the taller saiyan exclaimed as he scarfed down plate after plate of food. Denji was always amazed by just how much food they could put away and how much food there was, like, at all times. This was so new to him who grew used to stale bread or starving, it was like a dream. Sure, he got his ass royally beaten daily but it was a feast at least 4 times a day. To him, it was all worth it.
WHOOSH
"Speak of the devil, Hello boys…and girl" At the sudden flash of light appearing before the trio, the pair of godly beings now joined them in receiving the new guests with the blue man putting his staff back on the ground as the dust subsided.
"Oh ho, the cute one is back" The cat god sat next to Denji and joined in on a wonderful large pizza they were currently devouring and elbowed the blonde.
"That green girl is something else, wait till ya see her"
"Oh? Is she like, hot Mr. god um….sir?"
"Not hot, you horn dog…cute, show some refinement!"
"S-sorry!"
His eyes widened as the flash of light dimmed out and out came a gigantic man with two other people that frankly, looked like minions. He'd assumed the dude with the spiky black hair and bulging muscles was the saiyan as the other two looked nothing like his teachers.
"Hey guys, long time no- huh? Who's the kid?" The short-haired woman that accompanied the giant walked out holding a box of something.
"Was about to ask the same thing." Denji retorted with a cheeky grin earning a snort and a chuckle from his saiyan teachers and a swift flick on the back of the head from the god.
"Yeouch!"
"What do you mean kid?" The girl replied with an annoyed look on her face.
"I mean, no offense you're just uh…you know what? never mind... name's Denji, I'm just freeloading till I get strong here, basically"
"A surprisingly apt description, human" Beerus chuckled as he stole a slice of pizza from Denji's plate without him noticing.
"Name's Cheelai…And I'm what? Short? Big deal buddy, if you had eyes that worked you'd know-" Bouncing her breasts on her hands she shot him a proud smile as his and the god's jaw both dropped to the ground.
"I'm aaaaall woman" She smirked at him as Denji covered his mouth and coughed in an attempt to ease his shaking voice.
"Cheelai, that's not nice" the giant harshly chastised her.
"A man can't eat a meal in peace, I suppose" Vegeta calmly complained as he wiped his mouth.
"Oh man, Chichi said if I ever looked at that kinda stuff I'd be a dead man. Keep your boobs to yourself!" Goku protested as he took his giant plate and inhaled his food with his back turned to everyone else.
"Whatever. We got you guys desserts as thanks for letting Broly stay for a while to train, so you guys have fun." Setting the box down in front of the group as they chowed down, she went and sat with the giant to have their little chat as they finished eating.
"So? She's feisty but she's a cute one no?" Beerus leaned into Denji's ear, catching his attention with a small elbow bump.
"I guess, I'm still not used to all this alien junk so the green skin ain't doing it for me" Denji gave a rather deadpan response as he was much too focused on the slice of pizza in front of him.
"You have zero taste, mortal" Beerus grumbled as he turned back to leisurely eating his slice of cheesy goodness.
Shrugging it off, he still decided to take a quick look at the girl and see what all the hype was about. The green skin was kinda weird but he's seen so much weird stuff lately it wasn't that much of a big deal now that he got a good look at her. She was short, that much was for sure, but she was well distributed and he didn't mind her figure at all- Wait, what the hell was he thinking anyways?! Makima! You have a goal, Denji, stick to it!
Noticing the prying eyes of the teen on her, she shot him an annoyed glance before continuing with Lemo and Broly. Men could be so annoying, it's funny sometimes but mostly it was just a drag on her mood. And it was just her luck that the other saiyans got their hands on another weirdo but she settled to shrugging his presence off until interaction was unavoidable.
Receiving her cold glare, Denji quietly yelped and finished his plate before excusing himself to a corner safely away from the incoming action. Calm down, girl, it wasn't like he was gonna hound her, his mind is already made. It's Makima for Denji and nuthin' else!
Watching on as the saiyan trio exchanged pleasantries, he sat down on a shaded part of the vast, grassy field and tried to get a read on each person as they warmed up. The giant dude wasn't showing much energy but it was all jumbly and weird so he didn't know what to expect, Master Goku was already spiking up to almost as strong as his transformation and so was Master Vegeta. The three launched at each other as the landscape began to rumble and crack as if a natural disaster was taking place. Yup, he made the right call sitting back.
With a squeal, Cheelai grabbed Lemo and ran towards Whis to beg for protection as Broly was beginning to become more and more excited during their little spar. Noticing the kid wasn't inside the barrier Whis erected, she turned to the angel in worry.
"Where's the other guy? Isn't this kind of dangerous?"
"Oh don't worry dear, he doesn't mind the debris and he's strong enough to deal with whatever fallout comes with their bout besides… For what we're getting him ready for he needs to be able to withstand this much"
"Don't you worry, just stay close to me and you'll be just fine" The Cat shot her a weird wink as she just laughed nervously while looking around the battlefield to find the teen in question lounging around eating some of the donuts she brought while the chaos unfolded before him.
"Gyahahahaha! Nice one!" He laughed and cheered while looking completely relaxed in his little corner in the grassland, which troubled her considering Broly was starting to really get into the fight and even laughing as he brawled with the other two, Broly laughing during battle was worse than him raging, he went all out when his saiyan thirst for battle overtook his emotional outbursts and that dude seemed like just a young punk. Could he handle being so exposed?
"Oh geez, is everyone here a battle maniac?"
"That is pretty crazy, to say the least, I'd be dead in a second if I was anywhere near that apocalypse" Lemo added as he scratched the back of his head and sat down on one of the lounge chairs next to Beerus.
The battle ensued, Broly grabbed Vegeta by the ankle and attempted to launch him at Goku as the shorter saiyan grabbed his wrist on the way out and used the momentum to launch the berserker instead as Goku clotheslined him and Vegeta appeared above him with a double legged kick, launching him into the ground. This didn't last long as he launched himself to the skies from the crater that had formed and landed a swift punch on a surprised Goku's stomach. As his target hunched over in pain he traded punches with Vegeta who noticed the strength behind his strikes was getting stronger and faster which caused the veteran fighter to smile in excitement as he read every punched and littered Broly with precise strikes until a rogue fist stopped his barrage and launched him into the god's lake.
Noticing his excitement begin to build with a tinge of frustration, Goku yelled out for Vegeta and they both darted towards Brokly to restrain him completely and begin talking him down.
"Now now buddy, no need to go all nuts again hah…hah…"
"hah…I think it's time we call it a day for now, we've given the boy a good enough show" With heavy breaths, the two saiyans broke the hold once the larger combatant calmed down.
"You're telling me, that was nuts! That big dude is something else!" cheered Denji as the duo descended in front of him with a slightly embarrassed Broly.
"Uhm... I apologize"
"Don't sweat it, buddy! You did great! I got a good workout thanks to our fight! Let's do it again tomorrow" Goku beamed as he threw his arm around Broly and playfully punched his chest.
