[Kei Hada]

God. Kei didn't like being here.

People walked around the streets of Tokyo Bay as if nothing was wrong, but he still remembered the flood. He still remembered being swept under by the waves, having to save himself from nearly drowning. He had to help other people out of the water as well; even bridge the gap between severed building and stable building so civilians could reach safer ground. He wasn't alone at the time, and he was thankful for that, but god. He just wanted out.

But he had to be here. Yaoyao wanted him to be. Which had its own set of problems because he was inside a clinic.

Yaoyao hated hospitals. More than hated; she wouldn't admit it to anyone but him and Jun but she was terrified of them. It took a monumental amount of convincing just to take her to UAU's infirmary whenever she injured herself during hero training. And yet, here he was, inside a clinic he didn't even hear about her admitting herself into because she'll need his support since she'd be "mildly disoriented" after her session. To no one's surprised, her being mildly disoriented when he didn't know what this mystery session involved only worried him more.

So Kei might be shaking his leg too much while he scrolled through his phone in the waiting room. Someone might've taken notice of this and told him to stop, to which he would apologize before going back to his phone, tapping his finger against the side of it instead. He stared at the time at the corner of the screen.

It's over the time she said she'd be done. Because of course it was.

𝕐 + 𝕐

[𝕐 + 𝕐]

Your name is Yaojing Suzui. You are nineteen years old. You— No. That’s not right. Her. My? My. Try again. This isn’t right. My name is Yaojing Suzui. I am nineteen years old. I like birds, and bikes, and cooking. I’m Kei Hada’s girlfriend. I’m Jun Kanji’s best friend. I am Yaoyao Suzui, and I am a person, and I am real.

Fuck, her head hurts They told her to memorize a mantra.

My name is Yaojing Suzui. I am nineteen years old. I like birds, and bikes, and cooking. I’m Kei Hada’s girlfriend. I’m Jun Kanji’s best friend. I am Yaoyao Suzui. I am a person, and I am real.

How long has she been sitting here? It feels like hours. It feels like days. Simple facts about herself. To ground her. Remind her of herself.

My name is Yaojing Suzui. I am nineteen years old. I like birds, and bikes, and cooking. I’m Kei Hada’s girlfriend. I’m Jun Kanji— Kanjo’s best friend. I am Yaoyao Suzui. I am a person. I am real.

When did she even get here? What time is it now? So even if she drifted off she’d have something to hold onto.

My name is Yaojing Suzui. I am nineteen years old. I like birds, and bikes, and cooking. I’m Kei Hada’s girlfriend. I’m Jun Kanji’s best friend. I am Yaoyao Suzui. I am a person. I am real.

So she’d —

——— —— -

Her mind feels - god. Awful. Like molasses. Heavy. Blurry.

My name is Yaojing Suzui. I am nineteen years old. I like birds, bikes, and cooking. I’m Kei Hada’s girlfriend. I’m Jun’s best friend. I am Yaoyao Suzui. I am a person. I am real.

She tries to think, tries to grab anything substantial - but it’s all smoke. All of her thoughts jumbled up, not right - nothing quite right- like trying to catch fog, or steam, or — air—

I am nineteen years old. I like birds, bikes, and cooking. I’m Kei’s girlfriend. I’m Jun’s best friend. I am Yaoyao Suzui. I am a person. I am—

“Suzui? Everything’s been processed, you’re free to go. Your—“

—I am nineteen years old. I like birds, bikes, and cooking. I’m Kei’s girlfriend. I’m Jun’s best friend. I am a person. I am real—

Are her ears ringing or is that receptionist guy’s voice just actually static?

—I like birds, bikes, and cooking. I’m Kei’s girlfriend. I’m Jun’s best friend. I am real—

“—he’s here for you in the waiting room whenever you’re ready.”

I am real

Kei?

I am real

Kei…

I am real,

Shit. Kei.

(I can’t believe I actually--) (—sees in me worth—)(“—can I please see him—“) (—favorite person in the world—) (—my baobao.)

He came to pick her up. Because they said she might be — disoriented. That’s right. How did she forget that? … Did she forget that?

—I like birds, bikes, and cooking, I’m Kei Hada’s girlfriend, I am—

(I want to see him.)

“—Suzui? Do you need assistance-?”

