[lonewolf]

Mark closed the door of the fridge behind him and held one of the bottles up to his face. His injuries from the earlier fight were thankfully superficial, but now that he was in a well lit area a black eye was developing, and his lip was bloody and swollen. Those were the ones that could be seen, too; on the car ride over he felt a slight burning pain in the middle of his back where the stun rod hit him, no doubt where the prongs created their arc, and his right side ached from where he got dogpiled on. Nothing that a little rest couldn't solve, though. Just meant he had to be careful when doing his investigating in the next few days.

The apartment was without a doubt spartan. A table with two lawn chairs sat in the middle of the room, a futon with a small TV were pushed to the side, and the "kitchen" was divided from the rest of the room with a counter. A bathroom would be in a side room, along with a trunk of what would be presumed clothes in it. A stack of magazines of the bachelor variety would be next to the futon.

"Guess we should start with reintroductions," he says, handing the other bottle to his current guest: Kokoro. He had made a stupid decision to follow her into a bar that he was staking out, and while it was stupid he more than likely saved her life tonight. "I'm Mark, but my hero name is Lone Wolf. I am an investigation based hero 'cause my quirk lets me see the past. I've worked throughout the Midwest US, and I'm here 'cause my little brother is a douche canoe."

Kokoro

[Kokoro]

Someone else might have judged the way he lived, but she was used to camping out in the woods, or staying at dingy hotels. To her, his apartment was just as homely as any other place. ''Do you not have a first aid kit?'' She asked as she looked around the apartment without actually going through the suitcase or any drawers. ''They got you pretty bad.'' She accepted the bottle, but couldn't help but keep worrying about his eye and his lip.

''A quirk that can see the past, and you're looking for your brother...'' She said thoughtfully, ruminating on the details. ''Well, nice to meet you, Mark.'' She smiled up at him. ''I'm Kokoro, but some people have started calling me Buzzard. I'm a traveler who has seen a lot of the world, knows how to fight with swords, and who is searching for a quirk that can control time itself.'' An impossible dream, but it was one she knew she had to chase. Horrible mistakes of fate had been committed in the past and she was hellbent on correcting them. ''I grew up here in Japan. My mom and dad owned an inn up in the mountains. I was never really interested in the world until one day a smiling traveler stopped by.'' She smiled, but it soon faded as she opened her bottle and took a long sip.

''Because of me, that traveler died. I was just a kid, but...'' She let out a sigh. ''You said your brother is a douche canoe? I've never had any siblings.'' She didn't mind finally sharing her mysterious origins for once, especially not over alcohol, but she was trying to deflect from her own past for a moment.

lonewolf

[lonewolf]

Mark shrugged, looking around. "I got one with my gun cleaning supplies. Too tired to look, though." It was floating about the apartment somewhere, or maybe even in the car. He didn't seem too concerned with it, though.

"Time control. That's a particular quirk to be lookin' for..." His thoughts drifted to a particular student of his, but he dismissed it. Farrin's quirk wasn't going to do what she wanted it to do, he was pretty sure.

"Well, we didn't exactly have a great childhood. Our dad was a hero named Nobody, and he was such an asshole that the ancient actor Wayne would have a run for his money." He shook his head. "But Sean...my brother. He didn't have to do what he did. Some messed up stuff. Feds're lookin' for him, but I'm tryin' to beat 'em to the punch." He took a sip of his beer. He didn't want to elaborate further than that, but the explanation probably demanded more details. Something that she would more than likely get out of him by the time the night was over.

"How're your legs, by the way? You said they were giving you trouble earlier. Something about your quirk putting a strain on them?"

Kokoro

[Kokoro]

''I can go look for it. You must be hurting.'' She was more than happy to, even if she was nervous for their upcoming conversation, all she needed to know was that Mark was comfortable and wasn't suffering or in pain.

''It is.'' She agreed quietly. ''Many people have told me that a quirk like that doesn't exist, but I have to keep looking. I've seen all sorts of quirks, you know? Is it really so outrageous to think there is one that can send you back in time?'' She smirked, she was trying to mask it, but she felt less and less confident about her mission with each week that passed by with no leads or answers. Even though her legs hurt, she got up and ran a small cleaning cloth under cold tap water, wringing all the wetness out of it to leave her with a damp piece of cloth. ''Here, let me hold this for you.'' She moved to sit in front of him, holding the cloth up to his head with one hand.