"Sure…" With a gentle smile, Broly returned with the pair back to solid ground and grabbed a bottle of water to calm his body down a bit, per Goku's advice.
"What's your name dude?! You're a total badass!"
"Broly."
"Name's Denji, nice to meet ya" Denji replied as he extended his hand with a toothy grin.
As the two exchanged a friendly handshake a curious Cheelai walked up to Denji, the nosy side of her getting the best of her.
"So you're a new student of Goku's too?"
"Uh, I guess you could say that yeah, s'there a problem?"
"Well, it was strange that you had no problem being so exposed while these guys fought, You must be pretty confident in yourself huh?" She answered while extending her arms to present the very mess they created just a few feet away from where Denji was lying around.
"-And you don't look like a saiyan to me…"
"Well I ain't… 100% human right here" Shooting her his iconic peace sign he smiled as she stood there dumbfounded.
"H-Human!? Aren't humans supposed to be smart but like, super weak?"
"Yeah well I'm dumb as a brick but pretty darn strong, thanks to my teachers, so I dunno if I'm even human anymore, heh!" With a smug face, he crossed his arms triumphantly as she facepalmed even though she was trying to hold back a smile caused by his snarky little joke.
"Alright, that was a pretty good one, you get one smile and that's it!" She relented as she couldn't hold back a giggle in amusement. She extended her finger right at Denji and shot him a smirk.
"Just keep your eyes to yourself and we might get along, okay?" She pointed out to him making his cheeks blush and drawing a hurried apology from the teen.
"Y-yeah, sure! Uh sorry but I wasn't thinking about any weird stuff, promise!"
"Uh-huh." She stuck her tongue out, not believing him for a second, and turned to Broly, patting him on the back.
"Let's get some grub before your buddies inhale it all, big guy!"
With a nod in response, Broly joined her on her way to the table but on their way there she turned and waved at Denji.
"Guess it was nice meeting ya, Lenji!"
"It's Denji! and likewise uh…"
"Cheelai! Hahaha! You weren't kidding with the brick comment huh?"
"Oi! Just get ta eating will ya?" An annoyed Denji shouted back as he scratched the back of his head grumbling about short girls and attitudes.
"Will do!" The girl winked and laughed as she sat beside her large companion and chowed down.
"You're pretty quick with the girls huh?" Goku joked as she playfully punched Denji in the arm.
"What? Nahhh, you're crazy dude, I ain't got a mind for any of that right now"
"I can say I admire your drive kid, This Makima girl must be one hell of a woman" Vegeta added as he took a swig of his recovery shake and threw Goku a towel.
"Oh, she's the best…"
"Okay Okay no more of this Makima stuff, you talk way too much about her and it ain't fighting so it's only gonna get boring!"
"Agreed, spare us the lovestruck rambles… So, kid, how did you like that true display of saiyan strength?"
"It was crazy, sir. Never seen anything like it, I mean you guys sparring is pretty amazing but that other dude's insane"
"I guess you could credit the unpredictability of this battle to his infantile control over his emotions, we're trying to help him get a grasp on that and truly become an unparalleled warrior, a true pride to our race"
"That guy is crazy strong, maybe one day you'll fight him! How's that sound?"
"Yeah, I'm good on that for now, that dude will blast me off of this planet"
As they continued chatting, the rest of the group was finishing their meal with Cheelai and Lemo heading off to gather different things to pack up in the capsules to take the chance to stock up on as many supplies as they could, further improving their living arrangements on Broly's planet. Beerus and Whis retired to Beerus' quarters for his next nap and Broly laid back and watched the sky and its many iridescent shades in a trance.
"Heh, that Broly is pretty simple-minded, he's always a little calmer when he's here."
"Yeah, if Lord Beerus lets those guys live here I bet they'd have a pretty easy time keeping him in check"
"So his attitude problem is that bad huh?"
"He's gotten a lot more apt at handling himself but there are still some hurdles to overcome, especially during battle. As I'm sure you've learned by now, you can't be a mindless brute in battle, always win it first in your head and the body will follow…"
"Hehe, write that down buddy! That's a good lesson from old man Vegeta"
"Heh, will do, Grandpa Goku"
"Heyyy~"
As time passed, Denji kept progressing in his training and every once in a while, the green girl and her friend would stop by with Broly to chat and train. Sometimes, Denji and Cheelai would joke around and talk about their past lives before current events. They had found a connection in their experiences as both were pretty much bottom of the barrel at some point in their lives. Born to unfortunate circumstances and forced into a life of swindling, thieving, and doing what they could to stay alive. Cheelai eventually joined Frieza's forces and managed to make a decent living doing reconnaissance with Lemo. Denji had run into some luck by running into Makima and finding a normal life with his new group of friends/family. And so a bond eventually developed between the two and it wasn't strange to see them stray from the group to hang out or goof around at times even though Denji was getting annoyed with the comments made by the others. Due to them hanging out alone a lot, he found himself continually having to assert that he had no other motives besides just talking. Plus, he just couldn't help it, Cheelai was fun to be around.
On a certain night, they stayed up chatting outside as they watched the stars flying by.
"Kinda crazy you can get a view like this every night huh?"
"Not that crazy, usually I'm too beat up and tired to do anything but sleep during the nights so I hardly ever get to look at this, sure is great tho" Denji explained as he laid down on the cool grass and admired the night sky in the realm of the God of Destruction.
Looking at him intently, Cheelai smiled and also laid down, only her head rested on his stomach with her hands clasped behind it, prompting Denji to look down at her quizzically.
"Uh, there's perfectly fine grass all around us, dude"
"Nah, I'm good" She answered back with nothing more than a smile which further confused him.
"What's so special about my gut?"
"Well, for starters…" Extending one of her arms, she grabbed his face and squeezed. "...You weren't kidding about the dumb as a brick description because…" Shifting to face him, she gave him a mischievous look that took the blond by surprise.
"'...You're as dense as they come..."
"Uhm…? So…with-"
"Shss! Don't say anything that'll make this weird. Let's just focus on the stars and have a good night huh big guy?…" She turned back to the sky and extended her arms upward as if trying to grasp at the stars. Bright little dots that, to her, were like her current thoughts, sprawled across the sky, almost like a mess she was trying to gather into something sensible that even the lug lying there with her could understand…
"You're leaving tomorrow right?" letting her hands drop onto her stomach her voice grew a bit dull and heavy, almost lonesome.
"Yeah…"
"So…we're probably not gonna see each other for a long time…"
"I Guess… You know I-"
"-I'll miss you, Denji" Sitting up, the smaller girl gave him a wistful look that further broke his heart. One side of him was looking forward to seeing his old friends again; The first people he ever made any sort of connection with. But another came to cherish his time in this strange world and the unique people he met, her being one of them. He knew he had to leave sooner or later but he didn't know it'd feel this crappy once he did, especially given the chance they might not see each other again.
"You too…I kinda feel like shit, but…I got people I wanna see again, it's been years now"
"I know…it's not like you asked for any of this anyway but…" scooting up right next to him, She hugged her knees and continued to gaze at the sky.
