It doesn't hail very often in Seika City.

When it does, everything comes to a standstill. Lumps of ice falling from the sky onto an unsuspecting city can be quite inconvenient.

Take the local soccer game for example. No one wants to do a penalty kick while trying to avoid being thwacked in the head. And no one wants to watch someone do a penalty kick while trying to be avoid being thwacked in the head while they themselves are trying to avoid being thwacked in the head.

The players scrambled to the locker rooms while the fans herded to the exits.

In the city streets, impromptu meetings of the summer tires club were taking place. Multiple accidents at various intersections backed up traffic quickly. The police were going to be out all night sorting this mess out.

While it's never fun to be caught in the rain, being caught in the hail was even worse. Plenty of foot traffic found themselves ducking inside restaurants, pet stores, and gas stations waiting for all of it to end.

However, no one was more inconvenienced than balloon traffic.

"SAINT TAIL!"

He's running as fast as he can. Lumps of hail were crushed underneath his every step. Please, God, let her be okay.

It had been just like any other night. She had broken into a famous producer's mansion and stolen a CD. All of the officers had been caught in a stampede of balloon animals. He crawled out of a doggy door to the outside to give chase.

There she was. Riding her getaway balloons. A beautiful splash of color against the night sky.

Then it started raining.

And then it started hailing.

She had tried to use a giant playing card to cover the balloons. The Queen of Hearts. But the wind had been so harrowing tonight; blowing the chunks of ice at just the right angles to start popping them, and popping them—quickly lowering her altitude until—

She just fell from the sky.

Watching her disappear as she plummeted behind a library would be burned into Asuka Jr.'s mind until his dying day.

He stopped feeling everything around him.

He didn't feel his body shiver from the cold as he broke into a full sprint. He didn't hear the sound of rain and hail pelting down with the sirens wailing in the distance. He didn't even feel the ice smack into his body dozens of times a second. He didn't feel his knees bang on the sidewalk as he fell after slipping on all of the hail. He didn't even feel the blood trickle out and smear against his pants.

All he could feel was the fear of losing her.

"SAINT TAIL!"

She would have done something to break her fall, right? She's Saint Tail. She always has an extra trick up her sleeve. All the times you thought you had her cornered, she'd always find a way out.

Surely some bad weather wouldn't do her in, right? She would have a plan for this, right?

She was using balloons as a getaway vehicle, for Christ's sake! This wasn't the first time she had her balloons popped. She had to know something would pop them eventually, right? She wouldn't not have a plan, right?! She wouldn't just...if she...if...if she...hit the concrete falling out of the sky...

She's not moving.

She's not moving at all.

"SAINT TAIL!"

She's lying in the little garden in the back of the library. Twigs and branches of a cherry blossom tree are on the ground around her.

She crashed.

She actually crashed.

And she still hasn't moved as he reaches her.

What if she's...

He puts his hand on her chest; praying with all of his soul for a pulse. Please don't leave me. Please don't leave me. Please don't leave me...

Her heart is practically jumping out of her chest right now, trying to get the rest of her body moving.

Say something.

"Can you hear me?!" it's too dark and cluttered with the storm to see her face. "Answer me, Saint Tai!"

Please.

He has to hear her voice. He has too.

She coughs. A few pained rattles hacked out of her throat.

"Don't move. Don't move." He lightly presses against her chest to hold her in place. One of the basic things in triage is to keep somebody who had a traumatic impact in place so they don't hurt themselves more.

"Can you feel this?" He reaches down to her ankle; using more palm than finger in a gentle squeeze.

"I...wish I didn't." She somehow managed a grimace in all this. "I really messed up this time, didn't I?"

Which was the perfect green light for him to start yelling.

"What were you thinking?! Why didn't you land sooner?! You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"I thought I could make it. I really did." She glanced at her exposed shoulder; it was as red as her vest at this point—her heart was pumping all the blood right out of her. on the way down now. Trickles of blood leaked into the grass. "Guess the trick is on me this time."

"You're bleeding all over the place. Some of it could be internal. You need to go to a hospital."

Asuka Jr. scooped her up by her legs.

"Hold on. This won't take but a minute!"

He's been to this library plenty of times—spending hours combing over Dick Tracy, Nancy Drew, and the Hardy Boys. For reading and returning 100 books, he received a little bookworm medal. He still keeps it in his room somewhere.

The bus is going to stop here. Hopefully soon. It can take her directly to the hospital. Just keep her awake until then.

He carries her to the end of the sidewalk; into the bus stop; gently laying down on the bench before closing the door.

The rain and the hail from the storm pounded against the window panes of the bus stop. He could still feel her freezing, but at least they had a roof now. It gave him a chance to think. And just...look at her.

There she was. The mysterious, fantastic, illustrious thief who only stole with a good reason. Dripping dry on a park bench after breaking every bone in her body.

And yet, she's still...reaching up with her hand and—a snap of her fingers. A silk top hat appears out of thin air.

"Are you serious?!" He instantly snatches it from her. "Are you still trying to escape?!"

"I can't get caught yet."

"Being in jail is not as bad as being dead, Saint Tail! Just stop!"

