Chapter 1
Spirit
.:+:.
There was something fluttering down toward her, soft, slow... Some shard or section of crimson sky that seemed to have broken off, and was now getting closer.
It blotted out the light of the setting sun over her head, dazzling her slightly, and making it glow like a brand of fire against an orange backdrop... Brighter than life, almost.
For a split few seconds, she was almost entranced by it- still in her place and just watching... Before the suddenly sluggish flow of time sped up again, and she realized what she was doing- who that feather belonged to.
Shit
Her feet shifted across the pavement, ready to turn around and make a swift exit- but of course it was too late, damn it.
"Hey there~"
.:+:.
There was always so many people, even as the day drew to an end, even as the sky started to fade from blue into orange.
That's what one gets when you live in a heavily populated section of Japan. And to go with it- an elevated rate in crime, accidents, (bullshit) mayhem- you name it.
Perfect hunting ground for Pros... Though maybe sometimes she wished there were fewer of them around. Sometimes more is not merrier, but even then she couldn't complain too much- for the most part they made things safer, kept more people safe... Maybe even made her job easier.
Some days she found herself wishing there was something more challenging, other days she couldn't care less if the hours she spent on the streets were just filled with inane walking... Today was one of those days, for the most part. She was honestly too tired to really want to get into a huge fight today, but even the walking up and down street after street was quickly getting way more exhausting than it should have been.
... Mmmm... I shouldn't have agreed to work overtime... I'm falling asleep on my feet here...
She wove her way passed feet and people so, so much taller than she was at current- earning more than a few curious glances down toward her as she continued up the sidewalk and toward the next street ahead.
... The extra money is nice though... I suppose I shouldn't complain too much...
"Kitty!" A child trilled excitedly, clutching to his mothers hand and eyes glittering as her eyes met the young boy's, but she didn't stop.
"Hmm?"
"Can I pet it mommy?" The child asked hopefully,
"Oh, no honey- we shouldn't touch strays." The mother murmured quickly, casting her a somewhat nervous, somewhat faintly disgusted look- she looked away and ahead. It was no use stopping, and probably a bad idea getting too pissed off about it... People did that more often than she'd like to admit.
Not a stray lady
"-woah, hey...! Hey...!" Someone else said in a hushed voice after a few minutes, she caught the sight of a young girl (highschool maybe), pointing at her and jamming an elbow into her friend beside her. Said friend's attention snapped up from her phone, slightly annoyed.
"What?" She muttered hotly, her eyes finding where the first was gesturing toward so frantically.
"That cat! See it?!"
"It's a cat..." The friend mumbled blankly, the (clearly) excited one let out and exasperated sigh and shook her head hotly.
"No! It's black, and the way it's just walking through everyone like that?! It's gotta be her!" She whispered, hardly- the friend sweatdropped.
"You think every cat, or bird, or dog, or literally any black animal you see is her, but what are the chances we'd ever just see her walking by?" The friend muttered skeptically,"The last one wasn't even black, it was brown! But you were so convinced that it had to be her!"
"I know, I know! But I mean it this time!" The first kept on, still talking hushed, feverish, excited-
Hehe, I see someone's a bit of a fan, hmm...?
She smirked, her head tilting in the girl's direction. Her, the cat that had previously been walking along, minding it's own business- looking like just some ordinary stray walking around the city, insignificant and nothing to really pay any mind to... well, unless you knew what you were looking for.
A black cat, fur shinning ebony in the dying light of the sun and eyes an eerie, striking crimson red color that maybe wasn't so ordinary in all due respect... there wasn't really anything ordinary about her, though. And she really wasn't an actual cat, but she was quite convincing.
Her tail swished out behind her, one smooth, deliberate motion as her ebony fur shone a bit deeper black, and then somehow crimson as her form seemed to blur, distorted slightly and almost ethereal. That small sweep of her tail suddenly had bits and flecks of black something falling to the ground like dark snow, but not just- more parcels of light or energy or something that seemed... mystical.
Both of the girl's eyes went wide, their jaws dropping and eyes glittering in barely held back glee and astonishment- riveted and hardly looking like they were breathing as that not so ordinary, suddenly near ghost of a cat looked right at them both, and winked.
Oh they looked like they were losing their shit~!
She chuckled, tail held high and trotting off a bit faster now as her figure stopped blurring and wavering, what sudden shift from (near) normalcy entirely done away with- she heard both girls let out squeals as she left them behind.
"IT'S REALLY HER?!"
"I TOLD YOU!"
She cast a small glance back to see the first girl holding tight to the other and both of them shaking from head to foot, glancing feverishly back and forth between her retreating figure and one another.
"ANIMAL SPIRIT! WE'RE HUGE FANS!"
She tilted her head up, laughing a little as she flicked her tail in the direction of the girls- who's sudden call of her name caught the eyes of nearly everyone on the sidewalk... and the street. People on the sidewalk around her stopped in their walking, heads turning and angling down as she brushed through the crowd with ease.
"Thank you for your support~!" She called back, her voice carrying just as easily even in the body of a cat rather than your normal human being. And despite that at all appearances, she was a cat who just talked- not a single person on that street seemed freaked out over it.
Well, at least not in a panicked sort of way- just an excited, jumping in place and wide-eyed fangirl (and boy!) sort of way.
Which is normal
"Woah! Animal Spirit!?"
"No way!"
"So cool~!"
"Out on Patrol, huh?"
She nodded her head, humming slightly and still trotting along through the crowds and the people with ease.
"Hehe, stay out of trouble, yeah?"
"Haven't seen ya in this part of town in awhile!"
"Been busy saving other districts, huh?"
"Oh my god she is so freaking cuuuuuutteeee~!"
"Cute? She's badass, not cute!"
"But she's a cat! Cat's are cute~!"
She sighed, her ears folding a bit and shaking her head a little at the comments and calls she heard as she continued on- nodding to them but never stopping nor really saying anything. If she did stop and start to chat, it'd create this big mass of people, all crowding around, trying to get her attention... And then she wouldn't be doing her job.