"Promise you'll visit sometime? If you do…tell Whis to let me know immediately!"
"Well I don't know if that'll be super doable but…I promise I'll try."
"You won't forget?" Turning to face him, her eyes seemed large like saucers as if her gaze clung to his heart expecting a good answer.
"Hell no!"
"Hehe! I can be happy with that…so about this Makima…Are you serious about going after her?"
"Yeah."
"Right…well I guess I don't have much of a choice then…go get 'em tiger, but…" Leaning in she cupped his cheek and pressed her lips against his. He sat there paralyzed as his mouth kind of went limp after a few seconds and she took the chance to focus on his lower lip, making a distinct *pop* when she pulled out of the kiss.
"You should always keep your guard up around a thief..." With a mischievous smile, she playfully pushed his face away with a finger on his chin and laid her head against his shoulder.
"But at least now even a dense brick like you can tell what a girl's heart is like"
"..." Still silent, Denji grasped his chest as a maelstrom of conflicting emotions welled up inside of him. This was his first kiss! That was for Makima! But…it was so nice, her lips were so soft and her hand caressing his face was like nothing he'd ever felt. Such tenderness he never knew…it was even different from how Makima touched him. The warmth that radiated out of the small body next to him drove him to even greater depths as he looked over her, in a daze and she peacefully sat there, eyes closed, relishing their moment.
Denji looked up at the stars, countless of them thrown about the sky. The universe seemed limitless and so many different and colorful lives exist even just outside of Tokyo and now his mind was opened to the idea of different universes filled with countless cute girls! Or regular people. He got his first kiss under such circumstances and with a cute girl! Makima wasn't here to get him out of it and he couldn't help but admit to himself that he did start to like her, somewhere down the line. Deciding this was all too much to think about, he sighed and rested his head on hers. If this was their last time together, spending it like this and not overthinking it was the best choice.
Feeling the weight of his head on top of hers she blushed and reached for his hand, intertwining their fingers and smiling contently as she felt his fingers locking hers in place. The cool night breeze came over them but it was impossible for her to feel any cold at all, her hand and face were both so hot the breeze only served to calm her down a bit. They were close, closer than ever and she never wanted the night to end. For once she felt some sort of order in her jumbled mind and felt peace knowing that seeing him again was a long shot but at least they got to spend their last moments in that world so close to each other's hearts.
"This is nice…"
"Yeah…"
"Hey, it's kind of cold out, no?" She felt no cold whatsoever but still, she tested his intuition.
"I guess…You…wanna head back?" He answered even though he was perfectly fine, temperature-wise.
"Hell no, It'd just be nice to be a little warmer but… I'd hate it if we had to leave" She went for the kill, hoping he might bite the bait.
"Uhm…I dunno"
"Ugh, Alright, first lesson: if you wanna woo this girl, Denji…read the atmosphere."
"Sorry…I'm… not too good with girls"
"Don't worry I'll help you sweetie so…if a girl is cold, hot, or uncomfortable in any way…It's only natural for a man to be there and take care of that right?"
"Yeah, I guess that makes sense but I don't got a jacket"
"What do you have that's warm then…?"
"..." Denji looked around his person and tugged at his clothes to search for a kind of clue feeling a lightbulb pop up in his head as he patted down his chest.
"...uh huh?"
"Ohhhhhhhh…shit sorry um this is all super new to me so… I should do something to help you warm up?"
"Just make some room will ya? I'm coming in!" Turning over on her hands and feet, she tapped on his legs to get him to open them up and climbed in between them once he did. She shot Denji a sly smile before getting right up to his face.
"Bingo." tapping on his lips with her index finger she continued.
"So, were you mad about me stealing that kiss earlier?"
"I…c-can't say it sucked…That was like my first kiss…and it was nice too…" Feeling flustered he scratched the back of his head and looked away as she gasped and sat back over her folded legs.
"No way! That was your first!?"
"Y-yeah"
"Awe shucks…Am I kind of a bad girl then?" she pouted feeling a little guilty for stealing his first just like that.
"No, no! I liked it really! Thanks!"
"Hehehe that's good…you know, for a brick you find weird ways to make a girl smile"
"Thanks?...I-I guess"
"Don't mention it tiger, so… I know you're like super into this girl but…I have a proposition"
"Yeah?"
Placing her hand on his chest, she leaned into him and only stopped, a few inches from his lips.
"If you come back, we can continue from there if you want, sounds good?"
"Uh…y-yeah!" Denji responded automatically as his brain tried to wrap itself around her assault on his senses, her breath was warm and her big, pink eyes bore holes into his own.
"Hehehe that's good~" turning her head to the side, she kissed his cheek and turned around to lie against him with her back turned.
"Just don't forget that and make sure this isn't the last time we see each other ok?…" Playfully punching his chest behind her, she stared at the calming waves of the lake before them as she began to feel something heavy well up in her chest.
"Y-yes ma'am" Denji felt kind of conflicted, but he knew he definitely wanted to see her again, and the prospect of getting another kiss was way too tempting. Who would've thought a green girl from another planet would be his first kiss and not Makima…He felt kind of like a failure to not fully hold out but he just couldn't shake the grin off his face because…it was so nice.
"Hmm…that's good…i'm cold again though"
Now armed with knowledge, he understood the task at hand and wrapped his arms around her as she shifted to her side and snuggled against his chest with a look of satisfaction on her face. Feeling peace for the moment, she was just happy they got to spend their last night together like this and with a promise to meet again in the future and possibly pursue more…
"You're learning." She teased as she peacefully closed her eyes and felt a sense of tiredness coming in.
"I ain't that dumb..."
"Guess not, you're a pretty good thief too"
"Huh?"
"Nevermind~"
Stroking her short hair, Denji just smiled and decided to not pry into her tricky words. He just wanted to enjoy this moment as it would be their last at least for some time and right now there was no better way he could come up with.
Eventually, sleep overtook them as Cheelai was already fast asleep in his arms and he was already feeling drowsy himself. Carefully scooting closer to the tree behind them, he dozed off while resting against it, holding her in his arms as the stars kept dancing about into the night. If you'd ask Denji, this was a pretty big upgrade from sleeping on some moldy old mattress.
Back in Tokyo…
It was the usual morning in the Hayakawa residence as Denji and Aki were getting ready to start the day at a more leisurely pace. Due to their exemplary results during the attack and surviving what was supposed to be a complete wipeout of Special Division 4, they were given a break from patrolling for a couple of days until Makima and the agency got their next course of action in order. Denji was lounging around drawing circles on the table with his finger and Aki was at the balcony with a cigarette and a newspaper. Power was doing her hair in the bathroom and was currently on her second day of ignoring and being extra nasty to Denji.
"Yo Aki, what's the plan? Any hit on the dudes that attacked us?"
"Nothing at all, but never mind that... What's up with you and Power?"
"...What do ya mean?"
