Heroes and Villains

17 - City tour

Yumi

I ended up spending the rest of the day with Obaasan after meeting with Itsuki. She wanted to introduce me to the tech field team I am supposedly going to start working with.

I completely forgot the names of the people from the team the moment they were introduced to me. My mind was elsewhere. I kept thinking about Daniel-san and what I saw at the mutant testing facilities.

The images haunted me all day and night. I have to stop this madness; sooner rather than later.

Spending the day with Daniel-san today is going to be good for me to forget about everything, but I don’t know how I am going to get away from Obaasan’s attentive watch. She never lets me go without her anywhere.

The only way I managed to train to become the Foreseer was because I convinced her I would be constantly with the Yoshiro family and consequently, very much protected. Ever since I was a little girl, she has been very protective of me. Even before my father was killed…

Now, I am waiting for Daniel-san at the Main Hall, while nervously meddling with a piece of paper that is already too torn up.

“Pssssst!” I suddenly hear a noise coming from nearby and look around confused at who may be calling me out in such strange way.

“Psssssssssssst!!” I hear again and finally manage to see who is pssting at me. Strangely enough, it is a cat.

I look confused at it for a while, trying to figure out if I heard it right. Did a cat really just psst at me? Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?

“Are you really going to stay there looking at me with a dumb face?” The cat says and my mouth hangs open at the strangeness of it all.

The cat talks. This grey cat really has just talked to me.

“Oh, will you just get past the surprise already?” He says, sitting down in front of me and looking up with an upset look. “Mia needs your help”

“Mia?” I mumble, still not understanding what is going on.

“Yes, Mia, of course!” He nearly shouts. “She’s stuck at the bar and she can’t get out. Serves her right. I’ve been telling her to ditch the whole thing for years now”

“Who are you?” I ask, still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I am talking to a cat. Fortunately, no one around me seems to notice me acting so strangely as they are all too busy with their own affairs.

“I’m Mia’s cat, obviously!” The cat tells me. “Man, she didn’t tell me you were dumb. Could have given me a heads up”

I feel slightly offended at his response.

“Did she send you here?” I ask.

“Well, duh!” He says, still mocking me. “Of course she did. I’ve just told you, she can’t get out”

“Wait, if she can’t get out that means she can’t turn into Kitty Girl” I realize.

“Bingo!” The cat exclaims. “Maybe you’re not so dumb after all”

My mind rampages as I realize the implications this problem will bring.

“I gotta go!” The cat suddenly shouts and runs off, leaving me dumbfounded.

“Who were you talking to?” Daniel-san’s voice reaches me suddenly.

I didn’t even hear him get closer to me as I was so distracted by the talking cat.

“Ah..” I mumble, trying to come up with an excuse but coming back short. “No one”

He smiles, looking amused at my confused look.

“Shall we go, then?” He asks me, reaching out to hold my hand.

Not hesitating anymore, I allow him to hold my hand and get closer to him with a smile.

“What did you tell Obaasan for her to let me go out for the day?” I ask him.

“That was my dad’s doing and honestly, I have no idea how he did it” He tells me. “I guess it will remain a mystery for now”

I smile, his hand feeling warm in mine. “I do like a mystery every once in a while”

He blushes at my remark but hides it well as he leads the way out of the Hamato facilities. However, we are blocked by Kaede and Daisuke. I should have known this was too easy. There’s no way Obaasan would let me go out without some insurance that I will be safe.

“Lady Yuna” Daisuke says, bowing to me. Kaede does the same. “We are here to escort you through your tour to the city”

“I thank you for your availability” I politely tell them. “However, I am already getting escorted by a Yoshiro”

I signal towards Daniel-san to rest my case but neither of them looks convinced. They both look at Daniel-san with a look that clearly say they do not approve him as a Yoshiro.

“It’s alright, Yumi” Daniel-san rushes to say. “It is always good to have a little more protection”

“As Daniel said” Kaede says. “We are to accompany you”

I am more than a little upset at this. I was looking forward to spending some more time alone with Daniel-san. And I also have to deal with Mia’s problem.

I nod, knowing there is no refusing them now, but am already coming up with a plan in my head.

Inadvertently, Daisuke and Kaede are the ones who lead the way through the city having lived here for a long time before their daughter had a tragic accident and they left for Japan to become Obaasan’s personal bodyguards.

I make sure to continue holding Daniel-san’s hand despite Kaede’s looks. I don’t care what she thinks, it feels right to hold his hand.

“I have an idea” I whisper to Daniel when Daisuke is explaining something about one of the building’s structure.

He looks intrigued at me and gets slightly surprised when I pull him towards an alley.

“What are you-?” He starts but I place a finger on his lips to shut him up.

If any of them realize we are gone before we can leave, they will never let us live it down and the tour would be officially over.

I drag Daniel to the end of the alley and hide because some canisters. Daniel-san looks at me understanding what I am trying to do, but doesn’t say anything against it. I suppose he wants to spend some time alone with me as much as I want to be with him.

Not too long afterward, we see Kaede and Daisuke look for us frantically. They do come looking at the alley we are at, but we remain extremely quiet.

Daniel pulls me closer to him to keep us as hidden as possible and my heart starts racing. I get lost in the feel of him close to me, his strong arms around me protectively, his scent of damp soil and freshly cut grass, his heartbeat that I can hear so clearly now that my head is almost next to his firm chest.

I lean closer to listen more carefully to the steady beating. He is nervous too, I can sense it. His heart is racing as fast as mine is.

“I think we’re clear” He says, his voice resounding in his chest.

