Survivor's Talk

The snow fell in thick flurries, settling onto the ground. The temperature was below freezing, ensuring that the next day would see a winter wonderland. All around the Atushi estate, the snow covered everything, from the trees to the ponds, reflecting the last rays of sun of the day. Their groundskeeper would go around in the morning, ensuring that there were no pile ups that could damage any infrastructure or kill any plants, but for now the snow was unsullied and pure.

Orochi sat at her desk, working on some homework. Like all Japanese schools, Hero or mundane, Shiketsu set their students a pile of work for them to slave over during the holidays instead of spending time with their families or enjoying their youth. It was only a week, but that meant a week’s worth of homework on top of what would normally be set. Orochi sighed and leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. The work was long and mind-numbing, lots of essay writing and multi-stage questions. Since physical studies couldn’t really be done over the holidays, since teachers wouldn’t be present to quantify it, so naturally the administration followed the Asian tradition of compensating for it via more paperwork. She sighed, leaned back forward to continue working, and –

Knock Knock!

If she were any more of a reptile, Orochi would have literally leapt out of her skin, rather than just metaphorically. The sudden sound echoed through her expansive bedroom, and all four of Orochi’s heads darted around, looking for the source. One tail suddenly chirped, signalling that it had located it. It stretched out its body, pointing toward the curtains and the window behind it. Orochi’s heart jumped into her mouth and pounded in her ears. She didn’t think she had PTSD from her experience with Feral, but with how she felt right now, perhaps she should get that second opinion. But that was for later; right now she had to deal with –

Knock Knock!

There is was again, undoubtedly from the window. Tentatively, Orochi stood up and went over to the curtains. She gulped, steeled herself, readied her tails to attack, and threw open the curtains, certain that she was going to see some villain, perhaps Feral herself, here to try and finish the job.

She was shocked then, to see not a villain, but Kaylee. The giant student was floating outside, the snowflakes turning to water and evaporating before touching her head and shoulders, while snow covered a box she had in her hand. Orochi exhaled, panic giving way to relief, before confusion took the place of it in turn. She opened the window and walked onto her balcony.

“You nearly gave me a heart attack! Why are you even here, she-gorilla?”

Kaylee did not react to the nickname. “Can we talk?” She held up the box, and now that Orochi’s nerves weren’t screaming at her, she could see it was a box of soda bottles.

Orochi raised an eyebrow. This came across as very out of character for Kaylee, but she had seemed… different since getting out of her coma.

“Uhh, sure, I guess. Come in.”

Kaylee floated down onto the balcony, removed her shoes, and walked in.

“Where should I put these?”

“Just on the table, mind telling me what this is about?”

Kaylee sighed as she went to the table. She plonked the bottles down, before flopping back into one of the large highback chair. For an ordinary-sized person, they would be able to relax and be absorbed into the soft fabric; for Kaylee it was closer to sitting in a normal chair. Orochi was about to pass comment on her sitting before being offered, but as she got a better look at Kaylee’s face in the light of the room, she held her tongue. Kaylee’s face was stony yet sullen, and she was leaning forward with her hands clasped in front of her; clearly, she was bothered by something. Concern became Orochi’s dominant emotion as she sat down across from her sudden houseguest. She frowned in apprehension and asked “OK Kaylee, something’s clearly gotten to you. What’s the matter?”

Kaylee didn’t respond; she frowned as well, as she seemed to be trying to put her thoughts into words. The seconds stretched out and Kaylee didn’t move. Orochi felt awkward. What was she supposed to do in this situation? Prod her? That could easily lead to a situation that would not go well for either of them. She reached out and took one of the sodas and unscrewed the top, but as she took her first swig, Kaylee finally spoke up.

“We nearly died.”

The suddenness of the statement as well as its content and bluntness caused Orochi to cough and splutter. She beat on her chest to loosen the fizzy drink from her oesophagus before she responded.

“Wha – where did that come from?”

“You heard me. We nearly died. You to Feral, me to Maddox.”

Orochi was no longer choking, and her regeneration had healed the sensitive tissue in her throat lining, letting her consider what Kaylee had said. It was true; both of them had been on the wrong end of combat against some of the most dangerous villains active in Japan today. But in both cases; what were they supposed to do? They were training to be heroes, and heroes were the ones who put themselves in danger for the sake of others.

“Yeah, I guess we are.” Orochi eventually responded. “But what were we supposed to –”

Kaylee raised one hand, though she still didn’t look up. “I’m not criticising our actions, let the teachers do that. You saved citizens from Feral carving them up with those chainsaws of hers. I stopped Maddox from killing those pro-heroes. We did good, no matter what others might say. I guess I… I just wanted to talk about what it was actually like, and you’re the only other person I know who knows what it is to actually go through that.”

“You could have talked to the teachers. Heck, wasn’t Rosethorn-Sensei there with you?”

“Yeah, but she’s already a pro. I mean what it’s like for us – students, still kids really – to get beaten half to death by actual villains.”

“Didn’t Chris get hospitalized by Desolator?”

“Yeah, but that guy’s just a, well, human. A skilled human, no doubt, but he’s not punching through walls or tearing people limb from limb. It’s not the same.”

It wasn’t. Orochi knew what Kaylee was talking about, she’d felt it too. The sense that the ‘fun’ of being a hero was gone in the face of the reality of their chosen future profession. She leant back and drank from her soda, without choking this time, as Kaylee opened one for herself. For a moment, both mutant girls sat in silence, just drinking their drinks.

“How was it?”

It was Kaylee who broke the silence. Orochi assumed she was referring to the soda.