Besides... I just wanna hold out until midnight without any big issues... Then I can go to sleep...
And besides, besides... She wasn't really big on the whole 'keeping up with the fans' and going out of her way to 'please the public' like some Pros were... In essence she cared little about her Image, and hardly ever went out of her way to do some superficial stunt or whatever to brighten it. In her opinion, her efforts in her actual work should be more than enough to keep up, and maintain said 'image'. Actions speak louder than words and all that... And to add to it?
Being popular didn't really do her much good, nor get her anywhere in the long run. Not with her rather... Ah, for lack of a better word- special circumstances.
Can't complain about that bit too much either... Seeing as how it is mostly by choice... Which is what most of Japan and society all know too.
She could practically see the headlines in her head, in all their multitude of saying the same thing in about a hundred different ways... She'd read them about a hundred times herself, after all.
'Pro Hero, Animal Spirit- decision to stay unaffiliated an act of rebellion, or naivety?'
'Animal Spirit holding out for a high-paying offer?'
'What game is Animal Spirit playing at?'
'The inside story on Animal Spirit's decision to stay solo!'
'Underground monopoly on popular Pro's namesake and market-value?'
'Animal Spirit, anomaly among Pro Heroes'
Blah and blah... And banter and hearsay and babble...
She let out a small sigh, her paws veering her around the corner and ever on high alert- though everything was quite... quiet, right now.
'Animal Spirit, high-rising and youthful young hero, two years into her career and still never signed on with any Pro Hero Office!'
... Animal Spirit, Pro Hero popular with most of your common, everyday joe (and janet...)... And unpopular with literally almost everyone else.
I suppose I do have a knack for pissing people off... But usually I mean to, but not with that... It just rubs a bunch of people the wrong way.
She sighed again, shaking her head a bit and sticking to the edge of the sidewalk near the road- oblivious or otherwise uncaring of the cars that rolled passed on the pavement with little end nor pause.
... Mm... Mostly Hero Agencies... Marketers... Other Pros...
She blinked, her eyes trailing sideways toward an alleyway as her steps slowed up a little.
... Aaaaand now I'm brooding about it again, hate it when I do that...
Her movement halted entirely, head tilting and ears shoved forward toward that alley and on high alert now-
CRASH
The unending drone of people walking by on the street got interrupted by the loud sound of something heavy shattering. Several people stuttered to a halt, whipping around in the direction of the noise and most of them finding what it was that made it- a flowerpot that had previously been sitting on the edge of one of the fire escapes outside an apartment a few floors up.
"Eh..?! Fumine!"
"H-help..!"
A shocked murmur passed among the people on the street outside the alley, attention called in an instant by the sudden shout for help- of which was being made by a young boy holding desperately to the slick metal railings of the fire escape, and hanging precariously over the edge of it, right above the hard cement a few hundred feet down.
Kids I swear... Always getting into trouble
'Fumine's' friend quickly started to struggle down from where he was on a separate platform of the fire escape a bit farther up- panicked now as he did his best to help his other half. There was already a crowd moving inside the alleyway, emotions running a bit higher in the sudden danger.
"Oh no...!"
"Is there anyone around who can catch him..?!" Someone called quickly, scanning the crowd.
"I-i'm coming, Fumine...!" The second kid called frantically, his feet pounding against the stairs he was rushing down. His eyes darting frantically between his dangling friend and the stairs themselves,
"Oi, slow down and relax before you trip too."
The second young boy slammed to a halt about halfway down the stairs, his head snapping up and eyes wide at the new voice-
"Huh...?!"
"S-shit...!" Fumine squeaked, his fingers slipping near all the way as his body jerked downward at the behest of gravity- only for him to be quickly jerked upward again by a steely grip on his lower arm. The sudden and unexpected panic and turmoil slammed to a sudden and unexpected halt- in all but a few moments from the time it started.
Fumine's head snapped up, mouth agape and teary eyed as his attention found the owner of that hand that had grabbed him, and stopped his fall. His eyes met crimson red ones, staring up into the face of a young woman with russet, copper colored hair tied into a low ponytail at the back of her head and paint of a deep crimson hue drawn under her eyes and across her lower lip. There was something weird though, some ethereal and dark red-black glow that seemed to surround her person... And her eyes, they almost seemed to glow.
She let out a small huff, grunting slightly as her ribs smashed a bit painfully into the railing she was currently bent over, holding on to the young boy as he dangled in air- only supported by her hold.
This kid is waaaaaaaayyy heavier than he looks... Jesus...
Fumine's eyes snapped from her and toward the ground, then back to her, to the ground... Yeah
"..b...but...?! How the hell did you...?!" He stammered, she smirked a bit dryly.
"Don't sweat the small stuff just yet," the older woman hummed, her grip on his arm tightening as she straightened up a bit, grumbling under her breath as she slowly hoisted his full body weight up enough until he could hook his feet on the edge of the platform and steady himself- with her hand still holding on to him, of course. She stayed where she was, her hands holding tight to him as he climbed over onto the other side of the railing and the safety of the stable flooring- his knees shaking so much he slumped into sitting with a shaky sigh of relief. The woman stopped, her hands falling on her hips and shaking her head a bit, the other boy managed the last few steps down and stopped beside his friend, breathless.
"Dude you okay...?!"
"Y-yea..."
The woman let out a small breath,
It's always something...
"Everything alright up there?"
Her attention shifted, her crimson eyes moving toward the railing and down toward the alley floor- spotting a familiar, armor-clad figure not far below them, his head tilted up and hands on his hips as he stood at the front of what crowd had gathered below. The woman smirked slightly, nodding her head and leaning over the railing a bit as she gave him a thumbs up,
"Yep, all good." She called down easily, he nodded a bit. "Seems like I beat you to the punch for once, huh Ingenium?"
If it were actually possible to see his face through that helmet, she imagined she could see some small amused smile on his face at the comment- but all she heard was a small chuckle. "Seems so." He hummed back, turning in the direction of the crowd behind him a few dozen feet- and pausing for a few long moments, like he was debating something. "... It's been awhile since I've seen you in this part of the city, Animal Spirit- how about you finish up there and come down? I'd like to talk for a little, if you're up for it."
