[Sora Nakoma]

Akihabara. There was a time, back when Sora was in high school, that he spent almost every minute he wasn’t training to become a hero here. And who could blame him? Video games, anime and manga, clothes… everything a teen could want! Just standing in the busy, bustling streets, all abuzz with countless people going every which way, felt nostalgic to him. This was a sort of crowd he didn’t mind; Sora usually preferred things quieter and less busy, but there were so many people here it was unlikely many paid him any mind.

That said, Sora wasn’t here for pleasure today. Well, not in the sense of shopping or browsing. Instead he had gotten a surprise call from a former schoolmate of his; Kazashi, a girl in the year below him back when he attended UAU. They weren’t exactly joined at the hip in those days, but they hung out once in a while. Usually with other classmates in the mix. Apparently, when she heard that Sora had returned from America she decided to call him up and offered to go on a patrol together. Sora had no reason to say no; it would be nice to catch up to someone he knew, since everything seemed so different after only a couple years. Plus she could help him get reacquainted with Tokyo again; a win for business, and a win for his social life to boot!

At the moment Sora was dressed in his hero costume, which really didn’t look all that different from normal clothes besides the goggles around his neck, partially hiding the charm necklace he wore, and the furry hood of his jacket. He hoped Kazashi would recognize him okay; he didn’t think he had changed much in the years he was gone, but Sora never was good about noticing his own growth or changes. He lifted the goggles to his eyes, activating the hud so he could test it while he waited. Sora blew gently, straight up so as not to disturb anybody nearby. “Wind speed for short breath: 22 miles per hour. Tracking system is fully functional Sora.” Spoke the voice of the goggles’ AI, ASIA, to the young man. Only he could hear her thanks to the goggles, even it the crowd wasn’t so huge and noisy. He nodded, satisfied, and pulled the goggles back down around his neck as he leaned back against the wall until Kazashi arrived.

Kazashi McCoy

[Kazashi McCoy]

Sora had come back to Japan!

Kazashi was happy to see an old friend return, and while they weren't the closest back in UAU, she was still eager to catch up with him. He wasn't just returning from America either, presumably he was staying to do hero work, which meant there was a big chance they were going to be colleagues moving forward! Her reaching out to him was both because she wanted to catch up, but also as an act of kindness since she knew what it was like to feel like a fish out of water. If she could help him reintegrate a little easier and hear some stories about America in the process, that was just a win-win!

She was wearing her hero costume too, in all its flashy splendor. A long red dress with a matching masquerade mask that matched her red horns. Even in a crowded place as busy as Akihabara, she still managed to stand out somehow. In her first year at UAU she would have hated it, but Kazashi clearly wasn't the same, insecure woman she used to be back then. In her second and third year she had undergone quite the transformation of her own, all attributing to the hero she was today. At first she wasn't sure if she would recognize Sora after so long, but when she saw him leaning against the wall her face lit up.

''Sora! Is that ya?'' She called out with a big fanged grin as she ran through the crowd towards him. Her accent was still as distinctly country as always. ''Welcome back ta Japan!'' She held her arms out, offering him a hug if he wanted one, no hard feelings if he didn't! ''Have ya grown taller? Ah think ya have grown taller! Or maybe ya put on muscles.'' She grinned. ''How was America? They treatin' ya okay?''

Sora Nakoma

[Sora Nakoma]

Sora wasn’t waiting for much longer before he heard a familiar voice over the din of the crowded streets, shouting his name. A very distinct red blur was rushing towards him, and when it stopped he saw Kazashi standing there with welcoming arms and a toothy grin. He smiled back at her as she welcomed him home, and happily returned her offered hug. “Good to be back, Kazashi! Thanks for inviting me along today.” He told her with a slight chuckle as he let go. She noted that he seemed to have changed, which did at least confirm his wondering if he had or not. He shrugged. “Maybe I bulked up a little. Things were pretty crazy in New York. Don’t think I would have lasted too long without my sister there showing me around, heh!”

