Chapter 06 - DAFFODIL

By heartattak

OP - Another Great Day — LiSA

"So, I'm pretty sure that we've got an EQUINOX that touched down only a few kilometers away from where we are."

Eyes that were colored a cloudy mix of orange and gold peered up from fabrics as the sound of another voice entered the room. These eyes, with faltering vision, belonged to none other than Tengai Raiko, who merely hummed inquisitively at the statement before turning her attention back on what she was doing. Her furrowing brow was because of strain and concentration, but she was far from annoyed to see her visitor. "It should be okay. As long as it's sticking to the seas, we won't have to worry. It gets even a little close to the globe, and we'll have enough to eat for a while."

The chitters of children echoing from the hallways were melodious to her. It elicited a bright sigh from her as their happiness became infectious and put her in an even better mood. It only inspired her to work with more diligence. Winter was harsh around this time, so her biggest focus was making sure that they had clothes that were a little less suffocating than their usual garments but warm enough to sustain them. Today, though? Even with a chance of rain later, it seemed like it was prepped to be a sunny one. Who knew? The weather hadn't been consistent in a very long time. It just did whatever it wanted nowadays. She looked over to give her company attention and pouted playfully as she requested him to come close.

"Uroko, sweetie," Raiko cooed, "Be a dear and lend me some of your hair again? Please~?"

Uroko raised one eyebrow as he walked to the window, cracking it and letting the breeze from outside wash over both him and Raiko. "Oh? Is that time of the day again, huh? Need some more of my hair? Geez, sometimes, I feel like that's the only thing you keep me around for."

"Nonsense, Ucchi-chan," Raiko said defensively. "After all, who else am I going to send out there into the ocean when the kids need a little more food to eat?"

"Conveniently leaving out the part where I also have to fight for my life while doing that, since BLOOM was thorough and filled the ocean with so much hellspawn?" Uroko deadpanned.

"You're a big, robust boy!" Raiko playfully chirped while pulling his cheek as he stepped closer to her. "That's what robust boys are supposed to do! They take charge, make decisions that might be a little scary, but remain unshaken in the wake of it!"

Uroko scoffed. "And mommies?"

Raiko shrugged and took a handful of Uroko's dark blue locks with a quick snip from a pair of rusted scissors. "Well, mommies make sure that robust boys have on a little something to look a little more handsome whilst flexing, don't you know?"

"I guess I'll have to take your word for it."

Raiko playfully smacked his arm, making Uroko yelp dramatically. God, he was such a smartass, but that was allowed for him if she were being honest. While she attended to the needs of the children in their Holiday House, Uroko and a handful of others handled the more laborious necessities needed to keep their place up and running. Nobody else was capable since, well, Yokohama was a city that belonged to the ocean. Much of the city was completely submerged in water or coming close to it. Their place of residence, which used to be a hotel before BLOOM's leviathan wreaked havoc, was one of the few structures still standing proudly. At least, barely.

Raiko beamed at the feeling of the sun shining against her face. It never bothered her since the sun was hardly a nuisance to her one blind eye. If anything, it was comforting. It made finding the right length to cut Uroko's hair a little easier too.

"So, this Equinox. Tell me, was that cause for all the commotion a while ago?" Raiko patted Uroko's shoulder to let him know she had enough for the time being. "The wind was… a little heavier than normal, and I felt the vibrations from here. How close was it?"

Uroko hummed. "Very close. It was… massive. Probably about as large as Mount Fuji. Or well… as large as Mount Fuji was."

Ah. Right. Mount Fuji was now little more than a massive crater. Raiko didn't know what exactly went down there, but the influx of BLOOM activity that was said to be brewing around afterward gave her a good idea. Monuments and any notable locations that she knew as a child were only being subtracted more and more. Even if Raiko was just relieved that BLOOM left her precious children alone, she wasn't so jaded as to not feel an inkling of sadness at how anything worthwhile in this part of the world was being completely undone. Ah, well.

"As for the exact distance," Uroko seemed rather contemplative as he saw close to Raiko. "Well, it was visible. Looked like a giant… flying sea hare, if I had to compare it to something. Not that I don't think the Thunderdome is adequate, but I don't know if it could've withstood a head-on impact—!"

"It could've and it would've," Raiko stated harshly. Uroko cast a cautious eye toward her. "I would've made sure of it."

Uroko chuckled nervously. "Well, I can't say that I don't feel your resolve. I believe you, though. You're one of the strongest girls I've ever known."

Raiko loosened up a little and sighed. She hated when she became that tense. It was simply the idea of not being able to protect them all… it made her a little defensive when she didn't need to be. "You think so? Sometimes, I wonder."

