Tammi wasn't really sure what was with the weather today. Brockton Bay was a coastal city, hence the name, so fog wasn't exactly abnormal. This much fog on the other hand, was kind of a bit much.
It was almost noon and still the clouds that should have been high in the sky were sitting happily on the ground instead, bringing a muggy atmosphere along with them. It wasn't a really good day to hang out in other words and normally Tammi would be at home in bed or doing something for Kaiser or
Tammi didn't care about all of that though, she knew that Yuko needed this. The girl had been extremely stressed at whatever job she was currently working for her dad and it had shown in her texts. That wasn't even mentioning that call.
She still wasn't able to get that phone call out of her head despite it happening weeks ago. Waking up at the butt crack of dawn by a call from someone who didn't like calling people in the first place had been a bit jarring. The panic and borderline hysteria in Yuko's voice had only turned that jarring feeling into full blown fear.
Tammi had limited experience with panic attacks. She had never had one before and had only really heard about them online and stuff, so for her closest friend to call her in the middle of one had shaken her up quite a bit.
She had been able to calm the other girl down, mostly by just doing as she had asked and Tammi was happy for that. She wasn't happy that Yuko was so cagey about the reason for her attack though, and even though her friend had assured her otherwise, the blonde had a feeling she might know the origin of her issue that night.
Tammi had met Yuko's dad once and the man was clearly some sort of thug. He was absolutely covered in tattoos and actually kind of tall and muscular despite his race, making his already intimidating demeanor even moreso. He was cold with his daughter and Tammi had a feeling that that didn't change behind closed doors.
Yuko almost never talked about the man, and that, even more than his race, was enough reason for Tammi to be suspicious of him.
Tammi was broken out of her thoughts by the sounds of footsteps approaching. She turned to find the subject of her thoughts approaching with a smile on her face, one hand coming up to give her friend a wave.
Tammi returned the wave even as she took in the outfit her friend had decided to wear for their little outing; a white and purple jacket with skinny jeans, as well as her ever-present bag slung over her shoulder. Simple, but fashionable.
Tammi had always thought Yuko was pretty good looking. Objectively of course. Her skin was pale and completely smooth apart from a small scar or imperfection here and there and her hair was a shade of black so dark that Tammi sometimes wondered if she dyed it, kept in a straight bob that ended along her jaw.
She couldn't help but wonder what her friend's mother must have looked like to produce such a beautiful daughter with her brute of a father.
Beautiful. Tammi shook her head with a small grimace at the thought, ringing in her head like a bell. What the hell was she thinking? That was the kinda talk that would get her beat within an inch of her life if she ever said it out loud near Brad. She needed to watch that shit.
"Sorry for making you wait, Tammi. I had to take care of something at home." The other girl smiled apologetically as she reached her, the scar along her jaw stretching with the movement.
Tammi's eyes took in the scar, old questions coming to her mind. She didn't focus on it for long though, instead moving to return her friend's greeting, "Hey Yuko, It's fine. I didn't really have anything else to do today." She shrugged, giving the girl a lopsided grin, "Sitting around out here beats sitting around at home."
Yuko giggled, bringing a hand up to hide her smile, "I'm sure it does. And I'm also sure that it has nothing to do with whatever homework you may have been assigned for this weekend." She said slyly.
Tammi just shrugged in a 'what can you do' sort of way. That turned Yuko's giggles into actual laughter so bright her eyes nearly closed with the force of it, drawing Tammi's gaze.
For the umpteenth time, Tammi couldn't help but notice just how unique her friend's eyes were. They were an odd shade of grey, looking almost silver in the right light, it was… striking, and Tammi often found herself staring a bit despite herself.
"Anyway, I was thinking we could go check out that crafts store by the mall." Yuko's voice broke Tammi out of her thoughts, bringing her back to reality, "I'm running out of canvas and need to grab some more. After that, we can just go over to the mall itself. Is that fine with you?" she asked, the remnant of laughter still in her voice..
Tammi nodded, clearing her throat and her brain free of imposing thoughts, "Ahem, yeah. That's good for me."
Get it together Tammi.
As they turned to walk, Tammi looked around a bit, noting the direction they were going and where they'd have to pass through to get there, "Let's be careful though. We're going through ABB territory and I have a feeling they might not like me being there very much." She said, a bit wary.
