It was important to note that the reputation of Bakiri Retsu was backed up by her ability to handle explosives and high-caliber firearms in such a tight space without collateral damage. Sure, there was pillars of smoke coming from the vehicles that were destroyed in the conflict, but those didn't matter. Relatively unscathed, aside the nicks from these devilish vultures, he gladly avoided the crack-shot of the sniper.

Feeling it in the silence after her own response, he knew that he could let loose on the Carrion. With rings of red around his wrists, he would take the first and grip their bony arm-blade. With a sudden pulse of power, he shattered it while smacking the Carrion in the side of the head. Disorienting them and searing that half of their face, he would impale the Carrion in the throat and kick them aside.

The other Carrion would stab him in bother shoulders. That, of course, was agonizing. "You dirty cockroach. Like all good cockroaches, live to send a message...but suffer. Grabbing the Carrion's wrists, he would thrust kick the gangster's abdomen while releasing a low-pulse of electricity that burst the elbows and armblades of his last remaining enemy. Being launched into the wall and caving it in a bit, the mild success of this deal-gone-so-wrong act of street-cleaning would be sealed.

Sirens followed after the thunder faded. Raiden was nowhere to be found, making a trip to Kysaly's for proper treatment. That would, of course, lead to some lecturing and some excuses. But in a way, it felt like a step closer to rebuilding himself for vengeance against two key villains in his life. It just involved teaming with a potential third.

---

Disgusting. Raiden's face could not be seen, but his presence might make his feelings known. He didn't try to hide, he didn't cower. Armor-clad, having had it repaired before arriving to take care of this grotesque hunting grounds, it buzzed with crimson across its various lighted points. His body wasn't quite prepared to shed the armor yet, but the conditioning was coming along. Still, as red lightning rippled along the Hoshiguard's gauntlets, he stared widely at the monsters ahead.

"I'm not your average human." Without hesitation, the piping bird had to contend with a quick bolt of red lightning that sliced through the air. Whether or not it would adjust its flurry of feathers mattered not, it was a warning shot anyways. Picking the wooded area nearby for cover, Raiden observed the torrential wyrm that came for the group. It didn't have eyes, but moved like it saw?

Either these monsters had connected senses or, in typical fashion, it had senses that guided it. Vibrations in the ground was one option, but would its senses be disrupted by thunder and intense heat? How did it respond to return fire from Raiden. Quickly switching to his Green Lightning, his suit following with a color swap, he jumped and clung to a low branch while sending a spear of energy towards the wyrm to see how it reacted.

One thing that Raiden had to be mindful of was proximity. Anybody close to him would have to contend with actual thunder ringing in their ears. It made anybody wanting to team with him want to keep a good spread. Looking back at the bird, he addressed his team. "The blind one will likely use vibrations, the bird will be annoying. If the bird helps command it, kill it! Anybody who can get me a clean shot, do so."

Taunting the bird, a harsh tone followed. "You should've flown south, peacock."

---

-Fired a warning shot of Red Lightning at Bird
-Retreated to the Woods and hopped up a tree
-Fired actual shot of Green Lightning at Wyrm
-His lightning is LOUD either way

Nobu hoped Kysaly decided for themselves, but it was nice having a person to really consider in one's decisions. There's a lot of gestures that's for the sake of another, as being left to one's own devices was dangerous. Nobu didn't know how to be a good person, so he could be kind and take Kysaly to a good place. As they poked at each other regarding the "competition", there was no doubt in his mind that nobody could outdo each other.

Kysaly was an angel that baptized his body of sin. Nobu was a champion that they could swoon over and speak to truthfully. He wasn't afraid of the potential in the dear doctor. Kysaly was allowed to be afraid in the strong arms of Nobu. "See, she had no shot. I'm done playing young, spry nostalgia-trip for some divorced lady. I've done it too many times. That's my equal to your 'payments', by the way!" Nearing the onsen, he wondered how his cousin was doing.

His cousin, Hanabi Igarashi, had been running the onsen since he was a UAU student. She took it over as a family business and is roughly the same age, maybe a few years older than Nobu. Pulling into the small parking lot of the onsen, it had a limited amount of rooms but was a quality place. Nobu was admittedly still paying a pretty penny, but it was a drop in the bucket at the price he was paying compared to what others would.