"Yeah?" Uroko spun in his seat, gently placing his hand underneath Raiko's chin so that they were staring eye-to-eye. "Well, stop wondering. Stop second-guessing. Okay? Nothing like what happened before will ever happen again. It won't happen to you, me, or anyone here. You've proved that. So, give me some of that confidence that you had earlier on, please?"

Raiko rolled her eyes, but god, she couldn't stop the massive smile that stretched across her face. What a simp. What a doofus, but she would be the biggest liar alive if she said that she didn't love it. She brought one slender hand to hold his own.

"Those webbed hands of yours always throw me for a loop, you know that?"

Uroko only responded by slapping his free hand on one knee before pulling away to throw up jazz hands. She didn't know whether to put him in a headlock for his dorkiness or wrap him in a hug so tight that he couldn't slip away from her.

"And hey, you had a point a little earlier," Uroko didn't give her a chance to choose as he stood up and gave her a knowing smile. "I kinda wish it came a little closer because that would've saved me the hassle of swimming back and forth for food for once!"

"With these picky eaters?" Raiko reminded Uroko. "Yeah, no, that's a nice pipe dream, sweetie, but I'm glad you're hopeful."

"Mommy, Mommy!" Uroko deadpanned and was about to retort, but the sound of the door opening stopped him in his tracks. A starry-eyed child raced inside and rushed to Raiko, almost knocking over Uroko. "Oh, whoopsie! Sorry, Uro-senpai! But hey, you guys are going to wanna come outside! We have a visitor! A special, special visitor!"

As excited as the child was, both Uroko and Raiko were immediately on high alert. Raiko especially bristled, but she did her best to keep a small smile as she stared down at the child informing of this… unannounced visitor. "Thank you for letting us know, Kana-chan. I'll be down to see our special visitor shortly. In the meantime, make sure that you rally up all the others and get them to their rooms, okay? Safety precautions, you understand, sweetie."

Kana nodded cheerfully, swaying her pink pigtails back and forth before rushing out into the hallway and following Raiko's orders. Raiko looked over to Uroko, who merely nodded before rushing out of the window and propelling himself from the windowsill. A stormy expression overtook Raiko's face, which was hard for her to hide, but she made her best efforts as she quickly sped-walk down the corridor. Even if her field of view wasn't the greatest, she knew every inch and angle of her domain like the back of her hand. Eventually, the corridor led to an elevator. She fluttered her hand over the button powering the lift, and like magic, it was brought to life and opened for her via a spark of energy emerging from her fingertips.

See, the thing about Raiko was that nobody was special enough to show up to the Holiday House unannounced. They had comms systems in place. People knew to give them a heads-up ahead of time if they wanted to do business or exchange goods. Surprise visits? No. They were strictly prohibited. Raiko had to wonder if they had to put up a huge fucking sign that stated such for people to get the idea.

What part of the massive fucking globe made entirely of plasma made people conclude that surprise visitors must be welcomed? The only thing that was remotely special about all of this was the distinctive breed of stupidity that it would take for someone to be bold enough to come near them. Hell, even looking in their direction was a dumb move on their part.

Her feet were restrained by a searing hot rope that blistered her ankles. Bruises across her knuckles from slamming them repeatedly into rock-hard flesh.

Pressure sprawled over her body, making her attempts to escape futile.

Hot, disgusting breath seeped into her ear as she felt her garments torn—

No. Not again. Never again.

Raiko barely heard the decrepit ding from the elevator as the doors opened before her. Spirals of energy danced along her all-white dress and circulated throughout each of her limbs. She counted carefully, one, two, three, each step resembling a thunder's echoing boom within her mind as she reached the exit. She didn't notice her nails digging so violently deep into her palms that blood was drawn. It didn't matter to her. No amount of pain could overshadow the unsettling surge of bloodlust emanating from her. Raiko could feel it poison the already polluted air as she almost pushed the exit door off its hinges.

From above, the mountainous dome flickered and chaotically sparked dangerously. How fitting was it that the weather grew stormy as Raiko pressed one bare foot in the water and used one singular platform to carry herself forward? One, two, three. One, two, three. There are one, two, and three.

And finally, she felt that disturbance. Shimmering energy cloaked her blind eye while the other only peered forward with madness and malice exploding from its gaze. Fumes clouded the air, but it was immediately separated from her every move as she waited for it to clear. Raiko wanted to look at whoever was hidden among the smoke and stand right in their face, just so she could spit in it and skin them alive if they even looked like they were going to retaliate. Oh, how she hoped they'd give her a reason. Maybe she'd take a page out of the FREAKS' book after this.

Yeah. That sounded brilliant—!

"Oh, for fuck's sake! It's you!?"

Raiko's menacing scowl was now a confused one. That was Uroko. But he didn't seem pissed off like she was before. Now, it was more exasperation than anything else. That was… odd? Raiko felt her blood grow a little colder, not out of fear, but more so because her curiosity made it hard for her to remain as pissed off as she previously was. Finally, the fumes slowly dissipated and now, she could see what the fuss was all about.