The woman blinked, her head tilting at the Engine Hero and the sudden ask for a 'talk'.
"Mmmm... Kay." She hummed, waving a hand at him as he nodded.
"Alright everyone, everything's been taken care of~! No need to worry ~" Ingenium called out to the crowd, "Animal Spirit has this well on hand~"
"Ah, it's Ingenium!"
"So cool!"
"Hey, did you see how fast Animal Spirit got up there?!"
"Dude I didn't even see her move!"
"And the way she caught that kid, and lifted him up? She's like super freaking strong!"
"She's so cool~!"
"Man I wish I could get a better shot, they're so high up!"
The woman- or rather- Animal Spirit (her Pro Hero name, anyway), cast one fleeting look at the cooing and rumbling crowd below in all their praises and cheers of both herself and the armored Engine down there with them (not that he did anything just now mind you... ah well), before she turned toward the two younger boys still behind her on the fire escape. They looked up at her with wide, glimmering eyes and slack jaws, barely holding back their sudden excitement and their awe as they gazed at the (quite popular, actually!) Pro standing right in front of them.
A lean young woman with russet colored hair pulled back into a low ponytail, dressed in a trim, form fitting dark brown leather bodysuit with no sleeves and no back, and stopped on the bottom at her upper thigh. Underneath that she had on red fishnet leggings, with strapping's crisscrossing around and down her legs, stopping at the knee-high leather boots she had on. Starting at her upper arms were detached sleeves that stretched down both arms and attached to her middle fingers, the leather marked across by red markings on the sleeves- similar to the red on the suit around her stomach. Red markings like scratch marks ran under both eyes and paired with red painted on her lower lip and skin, a color a shade darker than the scarlet hue of her eyes.
She saw them both mouth 'Animal Spirit' wordlessly as it finally, really hit them who it was that had (somehow?) come to be on that platform with them out of nowhere.
Her hands fell on her waist as she sighed, shaking her head at them a bit. "Now look boys, I'm not gonna ask what it was you were doing out here on the fire escapes to begin with- but whatever it was, you clearly didn't think it through." She started evenly, her tone cool and calm but not lacking what small amount of scolding was needed. "This isn't the place to be fooling around for any reason, one wrong step and you're tumbling down a few stories- and that'll land you in the hospital or worse." They sweatdropped slightly, looking flustered and embarrassed as they quickly averted their eyes from her. "And you're not always gonna be lucky enough to have someone nearby who can save you either. My advice? Use the fire escapes like their meant to be used, and not as your personal jungle-gym, got it?"
"Yes ma'am..." They mumbled, she sighed silently.
"Good, now- are you alright? No broken bones, nothing that needs attention?" She asked easily, Fumine shook his head quickly.
"N-no, I'm good!" He said quickly, she smiled.
"Good to hear." She said simply,
"T-thank you... By the way...!" He stammered,
"Yeah, you really saved his ass." His friend put in softly,
"You're welcome." She hummed lightly,
Saving asses comes with the job
She turned, her hand gliding along the railing as she shot the boys a look, "You two better go back inside, and stay out of trouble, alright?" She told them lightly, they smiled nervously.
"Y-yeah..."
She didn't give their answer a seconds more attention, her feet pushed off the floor as she jumped on top of the railing- and her body seemed to glow, her form fracturing into a haze of black and red that sent pieces of the haze falling to the ground like snow- and the woman known as Animal Spirit was suddenly swallowed whole. What remained on the railing now was a black cat with crimson red eyes and a body that seemed blurred and jagged around the edges, ethereal and almost see through- what should have been solid seemed to warp and bend where it shouldn't... Like she was some section of reality that just didn't fit. The haze faded, the distortion of her form cleared and the chips of black-red faded to nonexistence and left her looking like just some ordinary black cat.
People's faces were always so awestruck when they saw her Shift up close... I think those boys have forgotten how to breathe.
Her tail swished, chuckling a little to herself as she bent down a bit and readied herself to jump. "Stay out of trouble boys." She called back, her paws leaving the metal as she pushed herself down and met free air for a few fleeting seconds- before she hit the platform below the one the younger boys were standing on.
"... Dude..."
"That... That was so cool...!"
"We just met Animal Spirit?!"
She hummed under her breath, hearing their voices fade away above her as she continued to carefully hop from one fire escape to the next one below it, bringing herself closer to the alley floor with more grace and control than any ordinary cat would ever have.
Guess it makes sense, since I'm not technically a cat
"Ah crap, I should have asked for a picture!"
Her ears flicked at the mutter,
... Kinda glad you didn't think to ask, kiddo...
Again, she just wasn't really big on pictures, fanfare... Any of that.
Besides, I probably look like a mess right now anyway... That's what I get for getting no sleep... Oi...
Her jumping between platforms ended as she reached the second story, pausing slightly to scan what little of the crowd was left below and finding the Armored Ingenium catering to a few fans.
... 'Talk' huh...? That's a little weird to ask out of nowhere... Especially from that guy, we haven't ever 'talked' just for the hell of it.
Mmmm... Not that I talk to many other Pros normally, mind you...
Not by choice maybe, she considered herself a rather easy personality to get along with at the best of times- but even then she never really went out of her way to strike up conversations or even relationships with other Pros. When push came to shove and she had to work with them on a job or during some crisis, she got along well and adapted to working with everyone she had met thus far rather well... She just maybe preferred working alone, if given the choice.
And after said excursions of collaboration and teamwork, when never really kept in touch with anyone either. It wasn't at all unheard of for Pros to make friends of other Pros, and even work with them more often than others- it was even in some ways advantageous to have another Hero you knew and trusted to work with. But she wasn't looking to make 'making allies' a top priority, she didn't see a need to... She worked well enough alone, like a lot of Pros did.
Not to say she wasn't polite and even friendly when the time came to be- she made a habit of just... Not pissing people off, if she could.