He looked his old schoolmate over curiously. Back when he first met her, he was pretty certain that she wouldn’t ever wear such a thing. But she had definitely grown out of her shell since that first year. “I’m not the only one who changed, I see. You look good! How have things been here while I was gone?” He asked, crossing his arms as he awaited her answer. “I dan’t wait to catch each other up!” Sora had also changed some in his time away. Shortly before leaving Japan, those who knew him before would have likely noticed him growing a bit listless. Some bad news he received the day he graduated had really shaken him. But now he stood tall but relaxed, a focused but easy look in his eyes. He was kind of a stickler back in school, but it seemed having some more experience had loosened him up considerably.

Kazashi McCoy

[Kazashi McCoy]

''Don't mention it! It's the least Ah could do!'' She smiled and glanced at the streets around them. ''Tokyo's the same old, same old, but it's always nicer ta get used ta the streets again with a friend, don't ya think?'' She looked up at him, eyes practically sparkling when he mentioned New York. ''No way! Is it like they show it in the movies? Ah bet it's a whole different battleground than what ya get over here.'' She had never left Japan herself, well, unless you counted Okinawa as leaving Japan. Coupled with the fact that her husband was American, Kazashi was very fascinated with the culture and looking forward to visiting herself someday.

''Thank ya!'' She chuckled, putting her hands on her hips. ''Gotta look our best as part of the hero brand!'' She felt the exact same way, she couldn't wait to catch up. In truth, the hero work she had been handed lately had been on the mundane side. Not that she could complain. Mundane meant things were peaceful, which meant crime rates were down, but it was boring going on patrols where little to nothing happened. Sora coming back was a welcome change and she couldn't wait to see what he was capable of now. ''Things have been hella great here! Look,'' She held up her hand to show off her red, nanite-infused ink tattoo around her ring finger. ''Ah got married ta my boyfriend, we have a nice apartment out here, nice an' close ta work.'' She beamed, absolutely living her best life. ''Let's get movin', we've got lots of ground ta cover.'' She nodded her head at the street, motioning for Sora to follow her as she started walking.

''It's usually busy out here, but only the really bold criminals will try ta pull somethin' off in broad daylight.'' She kept her eyes on their surroundings as they walked. ''If ya don't mind me askin', what brings ya back ta Japan?''

Sora Nakoma

[Sora Nakoma]

Sora nodded in agreement as Kazashi noted how much better it was to rediscover places with a friend, her increasingly familiar accent alone making him feel a bit nostalgic. He laughed as she excitedly asked about what New York was like. "Yeah, it's a whole 'nother beast for sure. I think you'd like it, though. It really is true what they say, about it being a mixing pot of different people."

She seemed pleased at the compliment he paid her, and he chuckled again. "Yeah, I should probably look into something a bit more hero-like than what I've got. Being perfectly honest I got used to a lot of people knowing me when I was in America after a while, so it feels kinda weird to fly under the radar as much as I do here. Not that I mind, though."

Kazashi continued her little recap, proudly holding up her hand to show the tattoo around her ring finger and informing him of her marriage, clearly as happy as could be. Sora couldn't help his eyes widening at the information, but after a moment he got a wide smile of his own. "That's great, Kazashi! I'm happy for you! Your husband's a lucky guy." He told her. He even felt a bit jealous, having never even been in a relationship before; he'd always been slow to warm up to people back in school, and even once he improved socially he tended to be more focused on his training and hero work; someone say a bit obsessive, even.

As she headed off to start the patrol, he fell into step beside her. After noting it was unlikely they'd see something for the moment, she asked him about his sudden return to Japan. He hummed thoughtfully, trying to think of how to answer. "Well, I never planned on staying in America in the first place. Not for too long, anyway. But back on the day I graduated, I also heard that a friend of mine had... died." He wasn't sure he wanted to go into detail about Shinokame's vigilantism, but he was telling the truth. "It kinda shook me, you know? Someone I knew since I was real little. I felt like I needed to get away from Japan for a while. Just to clear my head."

He gave a small smile. "So my sister Aella invited me to work at her agency for a while. She showed me the ropes while I was over there, helped me get my feet on the ground so to speak. As for why I came back now, well... back in America I was involved in two major villain cases. And one of those cases was about a group called The Circus of Man. Not sure if y'all over here have heard of them. But while we were able to put a stop to the Circus of Man's central operation, we recently found information that links them to some events here in Japan; kidnappings and large-scale abductions of people with Mutation and Transformation Quirks, mainly. So since I had a major role in that case, I was asked to come home and see if I could look into things. I figured I had dealt with stuff well enough that I was up to it. And, well... here I am."