Oh. Oh wow, if her rage hadn't shrouded away before, it was gone now. Now, there was just excitement. Fondness. Memories. An insatiable need to share affection. So many emotions and bodily responses swarmed Raiko at once, and she couldn't help but feel her ears burn a little in response to it.

"You had us thinking that we had trouble!" Uroko spat. He looked over at Raiko and rolled his eyes. "But whatever, glad you're back and it looks like someone else is too."

"Toodles, my favorite little rainbow fish!" A familiar voice that resembled bells with how each syllable was followed by a single chime. Eyes resembling the sky at dusk looked over to meet Raiko's, and she was greeted with a friendly smirk and a thumbs up. "And hello to you too, my dearest Princess of Yokohama! Long time no see!"

Raiko smiled blissfully.

"It's… nice to see you too, Samejima!"

"Kiddos, kiddettes, and just kids! Welcome back to Wasteland Radio! Accompanying you on this stormy afternoon in New Japan, as always, is me! Mr. Wasteland! Right now, it's looking like the sun won't be jiving with us for whatever's left in the day! Just jet-black skies, heavy rain, and heavily polluted air, so make sure you keep those filtering masks handy! Unless, of course, you want those lungs to shrivel up and fall apart like fried, dried raisins! No news for the time being, but that'll change, eventually! Regardless, what we want to share with you all is a word from both SLUGGERNAUTS' abrasive head honcho and WONDERLAND's wondrous leader! Here 9th Inning and Arcadia to take it all away! The floor is all yours, girls!"

"Yo, yo, yo, it's 9th Inning, digs? In full, address me as just that, ya heard?"

"And I am Arcadia~! Oh, but Ari or Alice are just fine too!"

"And we're here to announce the official alliance between SLUGGERNAUT and WONDERLAND. Two of the biggest groups that have been representin' the epitome of entertainment for a couple of years now, feel me?"

"I feel you, Maiya—""9th Inning, Arcadia! No first names on the air, yo!"

"Oh, oh! Sorry! But I still feel you, 9th Inning~! We've been conducting business positively together for quite a while now! After all, just because times are dire and the future seems dark doesn't mean that we have to hang our heads in despondency! Fun can still be abundant! Pockets of joyous unity can be found if you open your heart and search a little harder! Fortunately, you won't have to search too hard this time though! Months from now, right at the old Jinju Stadium, we'll be hosting a gathering to celebrate our collaboration! Plus, there will be many festivities that people will partake in!"

"We've got a big time Quirked baseball scheduled to take place, fight pits if ya wanna show out and let off some steam, drinks, food, and you'll be able to see performances from yours truly and the SLUGGERNAUT crew, ya heard!?"

"Oh, I heard~! And WONDERLAND will also have a play conducted by our very talented members that you'll definitely won't wanna miss! Plus, we've got an extra hand to bring her creativity to life, if you know what I mean! You'll definitely won't wanna miss it!"

"Yeah, be there or be fucking square.""9th-chan! Language!""Whatever, yo. Anyway, as usual, you're tuned in to Wasteland Radio! The next track was a personal pick from me! So if ya got an ear for some flava, then turn the fucking volume up! Now!"

(Song Title - 証言 by LAMB EYE)

"Sir, I'm sorry, but I'll have to ask that you kindly remove your… Big Willy from the premises. We've got no space to fit that thing. It's too big!"

Nehan couldn't help but be a bit befuddled, though that was mainly clouded by her annoyance as she caught sight of someone that she did not want to see ever again. The tick mark on her forehead was obvious as she stared up at the cockpit of the massive vehicle positioned in front of both her and her broomstick. The grimace on her face only worsened when she saw that serene smile that smugly peered at some workers manning the resort's entrance. Great, just when she reached where she needed to be, he and his crew had to be here as well. The fucking SPARROWS. Or what's left of them. She cried for whoever ruled the skies to give her a fucking break.

"Ah, is that so?" Nehan watched the crimson-haired boy at the forefront of this massive behemoth brush his bangs to the side, showcasing the serene look of his eyes whilst doing so. "Ah, you'll have to forgive me for that! Me and my men and I didn't mean any harm! Mainly, we were just passing through, but I guess we made a wrong turn."

There was another boy with a bleached pompadour positioned next to him, snickering to himself and a few other teens manning several firearms on the vessel. No doubt it was the phrasing of the girl's exasperated request that sent them into hysterics. 'Toddlers,' Nehan mumbled. The red-haired leader turned to give them a pointed look, which made them cease immediately. Well, at least Tsurugi still knew how to control his team, Nehan had to commend him for that.