"They won't bother you." Yuko said simply and Tammi gave her a confused look at her confidence, "I know practically everyone around here. As long as you're with me, they won't bother you." She clarified.
Tammi wasn't too sure about that. In the Empire, it didn't matter who you were, hanging out with any non-whites was like waving around a sign that said 'kick my shit in, please and thank you.'. Hell, even Tammi would have to pull the cape card if any of the people at her school caught her hanging out with Yuko. She couldn't imagine things were all that different in the ABB.
Still, she decided to trust her friend on this one. She knew the area best.
"So did you have an idea on what you want to do other than grab some canvas?" Tammi asked as they made their way through the city.
Yuko shrugged, "Not really. I kind of just wanted to get out of the house and do something fun. It's been… draining here recently."
Tammi frowned at the words, draining? What was she talking about?
Tammi looked over at the shorter girl, finding her staring straight ahead with a light frown on her face. She hesitated, before deciding to go ahead and ask the question that had been bugging her for weeks.
"Hey, Yuko," Tammi did her best to make her voice as soft as possible, knowing that broaching this topic in the first place was probably a bad idea. She couldn't help it though, she was worried for her friend.
Said friend gave her an odd look at the tone she was using but didn't question it, "Yes? Do you need something, Tammi?"
"Is everything alright at home?" She decided to just come out and say it, "I know you said your dad wasn't doing anything but like…"
Yuko was giving her an odd expression, looking around slightly at the empty streets, "Tammi-"
"You can tell me you know? I'm your friend, I'm not going to judge you or anything." Tammi interrupted, wanting to let her friend know that she was here for her.
"Tammi, my father is not abusing me." Yuko's voice was firm, clearly not willing to even broach this subject. She looked at Tammi and the blonde was taken back at the intensity in her steely grey eyes, "I'm not sure where this idea came from but I want it to stop. Now."
Tammi swallowed lightly, biting back the response that wanted to leave her mouth. She had pushed too far, even she could see that. "...Sorry. I'm just worried I guess."
Yuko's expression softened slightly as she led her friend into a nearby alley, clearly wanting a more private place to speak, "I know. And you don't understand how thankful I am that you are."
Yuko stopped, turning to face her with earnest eyes, "You are a good friend Tammi, and that's why I want you to trust me when I say that my father has been nothing but caring to me since my mother died. Sure, he might be a bit cold and seem unloving but he has never in my life laid a hand on me in anger. I swear it."
Tammi stared down at the girl, a swell of emotions bubbling inside of her as she processed her words.
She nodded slowly, "Alright. I'll drop it. Just… just tell me if you need help, okay? For whatever, it doesn't matter. Just tell me. You're kinda my only friend you know? All the other people I have to hang out with are either bitches or just straight up assholes." She joked but not really.
Yuko nodded, "Only if you promise to do the same."
Tammi was sure there was quite a bit she would never be able to tell her friend if she didn't want to lose her, but she nodded all the same, "Deal."
Yuko gave her a smile which she returned despite the turmoil simmering in her head, and the two of them turned to exit the alley and continue their journey.
Only to stop mere feet later. Tammi stepped back, putting a hand on front of her friend as a man met them at the mouth of the alley, hunched over and looking shifty as fuck as he walked towards them. She looked behind her, frowning as she saw the wall of the alley behind them with no exit to be found. They were trapped.
Her wariness was proven warranted as the moment he blocked the entrance of the alley from them, the man pulled a gun out of his coat, pointing it at them angrily.
"Don't move!" The man shouted, moving towards them while pointing at them with the weapon in his hand, "I-I wanna see my-I mean your! Your hands! Show me them!"
The man was dirty and unwashed and Tammi found her lip curling at the sight of his dark skin just as much as the gun he was waving in her direction. Seemed like it was just another parasite looking to make a living terrorizing the actual working citizens of the city.
His gun, if you could even call it that, was so dirty and damaged that it barely resemble whatever it had once been, little more than a hunk of dirt and rust thanks to whatever hole the wetback had pulled it from.
Tammi had been around guns for more than long enough to know that the idea of the thing managing to shoot was just laughable, just as laughable as the idea that he actually had bullets in his magazine.
Still, he was a rather large man compared to herself and Yuko. Tammi was the taller of the two of them at five seven and he still almost towered over them, reaching six feet easily. Tammi doubted that he would have any problems overpowering them.