''Your brother betrayed you?'' Her tone was soft since she was sitting much closer to him now. ''That can't have been easy.'' She had been betrayed before herself, but only by people she considered temporary allies anyway. She couldn't imagine the pain she would feel if a family member turned their back on her. Someone Mark had grown up with, shared highs and lows with... How could that have happened?

She looked down at her legs briefly, before looking up at him with an apologetic smile. ''I'm not going to lie to you, Mark, they hurt a lot.'' And even though that was the case she said it so casually. ''If you have ever felt sore after working out, think of it like that, but it's worse because my quirk is what caused it.'' She wasn't really supposed to carry anyone with her quirk, but it was the safest way out of being chased by thugs all night. She wasn't going to tell him that though, she had made him feel bad or worry about her enough already. ''But, it's nothing new. I got off easy compared to you.''

lonewolf

[lonewolf]

Mark winced as she pressed the rag against his face, jerking away momentarily before letting her do what she wanted. It wasn't a big deal, but if he were being honest it was not a bad idea to be something, anything to keep their minds off the conversation. "Something, something, science, something, temporal stuff, something...it's possible something like that exists, maybe..." He reaches over to put a hand on her leg, letting his fingers lightly dig into her. He didn't want to bear down as he knew enough about muscles that doing too much caused more harm than good, but he couldn't help but think that maybe a light massage would help. "If you think this is bad, you shoulda been there the time I got shot." He still had the scar on his left side, where a bullet grazed his lung. It was noticeable and hurt from time to time, but it brought things into context.

"I just regret not doing something about it sooner. But I think that means two of us have more in common than we thought. What happened with this traveler that makes you want to go back in time?" It had to be asked. In a manner, he didn't want to ask but he had to. If anything, he knew he would have to spill more of his past to her, in brutal detail. "This pressure ain't too bad, is it?"

Kokoro

[Kokoro]

She almost reached out when he winced, but decided against it. She had lied to him after all. He had brought a criminal home, a murderer who had done nothing but lie to him and now she was tending to his injuries. When he moved to put a hand on her leg she looked at it before smiling back up at him. ''You got shot? You lead a kind of dangerous life don't you?'' She teased and let out a giggle. The irony of that question wasn't lost on her. Although she couldn't say she had been shot. Shot at, sure, but thankfully never shot. ''Is that how you got that scar? I didn't want to ask about it last time, but it suits you. ~''

She fell silent for a moment, giving a soft nod in agreement about their commonalities. ''She died.'' Kokoro lifted the rag for a moment to check if it was still damp before gently pushing it down again. ''She died to protect me. She barely even knew the foolish kid that got lost in the woods that day, but she didn't hesitate to help me.'' Ever since she had lived with the regrets of that day. ''If I could go back I could fix everything.'' She smirked, reaching for Mark's bottle and taking a big sip before handing it back to him. She tensed up for a moment as she felt his hands on her legs, her muscles still incredibly sore. ''Not... Not too bad.'' She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh as she tried to relax. They could have been killed tonight. Maybe she was still coming down from the adrenaline of that bar fight.

''Were there signs? About your brother?'' His regret of not doing something sooner was a bit of a giveaway, but she didn't want to assume things about his past.

lonewolf

[lonewolf]

"Well, you know what they say, ladies find scars attractive," he says, letting a smile to cross his face. "Unfortunately, most of mine are psychological. Not as sexy."

Seeing as there wasn't any other way to get around he, it was best he just take the plunge. "My brother is responsible for at least sixteen murders. Including our father's." He let out a sigh, closing his eyes. "There were lots of signs. His quirk was...is dangerous. I could go into a lot of detail 'bout our upbringing, but the short version is he wanted the power to change things." He stopped, unsure just how much more he should give.

"That lady sounds like she was a selfless woman," he says, continuing the massage lightly. "But going back in time...I feel like there's a lotta movies and stuff that say that's a bad idea." But that was when it hit him: if she was a traveler, and this happened when she was a kid..."I feel like I'm going to get slapped for this, but how old are you again?"