Her tail swished behind her in slight animation, watching him still talking with his fans- a thinner group of people now, then what it had been before- but still enough she really wasn't looking to jump down, just in case they tried to get her attention too. The Engine Hero cast a quick glance behind him and found her waiting there, her eyes searching the helmet for where his gaze was and yet never really seeing it. Ingenium seemed to take the hint, and quickly said his goodbyes to the people in front of him as he headed back a ways toward where the fire escape was- waving to them.
"Thank you for the support everyone, have a good day and stay safe? Animal Spirit and I are gonna have a little chat, Pro stuff about the Patrols~"
"Aww, can I get one more picture?"
"Sorry, you'll have to catch me another day~"
Spirit jumped down from her perch and onto the alley floor, a painful jolt rushing through her legs briefly as she made contact. Not a big height to jump from, but big enough to hurt a little- even for a 'cat'.
Her head tilted up toward the armor knight as he came up next to her, the crowds shuffling off back the way they came and leaving herself and him alone in the alley. Her ears twitched, angled toward the people leaving them behind until they were far enough away to be out of earshot.
"So, 'Patrol Stuff'?" She hummed up at him, he sighed softly.
"In a sense." He replied, "I know you don't usually work around this section of the city, but I thought it best to warn you regardless."
Warn?
Her head tilted at the words, immediately aware of what seriousness crept into the Hero (that even she knew, without ever really knowing him) to be rather laid back. Her figure got lost to a black-red haze, the form of a cat being abandoned as she Shifted back into her normal form, her arms crossed about her chest and red eyes settled on Ingenium. He tilted his head to the side a bit, motioning for her to follow him as he started down the opposite end of the alley she had entered on- and Spirit followed him slowly.
"Have you heard anything about the Hero Killer Stain?" He asked softly, Spirit's eyes flashed a little in surprise.
Stain...?
"... nothing more than the general chatter in the news." She murmured, "He's killed 17 Pros yeah? And injured about a dozen others..." Ingenium nodded stiffly, and Spirit grimaced faintly, her eyes falling closed as they continued forward side by side. "... sounds like a tough one to beat..." She mumbled nearly all to herself, missing the way Ingenium stiffened beside her at the comment.
They both drew up at the halfway point of the alley, Ingenium's steps halting as Spirit took that as cue to stop too- standing with her back a bit to the street and facing him as he let out a heavy sigh and pulled his helmet off. "Yes, he's proving to be quite the adversary." He murmured lowly, his eyes glittering slightly as they lingered on the helmet he now held in his hands. "Reports of his activity have been steadily growing closer to this part of Japan, and it's likely he'll attempt to enact his so-called 'justice' on one, or maybe even several of the Pros that patrol this area."
Ah, lovely thought...
"You planning to catch him, Ingenium?" Spirit asked flatly, he grimaced a bit at the question and what steady stare she settled on him as she said it. "I'm sure I don't need to tell you that taking him on isn't something you should do lightly... and certainly never something you should try alone."
"I'm aware that would be a bad idea." He sighed, "And I will do my best to apprehend him, should the situation arise- but I certainly don't plan to seek him out if I can help it." Spirit nodded a bit, "My mentioning it now is simply to warn you to keep an eye out, and be careful- especially when you're alone." She let out a silent sigh, Ingenium smiled slightly, almost as if it was meant to be reassuring. "I know you're plenty capable of taking care of yourself, Animal Spirit- but I also know you tend to do most of your work at night... And that is when Stain is the most active." Ingenium added, and she let her head tilt back a bit as her eyes dropped closed.
"... I'm sorry, did my expression give off the vibe that I thought you were doubting me?" She mumbled, he smiled a bit in amusement. "... Mmmmmm... I get it, you're just making sure everyone's on the same page about it, and the heads up is appreciated... I'll keep a better eye out on my rounds, and everyone else where I can... Though honestly I can't imagine why Stain would wanna waste his time on trying to kill me."
... Not unless he somehow miraculously knows about all of that...
"You're a pretty popular Hero, Animal Spirit. And he seems to have an eye on Pros who are popular-" Ingenium murmured,
"Yeah, in the media." she added, cutting him off a bit as her head tilted back down again. He paused, blinking at the comment as she shrugged. "I don't know, a lot of the Pros he's gone after were really big on being in the spotlight and keeping up appearances in the general media, right? And then what little has been reported about what he said to the survivors seems to me like he has some beef with Heroes he thinks are just in the business for the 'fame'." Ingenium paused, seemingly thinking about what she said for a few seconds as he nodded.
"Hmmm... All good observations, and I do suppose you might have a point." He mused, "And given your personal attempts at preserving a Media Image are rather lacking compared to a lot of other Pros, you may not be his first choice after all." She nodded a bit and gestured toward him,
"Which given that theory, makes you a more appealing target than me." she said lowly, he grimaced, but nodded in agreement anyway.
"... You might be right." he murmured lowly, "Well then, I suppose I ought to take my own advice and stay more vigilant on my rounds."
"Good plan." She murmured lightly, he shifted his helmet in his hands as he went to place it back over his head- but paused right before he did so.
"Apologies if pointing this out is a bit rude, but you look pretty tired." He said simply, she stiffened a little as her eyes flashed- and he put the helmet back on. Spirit bit the inside of her cheek, frowning.
Damn it
"... That noticeable huh?" She muttered, a slight bit embarrassed at being called out on it- and maybe a tiny bit indignant too. "... Mm... Guess opting for staying Shifted while patrolling was the right call... But yeah, thanks for pointing it out." She muttered, he sighed.
"How long are you planning to patrol tonight?" he asked evenly, the woman shrugged her shoulders a bit nonchalantly.
"Till I start falling asleep while walking." she replied with ease, he seemed to grimace (or at least she guessed he did, couldn't see his face now with the helmet~), shaking his head at her.
"Bad idea." He murmured lowly, Spirit smirked dryly.
"Noted." She replied, "... But seriously though, midnight is when I plan to call it quits for today... Barring any surprises, anyway." He nodded a bit to the words, though he seemed a bit hesitant to just agree with her plan anyway.