"Here we are! And, no, I'm lucky with my cousin. Her name's Hanabi and she's pretty alright. I don't talk to the rest of my family, truthfully." Not since he left UAU. Not since he stopped being Nesshaku. "It's the only onsen I go to, and that's a rarity since it feels strange being alone." Like a gentleman, he'd give Kysaly the full royalty treatment. Opening the door for them and offering to off-load the luggage, they'd both see a elegant, raven-haired lady greet them.

"Welcome to Haineko Onsen! It's nice to see you, No-No!" Nobu gave Hanabi a death stare, making her giggle and cover her mouth. "Ah, yes, Nobu-kun, not in front of this beautiful partner of yours! Hello, you may just call me Hanabi." Welcoming the both of them, attendants would quickly swarm to unload the car. Nobu looked at Kysaly, almost knowingly. "Not that one, not allowed."

---

The wonderful part of Kysaly's innocence was that no matter how beautiful they were, Nobu was leading a fish to water. Naivety was adorable, though it needed to be carefully played with as it had a sensitive nerve-end. As they answered frankly, Nobu met their gaze and embarrassment with a cheeky smile, slowly turning his head and timing it well with the moment of realization. "Kys, come on now!"

A good laugh was a great way to start a trip. It was clear that Kysaly had more anxiety than Nobu did regarding their time together, their relationship and the gesture put forth. As the awkward Kysaly was trying their best, Nobu needed to make sure not to make them feel insecure. Calling them baby like he was Frank Sinatra made them malfunction and need to match the energy, but it felt unnatural when they used the pet name. Not out of inability to find one, but because it was forced.

Oh, he relished this. "I see your effort and I commend it. Kys," Watching the road but squeezing their hand firmly as a way of grounding them, he didn't want any part of the weekend to go without the right expectations. "We're dating now, that's why I have your hand in this car and why I kissed you in public, middle of day." They'd emerge into the freeway, giving a grand view of the sights gifted by leaving the most urban parts of Tokyo.

"But that means it'll be especially entertaining to see you adjust clumsily to it." Bringing their hand up and kissing the back of their palm, he wondered how to express himself so they could feel it. There was romance in his words, not just the lust behind the tension-building flirtation he was known for. He cared about Kysaly. "I'll help you walk when your knees buckle through it." Another double entendre to preview the weekend to come.

This weekend was going to be about the beauty of a budding relationship.

---

[attr="class","likedo"]

The magical night finally happened. A renewal that helped leave a much better taste in both of their mouths. Nobu felt this divine release of stress and pain that Kysaly surely felt erupting from his flesh. A caged bird of suffering that turned into a cloud of feathers with the safety and freedom born from their passion. That surely warranted Nobu splurging a bit on a trip where they could both shed their vigilante responsibilities.

There were other street doctors and illegal heroes among the licensed doctors and legal heroes working day and night. If they didn't take this time when they could, they'd never take it at all. It was what Kysaly deserved for being lovely, understanding, and a victim of lonely immigration. Had anybody shown Kysaly how special they were? The well-diversified financials allowed it without it being a drop in the bucket, so Nobu wanted to make sure the answer to that was yes.

Showing up in a high-end SUV, one of two cars that Nobu owns, he would pull up and exit the car so that he could gracefully invite his lover into the passenger seat and load the trunk. "You're beautiful as ever, Kys." This was said and without a moment of hesitation or shyness, he leaned in to publicly kiss and run his hand down the back of Kysaly. An open and fearless display of "you're taken by ME".

Once he pulled back and began the process of getting ready to leave, he made sure to efficiently pack his suitcase with clothes. The good part of his physique and quirk is that if things turned sour, he didn't need a weapon to defend either of them. "The destination is a surprise, but it is mainland. Can't make it impossible to outdo myself." A humored smirk stretched across his face as he hefted everything and spoke from the back.

Finding himself in the driver's seat and taking Kysaly's hand into his as if it was a normal thing he did, he wanted to make sure his confidence pierced whatever veil of anxiety they had. "Did you bring a bathing suit and some spares for the weekend?" Intentionally, he didn't want to seem so sweetly sick with the romance right at the beginning of their trip, he wanted to normalize being around them. Normalize doing these things together, not putting a film of honeymoon dew over it.

That was the real romance to Nobu.

---