Kokoro

[Kokoro]

''I like you just the way you are, scars or no scars.'' She smiled back, leaning in closer to give him a gentle peck on the cheek. When he opened up about his past she listened attentively, remaining silent as she took it all in, the pain of what he went through, his face, tone and how he was breathing as he poured his heart out. When he stopped, she reached out for his hand and held it to let him know she was there. That he wasn't alone. ''You're a good person, Mark.'' She looked down at his hand. It was warm. Familiar, soft and yet, capable of wielding destruction and setting the world ablaze with gunfire. Hands of destruction that also brought her comfort. ''I'm sorry about what happened to your father, and your brother. I'm sure you will find him one of these days.'' She looked back up at him, making eye contact.

''She probably was.'' She replied with a weak chuckle. Someone had given their life to save her, and she didn't even know enough about them to honor their memory. ''There are, but those are all fiction. The only way I will know for sure is by doing it myself.'' She couldn't help but crack a smile when he asked about her age. ''Uh oh, I've been found out. ~'' She giggled. ''Slap you? Do I look that youthful to you, Mark?'' Settling into the massage she was really starting to relax. ''Hopefully you like older women, I'm 29, turning 30 in about a month. ~'' Putting the damp rag aside she leaned closer into him so she could rest her head on his chest. ''Time flies. I've been on the road for about 14 years now.''

lonewolf

[lonewolf]

He stopped for a moment, registering her words. "You say that now. I've had many a relationship fail on account of my drive." There was a long list, one that he didn't feel the need to rattle off. As much as she seemed to be committing, he at least had to warn her.

Her goal brought him out of it, though. He couldn't help but think just how dangerous it was, but...again, he wasn't an academic. There were a lot of questions he had regarding it, but at the same time they were academic questions. And he was pretty sure something got knocked loose in that fight, creating a slight headache. If he could avoid expending too many thoughts, then he would. Taking a swig from the bottle, he shifted so that she could better get comfortable, taking in a breath before letting it out. "Well, you're not too much older than me. But it is a nice change of pace." He leaned back a little, trying to figure out how to progress. "Considering our placement on the great big board of society, how about we make a deal?"

Kokoro

[Kokoro]

''Is that so?'' She thought about it for a moment, before smiling back at him. ''I've never been able to make any of my relationships last either.'' Traveling, being on a journey, it was a lonely life style wrought with danger. For tonight she didn't want to think about it. For tonight she didn't want to go anywhere. This feeling was only further accentuated when he let her lean on him. After all this time, all this training, using her quirk still made her so unbelievably tired. That, and he was a perfect pillow.

She closed her eyes and really settled in. ''Mmh, does that mean I do have a chance with you? ~'' She teased, listening for his heartbeat while he massaged her leg. ''So I am older, I thought so. You've got a handsome young face after all.'' She was fully relaxed, and could probably have fallen asleep then and there if their conversation hadn't continued. ''A deal?'' She opened her eyes to look up at him. ''What are you proposing? Do you realize what you are suggesting, making alliances with a criminal?'' She paused for a moment, considering whether she should say what she wanted to next, but she didn't want to lie to him. ''I've killed people, Mark. I've killed a lot of people. They were bad, but that doesn't change who I am.'' She put her free hand up to his chest. ''If the Heroes Association finds out you helped me you could lose everything.'' Or at least she assumed so. She wasn't aware of how the inner workings of hero society worked, but she assumed there was little to no tolerance when it came to dealing with the criminals classified as vigilantes, even if they were objectively better than villains.

Then again, he brought it up, not her. She might as well hear him out.

lonewolf

[lonewolf]

He rolled his eyes, at least to the best of his ability. "I'm aware of the taboo, yeah." Something he didn't state too often, especially in front of his peers, was his view of the law. There was the Letter, where every 'i' and every 't' was dotted. No matter who it was, they were subject to the law and any deviancy was to be punished. However, there was the Spirit of the law, something that he preferred to go by; not every act of deviancy was out of malice or rebellion, and each case had to be taken with what was right over what was the law.

This was made this newfound relationship (which he was going to ignore) so dangerous. He was aware of the consequences if they got caught.