At least he wouldn't if Tammi was just some random girl and not a member of the most dangerous gang in the city.
That knowledge gave the girl more than enough confidence to laugh in the face of the man's threats, "Hey you stupid spi-fucker," Tammi bit her tongue before she shouted the slur in front of her friend, "Why don't you just fuck off back to whatever hole you crawled out of?"
"Sh-shut the fuck up!" The man slurred, practically swaying from side to side as he held his hand out to them expectantly, "Money! H-hand over all your shit!"
Tammi snarled at the man's demand, taking a step forward as her fists balled at her side, "Oh I am going to shove my goddamn foot up your ass you stupid piece of shit!"
Just as she moved to do exactly as she had threatened, Tammi was surprised as Yuko put a hand out, holding her back even as the much shorter girl stepped forward in her place.
Normally Tammi would have stopped her, but something was different, her face was no longer the familiar girl Tammi had come to know. Her friend's entire demeanor had changed in an instant, the easy-going, polite Yuko had seemingly disappearing only to be replaced with someone much more intense. Colder.
"Sir, I understand that your mental facilities might not be what they used to be, but I would advise you to use what is left at your disposal to reconsider what you are doing." Yuko spoke, voice soft but intense as she folded her hands in front of her, "And if I were you, I would do so immediately. My patience is limited when it comes to fools."
Tammi was left staring at the back of her friend's head at her sudden shift in personality. The mugger was just as surprised, his anger and confidence giving way to wariness as he stared at the five foot four girl who was walking up to him so brazenly.
"You fucking s-tupid or somethin'?" The man waved his gun in her face, "You not see this? You not know what this is?"
Yuko just scoffed, the sound completely at odds with the polite girl that Tammi had come to know, "All I know is that a fool who doesn't know his place had the bright idea to attempt to mug an Asian girl in ABB territory. Has your brain been so fried by whatever drugs you partake in that common sense is something you are no longer capable of?" She taunted, causing the man's face to go red under the thick layer of dirt.
Tammi could almost taste the disgust that her friend had for the man in front of them and was more than a little shocked by it. She had no idea that her friend was capable of mean words much less this.
Putting it out of her mind for now, Tammi looked around and behind her, searching for something that might help them out of this situation. There wasn't much, just a shitload of trash and a few broken bricks. Junk really.
Wait. Bricks, she could use that.
The fog in the alley was thick and seemingly growing thicker by the second, obscuring her vision more and more. Tammi thought it was a bit odd how fast it was coming in but was thankful for it anyway. Hopefully it would obscure what she was about to do.
She stepped backwards, using the fact that Yuko was distracting the mugger to her advantage as she bent backwards, lightly pressing a finger to the largest and most intact brick she could find.
Tammi's power worked based off of the sigils she placed on objects she touched, allowing her to control them telekinetically. With her power she was able to lift multiple met shipping containers at one time, and so a single brick was absolutely nothing to her.
She stepped back into her place unnoticed, the brick she had touched silently floating up off of the ground, obscured by the fog as Tammi waited for the right moment
The man shouted something that Tammi couldn't make out as she, slurring his speech as he shook his weapon at her friend angrily. He was nearing the limit of hit patience, becoming more erratic as his eyes darted from side to side. The blonde tensed, the brick rising into the air just behind her head as she prepared to smash the bastard's face in.
Tension, extremely heavy and almost worrying, settled on her shoulders as she kept the bastard in sight. He had stepped forward, practically pressing the barrel of his poorly-maintained weapon to her best friend's head, and Tammi snarled silently, sending her brick soaring backwards towards the rear of the alley in preparation to fling it forward once more.
As she did so, the blonde couldn't help but take notice of just how calm her friend seemed despite probably death hovering mere inches from her face. Yuko hadn't moved from her spot, merely standing there with her hands folded in front of her as she stared straight at the mugger, completely still. Completely unmovable in the face of her possible death.
Tammi felt her liking for the other girl deepen slightly. Who knew her friend was such a badass?
The blonde focused on her power, doing her best to make sure that she wouldn't hit the other girl in the back of the head by mistake. The mugger stepped backwards slightly, clearly unnerved by Yuko's calm and gave Tammi the perfect opening in the process.