“No. No, I’m fine. I just-“ I am real this is real it wasn’t a dream this is REAL, “I’m going, I’m going, just lemme-“

“Ms. Suzui do you need assistance-“

“DON'T touch me.” That was loud. Fuck. Did he hear it? He’ll worry. She’s always making him worry, is such an idiot—

He backs away, hands up - did she show him teeth? The world is in pieces but she knows this blackness in her chest, the burning, the anger. She knows the anger. (Fear? Is it fear?) She pushes herself to her feet no the door nope the waiting room? The door’s open. She scours the bright, pristine why is there so much white this why she hates- waiting room and— yellow eyes, fluffy hair. Yellow eyes, fluffy hair. Yellow —

There.

“Kei.” Kei, Kei, Kei. She doesn’t have to think thinking is so much fucking harder than it should be what is wrong with her head her feet carry her to him and she clings. Breathes. The fog is starting to clear, sort of. A little. Just enough. She wraps her arms around his shoulders, breathes him in. “Sorry. Sorry I made you wait, sorry, I’m sorry.”

Kei Hada

[Kei Hada]

The wait was starting to get agonizing. It didn't usually get this bad- He's waited on Yaoyao plenty of times when she had to take a test or her course was holding her back for something. The lack of knowing what this visit entailed had to be the culprit. He couldn't stop thinking of how much she despised places like this.

A voice pierced through the air and he flinched, colours shifting on his phone from how hard he gripped it. Wait, that was her. Someone was trying to grab her? Who? What were they doing to her-

Purple filled the doorway when he looked there. Oh. There she was. Kei sighed in relief. "Hi Yaoyao-" He wasn't on his feet and he was already pushed back on his seat by his partner, his body constrained by arms wrapped around his shoulders. Her grip was tight; she was apologizing a lot.

Worry etched his brow. "Yaoyao?" She was shaking so much too. As concerned as he was, the last thing he wanted was to pile on the panic she seemed to be in. So he carefully wrapped his arms around her waist; made sure his voice was as soft and grounding as he could make it. "You don't need to be sorry- I'm fine, yeah? Are you okay? Do you wanna sit down?"

𝕐 + 𝕐

[𝕐 + 𝕐]

[attr="class","body"]She takes a breath, tries to breathe - how did breathing suddenly become so hard, what’s wrong with her — it’s like she forgot, like she didn’t know how or — didn’t need to —

She pulls back just long enough to take a look at him before burying her head in his shoulder again, taking another deep breath. He feels so damn real, solid in front of her, it grounds her. Just a little. Helps her breathe easier. Better. He always does, her Kei. Doesn’t he? Brings her back to herself, reins her in. Makes her human. Makes her - not good, no, but a little less bad. A little less… that.

Sitting sounds like a godsend — but she was just sitting. For so long. For hours, she — god, she can barely remember. “No,” she mumbles against his shoulder, swaying on her feet. “No, god, I just - let’s get outta here. I wanna go home, Kei.” The name feels wrong on her mouth, on her tongue, against her teeth. Why? This is him. She knows it is. Would know him by the way he breathes, the way he walks. But the name - that’s wrong.

It’s so childish. Pathetic, actually. But she clings a little harder. Why does everything seem so... off?

“Please. Take me home.”

Kei Hada

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[Kei Hada]

Kei frowned. This- this wasn't good at all. Her breathing had grown laboured now. She didn't want to sit but could she even move in this state? She was swaying as it was. He shifted his toothpick in thought before he spoke. "Yeah, I'll take you home. We'll walk nice and slow okay? And when we're back in the dorms and settled in you can tell me what this visit was about. Okay?" His voice might've cracked at the statement in his attempt to rein his panic in.

It's just- he knew so little of what happened. He didn't even know the appointment was made in the first place. There were so many unknown variables that he was going to make himself sick thinking of them all.

But Kei couldn't allow that. He had to be strong, because Yaoyao was not at the moment. He grimaced each time she said his real name. She hadn't used it since before they got together. "Okay. Now slooowly-" He stood up, carefully wrapping his partner's arm around his shoulders before securing her waist with his own. It was awkward with how much taller she was than him but he made it work. He had to.

Before the duo made their way out the door, Kei turned his head to look at the reception desk and the nurse standing by it for a moment. "Thank you." Even he could tell the words felt empty.

Shaking his head, they exited the clinic.