I look up and our eyes lock. For a moment, we share this look; a look that promises so many things, so many possibilities.

But then, his shyness gets the best of him and he clears his throat awkwardly, his face as red as a tomato.

“Right” I mumble, a little disappointed. “We should go. I still want that tour of the city I was promised”

“Yes, ma’am” He says, getting up and trying to shake off his awkwardness. He gives me a hand to help me up and I take it without a second thought.

Before walking out of the alley, we still check is Daisuke and Kaede are around but it seems they have left in search of us elsewhere.

“You know” Daniel starts as we continue our walk through the busy city. “Sometimes, it seems like you can see”

“Oh?” I say, teasing him. “Are you calling me a liar, Daniel-san?”

His embarrassed look is so cute I just want to squeeze him.

“N-no!” He shouts in a panic. “I didn’t mean it like that!”

I laugh, amused at his panicked state.

“It’s alright, Daniel-san” I say. “I have been blind all my life. After 20 years of darkness, one comes to realize their other senses more clearly”

“I see…” He mumbles, the scientist in him already coming up with a new theory for sure.

“Let’s just get to our tour” I say, smiling. “Is there someplace you would like to start?”

“Honestly, I am getting a little hungry” He admits. “I didn’t really have enough time to grab breakfast”

“Breakfast it is, then” I say. “Any place you want to suggest?”

“Hum…” He mumbles. “There’s this waffle house me and my brothers used to go to when we were younger. I wonder if it is still open”

“Let’s find out” I say, squeezing his hand and encouraging him to lead the way.

He smiles back to me and leads the way through the city, making sure to continue the tour and explain all the important buildings and landmarks we pass by.

Most of the city’s history I had heard since childhood but there are so many little details I never heard about; like the city’s infrastructure being held by a specific component only manufactured due to the research of the meteor.

This city really is what it is because of that meteor. I have to ask Obaasan to let me see it one day.

We finally reach the waffle house after walking through half the city and Daniel is overjoyed to see it is still open.

“Oh, you are going to love this!” He says, excitedly. “They have the best banana split ever! I remember Mon used to love it so much”

“Mon is one of your brothers?” I casually ask him as we get to a table and sit down.

To my surprise, my innocent question seems to make him uncomfortable. Clearly, there is something about this brother of his that he can’t tell me about.

“He’s my… younger brother…” He says, looking away.

I look at him for a moment and take a deep breath before asking a question I have been wanting to ask from the moment I first met him.

“Daniel-san…” I call him and he looks back at me. Suddenly, I feel so insecure. “I have been meaning to ask… You don’t have to answer me if you don’t want to…”

“What is it, Yumi?” He asks and slightly touches my hand. His touch feels warm and safe.

Regaining my courage, I ask. “Why did Itsuki adopt you and your brothers?”

This catches him by surprise and I can tell he has no immediate answer to give me. He removes his hand from and I wish I could take what I said back.

“I’m sorry” I quickly say. “You don’t have to answer me”

“No, no, it’s ok” He says. “The truth is, I don’t really know. Dad is… A mysterious man”

I watch his expression carefully as he avoids looking at me. He looks so unsure.

“Ric has always told us that we have to follow his lead” He continues. “That we need to do everything we can to please him because he took us out of the streets and gave us a home. And that’s exactly what I have been doing, but…”

“You are not so sure anymore” I finish for him.

He doesn’t answer my question directly but his pained expression tells me everything I need to know.

“Dad saved us from a horrible life. We owe him, but there are some things he wants us to do that don’t really make sense anymore… Like having Mon steal to get more money for parts to build his machine… All because he cannot let Lady Yuna find out what we’re doing...”

He seems to realize he has said too much and looks at me in a panic. I raise my hands to prove I mean no harm.

“I will not tell her” I say. “You can trust me, Daniel-san”

He relaxes a little at this, but still looks so tense. I decide to push further.

“What is this machine you were talking about?” I ask him.

“It’s… I’m sorry, Yumi, I really can’t tell you” He says, looking sadly towards me.

I am a little disappointed, but know that he is just trying to protect his father. I would do the same in his place. Then, I realize something else.

“You said your brother has to steal money so you can get more parts to build the machine” I say. “Your brother… He is Monkey Paw, isn’t he?”

“You know Monkey Paw?” He asks me, looking very surprised.

I don’t get to answer him as a familiar headache assaults me and I have to hold my head in pain. It feels as if it is going to c***k open.

“Yumi!” I hear Daniel’s voice next to me. “Yumi, are you alright?”

The headache stops as suddenly as it began but I am terrified of what I just saw. There is no doubt about it, this is the immediate future. It is going to happen now.

“The lair…” I mumble between breaths and suddenly get up from my chair wanting to run off and get to the lair before the inevitable happens, but Daniel-san holds my arm.

“Yumi, what’s going on?” He asks me. I know he is scared and worried over me, but I can’t waste any time.

“I can’t explain, Daniel-san” I tell him. “I have to go now. The fate of the mutants depends on me”

I know I probably said too much, but I don’t want to leave without at least give him some sort of explanation.

“The mutants?...” He asks me, confused, but then looks determined. “I’m going too”

“But- Daniel-san” I start but he doesn’t let me finish.

“I think I know what you mean” He says. “The mutants need our help and we are going to help them”

I look surprised at his resolve and want nothing more than to kiss him right then and there. However, our moment is cut short when a vile explosion resounds in the distance.

We both look towards the way the smoke is steadily starting to rise. It’s coming from downtown. Without another blink, we start running, Daniel holding my hand for support.

I just hope we are not too late.