Kazashi McCoy

[Kazashi McCoy]

''That's about what Ah'd expect, yeah. A whole different place on the other side of the world.'' The way Sora could just adapt to a new environment like that was impressive to her. It was no secret that her English was lacking, and only in recent years had she really started to improve in very small increments. If she had been in Sora's shoes, she wouldn't have the faintest idea where to begin and start working in America, even with friends or family supporting her.

''Ah say whatever ya like wearin' an' can move around in, ya can make hella hero-like if ya want ta! It's not like there's a standard or anythin' we adhere ta, Ah mean..'' She gestured to herself with a grin, was a dress practical? No, but that was what she vibed with. ''Though Ah have ta admit, Ah'm a little jealous yer flyin' under the radar. The attention can be a bit much sometimes?'' Ironic statement coming from the woman who was wearing possibly the reddest attire in all of Akihabara right now. It wasn't so much the hero fame either, it was the gossip that came with it. Getting married, getting her work hours reduced due to her beginning pregnancy, that sort of attention from nosy journalists was the absolute worst.

''Thank ya! He's actually the same guy Ah was datin' way back when.'' She smiled, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand. They had been together since high school and while he didn't show up often around her at the time hero student friends, the fact that Kaz was dating someone was never really a secret either. Only his real identity was. She looked back at him when he mentioned his friend and what prompted the visit to America. She couldn't help but feel sympathy in that moment, and sorry for her past self that she hadn't seen it. That she could have been there for Sora, but had been too wrapped up in her own mess. ''Yeah...'' She lowered her head for a moment. Part of Sora's growth and development was probably all that pain he had been forced through.

She looked back up, mirroring his soft smile as she gave a soft nod to let him know she was still actively listening, all the while taking quick glances around them to make sure they weren't being followed. ''The Circus of Man?'' The name didn't ring any bells, with something as flashy as a circus, depending on how literal the name was, Kaz was sure she would have remembered if it came up. She shook her head gently. ''Is that so? Over here too?'' It felt like villains were getting bolder as of late. To run operations in multiple countries. ''We had somethin' related ta transformation an' mutation quirks happenin' here too, but Ah doubt they're related since that case was mostly dealt with. The case of the missin' Kaneko children an' the Blood Devil.'' A case involving her own biological father and her many half-siblings, most of which were still out there in Japan somewhere. ''He's been put behind bars ages ago, though. Ah doubt they're related, but Ah'll bring it up ta the investigators just in case.'' She smirked, ''got any leads on the Circus of Man so far?''

Sora Nakoma

[Sora Nakoma]

Sora nodded as Kazashi made her point about hero costumes, willing to concede on that matter. "True enough, heh." He said with a chuckle as she indicated her own dress to emphasize her point. "Though I would at least like to get some gear to go along with my stuff, you know? Can't hurt to have more options, so long as they don't weigh me down." She continued, expressing a bit of envy at his lack of notoriety for the time being. "Yeah, I at least want to enjoy that while it lasts. Though I can't imagine people will talk about me all that much once my name does get out there; not much to discuss."

Kazashi went on to thank him for his congratulations, informing him that it was actually the same guy she had been dating since before they were in school together. At this his smile grew. "That's amazing. Y'all being together that long, I mean. Won't lie, I'm a little jealous. I'm sure I'd love to meet him if we ever get the chance! What's his name, anyway?" He could remember that nobody back at school, to his knowledge at least, had ever met her now-husband. But he wasn't one to pry into someone's business. Even now he was just kinda getting swept up in their reuniting.

Sora's eyes scanned the crowd as his guide inquired about the Circus of Man organization he had mentioned, both keeping an eye out for trouble and also seeing if anybody had reacted to the name. No trouble to speak of yet, so he looked back at her as she noted the trouble Japan had also had with something a bit similar. He made a mental note of the case she mentioned, deciding he would look into the matter when he had the chance. "The Circus of Man was a real sick group of villains." He started, his easy smile turning into a stern frown as he remembered the day of the raid on their headquarters. "They would force the people they captured to perform for the criminal elite in a secret underground facility,beating and starving anyone who disappointed or resisted. We've confirmed at least 12 deaths at the hands of their treatment of their "performers", last I saw the records."