𝕐 + 𝕐

[𝕐 + 𝕐]

[attr="class","body"]She hates this. Hates making him worry, really worry like this — but the feeling is - it’s - it’s so — it’s distant. Dull. Muted. Which is familiar, which should be terrifying, except she just can’t muster up the goddamn energy to be scared. She’s so tired, and it’s all… Hard to care about, hard to focus on, hard to remember when she can feel her own heart beating against her ribs. Kei says something, but it’s hard to make out. He says the word “slow” - thinking feels bad. Moving feels worse, somehow. Like walking through molasses and quicksand at the same time, which… ew. The thought is almost worse than reality - that she's doing this. Dead weight instead of on her own two feet.

How fucking sad.

"Sorry," she mumbles again. "Sorry. Sorry."

Her mind is swimming and her balance is shit. The doors open and she wants to be sick — world is still too big, too bright. Too much light. Her clothes feel too stifling, too present against her skin. Too much.

But her arm is around Kei, her body is pressed to his side. And as she leans her weight on him she tries, honest to god, to focus on the feeling of his breath, of the way his chest rose and fell beneath her, his warmth. His presence. Just his existence, keeping her grounded.

How good it feels to have something solid, something concrete to hold onto. She clutches his hand, her arm over his shoulder, like a lifeline. Her skin’s all clammy and cold but he doesn’t seem to mind, because he’s a saint. Or he’s too concerned to give it mention — whatever it is, it makes her clutch his hand all the tighter.

God, her Kei. Her sweetness. Her - her baobao.

She can do this. She can do this, with him. For him. One foot in front of the other. Slow and steady.

Slow and steady.

Slow and —

Is someone screaming?

Kei Hada

[newclass=.body b]color:#5a43d2[/newclass]

[Kei Hada]

One step. Then another. And another. Then the cycle went on. He said that they were gonna take things slow but god, he couldn't help but wish they were home already so he wouldn't have to push Yaoyao like this, when she was holding him like he was the only thing that kept her standing. It was evident that whatever she'd gone through was overwhelming. Maybe traumatic even? Was he allowed to think that? And it wasn't like he could bring her back to the clinic- they were the ones who made her so out of it in the first place.

She was still apologizing so much too, like she was a burden to him of all things. "You're fine Yaoyao, it's okay." Kei didn't want to sound like a broken record but what else was he supposed to do? "We're makin' good progress but we can stop. Whenever you want." Though whenever you want may not be the best choice of words to say right before one hears a scream.

Kei paused in his step, his grip on Yaoyao tightening ever so slightly. Cross eyes scanned around them but pedestrians were walking as they have been, if giving them some space either out of respect or lack of want to be pulled in whatever was going on with them. Another shift of his toothpick before he resumed their walk. "Someone probably tripped."

Second time he didn't believe his own words. The scream was lasting too long. He walked just a bit faster.

𝕐 + 𝕐

[𝕐 + 𝕐]

[attr="class","body"]Yeah. Yeah, yeah, that’s it. Someone’s tripped. Probably tripped, or spilled hot coffee on their nice new top, or a minor car accident maybe. Something happened, something probably bad but nothing that concerns them and more importantly certainly not Yaoyao and probably not Kei.

Ha. Her birdie is such a terrible liar. It would be laughable if it didn’t stress him out so much.

“Okay,” she says, anyway. He can lie. It’s okay. She sure won’t call him out on it. “Okay. I - Sorry.” Fuck. She hates hearing herself apologize too, but she — she can’t stop. It feels like a compulsion, like an itch under her skin. A nagging at the back of her brain. “S—damn it.”

The screaming cuts out. Something tells her she should care more than she does, but she just - she can’t. She’s focusing all her brain power on walking for now, thanks. Slow is steady and steady is smooth and smooth is fast and the faster they’re out of here, the sooner they’re home. The sooner he’s safe.

Suddenly — movement. Rumbling, beneath their feet. A roaring in her ears, a roaring in the ground, pressure, another scream — the manhole feet away from the bursts from its seal. Water sprays everywhere. The noise, the feeling, the chaos around them, people running and shouting suddenly, phones and cameras, panic and confusion — too much, it’s so much, it’s too much she’s going to explode out of her own skin—

The water. There’s something in the water below. She feels it before she sees it, ice down her spine, every hair rising on end. Danger.

A threat.