"You'll have to excuse my men, I'm afraid," And just like that, Tsurugi's smug grin was brought right back once he stared down at the ones overseeing the resort's entrance. "They've been cooped up in our enormous monster here for quite a while! Have gotten little sunlight, and you can guess what that does to a person's head for too long."

"Right," The guard said, annoyed. "I'll still need you to either leave on your own volition or at least—!"

"Excuse me~! What seems to be the problem, everyone!?"

Nehan looked over to see another familiar face, though that was only because she recognized her from Ailurophobia's logs. Banrakuken, that was her name. The supposed founder of this whole place. Nehan eyed her closely as the tall teenager looked over Tsurugi and his group's machine and whistled. "My, oh my, we have a huge one here, don't we!? I'm afraid our gatekeeper is correct, sir, we—oh my goodness, I know you!"

Oh, brother, Tsurugi was about to love this.

Tsurugi feigned being surprised, placing one delicate hand upon his chest and he looked back and forth between his men and back at Banrakuken. "Oh, who?! Me!?"

Banrakuken nodded gracefully. "No need to be so humble, Tsurugi-kun! You're practically a legend around these parts, almost as much as Nyght!"

Nehan's right eye twitched at that statement.

"You're the leader of the Shinsengumi! Only one of the most esteemed rebellions against BLOOM! The ones who went toe-to-toe with The Ender EXILE and survived! Oh, please, I am so sorry for the inconvenience! Your tank will have to be placed elsewhere, but please, come in and enjoy yourselves if needed! Everything's on the house for you!"

"I won't hear it," Tsurugi exclaimed. He waved his hands dismissively, exchanging looks between himself and the boy beside him, who simply nodded and slipped back inside of the vehicle. "An establishment like this? As thoughtful as you all have been, right from the start?! I'd be a fool to not know that my Digi-yen is well spent with such good company!"

A series of noises were started as whirling gears within the tank came to life. Tsurugi descended within the machine and didn't reemerge until a door near the furthest part of the vessel brought a view of shimmering light into existence. Nehan wasn't as impressed, far from it, but the series of "oohs" and "aws" coming from the crowd surrounding them was making the showiness feel more grating.

Tsurugi and two others came into view, whilst others focused on other things happening within the machine. Maintenance, most likely. The awe in everyone's excitement was eventually replaced with shock, however.

Tsurugi, who seemed to stand at attention before, was now sitting in a wheelchair and being carefully pushed out by the first female member of their entourage. A scar that Nehan was familiar with was now much more visible, alongside the countless layers of bandages covering everything beneath his chest. Tsurugi's signature kimono was the only thing keeping the rest of where the bandages led out of sight. Despite the sudden change in atmosphere, though, Tsurugi's smile never left.

"Oh, my gosh…" Banrakuken said solemnly. "Tsurugi-kun…"

He merely held his hand up, giving her an understanding smile. "It's okay. Many people don't know. Just a scratch, though! Nothing for all of you to worry about."

Nehan couldn't help but say something, now growing tired of the opera performance she was forced to endure. "Bold of you to assume that everyone cares."

The bleach-haired boy accompanying Tsurugi sent a deadly glare toward Nehan, but Tsurugi waved him off. "Don't worry about it, Ryuuji. Nice to see you too, Gisei-san! Your manners are as solid as ever!"

"Uh-huh," Nehan grunted. "Careful on your way out of that. Wouldn't want a wheel to snag a pebble."

"That's funny," Tsurugi cooed. "Almost as funny a sight as seeing you in the daylight and out of Nyght's shadow, but here we are. Comedy central~!"

"Um," Banrakuken exchanged worried looks with her workers as the tension between two of their newest guests seemed almost violent. It was a valid worry, though. Nehan's scowl only worsened when Ryuuji and another rather intimidating figure with a mask and eerie eyes stood alongside a calm Tsurugi. "Is… everything okay? Do you two know each other?"

"Hm~? Oh, yes, we do!" Tsurugi suddenly chirped. "Genuinely, don't mind the both of us! We engage in a bit of banter here and there! Nothing inherently malicious!" Tsurugi gave a silent nod of gratitude to both Ryuuji and the masked stranger beside him. "Thank you, Ryuuji. You as well, Yurei. You two are gonna rally with me for the time being. Tell Reina and the others to rearrange for Big Willy and the nearby road squadron to stand off and focus on other assignments for the time being. The three of us deserve some time off, don't you think?"

Yurei gave Ryuuji an inquisitive look, but he only responded with a light shrug. "You heard 'em. Let the rest know and tell me their reaction. I kinda wanna see how jealous they'll be."

Banrakuken clapped her hands graciously. "Great~! In that case, welcome to the Aokigahara Resort & Inn! I still deeply apologize for the inconvenience involving your tank! Please, believe me when I say that if we had the space to sacrifice, you'd never have to do such a thing!"