"... I suppose I don't have any right to tell you what to do." He sighed, "So I'm not going to debate the point with you."
"Appreciated." She hummed easily, he let out one last sigh that was quite exasperated- before he started to turn and leave.
"Well, I'll be off then." He murmured, waving a hand toward her. "Keep an eye out, Animal Spirit- hopefully you won't run into much trouble for the next few hours."
Here's hoping
She lift a hand to wave back, remaining in her place even as he moved. "Yea, and you keep your ears perked, kay?" She called back, "Thanks for the warning,"
"Of course."
And in a sudden rush of air- he sped off at breakneck speed, and she was alone on the alley as her hand fell to her side slowly. She groaned, throwing her head back a little and rubbing her eyes, pushing back against her face and her bangs in exasperation- her feet turning her back the way she came and muttering under her breath.
He noticed how tired I am in like three freaking seconds... Ughhhhhh
"Fuck you three freaking hours of sleep..." She muttered under her breath hotly, her hands falling as she rubbed gently at her still slightly aching ribs where they had smacked into the railing of the catwalk when she grabbed the kid.
... Jesus... Midnight is gonna take forever to roll around... Yay...
.:+:.
10:56
You literally have... Like an hour left... You can do this... Just one hour...
Her feet felt like dead weight, her joints aching as she continued along the sidewalk with her eyes set down and not on the people she passed by... The very tall people, given her current status of a 'cat'.
... Oi fucking kill me now please, I just wanna sleeeeeep... The freaking pavement is starting to look comfortable...
Three hours of walking the streets patrolling since her run in with Ingenium. Three hours and all she had to show for it was walking.
Literally. Just. Walking.
How on freaking earth could nothing happen in three hours? Not one squabble on the sidewalk, not one wannabe thief, nor pickpocket, nor even jaywalker. Not a car accident, or a scraped knee... not even one person tripping and losing their groceries on the sidewalk. Which the lack of trouble wasn't really something to complain about- that meant there were no people getting hurt or worse, and that was a good thing. And she'd had a few nights before where everything was slow and calm- and a lot of times it was nice.
It should have been nice right at that moment, she had wanted things to be quiet... But oi-
She'd even settle for a run in with Stain at this point, just to keep herself awake. Because the lack of literally anything wasn't peaceful, or nice... It was just dreadful with what little amount of sleep she was running on, and it made the hours near to unbearable.
One more hour, one more hour and you can just... Go home, and sleep and stay that way until 5 rolls around...
Her ears fell against her head as she grumbled a bit under her breath.
... Working two jobs just sucks... Fuck. My. Life...
She rounded a corner in the street that took her along the edge of a parking garage, the other lights and shops and whatnot in the city making the dark backdrop of the night sky seem to almost glow... And blotted out what stars might have been visible, of course. Even as 11:00 at night rolled around, there were still plenty of people left to walk the streets- and that meant there was still plenty of reason for her, and several other Pros scattered along this district to keep on... Keeping on with patrol.
Nowadays there was always at least 3-4 Pros in every major district that were always up and about as night rolled in and sank into the earlier hours of the morning- just like the cops. Just because most of the population were blissfully in bed at those hours didn't mean you could just give up on the whole 'protect and serve', you always needed someone around and watching... Because not even Villains were asleep all the time, and there was always, somehow, somewhere- some sort of trouble. So there were Pros who made sure to be around and awake in that portion of that day, 8pm- 6am, doing their job and whatnot... In the Hero world it was the equivalent of a graveyard shift.
Well, unless you happened to work in a portion of the city whose nightlife was just asking busy as the daytime, or maybe even more so... And even then, that was a little different. Those districts were run on a different standard, because the most popular and well known Pros who were sanctioned in that part of a city were the Pros running the aforementioned Graveyard shift. Whereas for the most part, in less night-oriented districts that saw little action late at night- most Pros sticking around to run the Graveyard shift were less known, and less popular than the ones running around in the day.
Most, there were of course those few who thrived in the media and the people's hearts even with the rather unforgiving work hours. (Grant you most of those Pros had Quirks that were just better at night or in the dark)
Either way, popular or unpopular... Whatever- her Hero hours usually ranged from 5pm-5am on most days, with the occasional odd set of days here and there she actually worked from noon to 5am, or even 6am when she wasn't expected to be at her 'normal', non-Hero job for the day. And usually she managed a healthy dose of five-six hours or so of sleep in the middle of the day, sandwiched between the end of her 'normal' job, and the start of her day job as a Hero.
... Hmm... Or would my Hero work be my night-job instead, since I mostly work then..?
Well... Needless to say? Her life was literally flitting between one job to the next, then sleep and starting all over again... She supposed it didn't make it easy to have a social life (or even a regular one, since she slept and worked at the prime hours of the day most people were up and awake and doing things), not that she usually minded really.
Just today.
That regular 5-6 hours of sleep had been reduced to three, because she got greedy and said 'hey! I can take a few extra hours at work today, no problem! The extra cash is gonna be great!'
Fuck. My. Life.
Sometimes I question my own intelligence... How the hell have I lived this long?
BOOOM
BAM... BAM
She halted, her eyes locked on the ground and stopped right in the entryway to said parking garage she had been walking around. The sudden eruption of noise shook the street and the air overhead, her ears pressed flat against her head as she stood in utter stillness- and the noise was accompanied by more noise...
Tick, tick...tick... Tick...
... Of glass falling from somewhere up above and raining over her person in shards, clicking against the cement and spattering across her back.
BAM
... That's a gun... And some sort of explosion before that... And the noises just keep coming...
... Well... I guess I did want something to do
.:+:.
"This is Officer Nakamura! I am requesting immediate backup at the Hosu Prefecture Parking Garage! There is a band of Villains on the 17th level! I repeat- there are 6 Villains on the 17th level! Motive unknown!"
BOOM
The officer ducked down behind a pillar, bits and pieces of cement and glass flying passed as the parking garage shook with the intensity of the sudden explosion- one of the many cars on the level suddenly up in flames.