Kei Hada

[newclass=.body b]color:#5a43d2[/newclass]

[Kei Hada]

Things were happening too fast. Earth shaking beneath their feet, metal clamouring on the road where the manhole cover landed, shuffling movement from those smart enough to leave at the first sign of trouble. Meanwhile all he could focus on at the moment was how Yaoyao was humouring him on a scenario he wished to be true. Because it would be nice! If someone tripping was the worst thing that would happen today and not be what looked like a second flooding!

But of course, once again, the world was against him.

This time however, the torrent subsided soon after it began. A webbed hand rose from the drain, followed by another. Then, grasping the rim, the thing pulled itself up from the sewers, squeezing through the hole with a squelch before landing on the ground with a resounding thud. It opened its eyes to look cameras pointed at it and roared.



Kei didn't join the screams. He couldn't, not when his girlfriend was so sensitive to them. He bit his lip hard to hold them in, softening them to whines of anguish. A sad sound and now his mouth stung but it didn't matter. None of it mattered.

They needed to run.

"Sorry Yaoyao- we gotta go!" Kei was quick to adjust his hold so he was carrying her in his arms before his pack kicked into gear, four metal limbs shooting out his back. They latched on the ground and propelled them forward, away from whatever that creature was.

He hoped it wasn't fast.

𝕐 + 𝕐

[𝕐 + 𝕐]

[attr="class","body"]Her body feels like ice and her mind feels like fire and she doesn’t know what the goddamn hell is going on but there’s something wrong and it’s too loud in her head and her head hurts and she can’t— She can’t think.

She doesn’t need to, technically, shouldn’t need to - her body knows how to react to threat, Kei, danger, protect but she’s so fucking out of it. Weak, confused, pathetic, she can barely register what’s - happening— over every single instinct and alarm system in her head blaring DANGER, DANGER, DANGER only worsening the crap-storm of stimulus—

Then at the worst possible god-damn second, the world goes black.

It’s just a moment, but that’s all it takes. A moment and she’s dead weight in Kei’s arms, a moment and she drops like a stone —

And vibrant lilac energy comes to life, surrounding her body like a shroud of auroras. The eyes that open again as she supports her own weight, they shine, reflective for a moment like an animal’s in the dead of night, and then they’re overtaken by baby blue-grey, creased with concern. “Kei? I-I couldn’t — what’s—“

Yanli Suzui sees the mutated fish crawling after them, and just barely, she does not scream. Her face goes pale. Her eyes go wide — and they are off the ground entirely, thrown into the air as lilac energy scrabbles at the tops of buildings and street lights, swinging and clambering over rooftops and alleys until they’re at a distance and please, please, hopefully out of range enough to stop, to reassess, to catch their breath.

“What - what was that?”

Kei Hada

[newclass=.body b]color:#5a43d2[/newclass]

[Kei Hada]

Kei kept going. He had to- it was still too close for comfort, the screams of passersby his evidence that they weren't safe yet when he was too focused on the path ahead to look behind them. Not to mention the ground was still rumbling, the thing must be heavy.

What shouldn't have been heavy though was Yaoyao. It was so sudden, how she'd fallen limp in his arms. For a second he thought the worst of it- that the added stress to what she'd already gone through had somehow given her a heart attack- only for his worry to be assuaged when lilac fumes enveloped her form. Well. Only slightly. Because that could only mean-

"Oh hi Lili!" That she had taken over. And take over she did, with grapples on their surroundings so quick that Kei had to reel his metal arms in so they didn't get in the way of her shadows. Were they still called shadows? They're much brighter than Yaoyao's.

But right. Explaining. Kei tried to stay balanced on the street light they ended up on, panting from the exertion. "I-I dunno, it came from the sewers. We can't stay here, we gotta-"

It was so sudden. A bang against their perch as the monster they've been running from rammed its head against the pole. The base detached from the sidewalk and the whole thing began to tip over.

Kei screamed this time.

