Kei had to be staring at the email for at least an hour now.

Gear requests made in such a way had become surprisingly rare these days. Whether it be because clients would rather search for him in the labs or the idea sprang during a conversation, Kei could count in one hand how many times someone wrote something for him asking for his services. Those few times were nice honestly. They let him collect his thoughts and he wasn't put on the spot to respond immediately. Whoever this was also had a sense of humour with the kiss-ass thing, a laugh bubbling out of the junior as he relaxed further.

He should respond eventually though. He knew this. He even read the document attached three times already, the subject matter intriguing to say the least. Yet what solely kept his attention in place was the very item the guy was suggesting.

A teleportation device.

Likelihood of being an impossible venture aside, the very idea of it was dangerous. Experimental gear that can deconstruct a person wholly before reconstructing them at a different location? Seriously, what would happen if the process didn't complete? Or the reconstruction itself was faulty?

The concept was more Ana's style. She didn't shy away from the potential harm it would cause. Not because she wanted it to occur, mind, but because she'd always been more daring in her pursuits of science than him. She liked to take risks. He did not.

His skills were improving though. He was getting better, taking on more complex projects that involved materials generated by Quirks. There had to be a reason this person requested him instead of the renowned genius. Personality in particular stood out to him.

So okay. He'll give a shot.

He just needed to make a response.

---

Whichever day Jack would choose, Kei would be in one of the workshops well before the time of the meeting, with several books open at his table and Jack's document printed and laid out. Many lines were highlighted and hand-written notes were etched on the margins.

He's nothing if not over-prepared.

Jack Orion

Another day, another few hours in the lab. It had become a second home to Kei at this point; the place he spent the most time in due to a combination of mandatory assignments and optional projects. Well, pseudo-optional- in the sense that he could've refused them as they were requests from other students and not from his courses. But you know- he wouldn't be a doormat if he didn't always say yes.

He was working on one such side project now, attaching several metal plates together. The criteria was etched in his head by this point; it had to be durable enough to block bullets, yet flexible enough to open and close given the item it was emulating. To his silent audience, it looked suspiciously like a closed umbrella.

The support student was placing the final screws in when he was asked a question. He opened his mouth to answer but he paused midway as he just realized-

He was supposed to be alone.

So surprised was he by the sudden presence of another person that he yelped and tossed his screwdriver in the air. Its tip got embedded into the ceiling.

Kei stared up at the mishap, hand covering his mouth, regretting his actions. His eyes then landed on the girl next to him, so casually munching on her pastries. He uncovered his mouth to raise his hands in the air. "I am so sorry but please do not scare me like that! I can't handle people sneakin' up on me."

Julienne Lémieux

[attr="class","likedo"]

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

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

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