Nakamura clutched tightly to his radio, cringing against the noise and the force. These assholes seemed like they were just here to tear things up, rather than steal anything... they were just in the business of making a mess, as far as Nakamura could tell.
He shifted, peering around the corner of the pillar to catch another glimpse of the Villains- only to jump back when the level rung with the sound of the two gunshots that got fired off at where he was hiding.
"Tch... shit!" He snapped hotly, was that an actual gun or a gun-type Quirk? He hadn't gotten a good enough look at any of them to know what they were capable of before all the mayhem started. He pushed himself left, breaking away from the pillar and sprinting in the opposite direction toward a bend in the roadway of the garage, hoping for better cover but never getting very far.
"That asshat called backup!"
"Damn it!"
BAM
Nakamura ducked a little as the shot rang off, and thankfully missed him.
He saw the largest one among the 6 rampaging Villains hook his hands under a car from the corner of his eye, lifting the giant metal object off it's tires with ridiculous ease and sending it flying through the air straight toward Officer Nakamura. Who, had no time at all to get out of the way of it's path of destruction, no matter how fast he ran. He felt the floor shake under his feet, thumping almost though he hardly thought on it- he was about to get crushed,
The garage filled with the sound of the car smashing into the concrete not a few feet in front of him, and then skidding closer- wearing lines into the concrete and the pavement as his impending doom drew nearer, and the thumping shaking the ground got worse- and then that got coupled with thundering... Steps?
He felt air rush passed him, the ground shaking so much he felt it reverberating through his body- and something massive moved right passed him and headed straight toward the car. He stumbled back a bit, losing his footing and promptly falling on his eyes as his eyes went round- time and his own senses catching up enough to realize what it was that had been making the floor shake like that.
"... R... Rhino...?!" He stammered, sweating up a storm and hardly able to believe his eyes- but yes, a massive, jet black rhinoceros.
In the city
In the parking garage...?!
It's head dipped, smashing it's horn into the car and throwing it's weight against the machine- halting it after a few inches back and grunting with the effort. Nakamura stared, his eyes raking up and down the animal and the bits and pieces of sheet metal and tubing that cascaded to the floor as it shoved the car off it's horn and stepped back a bit, huffing.
It turned toward him slightly, it's form suddenly distorting and blurring as it melted into a haze of red-black, and then condensed down into something smaller. Little pieces that looked like fragments of ebony colored glass fell to the floor soundlessly as the figure of a cat suddenly appeared among the cloud, where the rhino had been but seconds before- and Officer Nakamura's jaw dropped as his eyes matched with the blood red ones.
"You alright?" The cat asked quickly, the voice of a woman- and Nakamura struggled to nod.
"Y-yeah.." He stammered, the cat dipped her head.
"Good, get to a better cover spot when there's an opening. With any luck your backup will be here soon." she ordered quickly, turning on her paws and heading to break from the cover of the car at breakneck speed.
Nakamura swallowed, his hand shaking as he brought his radio up. "... Nakamura, what is your status?" The operator asked (rather impatiently).
"... Ah, 6 Villains... On the 17th floor... Pro Hero Animal Spirit is on the scene."
"What in the fuck was that thing?!" One of the Villains snapped, the 6 of them spread out on the far side of the level from where Nakamura was, tensions high and already having torn up a fair amount of the garage, destroyed cars, you name it. A few of them looked like they were holding on to something... bags?
She didn't linger on it too long
"Is that flying fuck got someone else with him?!" One of the other Villains snapped hotly, she caught sight of him and his rather snake-like appearance as she raced across the pavement and toward the rows of cars, ducking under them and skirting around the tires as she brought herself closer and almost entirely unseen.
Flying fuck?
She jumped up and on to the hood of a car near to where one of the Villains was, (a thin little dude with rather long arms), all four paws patting against the metal as she paused not even for a second- and ran straight across in his direction. This time she didn't go unnoticed, not that she really cared- her red eyes locked right on to Mr. Long-arms and nothing else.
"Is that a cat...?!"
"Idiot, that ain't no cat! That's Animal Spirit!"
"The Pro...?!"
She launched herself off the car, meeting midair as she jumped straight at Mr. Long-arms and he recoiled a little on shock- but much, much too late. Her claws dug into his shirt, her body engulfed in a haze of black and red and fragments that fell like snow- switching instantly from cat back to her regular form as her body weight and momentum on top of him out of nowhere- slammed him backwards and into the ground with a painful thud. Her hand slammed into his face in the midst of the movement, shoving his head back into the concrete hard enough to knock him senseless and out of commission in about ten seconds time.
Spirit stiffened, her eyes narrowing to slits and straddling Long-arms only a few seconds more- she saw one of the other Villains whip around to face her, both hands holding to two guns.
"Bitch!"
She was moving again, rolling off the first and in the direction of Trigger-Happy (and missing the first few shots he sent at her), her hands getting swallowed up in a haze of black- distorting her figure and steeped in something like shadow as her hands... Turned into some mutation between her actual hands, and paws- with claws long and sharp and shinning obsidian in the harsh lights of the garage. She swiped upward, her claws tearing across both of Trigger-Happy's hands in one fluid motion, earning a well of scarlet and a shout of pain from him as he dropped his weapons. They clattered to the ground at her feet, and she kicked them away so they disappeared under a few cars and out of sight- before she ducked under the swing of his now bloody hand coming toward her.
She straightened up all the way, jumping up into the air with an insane amount of speed and even grace, she swung her leg out in midair and caught Trigger-Happy on the jaw with her boot. He yelled, sputtering as he was thrown straight into the taillight of a nearby car, and hit the ground, groaning. Spirit landed in a crouch on the ground not two seconds later, her attention already shifting towards the next one and her claws leaving small scratches in the cement as her Shifted-Hands met the floor.