𝕐 + 𝕐

[𝕐 + 𝕐]

[attr="class","body"]Kei is not the only one who screams. Lili, for all her usual soft-spokenness and seeming inability to make a sound above a certain decibel on the most average and normal of occasions — oh, she feels terrible about it, she really does, especially when she’s right next to his ear but that fish thing is so big and does not look natural at all and the moving and the bang and everything,

She shrieks, quickly cut off in horror but shrill all the same, and she would apologize, honest, but they’re falling! They’re falling, and Kei might get hurt and Yaoyao might never forgive her and she’d be right—

Lilac fumes envelop the both of them in full, a few offshoots grabbing hold of a nearby fire escape in just enough time to offset the full force of the fall. It’s enough at least that she can wrap — it — herself — the energy — around Kei and protect his head as they tumble to the ground. Thank goodness, thank goodness, she couldn’t forgive herself if he got a concussion — but oh, gods, they need to move and they need to move now. “Are you okay? Can you walk, can you — oh god oh god Kei let’s go let’s go let’s go!”

Later she’ll realize how self-centered she was being. Later, she’ll remember the screams and the chaos around them, and all those people, just as terrified as she was, just as lost, and just as in need, and she’ll feel awful —

But right now - right now, Yaoyao’s instincts are strong. So strong. And strongest of all of them has always been — will always be — protect. Protect us. Protect him.

Kei Hada

[newclass=.body b]color:#5a43d2[/newclass]

[Kei Hada]

Kei kept his eyes shut. His head spun. All that swinging and tumbling had made him incredibly dizzy. It took some time for him to realize he was on the ground, the pavement coarse below him. They'd fallen from- what was it? A street light? Was he dead then? Street lights were pretty tall.

But that couldn't be. He wouldn't be feeling so sick otherwise.

A voice then. Someone asking if he could walk. It sounded urgent. They were running from something weren't they? The horrible feeling couldn't have just been from the vertigo.

Kei heaved. Right, the monster. It brought them down from the street light. It was still right behind them. He tried to push himself up but god- he was only moving one arm at a time. Too slow. Way too slow. If he kept going at this pace they were gonna-

There was a sudden crash behind them. Kei couldn't see it but a dumpster slammed right into the monster.

𝕐 + 𝕐

[Ryota Hada]

From the alley where the trash bin was launched like a shot, two pairs of knuckles were cracked as the source stepped out into the street, her second pair being much larger than her first. Fists raised in the air as a hero in orange stared down her opponent. "How about picking on someone your own size buster?!"

As if in response, the mutant pushed the dumpster to the side and roared. So with a growl the hero charged, throwing her first of many punches against the oversized fish.

---

Someone more familiar to the two would hop down from the building above, running towards them in his signature armour. "Kei! Lili! Are you two alright?" Seeing them drop from the street light like they did made his heart jump to his throat- he couldn't do anything to help them then.

But seeing as neither of them were bleeding, Vox could only hope they were well enough to move. He crouched down to speak to them. "Listen to me. The bay has been overrun by creatures like this one. We'll take care of it, so I need you to go back to UAU and stay away from here until this is over. Do you understand?"

𝕐 + 𝕐

[𝕐 + 𝕐]

[attr="class","body"]Relief. Stark and pure and sweet, it floods her immediately at the sight of Kei's big brother. Lili can try her best, but - she’s no fighter. She’s no Yaoyao (Yaoyao who still floats in the nebulous place inside their mind, still so hard to grasp, still so murky, still so terrifyingly, unnaturally distant — Yaoyao who would have had these monsters running - swimming?? - back the way they came, surely, if only - if only she was in her right mind, if only she was able). But Vox? Knockout? To have real, actual heroes here - to be saved like this - to not have to spill blood here, today, even to protect the one thing Yaoyao holds dearer than their own life —

The amount of relief Ryota’s — Vox’s — arrival brings her can’t possibly be put into words. “O-Okay. I - I understand - I’m sorry!” Sorry for being in the way, sorry for not moving fast enough, sorry for so much.

She pushes herself up, on trembling hands and knees, and whispers apologies to Kei - she’s so sorry, she really is, she wouldn’t handle him like this if she didn’t have to, but they need to move quickly and he still seems disoriented — oh, god, she hopes he doesn’t have a concussion. “Come on Kei, we - we need to go. I-I’m sorry - I’m going to pick you up-“ Lavender and lilac, fumes and energy — they’re bolstered and carried away by it. It’s faster than they’d be able to walk, she’s sure of it — and things will be okay. Knockout and Vox will handle it. They’ll stop the creatures, and save the civilians, and everything will be okay.

… She hopes.

But first — getting Kei somewhere safe. Getting Kei home. The rest - everything - everything comes after that.

Kei Hada

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