"She's been avoiding you all day today, again, and usually she's stuck to you like glue"
"I dunno, she's weird all the time anyways, right? Probably some girl-devil stuff"
"Hmmm, whatever the case, I hope you both can behave, Himeno is coming over for breakfast"
"Wow, she told me we could eat at her place"
"We both know she's not gonna stand cooking for 4 people on an almost daily basis"
"Ha!"
Hearing the slam of the bathroom door, Denji groaned as he turned towards the open sliding door to look at the morning skyline and avoid all eye contact with his tormentor.
"...Is breakfast ready yet?" The fiend broke the silence with a question as she sat across Denji, petting Nyako.
"Nah, we're waiting on Miss Himeno" Denji answered, not breaking his gaze from the buildings spanning the city.
"The Harlot?"
"Our Senior, yeah"
"Fine." Leaning forward on the table, she looked over at Denji and couldn't help but feel a certain sense of hurt as his expression had changed completely. He just didn't want to deal with her at all. He would usually be annoyed whenever she did as she pleased but he would usually either tease her incessantly or just spoil her as a joke. He wasn't even looking her in the eye recently and she hated that.
Knock Knock
A knock on the door alerted everyone to a new arrival as Power hummed and turned back into staring out of the glass door once she picked up whose scent that was.
"Topknot, your lover is here."
"Shut up. Coming!" Stepping in, Aki made his way to the door and let his partner in.
"Hey guys, what's up?"
"Not much senpai~" shooting her a peace sign, Denji grinned and turned around to face the table, knowing breakfast was now a certainty.
"She's here Aki, so hurry with the grub!"
"Sounds to me like Power is getting all the meat again"
"Fine, pleaseeee?"
"Much better."
"Disregard him! Relinquish the protein!"
"Hehehe aren't you the best dad ever!" Teasing him, Himeno hugged Aki while laughing along the banter as he just looked to the side annoyed.
"Just don't turn out like them, please, two insane people are enough to deal with"
"Hrm, no promises." With a grumble at his dry response, Himeno left a bag of groceries at the counter and pranced over to where Denji was sitting, lightly kicking him on the side.
"Give your senior some space."
"Aye aye…" With a toothy grin, Denji scooted over as Himeno plopped down next to him and immediately hugged him.
"So how are my cute little juniors today~?"
"There she goes with the huggy stuff~" Making a joking face of disgust, Denji retorted by gently pushing her off as she just pouted and pounced again once he was distracted.
"We're fine." Power grumbled as she once again grew annoyed at her predictable antics. She would try hard to garner Aki's affection, and whenever that fails, she's immediately all over Denji searching for more affection. His being a dunce doesn't help as he seems to think it's just friendly banter but the fiend caught his glances whenever her chest came in contact with him, plus the red tint in his cheeks says it all. He was weak to her and she was either enticing him on purpose or that's just how she was.
"Careful, She's dangerous when she's getting all clingy" Aki interrupted as he began to set various plates at the counter.
"I'll give you extra slices of ham if you help set these at the Table, Power."
"I'll collaborate! But only because of the meat! Be grateful" Begrudgingly, She got up and started clumsily picking up the plates.
"Thank you, miss president." With an amused look, Aki just chuckled to himself. She was too easy to convince.
Setting the plates down one by one she couldn't stop eyeing at the pair chatting away at the other side of the table. It really got under her skin how comfortable the two have become around each other.
Once she got to Denji, Power bent over exceptionally far in order to let her shirt hang a little more and looked over at Denji only to find him drooling over his plate, not paying any mind to the view she offered drawing a growl in frustration as she found him, once again, resisting her charms.
"Grrr" Deciding to ignore it for now, she looked over at Himeno who was staring straight at her which prompted her to quickly get up and walk over to her side at the table in a dismissive manner, hoping the older hunter wouldn't notice her attempts.
Himeno had caught on to the fact that Power was a lot more distant towards Denji during her most recent visits but if the fiend thought her repeated glances at the boy were left unnoticed she was sorely mistaken. And she was convinced the blood fiend was definitely trying to get Denji's attention with that last stunt. Once again she was intrigued by their relationship. Power was much less close to Denji than she used to be but she was acting like a tsundere still trying to get the attention of the boy she liked. If what she thinks is true, then this would make her alliance with Denji a bit more complicated as now as she was thinking up a way to set Denji up with Makima, Power was showing signs of being into him, though Denji seemed either oblivious or uninterested.
Power was a cute girl but she was still, essentially a devil. She didn't even think devils could show any sort of affection towards humans, let alone to act like a teenage girl with a crush. This was very interesting indeed.
"Yo, earth to Himeno" Denji waved his hand in front of her face as she blinked back to reality.
"Oh! Sorry guys lost in thought"
"I see that, So what do you figure is gonna be our next move once we zero in on this terrorist group led by that sword devil?" Aki inquired, now sitting at the table with the rest.
"Hmm…dunno, seems to me like it'd be a waste to mobilize all of Public Safety, Tokyo would be in flames by the time we manage a successful raid of whatever base they may have if they even have any"
"Well, the dudes were talking through walkie-talkies…"
"-So these fools must have a common place of meeting where we might strike"
"Makes sense." Aki leaned into the table and rested his chin on the back of his hand as he pondered on the little information that was fed to them by the higher-ups.
"Kinda feels like we're just foot soldiers waiting to get sent out to war huh?" Himeno added now relaxing after finishing her plate, supporting an arm on Denji's shoulder.
"Buuut, Denji here can just protect us again riiight?" Turning to her junior she pinched and pulled at his cheek while grinning at his uncharacteristically shy reaction.
"Uhhh, yeah, you bet!"
Turning her eye back to Power, she confirmed her initial suspicions as she caught some hateful glances being directed at them. She WAS into him and it was bad so this was not something they could ignore as it could mean a wrench might be thrown in their plan. Turning to Denji's ear she whispered.
"Hey, emergency meeting after this."
"Hmm? Why you whispering?"
"'Cause it's about our alliance stupid!"
"Ohhh, alright!"
"So now you two are keeping secrets?" Power chimed in as she stared on, arms crossed.
"Oh! Hehehe…nahhhh I was just telling Denji I needed to pick something up at the store so I'll leave after staying a little while, it's pretty important"
"Hmm…" Doubtful, the fiend continued eating her portions as Aki sat up and walked towards the sliding door.
"Wanna grab a smoke?"
"Ugh, took ya long enough!" Immediately parting from Denji, she hopped up and walked behind Aki to the balcony.
Denji shot her a thumbs up as Himeno made grabby hands near Aki's buttocks and snickered towards him.
"Heh! Go get 'em tiger" He mumbled to himself as he took the last swig of juice and leaned back to let his gut extend forward.
"Ah, man that hit the spot."
"I suppose it was a tasty meal." Now left together, Power dragged her fork around the plate as an awkward silence beset the room. She wanted to focus on something, anything that allowed her to not look at Denji. She felt a deep weight around her stomach as she struggled to process her own emotions.