“The drink? It’s good, not my first choice of flavor, but still.”

“I meant your fight. How did it go? I saw you in the hospital, but I’d like to hear your perspective of it.”

Orochi gulped. She had been dealing with the trauma in therapy, mandated by the school counsellor, but this would be the first time talking about it to someone not under contractual obligation to not tell others.

“W-well, it was at the arcade. There was a loud noise, as this Pro-hero got thrown through the wall. I got a bunch of kids into the safe room before trying to help, then I came face to face with her.” Orochi’s tails began to twitch and writhe, feeling the panic build as she regressed into the memory. “I tried to fight back, I threw a brick at her, but it just broke on her forehead.” Now she was clutching at her midsection, where there would be a horrific scar if not for her quirk. “I tried to run, but she chased me. Hunted me. I-I ran, but –”
“It’s OK.” Said Kaylee, finally looking up. “I didn’t mean to cause you to… remember.”

The pair sat in silence again. Orochi sipped at her soda, gradually calming herself down. Kaylee reached out and took one, downed it in seconds, before taking her turn to speak.

“I was being an idiot. Chris asked me for help against The Five. I didn’t know much about them, aside from them being big-time villains. I didn’t think about what it was to actually fight one of them. I was holding this big mirror to signal and there was this massive shockwave that broke it. I looked through the window and charged the big woman through a wall. I could pretend that it was to be heroic and save the pros, but that’s not true. The truth is; I wanted to fight her, just for the sake of fighting.”

Now it was Kaylee’s turn to show signs of mental distress. Her leg started bouncing restlessly as she let out a sound halfway between a laugh and a groan.

“You want to know the crazy part? Even now, whenever I think about it, all I can think about is how I want to fight her again! Not even out of any sense of pride or anything, just because I want to fight! I mean, that’s not healthy, is it? That’s exactly what got me in a hospital bed for a week!”

She started to get control of herself. She was a guest in this house, and it would be poor manners to cause structural damage through a restless foot. Kaylee took a deep breath before continuing.

“I guess that’s my point. Right now, we’re the only ones who really, really know what fighting for your life against a villain means. That reality is going to start hitting the others, physically or otherwise. Heck, the way some of our classmates are behaving, I wouldn’t be shocked if some go off the deep end.”

Orochi finished off her soda before responding. “Wait, you think that some of us could become villains?” Is she hinting that she knows something? Does she know about 108 Stars? she thought with a hint of panic. Kaylee’s face had darkened, and Orochi didn’t want her room to be messed up!

Fortunately, Kaylee waved the concern away. In relief, Orochi took a second soda.
“No, well, not necessarily. What I mean is that there’s likely a few of us that, when faced with that violence, could cross over the edge into something dark.”

You included? Orochi wanted to ask, but held it back. It was a mean comment, and one that could lead the conversation in a negative way. Instead, she went with “Such as?”

“Me, for a start.” Kaylee had all of her classic tact as she stomped all over Orochi’s careful avoidance. “I know myself, and my track record shows it. I like fighting, I do, and I don’t even mind that much if it only gets me into trouble. But that’s the thing about having friends, isn’t it? It doesn’t just affect me anymore.”

Kaylee took another soda as well and once more, they spent a moment sat in silence, before she continued.

“Sandatsu as well. You saw how he was in the tournament. If he doesn’t get some kind of help, he’s going to go crazy and laugh as he does so.”

Orochi nodded to that one. Sandatsu looked awful nowadays, and his behaviour in the tournament (especially that moment!) showed that there was some psychological maelstrom going on in his head. Kaylee continued.

“Inigo is another to keep an eye on. He’s hiding stuff as well. I don’t know what, but the more I’ve come to know him, the more it feels like he’s always wearing a mask. But at least he has Gigan keeping him on some kind of straight and narrow.”

“Not to mention Hoge.” Orochi quipped. Kaylee chuckled at that one.

“They aren’t exactly subtle with their breaking of the ‘no dating’ rule, are they? I’d worry that he would make her worse, but at least he’s getting her out of her shell.”

“Out of her shell, and into his bed.” Orochi said in a scandalous tone of voice. Now it was Kaylee’s turn to choke on her drink. The giantess turned beet red at the implication.

“You think they’ve, they’ve-!”

“No, I don’t think they’ve gone that far!” laughed Orochi as Kaylee released a big sigh. “So, anyone else you think we should keep an eye on?” Kaylee coughed as she regained her composure.

“I think that covers my biggest concerns. There’s still Jugo, Hiro, Yui, and even you to some extent.”

“Wait, you think I could be a future villain?!”

“I didn’t say that, not about you, or about any of us. I hope none of us end up like that, but if any do, I reckon we can take them down.”

“Well, that’s a cheery thought.” Commented Orochi as she drank more of her soda. Kaylee finished off her second, took a third, and stood up.

“I should let you get back to your homework, which reminds me that I haven’t even started it. You Japanese work students to the bone, huh?”

Orochi smirked and leant back. “Aww, does the limey struggle to keep up with the superior Nippon schoolwork?”

“Oh, piss off!” Kaylee smiled as she said it, clearly taking it as just banter. She walked back over to the balcony as Orochi got up to see her off. Kaylee stepped into the frigid wind, but before she took off, she turned to face Orochi.

“Hey Orochi? Thanks for talking.”

Orochi smiled. “You’re welcome, Kaylee. See you later.”

Kaylee gave Orochi a thumbs-up, and blasted off into the now-night sky.

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Pub: 31 Jan 2024 21:17 UTC
Views: 603