"As I said, they captured and imprisoned Mutation and Transformation quirk users. At least 80 disappearances were attributed to them by the time we tracked their base down." He looked up at the sky, thankful for its warm light as he remembered the cold underground tunnels he explored two years ago. "During my time at my sister Aella's agency, I befriended a good number of people around town where she was stationed. And I also investigated the sites of several people reported missing's last known appearances. Every time I searched one of those areas I'd catch a scent, but it wasn't enough to go off of."

Sora paused, remembering two of his friends. "Two of the people I met were a Mutation Quirk holder named Kuchinawa, whose power turned him into a three-headed snake. And the other was an orphaned little girl named Bailey who he took care of; Bailey had a Transformation Quirk that let her turn into a big Wendigo monster, though she couldn't control it. And one day, their names popped up in the missing persons reports."

His frown deepened for a moment, but then his smile returned. "But as much as I hate that they got caught, it was integral to the takedown of the Circus. See, because I saw Bailey and Kuchinawa a bunch, I had their scents memorized. And I also detected that same scent from the previous disappearances; the aftermath of a Quirk used to disable them. Between the stronger scent trail and them needing to be careful due to how dangerous my friends were, the scent lingered for longer and I was able to trace it all the way to one of the underground entrances."

He looked back at Kazashi. "So me and my sister rounded up as many heroes as we could on short notice, and I lead them to the Circus. We were able to take them by surprise and snatched up a ton of people and important data before they could delete it. Captured nearly 200 criminals in the process."

Kazashi mentioned that she would bring the case up with local investigators to be safe, and he nodded. "Thank you. And as for leads, some of the data we recovered was about villains who were hired to capture promising "acts" and smuggle them to America for performances. No confirmed identities on them yet, but the location of most of them was narrowed down to Tokyo. Guess they figured a place as big as this, nobody'd notice or care about a few missing people."

Despite that, he smiled a bit. "Oh, but it isn't all bad news! I try and keep up to date on info relating to the case, and I recently learned that someone who was freed from the Circus has actually moved to Japan to enroll in UAU." He explained, sounding quite proud of the fact. The fact that someone he helped save had also decided to become a hero, and at the same school no less, was something that made it all feel worth it.

Sora decided to stop talking for the moment, worried he had been a bit self-indulgent. He sniffed at the air, trying to see if anything was suspicious or off. It was nice to not have to rely on his eyes alone all the time. Not catching anything for the time being, he looked back at his fellow hero. "So what about you, Kazashi? Besides getting married, anything else of note happen?" He was tempted to ask about the case she had mentioned, but wasn't sure if he should. It was easy for him to talk about his own happenings; not so easy to ask someone else for theirs.

Kazashi McCoy

[Kazashi McCoy]

''That's the biggest pain, isn't it? Tryin' ta find somethin' that works for ya an' doesn't hold yer quirk back.'' She smiled, there was a reason Kazashi had used so little gear over the years. She had become too reliant on just harnessing her quirk, if she added anything else into her rotation. ''Not yet anyway, who knows, it sounds like yer involved in somethin' big.''

''Chuck.'' She smiled, ''he's from America, actually, we were thinkin' of visitin' someday when work gets a little less busy.'' She didn't mention his last name, Kaz figured Sora could make that out when he saw her last name sometime, seeing as she took Chuck's when they married.

She wished that their conversation could have just remained lighthearted like this. Old friends catching up on years of lived experiences, but unfortunately they weren't in the business for wholesome conversations, or experiences. The Circus of Man, it frankly sounded like a disturbing operation. She remained silent as he spoke, taking in the details of the case, disturbed, her eyes soft with sympathy for those 'performers' that had already suffered at their hands. To hear that even personal friends of Sora's had suffered under their hand. The pain was unimaginable. She was about to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, but hesitated when his smile returned. ''That's right, ya have a pretty strong sense of smell, don't ya?'' His powers coming in clutch once more! She remembered hearing tales about Sora from other students, how he had learned to use his quirk in a really versatile way.