"So, Power, now's a good time to talk?"
"...?" looking up, she gazed at Denji from between her long locks. "What do you mean?"
"Ever since what happened that night…you've been acting weird and it's been getting on my nerves."
"Explain."
"Yeah well, I get that you're mad that um…we didn't…you know bump uglies but it's been 2 days now and you're STILL gonna be weird about it?"
"Don't be a dunce Denji, I may be a devil but I am also a woman while in this body. Do you have any idea what it's like for someone like me to be rejected after all that effort?"
"..."
"It's embarrassing and disgraceful…"
"Yeah, well, you know…who I'm focused on right now"
"Yes, Yes, Makima." looking back down to her plate she sported a dejected look as she kept playing with the small scraps left on the plate.
"Look, I'm not gonna say I didn't want any of it…cause" Remembering the words of a certain green alien after his first kiss, Denji closed his eyes and pondered once more on a man's job concerning a woman who was in distress. He had to do something or he was never gonna be the type of man a girl like Makima would admire.
"You were kinda nice looking and like real womanly…I never really saw you like that until then"
"..." Looking back up at him, Power slowly felt a small flicker of light come up within her thoughts as she expectantly looked on.
"So… I dunno what to do with that, there's a whole bunch of junk in my head right now cause I got something I really wanna accomplish but…I'm still a guy dammit! so just take it easy on a dude okay?" Biting his thumb, he let his sight trail off to nowhere, anywhere but her face. He didn't know if he had it in him to say all that looking at the girl in the face.
"Hup!" Hearing soft footsteps approaching, he looked up to see Power standing over him. With a quick look to the outside to check on the two seniors smoking along, she made sure they weren't paying any attention to them as she lowered onto her knees next to Denji and firmly placed her hand on his shoulder.
"So…If you were truly moved as a male with my charms…Prove it."
Seeing the look of determination on her face, Denji, once again, understood he was cornered and had to make a quick decision. With a nervous gulp of air, he begged the Makima above for forgiveness and placed a hand under the fiend's chin, earning him the gift of a small, surprised squeak from her.
"I'm doing this so you quit sulkin' around y'hear?" Earning a small nod from her, in response, he leaned in, planting his lips firmly on hers, feeling a little bit proud as he could feel her melt under his palm. Her breaths were hot and her lips quivered as it was evident she was not prepared in the slightest. Denji kind of liked the feeling of her lips, they were soft and bouncy as he nipped at them. Her attitude did a complete 180 as she would respond to every little movement almost as if on instinct, opening and pursing her lips whenever he made the slightest movements. This was the first kiss Denji had initiated and he was glad this time it was on his terms. Breaking off from their little mouth dance, he eyed the two seniors just as Himeno was angrily holding Aki in a headlock. Seems like she wasn't having much luck getting to Top-knot's heart. Denji just chuckled in relief that they weren't being watched and playfully tapped Power's cheek with his palm.
"There, now you can't be having an attitude 'round me again"
"I s-suppose…"
"Wow, let me take this in, The great Power can't say anything back huuuuuh?"
"B-be quiet, you insolent..." Leaning into him, she once again reclaimed her spot, snaked around his arm, and lay there in complete bliss as the seniors walked in.
"You need to stop being so violent, Himeno!"
"Well, you need to get your head out of the clouds!...oh?" Himeno turned to the two as Power was currently giving her a cheeky grin and Denji was just nervously scratching the back of his head.
"So I take it you two finally made up huh?" Noted the nonchalant Hayakawa as he put his pack of cigarettes away and walked to the kitchen to clean up.
"Well, don't you two look so cute! Denji's become a real ladies' man huh?"
"Shut it." Denji snapped back as he shot her a snarky grin.
"He is simply a very convenient piece of furniture and I have every right to lay on whatever I please!" Declared the fiend as she further wrapped her arms tighter around the teen.
"Uh huh…Well, can I borrow him for a bit? Important business."
"Huh?"
"Don't rope Denji into your bad habits like you did me." Aki ruffled Denji's hair as he walked past them and sat back down to go over the copies of the report they'd received after the attack.
"Don't drink anything and definitely don't smoke anything" he added as he sipped a cup of coffee and continued scanning the papers in front of them.
"I'll have you know I respect the age gap and would never do that to him"
"We're not the same age either."
"Nevermind that, listen Powie dear? I promise he'll come back with not even a hint of cigs on him okay?"
"Very well, I will allow him to accompany you, I trust you'll keep your wits about you" She smacked Denji's back and released him.
"Sure, I guess, Let's go senpaiii~" Denji teasingly reported himself to his senior as she hooked her arm around his own and dragged him out the door.
"I'll have him walk me home, you know, just in case so this is goodbye from me!"
"I have already sent you off."
"Have a safe trip home." Aki waved as she blew him a kiss which he smiled at before quickly going back to his reading.
Surprised, Himeno turned back to Denji's ear, whispering "You see that? I got a smirk! Progress~"
"Oh wow. When're the kids coming?"
"Shut up." Closing the door behind them they quickly made their way to a nearby park and admired the setting sun, sitting peacefully on a bench near a walkway.
"You getting all clingy already got me smelling…so much for that crap" Denji smelled his shirt where her arm rested before and caught the faint smell of smoke, causing him to gag a bit.
"Don't complain, your cute senior hugging you should be considered a blessing"
"You really should drop that, Miss"
"Someday I will, and I told you, just Himeno's fine, we made out already so we're way past honorifics"
"Heh! Don't remind me, you got me all puked and beer'd up!"
"I said sorry! What more do you want?...a do-over?~" Himeno pounced on him, playfully rubbing his head with her fist and making kiss sounds.
"Aghh stop! You wanted to talk about something right? Spill it or I'm leaving!"
"Alright, alright so… You realize Power's kinda into you right?"
"Yeah."
"Well- oh!? Oh wow, you caught on already, huh?"
"Yeah…Some…things happened and it's kinda hard to ignore it after that"
"So? What are you gonna do about it and…things? Spill~"
"I dunno, I'm still all in on Miss Makima don't get me wrong, but it got dangerous."
"Okay! Now you have to tell me…"
"Alright but you can't say anything about it, I'm serious"
"Lips sealed."
"Well, a few nights back she walked up to me and was pretty obvious about it… Long story short I ended up on my back with her on top of me but I didn't wanna keep going…so…that's why she was pissed these days, but we talked it out"
"Wow, I didn't know devils even had that kind of thing going on, and with a human? That's definitely a new one"
"Yup. But I don't really care about who or what she is. Listen, I think she's really cute and all but I made my mind up y'know?"
"So, what if she tries something else? You confident enough to resist her then? If you do, she'll get mad again…"
"We had a good talk, so I figure it'll be alright for a while" Denji's seemingly naive confidence shone through as she fixed her gaze on him with a tinge of doubt.
"Wellp!...If you say so." Fortunately for Denji's lack of explanation skills, Himeno chose to follow the same nonchalant route and just trust that it's all going "smooth enough".