"Understandable!" Tsurugi watched as Yurei followed his orders and returned with luggage in tow as The Big Willy whirled back to life and shook the ground whilst backing away from the entrance. "Regulations and safety precautions exist for a reason! Now, would all of you be so kind as to give us a tour?"

"Yes!" Banrakuken nodded cheerfully. "Right this way, all of you!"

And now, finally, Nehan was walking right next to Tsurugi, who still kept an egotistical smile that made her want to sock his jaw into oblivion. She growled to herself, whispering as softly as her annoyance would allow her to. "What are you even doing here, huh? Don't you have other shit you need to focus on?"

"Oh please," Tsurugi calmly sighed as he felt rain particles descend upon all of them. "You think you and Ailurophobia are the only ones with your finger on the pulse for these sorts of things? I've got sources as well, you know."

"Sure you do." Nehan snarked. She kept her eyes on the landscape, surveying every person who passed her by. Every hut, every small glimpse of an enclosure, whatever she felt needed to be relayed back to Ailurophobia. That, and she was just searching for an excuse to not look at Tsurugi's face. It irritated her. "Look, it's whatever. But I need you to know this now. You go your way and I go my own. I don't need you getting in the way right now."

"Aw, I'm torn, though!" Tsurugi remarked. His demeanor grew even more relaxed as they were shielded away from the rain. "I hadn't even had the chance to ask if you'd like to join yet—"

"No," Nehan stated coldly.

"Fair enough. What about Nyght, you think she's had second thoughts?"

"She hasn't even mentioned you since. Once."

Tsurugi sighed. "Ah well. Still, kinda strange you'd know that. So, I'm assuming that means that… you are talking to her again?"

Nehan threw a venomous look in Tsurugi's direction. Goosebumps brought about by sheer anger covered every portion of her skin, which prompted both Ryuuji and Yurei to both be on high alert while they stared Nehan down. They never stopped walking, though. The tour stopped for neither of them. Nehan had to control her rage. Times were different. She couldn't afford to go aggro at every little thing that pissed her off anymore.

"It's none of your business." Nehan firmly stated. She left it at that.

Tsurugi nodded apologetically. "Of course. You're right."

Neither of them noticed Banrakuken keeping her eyes on the both of them as the tour continued. Her head tilted curiously.

'Interesting. We have such a fascinating bunch here.'

BLOOM Registry - Criminal Database

Opposer #67778 - Gisei Nehan

Faction Affiliation: None; the subject does, however, work frequently with the YAMANEKO Mafia. She engages in freelance, otherwise.

Danger level - Significant. A threatening presence, as they have proven because of their association with Samejima "Nyght" Yakaso and the YAMANEKO leader (unknown). Has taken out BLOOM operatives and competent affiliates including Scarlet, The Don, and Velveteen. The subject is also responsible for the death of BLOOM operative, Black Dahlia.

Quirk: Infinity Creation - The subject can create weapons of mass destruction created with any element imaginable. Has proficient mastery of said ability and could bold well if obtained by our hands.

Additional information: has committed many actions against other factions and individuals because of moments of aggression and isn't well-received by the public, overall.

Hoshino Mizuki was having one of the worst days imaginable. It was made blatantly obvious by the series of thunderous shots ringing out from several directions. His brown eyes were frantic as he searched from different directions to time these shots carefully.

'I knew this route was going to get me in trouble, this is Red Orchid territory,' He had a hoverboard to carry him within the clouds, yet even the speed alone wasn't enough for him to leave his pursuers in their tracks. Orchids were always relentless. 'It's okay, though… I know every inch of this route, so it shouldn't matter. They won't catch me…'

BANG

Mizuki's teeth clenched hard enough for his gums to bleed ever so slightly as he felt searing hot air fly past his ear. A lone bullet grazed his hair, burning off strands of blue hair and inducing more and more panic as he felt his body trembling from increased nausea. He kept his Oni mask covering his face, though it was more so to shield off any other incoming bullets than anything else. His composure, though shaky, was held as he attempted to zigzag through several parts of the forestry to get to safety. A hidden fortress hidden by trees whirled to life and launched many explosions that trampled through the vicinity, though, giving him less and less room for evasion. Gleeful laughter that alluded to his attackers' bloodlust left his stomach feeling like a massive pit of trepidation.

This was bad.

"So glad we could have a thoughtful visitor! Courier service, from the looks of it too!" A feminine voice spoke via a PA system as Mizuki looked to see several piloted ships emerging from the fortress, twirling and spinning to his direction. "Orchids, I think it's time we introduced our secret guest to the customary welcoming ceremony! Be a little rough. They gave us no time to prepare for their visit! How thoughtless!?"