''That's good ta hear, we need lots of brave young people ta answer the call.'' She thought back to the first time her and Jun met. A villain incident, what felt like a sea of blood around them as she helped rescue the young girl. Now, she too was studying at UAU to become a hero. ''Ah bet they were inspired by yer show of heroism.''

When Sora sniffed the air, he would notice something was off. Smoke, heavy smoke, fire. ''Aside from the Kaneko case?'' She shrugged, ''Ah don't know if ya remember, but my biological dad revealed himself back when we were in school, he was a villain, that Blood Devil, but he was ultimately defeated an' put in prison. Now what Ah'm dealin' with is mostly chasin' the remnants of his group an' tryin' ta locate the missin' Kaneko children. They're all my half siblings, after all...''

As they rounded a corner an explosion went off, a fire having broken out on one of the upper floors of a four story apartment building. Kaz only took notice now but once she did, she was quick to act. A villain was flying next to the fire, kept in the air by the jetpack on his back, while he held some kind of cannon in one of his hands. It fired in short spurts, leaving sparks of electricity. A device for shooting arcs of lightning, perhaps?

''Where do you think you're running off too? Get back here!'' The villain aimed his lightning gun at a terrified civilian who was running in the middle of the street. ''Dericho, we're up!'' She called out, but she was already blazing ahead, leaping in front of the arc of lightning that fired from the cannon, turning into a rubber boot just in time to absorb the attack. Turning back to her human form, she put her arms around the civilian. ''Yer safe now, the heroes are here.''

''Are you for real? Are they sending the C-List heroes out to stop me?'' Infuriated the villain quickly switched his attention to Sora as he aimed his cannon at him. ''Don't even recognize you young man, damn, do you even have a bounty on your head?'' With another press of the trigger an arc of lighting came right for Sora, attempting to zap him on the spot before he could help out.

Sora Nakoma

[Sora Nakoma]

Sora shrugged as Kazashi mentioned that maybe people would have reason to talk about him before too long; he was flattered and appreciative of the sentiment, but as far as he was concerned his role hadn't been that impressive beyond helping to track the criminals down. Still, the idea that he might have inspired one of the girls he helped save turn to hero training was one that brought a fond smile to his face.

Kazashi went on to share her own happenings in their time apart, reminding him of her villainous father and talking about how he had been defeated and captured. So she was looking for her siblings? He imagined what it would be like if Aella had gone missing; the two of them may not have been blood-related, but she was his sister all the same; if she had gone missing he was sure he wouldn't stop until she was found. "I see... Well, if you ever find any leads on the Kaneko kids and want some help, feel free to invite me! It'd be my pleasure to... hold on. You smell that?" He trailed off as a bitter scent hit his nostrils. The two reached the corner just as an explosion went off in a nearby building, where a villain was flying and waving some sort of electrical gun around.

The criminal took aim at a civilian, but fortunately Kazashi was able to intercept the attack by transforming into a boot to insulate the electricity. She had called him to action, and he was all too ready as his companion stood protectively over the citizen.

The villain seemed amused, or perhaps even angry at their presence; C-List heroes, huh? Is that how he saw them? Well, it wasn't too far off the mark for Sora, he thought, given how recently he had returned to Japan. But he really doubted such a term fit Kazashi.

Soon the gun was pointed towards Sora himself as the man continued his taunting drivel, noting that he didn't even recognize the young hero as he prepared to fire off a shot. Fortunately, though the gun's shots were fast as lightning, the wielder was decidedly not; as he steadied his aim Sora had ample time to figure out a counter attack.

Just as the villain pulled the trigger, a powerful gust of wind seemed to blow upwards from beneath him, throwing his aim skyward and sending the electricity harmlessly into the clouds. "W-what the hell?!" He demanded as he tried to right his position in the air. The eyes of several nearby civilians, hiding where they could from the madman above, fell to the unfamiliar hero. Sora looked back at the villain, and after a moment a pair of blue horns emerged from beneath his messy black hair.

"Dericho." Sora introduced himself, since the man didn't know who he was. He held a hand up, above his head. "Wind Dragon Dericho." Suddenly another blast of wind struck at the villain, only this time it came from above and behind, smashing against his jetpack and sending him spiraling towards the wall of the building he had attacked. Before he could hit it a heavy gust blew him towards the ground. Sora concentrated, and the wind around him swirled as several objects were picked up by the invisible force and launched towards the villain, starting with a nearby metal trash can.