"Oh! And by the way…" Denji turned to his senior and gave her a smug grin.
"Sup?" Himeno faced him and mimicked his stance with a cheeky grin of her own.
"I'm pretty sure I got a date with Makima coming up~"
"Huh? No way! How'd you manage that?" Surprised, she grabbed his shoulders and shook him as he cackled.
"Gyahaha! Well if you must know…remember that time she wanted to talk to me after sending you guys off?"
"Yeah?" Crossing her arms, she began to pay full attention to his story.
"Well, I didn't get home until super late 'cause she wanted to talk to me about some stuff, and after all that i told her how i felt and she said when her day off comes around we can go to the movies"
"Holy shit, Denji, that's big! You know she's like a big deal in Public Safety right? You gotta have some crazy lip service to land a date with her"
"Hehehe well, what can I say? This guy right here pulled it off"
"Nah, I don't believe you, Makima is… no offense Denji, but she seems like she's all about work and like...no one could ever really see her like dating y'know? I was surprised she even came to the party back then…People rarely even see her outside of her office"
"I barely believe it myself and as I told ya, it doesn't matter what she's like, I'm all in"
"Not just you…" facing forward again, She leaned against the armrest and let out a big sigh.
"Whaddya mean?"
"Ugh, Aki's head over heels for her too and it's so annoying! Like I'm RIGHT here stupid!"
"Oh um…that's rough" Looking away Denji tried his best to hide the fact that he knew exactly why that was the case. He never stopped to think about how Makima's nature made Himeno's situation much more complicated. He'd have to talk to his potential future wife about that.
"Yeah, it's like he's under a spell or something, you know?"
"Y-yeah…"
"Well, at least one of us is getting ahead. Go get 'em, tiger"
"Hehehe…"
"What's so funny?"
"Nah, you just reminded me of someone…"
"Then that person must be truly lovely like yours truly!" Himeno went right back into her bubbly, clingy self and hugged Denji again as he just laughed it off and patted her back.
"Chill out, people are gonna think we're like a couple or something"
"Ehhhhh~? What's so bad about seeming like a heartthrob huh? You landed a date with Makima and you're so close to your cute senior. Isn't that great~?"
"Shut up~" Denji pushed her off as she pouted and went for another cigarette.
"Geez, well, I guess no one really wants to be around me then…" Himeno sulked and slid off him as she immediately looked for a pack of cigarettes.
"Whoa whoa whoa, where'd that come from?" Reaching to stop her hand, Denji faced her and answered her gaze of annoyance with a serious look of his own.
"Denji stop, what are you-" Trying to shake her arm off she found herself in a fruitless effort as it felt like her arm was stuck in a vice.
"Himeno." Eyeing her down, he sat back as she settled down and kept her eyes on him looking startled.
"Sorry, but just…I think it's just kind of a dumb thing to say."
"Ugh, please spare me, you don't know what the shit I've been through is like" Now with an annoyed look she went back to her carton until she found it was gone and already in Denji's hand. With a scoff, she just turned away from him and looked off in the opposite direction in silence"
"Both my parents are dead, I was eating out of dumpsters, was beaten by the Yakuza and my only friend was a Devil. I was the shit stain of society right up until a few days before we met. I guarantee you my life's been plenty shitty. Enough to hear you out at least"
"..." Feeling like a piece of shit herself now, she just looked on and couldn't bring herself to face him.
"Look, all I can say is you're stupid if you think no one wants to be around you, you're one of my first friends since I got to Public Safety and after all the shit that's happened, here we are, sitting on a bench together in the middle of the day like some sappy couple of idiots. I'm pretty cool with that so take it or leave it!"
"...Dumbass" With a small smile, she lightly kicked him, still not facing him as she gathered the courage to open her heart even if just a little to him.
"...I've lost all of my partners up until I got paired up with Aki. I even got into a relationship of sorts with some of them, never too serious 'cause you never know when a devil will get ya…" She continued, now reminiscing on the heavy set days of her lonely career as a Devil Hunter.
"..." Paying close attention to her, Denji sat back as the weighty explanation carried on.
"...so every time I start getting attached, they're gone… and I've been trying to get Aki to quit but no chance, he wants that Gun Devil dead and he has to be the one to do it"
"...That's why you wanna be so close to him?"
"You know I like him too, I always had this idea that we could quit together and just live a boring, safe life somewhere else where there isn't so much shit going on…"
"Yeah…I get you but that bastard's not gonna budge"
"I know that… heh, you know we had a fling once and he doesn't ever want to talk about it, That shit hurts you know?"
"Yeah…" looking up at the sky, Denji was reminded of all the things he went through before coming back and something clicked in his head.
"Mhm…"
"You know, The world's pretty big, just cause one guy ain't giving it up doesn't mean you ain't gettin' lucky down the line"
"Look at you being all philosophical..." Playfully bumping elbows with him, she smiled to herself and looked up at the sky as well.
"Still, people around me either die or are just…not interested. Sometimes I wonder if there's just a dark cloud over my head and I'm just cursed…" She ruminated on her mishaps before realizing how much of this was super personal stuff.
"Shit, I'm sorry Denji, I don't wanna drag you down like this, I just wanted to talk about your game plan"
"No prob…hell, if it means anything, Dude's an idiot for not seeing how lucky he could be landing a girl like ya"
Turning to face him, she smiled and felt her eyes water up so quickly, the senior decided to look up at the sky and keep her moistened eyes away from his sight.
"Makima too."
"Heh, thanks…not giving back the smokes tho"
"Ehhh~? Fine…I don't think I need one now, anyways…Don't smoke em tho. The last thing I need is Aki seeing me as an even more irresponsible adult"
"That shit reeks so don't worry about that"
"So, You think I reek?" Himeno pulled a pout from the deep confines of her teenage years
"Don't come at me with those tricky, girl questions!" Getting up, Denji stretched out his arms and turned back to her.
"Well, sometimes you do, but who cares…I should be heading back now. You ain't sticking around?"
"Nah, I'm heading off to visit Kobeni, I hear she might quit and we need all the help we can get even with you around, Mr. Macho" She responded, as she got up and stretched right after Denji.
Denji gulped as he watched her figure bend and twist along with her groans. Her sizable chest energetically bumped into his field of view as she arched her back and her casual tee got dragged up with it revealing her pale skin underneath. Her shapely thighs glistened under the sun as her legs stiffened and loosened during her stretch. Denji had forgotten he almost graduated with a woman like that and was repeatedly kicking himself in his head for not getting to, despite his resolve to save himself for Makima.
His train of thought, however, was halted as an arm hooked around him and a bubbly Himeno once again chimed in, bringing him back into reality.
"Hey there, wanna pop those eyes back into your skull?" Seeing her cheeky grin he sighed as he facepalmed
"S-Sorry…it's just"
"Relaaax, I won't tell Makima if that's what you're worried about and…" Giving him a peck on the cheek, she leaned into his ear.