"I still have one last thing to do." She weakly raised her hand up toward the hat. "Can you please get the CD for me?"

He reaches inside and pulls out a CD. There's a woman in a golden dress sitting by a piano on the cover. "Who is this for?"

"The singer on the disc—she died a few years ago. Her son wanted the disc back so he could get it published and have the world hear her voice one last time. The original company she had signed to was bought up by that music producer. He claimed the rights to all of her work. Her son went to court and lost. This disc had just been sitting in one of the producer's attics all this time.

"So that's why you robbed him." He looked at it again. A disc containing a mother's voice. He bet it sounded lovely. It's been so long since he heard his own mother's voice.

He shook his head and snapped out of it. "That doesn't matter now! You need to go to the hospital."

"Her son deserves that disc. I have to get it to him!" She tries to sit up. Tries. A gasp slips out and she clutches her stomach; slumping back down in an instant.

"You're not going anywhere!" He holds her in place. "I've caught you, so just stay here! It's over."

"But—"

"It's over!"

He couldn't see her face, but the way she finally stopped struggling told him enough.

"...I guess it is. You've caught me, Junior. you won."

The storm comes bearing down all around them. The silence allowed Asuka Jr. the chance to drink in his victory.

I won?

She-she really wasn't getting away this time.

As soon as they got to the hospital, her face and identity would be revealed. Even if she did somehow escape, there would be nowhere for her to hide...they would track her down endlessly.

He won.

Is this what winning feels like?

He'd always imagined that catching her would be so much more...spectacular.

Getting his hands on her in one last desperate push; tackling her to the ground and pinning her underneath him. A spotlight shines down on them both and finally reveals her face...

She probably looked like God himself had sculpted her every feature.

How did Saint Tail support herself during the day, anyway? She didn't make money off of her heists, so she had to live some way. She had to have a job right? She was probably some kind of model. You checked all the magazines to see if anybody matched her luxurious ginger ponytail. He hadn't found he yet but she had to turn up one day. If she didn't have a job, that meant her parents were supporting her.

Even though she was probably as old as him, it's weird to imagine Saint Tail as just having...parents. A family that she just lives with during the day. Whenever she's not doing some caper.

It's weird to imagine Saint Tail as just not being Saint Tail. as just...just another person. Walking around. Living life. He takes another look at this disc. I wonder what kind of music she likes?

That's all she's been the entire time, hasn't she? Just another person who's doing the most extraordinary things he's ever seen.

Until now.

One bad night of weather was all it took for her to come crashing down. And now she's hurt so badly. Right now, she's just another person that needs his help.

"Saint Tail, I promise I'll return the disc myself. But you need to see a doctor."

"You...you will?" She seemed so caught off guard. The possibility never even entered her mind.

He puts the CD in his pocket pocket. He might have been soaked from head to toe, but at least the CD was inside a case to keep it protected. If this was the end of the road for the two of them, he could at least respect her final act.

"Enough about the disc. We need to take care of you."

"I never thought my captor would be so thoughtful." She managed a very pained chuckle.

"Well, one of us has to think about your safety, and you're not going to do it. And since you're in my custody, it's my responsibility to make sure that you're safe. And just for the record, I didn't catch you. This was just some freak accident. I didn't win, you just lost by being stupid!"

"You're just going to send me to jail anyway. And after everything I've done, We may not see each other for years after tonight. Maybe ever."

He paused. "I-"

Well, it's not like he didn't know how this was going to go. Of course, she'd have to go to jail, but...

Never see her again? That's ridiculous. There's never been anybody like her. He just, can't just lose her. No one else understands her as he does.

Is this...Is this really what he wants? For it to end like this? It's his duty but...the pang in his chest is telling him something else.

"H-Hey, if I were to help you get back to wherever you come from, could you get help there?"

"What?" For a moment, she forgets that she's even in pain. First the CD, and now this? "You're gonna let me go?"

"If. And I need you to promise me right now that you'll have a plan for this next time."

"Yeah, of course. I'll work on my landings." She gives a sigh of relief. "You're cute when you're worried."

"Don't push it. I can still change my mind, you know. So, where do you need to go?"

"The old bus driver that comes along this route, I know him. I helped him get back his grandfather's pocket watch. Whenever I need a favor, I can rely on him."

Getting her on the bus was the original plan anyway. He doesn't have to move her any more than planned for this to work. "Well, the city is going to be backed up so we have some time." He sat on the ground, giving her all the space on the bench to lay on. "Hold still." He went to wiping the dirt off of her. She winces and sucks in the air in her teeth as he tries to get out all the tiny splinters. The feeling of blood on his fingers makes him hesitate. She really came close to getting herself killed. And she's not exactly in a great state now.

Maybe she needed something to distract her from the pain.

"Since you're doing me a favor, I guess I can do one for you, too. Anything you want, Junior. Just name it."

His mind started racing. There are so many questions he's always wondered about. How does she pick her targets? How did she get so athletic? Oh, or what about—

"Can I just be next to you?"

She gasped. He gasped.

Why did he just say that?