Sora looked over at Kazashi. "Apparel, do you think you can deal with this guy? I'd like to go up and put out that fire and check for people, but if you can manage that I'll handle him." He asked, glancing up at the burning top floor but not wanting to leave while the villain wasn't subdued yet; he could have pretty easily knocked him out already, but he didn't want to go too hard when there were still so many people around who were in danger.

Kazashi McCoy

[Kazashi McCoy]

''Smell what?'' She blinked her eyes. Kazashi happened to be gifted with uncanny eyesight and reflexes, but smell was outside of her wheelhouse. It wasn't until they arrived on the scene that she realized what was happening. What luck that Sora was here with his sense of smell, that probably saved them a couple of crucial seconds. She grinned as the villain called them C-List heroes. She didn't mind staying on the less known side, especially since she was married to a villain and all. Still, C-List? Hardly! She could do better than that. The guy probably didn't recognize Sora since he had only returned recently. What a fool, he didn't know what kind of power he was facing with his little zapper gun.

Kazashi probably could have intercepted the next attack against Sora, but she trusted him to be able to handle it on his own while the civilian she was guarding ran further down the street and escaped. She laughed when the villain's aim was thrown skywards. ''Ya sure know how ta make an entrance, Dericho!'' As she stood back up she nodded at Sora and turned her feet into roller skates. ''Yeah, Ah've fought much worse than this. Shout if ya need help with the civilians.'' She sped towards the villain, using her high reflexes to turn the parts of her that would be at risk of getting zapped into rubber coating just moments before she was struck. Soon enough she had gotten within range, turning her left arm into a scarf she extended her range as she latched onto the lightning gun device and started pulling on it, entering a contest of strength with the villain. ''Ah bet ya can't use that jetpack much longer, can ya?'' She grinned. ''Let go!'' He demanded, trying to pull his gun out of her grip. ''Ya tried ta shoot my friend an' Ah hella don't appreciate that, ya #@€$!!'' words she would never shout in the near future when she became a mother, but today this villain had hella deserved it! ''Y-Your horns!'' The man's face grew pale and Kazashi knew exactly why. Along with her eyes and sharp teeth, it was the only likeness she had to her villain father. ''That's the Crown of Blood!'' Frowning, Kazashi turned her other arm into a scarf, but the corresponding hand into a black boxing glove. ''That's all yer types ever see.'' She scoffed, before she began her merciless pummeling of the villain, beating him with ranged punches until he left go of the lightning gun so she could tie him down.

From inside the burning building Sora would be able to hear screams.

''It's burning!''

''Help us!''

''Where's my mommy?!''

Sora Nakoma

[Sora Nakoma]

Sora managed a small smile when Kazashi complimented his method of throwing the villain's aim off, offering her a thumbs up in response. She assured him that she could handle their flying arsonist, which relieved him; while he had no doubt that she could, the confidence she showed was quite inspiring. "Understood. And same to you if you need help, Apparel!" He returned the sentiment, nodding as he turned to run into the building. He glanced back as he entered, just in time to see the horned girl grappling with and taunting their opponent.

As he ascended the building the smoke and flames grew thicker and denser. He let out a quiet breath to calm himself; Sora hated fire more than almost anything, after the role it played in his childhood. Just seeing the top floor of the structure burning from outside had made a flood of horrible memories come rushing back to him, but he shook them from his head; he became a hero because he didn't want people to have to go through this sort of thing. So that nobody lost what was important to them, if he could help it.

And as cries rang out through the crackling flames, he was determined to be their hero.

"Don't worry, the heroes are here to help! You're all gonna be fine!" Sora called out into the building as loud as he could. "Stay low and cover your mouths! I'm going to clear some of this smoke and fire as I make my way to you!"

He waited a moment for the people to hopefully comply, and once he felt enough time had passed he aimed a powerful gust of wind at a large window nearby, shattering the glass and causing some of the smoke to leak out through the new hole. "And now to cool things down a bit." Sora thought to himself as he readied another rush of air, this time the wind continuing constantly for a long few seconds. Fire needed three things to persist; fuel, to burn. Oxygen, to breath.

And heat.