"Take this and me not getting mad as a 'thank you'…"
Pushing off a dumbfounded Denji she walked off in the opposite direction waving to the astonished blond behind her.
"See ya Denji! Say goodbye to the others for me!"
"U-uh y-yeah sure'' Okay, now he was freaking out a little bit. It seems like after coming back, his luck with girls has been off the charts and it was wrecking his brain. Never the pessimist though, he quickly brushed it off, reasoning it to maybe this just being his popular phase and if it worked with Makima, then it's by all accounts an amazing gift from the gods he would not squander.
"Things are looking up Denji.." Mused the teen as he walked back to his apartment.
After picking up some snacks, Denji turned the corner and found himself with a view that stopped his heart just like the first time he laid eyes on her.
In front of the apartment building Aki lived in were two cars in waiting and he could see a flash of red in the back of one of them.
"Miss Makima?"
Denji walked up to the car and waved at the group as the hunter currently driving her immediately tensed up. With a small smile, she put a hand on his shoulder to ease the agent down.
"He's one of the ones we're picking up."
"Right Miss, apologies"
Lowering the window, she waved at Denji, prompting him to walk around towards the back of the car.
"Hey, what's up Miss?" Denji saluted as she smiled back at him while rolling down the window.
"I'm fine dear, it's been a while no?"
"Yeah, it's been!"
"I called Aki in advance to let him know we were gonna pick the three of you up for a quick meeting but I heard you were off somewhere with Miss Himeno"
"Oh, uh yeah we were talking about some stuff but can you give me a sec to grab my uniform?"
"Sure. But be quick about it, please"
"O-Of course!" Running back towards the building he crossed back with a nervous power as Aki was escorting her down. After getting scolded by Aki for taking too long and not being ready he changed and hurried back down.
Finding Aki already sitting in the car with Makima, Denji sighed and walked back to the second car to sit alongside Power but at least he felt some satisfaction from having her cling to him the whole ride.
On the ride back to Tokyo headquarters, an awkward silence befell the car where Aki and Makima were riding. As her eyes focused on the passing buildings and crowds, Aki nervously searched his mind for an excuse to initiate conversation.
"Denji's an interesting one no?" She broke the silence first, as a smile on her captivating face was evident from the window's reflection.
"I Suppose Miss…" Eyeing the driver and looking back at Makima, he decided to press the issue that was on his mind ever since she handed Denji over to him.
"I still wonder how anything about him can make sense" Aki added, hoping this might trigger her to say something, anything about her strange interest in Denji.
"Unfortunately, that is classified information, but I believe he's proven useful in a pinch. Do you happen to have any complaints?"
"Outside of his manners, none at all Miss, I was just curious, his situation isn't exactly something you see every day"
"Which is why it's better we have him working for us. He's pretty content with your group so I suspect he will continue to abide by our rules and be a good asset"
"You have a point." Looking down at the floor of the car, Aki pondered on the recent experiences with Denji in the group. His wild personality really did change things up and he found himself finding new situations to maneuver around each day and with the inclusion of Power, it was even worse. Regardless, a part of him didn't really seem to mind the two brats and Denji, to Makima's credit, has been increasingly more impressive in his showings as they'd likely be in an entirely different situation as a group if it weren't for his intervention during the terrorist attacks.
"I will be honest Aki, dropping the whole corporate speak I can't help but be anxious to see what more he can bring to Public Safety and the betterment of mankind"
As he turned to her he saw her eyes reflected a certain content and wonder that slowly caused a heavy weight to grow in his chest. Makima seemed really fixated around Denji and that much was obvious as she seemed to be more present than usual around them now that she's been appointed as the new director of Special Division 4. It wasn't all that weird for him to get calls during the day to fill him in on the current state of affairs as it came to the investigation of this group and they would almost always culminate in her asking about Denji and his well-being in his apartment.
His strength was an obvious asset, he seemed impervious to regular gunfire, could move several meters in the blink of an eye, and terminate highly ranked devils like it was a training exercise. That much was at least useful if he wanted to face the gun devil. His feelings for Makima aside, having Denji around was a clear advantage in their inevitable faceoff against the bastard that killed his family.
"Me too, ma'am"
After arriving at her office, Makima filled the group in on their newly acquired knowledge of the location of the terrorists' base of operations. A huge building controlled by the Yakuza, that was usually used for housing several money laundering efforts.
"As per the accounts of the agent you captured and our analysis of the recent movements of the Yakuza this is very likely the place where they will be planning their next attack but please be advised…If this group is that closely tied to the Gun Devil they will likely be armed with more than firearms but parts of its flesh as well. The yakuza are not strangers to the idea of employing fiends or setting up contracts to do their dirty work"
"So we just gotta storm 'em and murderize 'em?"
"More or less."
"Piece of cake!"
"Maybe for you Denji, and I'm glad you brought it up…" Walking up to a nervous Power, Makima reached for the fiend's ill-tucked shirt and crumpled tie and fixed both articles before turning to Denji.
"I've set your partner up for some training with our current strongest hunter, Kishibe. He can be a bit wild with his training and I personally can't dictate his methods so please accompany her because while you and Aki have proven to be quite formidable, Power is a recent employee and it would be best if she got the chance to further hone her skills, isn't that right, Power?"
"Y-y-yes!" Standing at attention, The fiend gulped down as she felt Makima's gaze almost weigh her down.
"Good." With an unassuming smile, she clasped her hands behind her in her usual business stance and turned to Denji.
"I will escort you two there right now, Aki, please relay these papers to Himeno and have her brief Kobeni."
"Yes, ma'am"
As they arrived at a particular cemetery, An imposing figure could be seen looming over the landscape from afar. The trio walked alongside a simplistic dirt path as Denji squinted trying to focus on the figure coming up.
"Is that dude the trainer?"
"Correct, that is Kishibe, in all of Public Safety, he currently has the best track record as a hunter. His skills are unparalleled and while he is a strange one in many senses, he's been a reliable mentor and teacher to our best and most lethal"
"Hmm? Oh if it isn't the great Miss Makima with two new pups…" The man turned as he scanned the two figures walking behind Makima, one with a pretty confident strut and the other with the swagger of a defiant miscreant. He breathed in as some form of excitement rattled in his bones.
"These are the two rookies you were raving about?"
"Precisely, I-"
"Yeah, whatever, leave now, I have a lot of work to do to shape up these two punks…or at least one of 'em"
"...Right, I'll see you two as the training progresses" Walking past Denji, she grabbed his arm and shot a playful glance at him.
"If he sets his eye on you, just take it easy" With a quick wink she continued on her way back.
"Will do…" Looking back at the woman of his dreams he could only give off a big sigh as she walked off. Noticing a certain looming presence getting closer and closer, Denji turned to find Kishibe just mere inches from him.
"Nice, kid, I Guess Makima wasn't talking out of her ass"
"She never does."
"Hmm…That's more true than you might realize" Turning to Power, Kishibe pulled out his knife and extended both his arms.