Saint Tail gathered herself enough to sit up and scoot over; giving the bench a few inviting pats.

Reluctantly, he gets up and sits on it. The two of them side by side as they look out into the storm that's roaring down all around them. It's giving no sign of letting up.

Her weight comes down on his shoulder. He tenses up. He doesn't know what to say or if he should even say anything at all.

Is this really happening? He tries to brace himself for whatever's next. He can hear himself start to hyperventilate...

Wait, that's not him.

The sound of her labored breathing hangs in the air. She's gasping; holding her side and fighting every last bit of oxygen she can get.

"If you can't sit up, just say that!" He grabs her by the shoulders and pulls her down.

He forgot that he was taking himself with her.

Her weight is on top of him. All of it. Locks of hair intertwine between them. He can-he can feel the heat of her breath flashing against his nose. Her lips are only mere fingertips away.

He needs her.

Hehe needs her more than anything else in the world.

"Saint...Saint Tail..." He shouldn't want this. He shouldn't ask for this. "Can I..."

A soggy gloved hand tilts his chin up just as a pair of lips press against his own.

It tastes like everything he's ever dreamed of.

Her lips feel so warm. He forgets everything. He forgets how wet he is; completely shivering from being drenched in a storm. He forgets the deafening hail pounding against the shelter. He forgets his job. He forgets his exhaustion chasing her.

If only it could last forever.

She pulls away, desperately needing to breathe. She manages a small little giggle. "I steal kisses, too."

He has to catch his breath as well. What did he just do? He kissed a fugitive. If anybody saw that, his career would be over. Imagine what they would say. Imagine what Father would think. He never should have done this.

Thankfully, the storm is giving them wonderful solitude. It's just the two of them.

"Would you still want me even when I'm not Saint Tail?"

"Huh?" When she's not Saint Tail? What does that even mean? He'd barely registered the question, taking several seconds to realize what she meant.

"If I wasn't Saint Tail, would you still care about me?" She turned her head away. Her hands gripped the wet fabric of his shoulders. "What if I stopped doing this? What if I said after tonight that I didn't want to be Saint Tail anymore? If we walked past each other on the sidewalk as two normal people...would you look twice at me?"

From his studious following of the Saint Tail case, he was about 85% sure he could identify Saint Tail on the street without her costume. And yet, when trying to answer...why was nothing coming out?

"Could we ever be like this when we're not in our little game of cat and mouse? Just two people enjoying each other's company? Asuka, do you...like me?"

The million-dollar question.

He didn't hate her. It was embarrassing, watching her get away after every heist. The way she leaves messages in ways he'd never begin to think about was aggravating beyond belief. And all of Sawatari's stories to humiliate him in front of everyone at school had him seething. And all of his failures kept adding up. Again. And Again. And again. And-

"I do."

He still loves her. He loves the way she always uncovers real criminals in her heists. He loves the way she inspires others to do good. He loves the way she picked him to catch her.

But, he shouldn't.

After all, there was someone else he cared about...

"I can reveal myself. I can tell you who I am right now. And no one else would know. We could, we could keep our game up. And then maybe on other nights, we could just...go walking around?"

"Is that what you want?"

"I do. Is that what you want?"

What would that even be like? Just walking around on a regular date with a famous thief? When she's just relaxed? Honestly, it sounds kind of fun...

But would that be right?

His job is to catch her and turn her in. At that point, he's an accomplice.

Would he really be trying to catch her? Could he deceive everyone he worked with, including his father?

No...

No, he can't.

"I can't live a lie, Saint Tail."

Of course. Why would she expect anything else?

"That...makes sense." The disappointment in her voice hurt. It hurt a lot. She pushed up off of him. "I guess that's it then."

No. No its not. It can't end this way.

"But you matter to me!" He reached up and grabbed her hand. "You are my responsibility! All it takes is one bad night like this one and I'd lose you forever! There's no way I could live with that with myself for letting anything happen to you. I need to be the one to catch you, so take care of yourself, okay? And then, maybe one day...we could go on that...walk..."

"Junior..."

She turned back and held his hand. It was still too dark to see her face, but just knowing she was here...that was enough. The two of them share this moment. Whatever happens next to either of them they'll always have this moment. And for right now, that's exactly where they're living.

The joker and his thief.

HONK! HONK!

They looked up startled; both instinctively covering their faces as the headlights of the city bus blast through the darkness.

She quickly pushed herself off of him and wiped off whatever dirt was still left on her. "Hey... could you...help me on the bus?

"Yeah, sure..." He scooped her up by the legs and carried her forward, focusing on looking away from any reflective surfaces as he reached the bus, laying her on the first see and quickly turning away. He would have noticed her flushed reaction if he hadn't.

The bus driver tipped his cap, closed his doors, and off he went.

Asuka Jr. didn't know that his great nemesis was on his way to a church; where she would spend the next several hours under the constant and worried eye of a young sister who would do everything in her power to heal her. He didn't know when he woke up the next morning that school had been canceled across Seika City; giving a day of rest to anybody who needed it; especially someone who would mysteriously come down with a cold in the morning.

All that he knew at that moment was that he had a CD to return.