However, just before Tammi let the brick fly, there was a blur of blue, zooming from the mouth of the alley and straight into the man holding them hostage. The blonde flinched, her power fading and the brick falling to the ground as she lunged forward, grabbing Yuko and pulling her back as instinct took over at the familiar sight.
Her friend yelped at that, stumbling backwards as the mugger out what sounded like a curse as he fell onto the ground. Or rather was forced to it.
She and Yuko watched as the blue blur resolved into a feminine figure kneeling over their mugger with a knee on his back. She was easily recognizable thanks to the bright blue visor on her face and the glowing lines on her costume. It was Battery, a long time hero in the Protectorate.
"You two alright?" The woman asked them as the glowing lines on her costume faded away. The man underneath her foot groaned and tried to rise but Battery just pressed harder on his back, pushing him to the ground once more.
Tammi couldn't stop the small bit of fear coming to her mind as the heroine's gaze reached her, and she had to remind herself that she was Tammi, not Rune today. There was no reason for Battery to suspect much less do anything to her.
"Yeah. We're fine." Tammi's words were a bit curt as she watched the heroine warily. Yuko gave her an odd look, clearly noticing how cold she was being to their savior.
The Asian girl on the other hand, had no problem walking up to their savior with a smile on her face, "Much more than fine now that you're here. Thank you for saving us, I wasn't sure what would have happened if you didn't arrive when you did."
Tammi got the oddest feeling that Yuko was just saying that to be nice. Her earlier display had left even the blonde a bit shaken, and she couldn't help but feel that even if Battery hadn't shown up when she did, or even if Tammi didn't smash the black man's face in with her brick, things would have turned out fine.
Tammi's eyes shot past Battery and to the mouth of the alley as she caught a glimpse of red. She found the other half of the heroic duo, Assault, making his way inside with a sunny smile on his face.
"So this is where you ran off to! I was wondering what got your hackles raised so suddenly." The man said as he stopped, hands on his hips as he stared down at the mugger under Battery's boot.
"Saving damsels in distress is usually my job! Are you trying to replace me?" He asked jokingly. Battery sighed before turning back to Tammi and Yuko.
"Ignore him. He has trouble separating reality from the delusions in his head." Battery told them.
"You love my delusions and you know it!"
The heroine shook her head but didn't respond, "Anyway, the two of you should probably postpone your date for another day. It's getting dangerously hard to see out here." Battery said lightly, looking around at the evidence of her claims. The fog around them wasn't quite as thick as it had been in the alley but it was still pretty bad, bad enough that it would be hard to see any more muggers who thought to try their luck.
Wait, date?
Tammi opened her mouth to refute the heroine's obviously wrong assumption but was stopped by Yuko grabbing her by the arm, wrapping her own around it as she gave the woman an easy grin, "Oh trust me, we have no intentions of staying out after an incident like this. More than enough excitement for one day."
Assault chuckled, wrapping an arm around his fellow hero's shoulder in a decidedly intimate way, "You have fun you crazy kids. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"
"Which isn't a lot." Battery muttered, clearly not meaning to be overheard. Assault gave her a grin but didn't comment, instead making a shooing gesture towards the two of them.
"Come on Tammi, let's go." Yuko grinned up at her, pulling her along and away from the two heroes, "We can grab something to eat or something on our way back."
Tammi startled slightly, "O-oh, yeah. Right, let's go."
Yuko giggled as they caught more yelling coming from the alley, obviously amused by the continued byplay between the two heroes, "And they want people to believe they aren't a thing. I swear I've never met two people more smitten with each other in all my life."
That was an understatement. Assault and Battery were always a pain to fight whenever the Empire came into conflict with them. They always had each other's backs and their powers complimented each other damn near perfectly.
Hell, she'd seen Assault put Brad through a building after that girlfriend of his hit him hard enough and he was one of the heaviest capes in the Bay. It was bullshit.
Tammi looked down, noting that her friend was still holding onto her, "Hey, Yuko. Could you, uh, could you let go of my arm now?" she asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
"Oh. Oh sorry!" The shorter girl released her immediately, stepping away, "I'll admit, I sort of forgot I was even holding onto you."
Tammi rubbed her arm, studiously ignoring the part of her that missed the other girl's arm locked in hers, "Eh, it's fine. I get you were probably shaken up by that whole thing."