"Regardless what the Association thinks, I'm a guest here. My goal is to find Sean, and anything else I do here is just something to pass the time." He sits up a little, pressing his lips together. "Obviously, I can't do anything like cover up your crimes or run interference. I can try to track down anyone with any time abilities, so long as they aren't one of my students. I don't think it's wise to go back in time to change things, but it's not my place to tell you what to do 'cause I ain't your dad." He takes a breath, letting his hand rest on her thigh. "In return, I want your help tracking down Sean. I have access to some of the best resources in the world, but heroes are constrained by the law. So long as no one ends up dead, any information you can turn out would help."

Kokoro

[Kokoro]

''Taboo? That's one way to put it. From watching TV I always thought heroes were more strict in their view of the law and how they applied it.'' She let her fingers dance playfully across his chest, looking at them as she continued. ''You know, you're surprisingly noble, Mark? Wanting to help me despite who I really am. Some heroes may disagree with you, but to me, that already makes you a hero.'' Halfway through her sentence she looked up at him. It was one thing to feel safe because you were sleeping under a roof and eating until you were full.

But she couldn't remember the last time she felt safe in someone's arms.

So Mark, the hero known as Lone Wolf was loyal to his own goals, and not necessarily the Heroes Association? That was her takeaway from the way he phrased it. Maybe they had more in common than she first thought... She was labeled a vigilante, but she didn't consider herself to be one necessarily. She was just a wanderer, a traveler on a journey.

''I see.'' She smiled, having somehow expected a less favorable proposition. ''It's a bit of quid pro quo, then? It isn't the first time I've been asked to track down a person for someone else.'' Normally she didn't care all too much about who died so long as they weren't civilians, but for him she could make an exception. ''No deaths, I'll find your brother and you can help me look for a way to travel back in time.'' She brightened up as she shifted a bit in her seat, putting her legs on either side of him as she faced him. ''We'll both accomplish our goals.'' She snuck her hands up to gently cup his face. Gauging his reaction for a moment. ''And no one else needs to know about our secret alliance.''

Closing her eyes, she leaned in to kiss him.

lonewolf

[lonewolf]

"Yeah, well, if the law were followed to the last letter then the people would be oppressed," he says, trying not to get philosophical. He couldn't say if he had ever been called noble, though. Mark wasn't exactly a paragon, just a guy trying to do the right thing. But...well, maybe that was the difference.

As she shifted he moved his hands, placing them on her hips. "Sounds like a deal then," he says, giving her a smile as she leaned in. In truth, he didn't know how this would end. It could either be a way of smoothing his own life over, or it could blow up spectacularly in his face. If there was one thing he couldn't put aside, though, it was the fact he loved this kind of danger. Something that his other relationships never had. So when their lips met he couldn't help but pull her in a little closer, a secret that he'd have to take with him to the grave. He was okay with that, though; of all the things he had seen in his life, what was one more secret?

Kokoro

[Kokoro]

''I see. It's a complicated thing then.'' She smiled. ''I didn't get very far in school.'' She admitted quietly, averting her gaze for a brief moment. ''Well, that, and I don't exactly know any other heroes or people working for the law very well.''

She truly didn't know what it was that compelled him to trust her, to make this secret alliance with her, to let her get so close to him. Was it love? Was he secretly planning to turn her in, or perhaps he was tired of being a hero? There were so many options, but no matter which one it was she wasn't about to turn down his help. Not only was he good at looking for things or people since that was a lot of his job description, but he had access to different resources, much like how she was able to look in the shadier places for Sean. It was a mutually beneficial pact sealed with a kiss.

His lips were soft, his hands warm. She didn't realize it from being on the road for so long, but she had missed being close to another person, feeling any connection beyond allies that could turn on you for a bribe. Pulling away she leaned in to hug him and whisper into his neck. ''I'm too tired to walk home, do you mind if I spend the night?''

lonewolf

[Jinx]

☆ MISSION SUCCESS ☆

I see it, I ship it
Great thread you two!

+ 5,000 EXP!!

Lone Wolf: 41,000 // 46,000
Kokoro: 1,000 // 6,000

tag: Kokoro,lonewolf