That's two-
She heard the air whine, something sharp and high-pitched underneath the string of curses that most of the other four Villains let out. If she were Shifted all the way into a cat, her fur would have been standing on end- but the hair on the back of her neck sufficed, instinct telling her she needed to move, and fast. She jumped, partially crouched still and more animal-movement than human as she landed on a car for half a second, before jumping to a different one- the place she had previously been standing was now a decent sized crater in the floor, and the first car she jumped on top had a beachball-sized hole tearing straight through it's middle... In the matter of a few seconds and another high-pitched whine that made her ears ring slightly.
Well that's a hell of a Quirk... Definitely do not wanna get hit by that
Her head snapped around, eyes searching the four of them left and quickly trying to pinpoint which asshat was the one putting holes in everything- that one needed to be down for the count, like now.
One of them, an older man than the first two, with a scruffy beard and sunken in eyes- he was facing her direction both hands extended, his hands shaping an 'O' out in front of him and glowing pale grey.
Gotta be you
She jumped off the car, hitting the floor and rolling forward again toward the car that- thanks to Holes- was now in two pieces... Mostly. She ducked down behind the smaller piece of mangled metal and whatnot, her person already being lost to the black-red haze that had her looking mote fractured reality than human in the middle of moving- Shifting from one form and to the next effortlessly.
The floor of the parking garage shook under their feet as her hooves hit the floor, ten-times bigger and a jet black Rhino again- hooking her horn under the mangled machine and threw her head up- launching the couple ton sheet metal and parts across toward Holes with more speed than he, or any of his compatriots had been expecting.
Holes hissed, his Quirk flaring and hands stretched out toward the half of the car suddenly hurled his way- the air whined and shook slightly as a hole suddenly carved through the oncoming car, a blast of sheer, pure force that shattered metal and piping and everything in between straight up the middle. Doing so made it that the car fell apart and wouldn't ram into him, his eyes narrowed and clearly miffed as he searched for where that massive, god for-fucksaking Rhino had been- only to have his heart plummet when there was no sign of Animal Spirit at all.
"Watch it-!"
The warning to his left came too late, his body got shoved forward as Spirit rammed into him from behind- one hand on the back of his neck and the other grabbing hold of one of his arms to twist it around. He grunted, the wind knocked out of him and a sharp jolt of pain running through his shoulder as his chin smashed into the cement hard enough to make his teeth clack. He felt something rough and sturdy wrap tightly around the arm she was holding- a length of deep brown strap that had previously been crisscrossed around her thigh- and and she had it knotted around his arm in the few instances between knocking him down and hitting the floor. Her other hand shot out to twist his free hand around too, knotting the strap around that arm and pinning his hands behind his back no matter how much he struggled against it- she was just stronger than he was.
And three-
"F-fucking... Shit...!" He snapped,
"Hey, bitch!"
Her head turned just enough to see the biggest of the group (the one who'd launched that car at that Officer a bit before, actually) moving toward her and the man she had pinned. He was six heads taller than her and covered in muscle, with a head that was shaped more like a square than the 'normal' human physique- he dropped one of the bags to the floor and they spilled, scattering money over the floor and earning a sharp yell from one of his comrades for 'being stupid and losing the money'.
He was right behind her, his fist raised and ready to swing down and crush her from overhead- without hardly a care about Holes still pinned underneath her.
Villains I swear
She grunted, her arms and muscles straining slightly as she grabbed tight of Holes and lift him up, pulling him and herself out of the way (barely, actually) of Muscleman's fist. The floor shook, air rushing into her face from the impact of his fist against the floor that left the place she and Holes had been- nothing but a hole of crushed cement dust and gravel.
She dropped Holes, letting him fall unceremoniously to the floor with a thud- still bound by the hands and too shocked at nearly being crushed by his 'buddy' to realize he had legs and feet.
"B-bwuah...?! What the fuck?! Were you gonna kill me too, dumbass?!" Holes snapped hotly, Spirit left Holes where he was, her head craning slightly at just how much taller Muscleman was compared to her, sweatdropping.
... Yeah... You're big...
She huffed, dropping down into a crouch as her body got lost to the black-red haze.
... Aaaaand I'm not really interested in starting a wrestling match with both of us weighing about 4 tons up here, so I'll deal with you in a little.
She Shifted back into a cat again, pushing herself forward and skirting around Muscleman entirely- but not without nicking his ankles a bit so he focused on her instead of untying Holes.
"Gah-! She fucking scratched me!"
His foot slammed down, trying to stomp on her probably- but she was already racing across the pavement toward the next Villain, whose many (like eight) arms were holding to no small number of bags- probably filled with money just like the one Muscleman had... Or maybe just merchandise.
These guys rob some place?
Eight-Arms dropped his bags as she got closer to him, looking both a bit panicked and considerably miffed as he squared up to face her- and whatever incoming attack she had planned for him.
"You idiots! We're supposed to be finding some place to hide, not fighting!" The last one snapped hotly, a guy who looked normal enough, if a bit unkempt and flustered. He was holding tightly to a rather large bag, his blue eyes glinting furiously as he scowled at his companions (most of which now were down for the count...).
Spirit veered around Eight-Arm's legs, turning sharply as she got right behind him and ears pressed flat against her head and claws digging into the ground as she pushed herself off the ground at breakneck speed- intent on ramming her body weight into the center of his back and knocking him forward, but he turned faster than she expected.
Fine
She Shifted back into her human self halfway through, Eight-Arm's whipping around in time to face her as her foot slammed down on his shoulder and her hand shot down and caught his wrist as he swung one of his fists up. Her hands like mutated paws and shinning black claws dug into his skin as he hissed, several of his other arms moving to strike out toward her as Spirit hopped off his shoulder and behind him with ease, her feet touching the floor only a few seconds long before spinning- and swinging her leg out around with it. The back of her heel met his middle, driving the air from him and knocking him to the ground with a painful thud.
She stiffened, her eyes narrowing to slits as she felt the floor rumble with the footsteps of Muscleman charging at her from behind. Her head twisted back, just enough to see him and her body already reacting to it as she pushed herself up- jumping into the air and arcing backwards in a back flip. She landed on his shoulder in a crouch, hands, feet (which were now Halfway-Shifted into paws too, like her hands) and claws digging into his clothes and skin for balance. She missed the meaty fist he swung her way at first, and he recoiled slightly as she landed on him.