Missiles erupted from both the incoming ships and the fortress, far quicker than he was expecting since he could only glance to the side before they were mere yards away from his position. Panicked, he looked directly behind the attacking ships with an intense gaze in preparation to use his Quirk. Not too much distance and his load, while heavy, wasn't very large. This shouldn't be too much of an issue. He lets out a tense sigh before bracing himself.

'Just… blink…'

He did so. Suddenly, the surrounding atmosphere tightened. Breathing seemed far more different as well. The pit in his stomach almost felt like a fist embedded into his torso as it bruised his innards. It was awful, but it'd be quick. The space would leave another human being shaken, but he'd grown accustomed to it long ago.

Within mere seconds, Mizuki was brought back to the realm he knew the most, positioned directly behind the fighter jets as the missiles impacted his previous spot.

Smoke and fire filled his vision as it spread outwardly. The detonation rocked the entire area and left his ears ringing violently as he sucked air through his teeth. Trees, branches, and even rock cluttered up into fiery debris and forced him to soar back and forth to avoid a collision. His nausea worsened, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. Mizuki hoped they would assume that he was dead, that it wouldn't be humanly possible for him to survive such a blast without being incinerated. However, as he ducked off to another direction, he was given a rude awakening as a feminine figure slamming her feet directly into his face.

Blue blood erupted from his nose, but his reflexes were sharp enough for him to grab his hoverboard in his descent. The tumble, however, proved arduous. A sickening thump echoed beneath him as his back slammed onto the harsh ground. The rain itself had already left him drenched, but the mud that covered his body once he left a trail during his landing was coarse and gross. Mizuki snaked his hand into a holster, quickly pulling out a high-tech firearm as he hopelessly aimed it at his pursuer.

The person, who Mizuki could only assume was female, was dressed in crimson armor. Raven black hair flew with the harsh winds of the weather as her strangely colored eyes were trained on him. She hardly flinched at the showcasing of his firearm, only blowing a bubble from gum before allowing it to pop. Mizuki took that as a cue and immediately opened fire.

But the fear that coursed through his vein when the girl effortlessly dodged, not just one, but ten consecutive shots as she strutted with swagger and conviction was paralyzing. Before he could let out another, she was onto him. A swift kick was thrown at his jaw, causing him to grunt loudly as the inside of his mask was now covered with blue ichor. Not even giving him a chance to redirect himself, Mizuki was stunned by a knee to the back of his head as he was falling to the ground in a painful heap.

"fuck, this is so not going my way,' His hand tightened onto his hoverboard, but that was brought to an end when he felt his hand being stomped upon with minor consideration for the sound of his fingers cracking from the pressure. "Agh! Stop, wait!"

"Hmm?" The girl titled her head, her face blank and unamused as she torturously pressed her foot against his hand even more to elicit more groans of pain from Mizuki. "Wait? For what? Why should I? You know the rules. Everyone in New Japan should know our way by now. You wanna cross Red Orchid territory, you're going to have to make a trade with us. Arrange a fee. You think we haven't noticed you taking that little route of yours without our permission?"

Mizuki cursed himself for his carelessness, but he tried to force his eyes open from the pain and look elsewhere. The girl wouldn't allow that to happen. Instead, she grabbed his masked face and forced him to direct all of his attention to her as she peered down menacingly.

"S-Say," Mizuki said in a docile tone. "Maybe my presence could be seen as compensation? W-Who doesn't appreciate a friendly dose of c-company!?"

"Maybe someone out there does, but not the Orchids of Rosemary, champ." She replied. "Besides, a proper visitor would make their intentions clear. They announce their arrival. Sneaking back and forth like you have? You can't exactly blame us for thinking negatively. Also, you shot at me."

"Yeah! After being shot at myself and being kicked in the face by you! So, in my defense!? You guys aren't exactly the welcoming type either!" Mizuki stated exasperatedly. "I mean, especially if this is any sign!"

The girl merely gave a light smirk. "Touché."

"Yeah!" Mizuki barked. Calming himself, Mizuki then sighed shakingly. "So that makes us… even, right?"

"Nope."

And with that being said, the girl smashed her forehead directly into Mizuki's face. His mask only made the impact triple his pain as he felt himself being lifted from the ground and slammed against a tree. At a speed that couldn't even be fathomed, the girl brought her fists crashing back and forth to his abdomen, so much so that she didn't even need to hold him upwards any longer. The momentum of her blows held Mizuki in one spot, bruising him more and more while he fought to maintain consciousness.

With the bit of energy that he had left, Mizuki brought in his arm upwards in hopes to block the girl's hits, but that only resulted in his radius being shattered as the girl finally allowed him to fall to the ground pathetically.

"Calling all Orchids," She spoke through her Gi-Pa, hardly caring that Mizuki was wheezing and sputtering up his own blood. "The culprit has been apprehended and is currently at my position, do you copy?"