"Tell me, fiend, whose side are you really on?"
"Such a mundane matter, human. Whatever side keeps a steady supply of blood for me!"
"What do you think of your comrades dying?"
"They're dead, 'tis life for humans"
"Hmm... nice, full marks young lady…now"
Keeping his completely open stance he motioned for Power "Have at me, the training begins now. If you can knock this knife out of my hand, you'll be a certified badass and you've accomplished enough for me to submit a satisfactory report and get the big wigs off my back. Sounds good?"
"Hmm…A simple matter"
"Wouldn't say that Power…Keep your wits about ya, that geezer's pretty top-notch compared to the others" Denji chimes in as he sat leaning against one of the cross-shaped tombstones.
"You won't fight alongside me?..." With a look of slight disappointment, the fiend pouted for a moment before masking it behind a defiant look.
"Not this time, This is to help you get better so I think I'm just here to support ya"
"Listen to the kid, fiend, lesson number one is never underestimate your opponent. The beasts we hunt always do that and that's why I never lose and am now the strongest"
"Hmp! We'll see about tha-'' Stopping in her tracks, She looked down to see a knife firmly planted through her chest.
"H-how, such speed"
"Lesson #2, Don't just stand there when you're about to be attacked, always stay on guard"
"HEY! Take it easy!" Denji growled as he quickly shot up to his feet and the ground quaked beneath him.
"Whoa. Relax kid, it's not like she's gonna die and…" Opening his trenchcoat, the man revealed several bags of blood.
"I'm sure you're aware of her healing properties as a fiend"
"B-b-blood!" She yelped as he pulled the knife out and watched her fall to her knees
"Alright drink up" Pouring the contents of the bag into her agape mouth, he watched her drink up the scarlet liquid, causing her gaping wound to close up and heal.
"-So I'd appreciate it if you stick to observing her progress. Don't question my methods, in the end, this will all serve to make her stronger.
"Ugh…" Looking at Power who brushed off the dust from her pants and summoned a bloody axe, he contemplated the defiant and determined look on her face.
"I want to be a good partner for him. Do what you must, geezer. Don't complain if I slit your throat"
"You're a weird little Devil" As he lounged again at her, the two commenced their series of small scuffles though in the end, Power was absolutely outclassed and butchered again and again, much to Denji's dismay. But as a Devil, as long as she could drink the delicious blood the man carried, she had no issues getting back up and going at it until exhaustion gave way to her falling flat on her back later into the night.
"I believe that's enough for now. I'll be stopping by your home in two days, be ready." Turning to Denji, Kishibe shot him a suspicious look before turning back and walking towards the car ready to pick him up.
Picking up her jacket, Denji walked towards the drained fiend as she breathed heavily, her hot breaths almost visible in the cold night breeze, her body sprawled across the ground and her own blood splattered all over her tattered clothes. Squatting next to her, Denji poked her cheek, prompting her to turn and look at him with a blank expression.
"...Was I victorious?"
"Don't think so, buddy."
"Rats, I swear I will murder that crazy old man"
"Yeah well, looks like you're going to have to take a few more beatings before that's possible, come on…" scooping her off the ground, he looked down at her. Her cheeks slightly reddened and her hand held onto his shirt. She was suddenly so cute he had a hard time holding back a smile.
"Let's go back home"
"I'm too tired, so be useful and take me the whole way there" She hummed as she was actually enjoying being doted on by her buddy.
"Yes, princess."
"I prefer 'President' "
"Whatever." Scoffing at her correction, he walked along the road with a fiend in tow before looking around the empty countryside and getting an idea.
"Wanna see something cool?"
"Hmm?"
"Don't tell anyone about what I'm about to do. Seriously."
"Hmm, perhaps." Putting a finger to her lips, she once again gave him a look that made him feel a little uneasy. If her eyes could speak they'd be saying she wanted to eat him up right then and there.
"Maybe my silence has a price?" Power smirked as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Power~" Denji groaned as she smirked even harder.
"Show me!" She kicked her legs and smacked her fists against his chest in a tantrum, demanding his compliance.
"Okay! Okay! In exchange for what?"
"Another one!"
"Another what?" Denji looked down at her, genuinely confused.
"..." Placing a finger on her lips she looked up at Denji, a strange glint in her eyes catching his attention. Maybe this was going to be a bit more complicated than he thought. The devil girl always was a glutton.
"Agh… You really want to make this hard for me huh?"
"Oi! We're buddies you peasant! We take care of each other no? And you'll have my word!"
"Fine…but when we get back." Keeping in mind the info dump he got from Pochita, he knew that it was very likely that Makima could become aware of whatever they did out in the open and he was not looking forward to having to explain smooching on his buddy before their date even came up.
"Agreed."
With that, the air around them began to flow violently, culminating in a vortex around Denji's feet as he smirked at her panicked expression.
"What is this?!"
"Hang tight!" Launching himself forward, the ground faded down into the distance as the pair went airborne with Power freaking out over the view and snaking her way onto his back to ride him like a magic broom.
"Oi I ain't a taxi!" he jokingly complained as she straddled him and brushed her long bangs out of her face.
"Most splendid!" Feeling like a little girl at an amusement park she cackled and laughed into the wind as they zipped past buildings one after another until the view became more and more familiar.
"We're close so shut up! I don't want people waking up and seeing us zooming around"
"I, POWER, RULE THE SKIES, BEND THE KNEE YOU FILTHY PEASAN-MFGHSGSH!"
Denji had stopped mid-flight and grabbed his buddy to cover her mouth mid-rant. He wouldn't have her sense of grandeur give him away so he had to do something. She violently gnawed at his hand as he glided along the buildings, until reaching their apartment.
"That's not gonna work, if a bullet ain't breaking my skin you sure as hell aren't" Denji commented as she spit his thumb out of her mouth in annoyance and glared at him as he set her down in front of the door.
"What a troublesome set of features you've got..."
"Yeah, well it's a pretty great thing to have given how insane you are so move it before I regret our little deal" Denji Walked behind her as she darted towards the bathroom to take a bath.
Although surprised that the Poop fiend was now going to bathe herself of her own volition, Denji decided not to comment on her sudden interest in cleanliness and roll with it, it was a lot better than getting into a fist fight over bathing her more than once a week. As he gave himself a good stretch, he groaned to himself while standing on Aki's balcony, contemplating the gentle quiet of the night, looking at the stars as they flickered through the endless black sky.
"I wonder how the guys are doing?…can she see me being a proper man now?" He reminisced about his meeting with his green friend and smiled to himself as the chill of the night somewhat reminded him of their last night together. He missed them all so much but even so, he was happy things were somewhat moving smoothly. He knew something big was coming and that he needed to keep honing his acquired skills to combat it but what comes between his supposed destiny as an envoy of the gods and the life of a public safety hunter he fears is much more complicated than royally kicking ass.
Things continued to brew behind the scenes. Unbeknownst to the group, Hell was howling and the world was turning towards things none of them could predict.