Yuko smiled, though Tammi felt there was something off about it, "Right."
"Hey, there's something I've been wondering for a while now." Tammi spoke up.
"Hmm?" Yuko looked up at her in questioning.
"Where'd that scar on your jaw come from? It looks like a knife scar but not quite as deep." She asked.
"Oh, that." Yuko brought her unoccupied hand up, rubbing lightly at the old wound, "It's been so long since I got it that I sometimes forget it's there."
Tammi noticed Yuko's voice lowered slightly, like she had been caught up in a bad memory. Her lips turned downwards in a frown and Tammi could feel her own do the same.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." She said, offering a way out, "I was just a bit curious because… well. I'm gonna be honest, I thought your dad did something to you." She gave her friend an apologetic look.
Yuko gave her a look, but shook her head, "No, no it's fine. You're my friend and I'm honestly surprised you haven't asked me before."
She was silent for a moment before speaking again, "I don't think I ever told you where I was born, did I?" Tammi shook her head at her friend's quiet words, and Yuko nodded, seemingly having expected the answer, "I see. Well, my father and I are actually immigrants. From Kyushu. Well, China technically, but Kyushu was where I was born and raised for the largest portion of my life."
Tsmmi's eyes widened at her friend's words. She knew about Kyushu. Hell, there probably wasn't a person on earth who didn't. It was one of the first places that was actually rendered inhospitable by the Endbringers, nearly an entire country drowned beneath Leviathan's waves.
She could connect the dots on why the other girl was bringing it up now.
"You were…" she didn't finish her thought, a bit afraid to bring up bad memories. A bit of a moot point considering her question was what brought this up in the first place.
"I was in Kyushu when Leviathan attacked." Yuko nodded, finishing her thought, "I think I was maybe seven or eight, somewhere around there. My parents and I were visiting some family in the Oita Prefecture when the sirens went off and everything happened."
Her frown became more severe, "The Oita Prefecture was a coastal region and known for its hot springs besides that, so there was plenty of water around for Leviathan to use."
"I don't remember a lot of what happened, or at least I try not to, but one moment I was running to the shelters with my parents and the next I was drowning under gallons of scalding hot water as the nearby hot spring erupted like a volcano."
Her voice was shaking slightly, and by instinct Tammi wrapped an arm around her comfortingly. Yuko gave her a thankful look before continuing her story.
"It was absolutely horrible. I was caught under dozens of wooden boards and rocks and all sorts of other stuff, completely helpless as the water around me seemingly did its best to make sure I couldn't get a single breath of fresh air. Like that lizard was making it his personal mission to kill me." she shuddered lightly.
"My father managed to pull me out before I drowned and ripped his arm up something fierce in the process. As I came up a sharp piece of debris caught my jaw." She rubbed lightly at her scar, "Add in the extreme heat of the water as well as several other factors, and I'm left with an eternal reminder of that day."
Well that was… Tammi didn't know what to say..
Yuko smiled slightly, apparently finding humor in her bleak story, "Heh, I suppose you weren't exactly wrong in your assumption that my father is responsible for my scar. Though I personally think the alternative might have been a bit worse. Being cooked alive in an onsen is probably one of the worst ways I can think of to go."
Tammi looked down at her, feeling more than a little shitty for bringing this subject up, "I'm sorry for bringing up bad memories."
Yuko shrugged, "It's alright. Like I said, I'm surprised you didn't bring it up before now. At least now I can lay some of your ideas about my dad to rest."
Tammi was glad her friend was so pragmatic. It really helped to stop her from feeling like a tool all the time.
"Now come on, I might have told Battery we'd go home but there's no way I'll survive running out of canvas right now. We'll just take the main way to the mall and keep out of the back streets." Yuko said, moving along.
As they walked, Tammi noticed that she still had Yuko under her arm, though the position had shifted from a comforting one to something much more casual, simply resting on her shoulder instead of around it.
She moved to slip her arm free, only to freeze as Yuko pressed into her, leaning against her taller form ever so slightly as they walked. She looked down, frowning slightly as she noticed that Yuko's hands were shoved firmly in her pockets, a clear sign of her anxiety, and causally adjusted her position to bring the girl in closer
Her friend still needed comforting. She'd keep her there just a little bit longer. It wasn't like anyone could see them anyway.
Just a bit longer.