He growled, both hands moving toward her in an attempt to swipe her off or crush her in his grasp- either way, get her off and stop her being there was all that was on his mind. She jumped backwards, easily flipping off his shoulder and through the air to land in a crouch just behind him- her red eyes locking on to his feet and grumbling.
She darted underneath him, her figure blurring and distorting even more as her form changed into that of the Rhino again and she arched up, huffing in slight effort as she forced herself up onto her hind-legs, throwing her body weight against him from underneath. His feet left the floor as she hoisted him up, sending him flying backwards to land on the roof of a car- yelling out as the machine caved under his weight and the garage shook with the sound of it too.
Her front hooves hit the floor with a thud, her crimson eyes moving toward Eight-Arms who recoiled, paling slightly as he stared down a beast that was a good three heads his height and 4 tons his weight. Spirit snorted, her hoof pawing at the ground as she lowered her head a bit, facing his direction and tensing- about to charge.
"Ah... c...crap...?" He stammered, quaking from head to foot and looking ready to pass out. Spirit started forward, rushing across the small space between them as Eight-Arms stumbled back, looking ready to bolt.
Spirit stiffened, her momentum stumbling as pain shot up around her legs and over her body- the air whistling slightly as she hit the floor, her legs suddenly... bound...?!
Oh you have got to be kidding me-
The garage shook as she hit the floor with an audible thud, cursing under her breath and seeing the lengths of shiny silver wire coiled tightly around every leg and around her torso- strong and biting as it dug into her skin slightly and being what had her unable to move now. Her red eyes snapped toward the last of the group and the only one she had yet to actually confront, his hands held out toward her and fingers connected by the strange wiring, she huffed.
Ass... I guess that's what I get for ignoring you.
"You got her!" Eight-Arms smirked, huffing from the short burst of panic-induced sprinting.
Only for about two seconds, trust me
Her figure melted from view in a cloud of red and black, the wire from String's Quirk growing suddenly slack as her figure shrunk down from it's massive darted out of the cloud, a cat again but not fully defined- leaving trails of black like glass behind her as she dodged her way in and around the wires as String's struggled to maneuver them and catch her again.
You are not getting me again, so sorry~
He stumbled a few steps backward when he realized in between his fumbling that she was getting closer, and closer- and too close. She skirted around the set of wires that tried to tangle around her figure, claws digging into the concrete and her figure never regaining full, non-distorted shape even as she raced across the parking lot and toward him. She jumped upward, missing the line of wires by a few seconds and sending herself into the air, Shifting back into her human form again.
She swung out and he had the better sense (and skill) to dodge the hit, though only narrowly. She twisted, her elbow swinging around to try and catch him instead of pulling back all the way, he stumbled to the left and she growled, her crimson eyes narrowed to slits. She heard the wire pull, the silvery shine of it catching at the corner of her eye as she ducked down underneath it as it moved toward her.
She took the last step forward, her feet twisting around as she brought herself up to him and in front of him- she pushed herself up, her fist swinging forward and ramming straight into the center of his torso and right into his solar plexus with enough force to crack a wall. He doubled over, coughing out and wheezing as his legs gave out on him and his senses too- all with one, harsh, swift hit and Spirit felt his body weight fall into her.
Four down
She shifted, letting him fall to the floor with a soft thud as she turned- her red eyes flashing as she felt her heart drop.
Crap-
She didn't have time to move, her body got jolted painfully as a very large hand grabbed hold of her, knocking the breath from her and swinging her around. Her feet left the floor, his grip on her torso tight and suffocating as Muscleman lifted her off the floor and smirked in triumph, she frowned, her hands starting to disappear in a haze of black- ready to Shift, but she hadn't the time.
"Hope the kitty can fly!"
There was a rush as he spun around, his arm swinging forward with her in it as he threw her straight across the level and over the barrier that barred the edge of the building- sending her into instant free fall 17 floors up. The city lights dazzled compared to the night sky, and the harsh lighting she left behind in the Parking Garage itself, the view of Muscleman and Eight-Arms lost in about three seconds as gravity did it's job- and Spirit let out an aggravated growl.
I can't believe that asshat really just through me off the building!
She twisted, her eyes moving up toward the black sky overhead and grimacing- black and red flowing off her body in bits and fractured pieces as her form started to blur, and all she could see were bits of ebony colored energy- bits that shown like glass and flashed crimson in the lowlight.
I wanted something to do... but this is stupid
She was still falling, her hands moving out on either side of her and completely at ease... if a little miffed.
Her attention fixed on something among that flurry of black pieces falling into the air above her, her red eyes glinting and fixed... on something red.
One single feather- vermilion and striking against the black all around her, fluttering among a sea of black pieces of fractured form and reality. One single, large crimson colored feather that stuck out like a drop of blood in snow... ebony colored snow.
Her freefall seemed to slow as she caught sight of it, riveted on it and nothing but it- it's color was... enrapturing. So, so different from what she was used to... from herself, even. Everything in her life was always so, inky, pitch black.
What is that?
"Need a lift?"
.:+:.
Hello! This is EnergyMageFrea posting to a separate account! (QwQ because I feel guilty starting another BNHA story whilst also still having so many other ongoing stories that I am so slow to update)
This Account plays host to 'Ebony' ! Featuring my Pro Hero Animal Spirit and her story!
***PLEASE UNDERSTAND that Ebony is updated sporadically and only when I feel like it! It does not take precedence over my other stories or my other Main Account
That being said please check out EnergyMageFrea for several Fairy Tail fics, and my My Hero AizawaXOC fic! Thanks~~
ANYHOO
This is a HawksXOC story! It'll follow Spirit and Hawks exploits (and mischief? Lol), exploring how they get to know another/annoy one another, it's designed to be a bit more fun and light hearted compared to my other My Hero Academia Story 'Sixth Sense'
**ALSO if you hit up my Wattpad (has the same username), you can see the picture I created of Animal Spirit!
I hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading ~
Please Vote and Comment if you can! Thank you!