"Copy that, my dear Hestia~! Mi Amor, you work quickly, don't you?" Mizuki's senses were disoriented, but the voice coming from the other side of the Gi-Pa sounded… foreign? Did the Orchids have forces that extended that far out of New Japan? "Nadame will be right with you eventually, okay? Until then, you and the girls can do whatever you'd like to the poor bastard~!"

"Noted, Penelope-senpai. Thank you." Hestia cut the connection and looked toward Mizuki with a contemplative grin. She reached for his pistol, examining it with a gleeful eye. "Amaxis Pistol with Quirk dismantling shells. Exceptional rate of fire too. Seamless mechanics allow for gunplay that provides incredible accuracy. Nice. It's a shame that the person using it isn't."

Hestia barely grunted as she snapped the pistol in half and tossed it to the side. "We considered that someone as weak as you had to have something to defend themselves with. Therefore, since my reflexes make me practically untouchable, no matter the speed, it seems you just lucked out, huh? While we're here, hand over those signal jammers too."

Mizuki frowned, but pain wasn't the only thing keeping him a quivering mess. It was fear. "What… signal jammers—AGH!"

A metallic heel collided with his throat and sent him timbering over while Hestia ripped off his utility belt, exposing the one actively blinking and multiple others. "These jammers. Honestly, you really aren't in much of a position to lie about anything right now."

He gasped for air. The taste of iron filled his mouth, overwhelming his taste buds whilst the fight to escape unconsciousness became even more difficult. In an act of desperation, he forced his eyes open, wanting so badly to escape his predicament no matter the cost. However, he was disoriented. The blurriness that filled his vision made pinpointing any specific location a challenging option. The sounds of jets didn't help his deliriousness, as they hovered about both him and Hestia while they landed. He had to do something. Fast.

He glimpsed something round and simple. At first, it was simply a blurb in his sight, but the color of it made it a little more obvious. A smoke pellet. It must've fallen from his belt when Hestia snatched it off. With his uninjured hand, Mizuki reached over to grab it. His movements were small and slow, however. This girl had reflexes unlike anything he'd ever seen, so sudden movements would only alert her. He looked off to an open clearing, noticing nothing in particular to slow his movements. It was pinpointed.

"This little fox?" Another feminine voice came as the aircraft finally silenced itself. "Wow, Hestia. You could've been considerate and saved a little more for us to have fun with. What gives?"

"Keeping a plaything for you isn't my prerogative, Omphale," Hestia coldly remarked. "Having him captured and punished for not adhering to Orchid's ultimatums is my primary focus. Besides, maybe not fire off reckless explosives and handle things with class and you could've had him before me."

"A fun conversationalist as always," A herculean woman with sanguine-colored hair remarked. Mizuki could almost feel the weight of the world shift with her footsteps. Honestly, That gave him more than enough motivation to reach his pellet. "But whatever. Big deal. Might as well take the mask off of him too. Who knows? Could be a cutie, if you haven't rearranged his face too much."

Mizuki finally grabbed the pellet.

"I'm so glad to see that your priorities are in the right place." Hestia sighed softly. "Though I suppose it wouldn't hurt to get it off and see if we can find a link to who he's connected to if torturing him doesn't work out."

Mizuki took a deep breath in preparation to add pressure.

Maybe if C-senpai gives us the word. I don't see Nada-chan being open to it. She's always been the more merciful and sympathetic one."

"Now."

"Maybe so. Anyway, get him over your shoulder and unload that hoverboard—"

It happened. The fumes immediately erupted from Mizuki's hand and created a vaporous cloud that overwhelmed the air and sent everyone into a violent coughing fit. Everyone except Mizuki.

He still remembered what was ahead before the smoke filled his eyes. A hand was brought over to his hoverboard as he blinked rapidly. Another trip through space and he was right where he needed to be. The forestry was overcome by a caliginous gas colored bright blue. Every part of him screamed in agony, especially his stomach as he finally lifted his mask a bit and unleashed a torrent of vomit as his hoverboard carried him along at breakneck speed. All he could do was place one foot on the backend of the hoverboard to hold him in place while he used both his unscathed and injured hand to hold his balance.

"Autopilot, autopilot!" Mizuki screamed at the speed demon of a device. God knows he couldn't pilot this thing manually as he was now. He'd be a stain on a tree in seconds. "Overdrive settings! K-Keep it… uh! I dunno, fast enough for me to get the fuck of here but not so fast that I'll fall off!"