By releasing a continuous blast of air out of the building through the window, Sora could rapidly cool things down while clearing the hall of fire and smoke. Before too long the hall was relatively secure, providing him a path deeper in towards the voices. Sora tackled his way through a door, spotting a little girl curled up in the corner of the room crying. "Don't worry, little girl! Dericho is here to help! Just stay still for a minute and hold on!" He assured her in a confident tone. Sora created a spiral of wind in the room, a fair distance away from the girl. The tiny tornado sucked up much of the smoke in the room, before Sora broke a nearby window and repeated his earlier tactic of rapidly cooling the room.

Once the path was clear he quickly made his way over to the little girl and knelt beside her, offering his hand. "It's okay, Little Miss! Do you think you can tell me where the others are? Me and my friend are gonna make sure you all get out of here safely." He spoke quickly but gently, wanting to comfort her and figure out his next move quickly.

Kazashi McCoy

[Kazashi McCoy]

Once the villain has been dealt with Kazashi immediately turned to rush towards the burning building. Thankfully their opponent had just been a maniac with a weapon and not some serious super villain on the same level as say, Ishtar The White Queen. If that had been the case, Sora and Kazashi would probably have had to team up.

She only took in the scene for a couple of seconds as Sora started combating the fire better than she ever could. He was already a capable student back at uni and she had to say, she was proud of how much he had grown into an even stronger hero. An irreplaceable friend and colleague. Spotting a civilian crawling into a window, Kazashi quickly acted. “Jump! Ah’ll catch ya!” She held her arms out, turning her whole body into one of those bloated toy sumo suits and her arms into scarfs. He took some convincing, but soon realized who she was and took the leap of faith. Catching him with her scarf arms, she wrapped them around him like a safety belt and pulled him in, laying on her back so that her clothes could absorb most of the impact. Sirens blared as police cars and fire trucks came barreling down the street. “Apparel here,” she turned back to normal, “Dericho is still inside, the arsonist has already been dealt with but we don’t know how many civilians are trapped inside.” She turned to look up at the fire as it was decreasing in strength thanks to Sora.

Back inside the little girl looked up at Sora with big eyes. “Mommy..” she pointed at the floor above them. “Mommy!” She grabbed Sora’s sleeve and tugged on it.

Sora Nakoma

[Sora Nakoma]

Sora looked up as the little girl tugged on his sleeve and pointed at the ceiling, getting her message perfectly. Sora smiled at her and nodded, scooping her up in his arms. ”Don’t worry little miss, I’m gonna get you and your mommy both out real soon. Just hold on tight, okay?” He assured her, hugging her to his chest as he quickly exited the room and found the stairs. He bit his lip; while he wanted to bring the girl outside so she’d be safe, he didn’t know what kind of shape the next floor would be in and he didn’t want to risk something happening while he was outside. And there was no way he was just gonna send the girl down on her own with the building damaged like this.

He heard Kazashi’s voice from outside, yelling to someone. Another person who had been trapped in the building, he wagered. Sora nodded and ran up the stairs as smoothly as he could, using his control over the wind to keep the smoke away from himself and the girl he was carrying. A burning beam fell in front of them just as they reached the top of the stairs, and Sora turned away from it to shield the girl in case the scattered embers managed to somehow piece his wind. He inhaled for a moment and then focused, sending a blade of wind forward that sliced the blockade, allowing them to pass. He spotted a window at the end of the hallway and, for the third time, shattered it so that he could send a rush of air through the floor to cool it down until the fires eased off. And as the crackling and sizzling died down, he could hear a coughing from nearby. That had to be the girl’s mother! ”Hang on, Ma’am! I’ve got your daughter and I’m coming to get you too!” He called out, the coughing stopping for a moment as the person heard him.

Sora followed the sound as it picked back up again and kicked down another door, stepping inside. There was the woman, cornered in the room by more fallen debris. Her eyes teared up even more than the smoke had already made them as she saw her daughter in his arms. Sora looked around the room until he found the window, this one already broken. ”We’re getting you both out of here!” He promised as he continued to use his wind as he had been thus far. Once the debris was cool enough to touch Sora shifted the girl so that she was on his back, and lifted up a fallen beam so the mother could crawl out of the corner; he didn’t want to risk another wind blade if the upper floors were so structurally weak now. Once she was out Sora ran over to the window and looked down, seeing his fellow hero with the villain dealt with and seeing sirens in the distance. “I’ve got a mother and her daughter, Apparel!” Dericho reported. “Do you think you can catch them? I can slow their descent with my wind if it helps!”

Kazashi McCoy

[Kazashi McCoy]

The little girl quickly curled into Sora as he scooped her up, closing her eyes as her grip on his shirt tightened. As he hugged her, he would be able to feel how much her body was shaking out of sheer terror. ''Mommy!'' The girl cried out as they were finally reunited. Sora had managed to get them this far, but they weren't out of the woods yet.

Meanwhile, Kazashi was talking to the police and firefighters that showed up, doing her best to stay calm and professional. Thank god for all those hours of practice, helped her hella steel her nerves during situations like this! Still, while she didn't doubt Sora's abilities for a second, she couldn't help but worry for his safety. Would he be able to get the last civilians? Was he going to make it out okay? She was a worrywart through and through. Always had been.

''Dericho!'' Her eyes lit up as she saw her friend emerge, immediately rushing ahead to get into position. In this scenario she was all too aware of where her quirk was best suited. ''Ah'll catch them for ya! Can ya slow their descend a bit?'' Not that he necessarily needed to, but Kazashi couldn't help but notice the little girl and think of how scared she might be just getting dropped out of a window so suddenly, even if it was into the safety of her quirk. Once he did drop them, Kazashi would turn both of her arms into scarfs and gently reel both mother and daughter in. ''It's okay, yer safe now.'' Her tone was soft and warm as she pulled both into a group hug. A couple of firefighters ran up to take care of the civilians while the others began fighting the flames and setting up camp.

''How're things on yer end, Dericho? Need me ta come up there?'' Her quirk was severely limited in a fire, but she could turn into flame resistant clothing if she had to. Heck, or even a gas mask if he was having trouble breathing. She still didn't fully understand just how comprehensive his wind powers were.

Sora Nakoma

[Sora Nakoma]

Sora managed a small smile despite the circumstances as the mother and daughter were reunited, handing the girl to her parent so he could focus more on keeping them protected. Fortunately Kazashi heard his call for assistance, rushing to just below the window as she spoke back to him.

The pair both looked nervous at the exchange between the two heroes, the idea of jumping out of the burning building not much more enticing than the idea of staying inside it. He looked back at them and placed his hand on the mother's shoulder, offering her a reassuring smile. "Ma'am, don't worry. I promise that the two of you will be fine; you can trust me and my friend on that." He told her.

A thought occurred to him as he saw how scared the little girl was, and after a moment Sora reached down in his shirt and pulled his charm necklace off of himself, holding it out to her. "Hold this, Little Miss! It's a special necklace; whenever I'm scared, holding this makes me feel better. But you have to promise to return it once we're all safe, okay? It's really important to me."

The girl sniffled and nodded slowly, very carefully taking it in her little hands and staring at the silver charms that adorned it. Sora smiled, and exchanged a nod with the mother. "Okay. I'm going to slow you guys down so you'll be fine; even more fine than just with my friend catching you." He instructed them, guiding the mother to the window as she held her daughter closely. Sora concentrated on the wind around them, and those below would be able to tell something was going on as he gently churned the air into a soft spiral, as a way of slowing the pair's descent and cushioning their landing.

"Three. Two. One... go!" Sora timed them, and as he gave the order the mother jumped out of the window in the direction of Kazashi. Just as Dericho had promised the wind almost seemed to wrap around them, slowing down their fall significantly and directing them towards the waiting heroine below.

Once the family was safely on the ground, Apparel called up to him as the firefighters arrived. She offered him help if it was needed, but Sora shook his head. "I think that's everyone! I don't hear anybody else." He responded, looking back into the building to be sure. The fires were dying down, thanks to his earlier efforts and the work of the firefighters, so he was pretty confident that they were in the clear.

Nodding as he thought this, Sora turned back to his friend below. "I'm coming down! Wanna catch me too?" He said as a joke, hoping to reassure those around that everything was alright. He hardly waited for a response in any case, hopping out through the window and slowing his own descent just as he had for the mother and daughter.

Kazashi McCoy