BOOM

Shouts of anger could be heard coming from behind him. Mizuki's grayish-brown skin became even darker as color evaporated from his face at the sight of what he was witnessing. The blue cloud from his smoke pellet dissipated and so did an unfathomable amount of the terrain as a deep rumble quaked beneath him. Trees were ransacked by an unseeable force that formed a beeline directly to his position before he caught the side of the ridiculously muscular girl from before catching up to him. Omphale, he recalled. Hestia wasn't far behind, flame bellowing from underneath her armored feet as she flew to keep up with her speed. Both of their eyes were trained onto Mizuki.

He knew that using his Quirk in his state was bound to put him down for the count. So that wasn't an option. His hoverboard, the piece of junk, needed a minute before it could compute his request. God, he needed to get a new one at some point if he survived this.

Omphale, with little charge-up, bounced and soared toward Mizuki's position, suddenly sending out an enormous mace ball that appeared out of thin air. Mizuki squealed before leaning over to the side. He barely evaded the mace ball as it slammed against the ground and… bounced?! Mizuki, shook to his core, watched as the mace ball bounced ahead of him despite his speed and unexpectedly emanating a red aura.

And then, as if it was a tennis ball for the air itself, it ricocheted and flew back towards him.

"Oh, fuck OFF!" Mizuki screamed as pulled his weight backwards and spun out of the ball's line of fire. The dizziness that came from the move caused him to vomit once more as he heaved hazardously. He could see his own blood in his bile, which meant that internal bleeding was another mark to his worries. He looked behind him, ready to blow a raspberry, but he was shaken to see Omphale catch the mace ball with a vindictive smile.

Wait. Where was Hestia?

Boy, did he get the answer to his question. Mizuki merely glanced to the side and was invited to the familiar sight of her preparing to kick his head off once more. The only difference? She never canceled out the flames from beneath her armored boots. Hestia was planning on not just kicking him, but taking his head off.

Mizuki pressed forward to guide his hoverboard ahead. 'Oh my god, work, you piece of ass tech!' By the grace of whatever god there could've been, Mizuki dodged Hestia's kick, but the heat from her flaming attack charred his arm slightly. Adrenaline was his best friend right now. So much was happening all at once that Mizuki barely registered the injury. Hestia, after soaring past, attempted to find her balance as she glared daggers at her target.

But before either her or Omphale could finish the job, Mizuki's hoverboard whirled to life, surprising even him as he looked down in confusion.

It didn't last long though. A quick burst forward soon created a rippling effect that shot Mizuki away like a cannonball. Hestia and Omphale barely blinked before their intruder was sent spiraling forward at a speed where even they couldn't catch up to. Omphale skidded to a stop as she slammed her mace into the ground and growled frustratedly.

"Goddamn it! Way to go, Hestia, he got away!"

Hestia looked over in annoyance. "You're blaming me for this? Maybe if you ran your mouth less and stopped fantasizing, we'd have him by now. You roided-up imbecile."

Omphale stomped toward her, ready to take her anger out on anyone, even if it was a comrade. "You wanna say that again—!?"

"Be silent," Hestia snapped. She looked to the ground and grabbed a dirtied mask from the ground. With a look of disgust as she saw the blue substance staining the inside, she recognized it as the mask that belonged to the escaped target. "He left this behind, and we have some of his equipment from the area before somewhere back there. Soon enough, we'll find out who he is. Let's just leave."

"But! What about—!"

"Forget it, Omphale. We'll relay everything to our senpais and that's that. Besides, I'm hungry."

Mizuki couldn't move. Even an inch would make him shrivel up in pain, but he survived. He made a note to himself. Finding an alternative route and never taking a chance through here again was a necessity. The Orchids of Rosemary were as crazy as the rumors said. The hoverboard was his only leverage as he laid backward and closed his eyes. Sleep. Shut-eye was what he needed as he felt the rain wash over him, causing his bruises and burn to sting.

Suddenly, despite the weather, everything seemed peaceful. He caught sight of the moon and stars peering out from behind the stormy clouds, proving that the weather was passing. He didn't dare to look beneath him. Mizuki's nausea couldn't handle heights now.

His teeth chattered as the cold from the air overwhelmed him. At least, he thought it was from the air. Mizuki never noticed the slight hint of what sounded like bells chiming beside him as a figure floated curiously behind him. Their yellow eyes, though droopy, were inquiring and enthusiastic. Their hair was a fluffy bed comprising a minty color as they titled their head at him. Absent-mindedly, they floated ahead, wondering just where this lone traveler could've been going and why they were so banged up… and why they were so funny-looking.

But after a while, they remembered something important from their special people. It was rude to stare.

So with the tiniest of chirps, they faded off and floated into a different direction. Humans were so strange sometimes.

An EXILE like them wished they could understand.

ED - GL — LiSA

Heyyyyyo! I told you that I wouldn't take too long! Um! Not much to say exactly, I guess! You know, other than reviews would be appreciated and I'll see you in the next one!

Bye!