Chapter 07: Once Bitten, Twice Shy
-----Kenji-----
The tea is bitter and has an odd taste, probably owing to its age. After the first horrid sip, I pantomime the act of drinking while the girl in front of me rambles, hoping not to offend her. She doesn’t seem to mind the tea though, maybe being a werewolf has given her a stronger stomach than me.
“So where did you come from, Kenji? Why are you here? Are you having fun? Are those girls always so angry?” She fires off questions faster than I can answer so when she stops to breathe, I take the advantage.
“My friends and I aren’t from around here but we heard this school was
haunted so we thought we’d check it ou-- Wait, angry girls?”
“Haunted? Silly Kenji! There’s no such thing as ghosts! But yeah, the one who shoots things and the one with the sword!” She grins, accompanying her explanation with finger pistols and a sword mime.
“Oh! Shiina and Molly. Those are my friends. You didn’t… hurt them, did you?”
“They were pretty mean.” Hanako rubs her shoulder with a glum expression. “Shooty girl hit me. Sword girl couldn’t even scratch me though!” Her expression switches to a prideful grin for dodging Molly’s attacks
“Riiiight. I should let them know I’m okay.” I raise my wrist only to find my bracelet missing. Hanako giggles and brandishes her own wrist in front of her, revealing that she’s now wearing it.
“Why do you wear a bracelet, Kenji? This is for
girls, you silly boy!”
“Um, could I have that back please? I kind of need it to talk to my friends.” I offer my hand out and she holds her arm close to her chest.
“Oooooh! A friendship bracelet! That’s so cool! Does that mean I’m your friend now, Kenji?” Her eyes light up as she goes on a tangent. This is like trying to waltz through a mine-field… I better play along.
“Sure. We can be friends.” I smile and she blushes.
“I’ve not had a friend in a long time…” She mutters, her eyes lowering as she slides the crate with the tea set out from between us. “Especially not a
boy friend…” Oh god, I don’t like where this is going. She crawls towards me until her face is barely an inch or two from mine.
“Um, Hanako… You’re a little close, don’t you think?” I chuckle nervously and her eyes stare at my lips. I’m going to have to risk using my powers…
“Whoops! Sorry! Keep forgetting my manners, don’t I?” She bolts upright to sit on her knees between my legs. She’s still far too close for my liking but at least she’s not trying to kiss me.
“It’s okay, really. But would you mind if I used the bracelet for a second? You can still wear it, I just want to let my friends know I’m okay. They were probably worried about me, that’s why they were angry.” I explain with a cautious smile as the girl looks from me to the bracelet and back to me. She offers up her wrist and I gently take it, activating the holo-display. Hanako’s eyes light up in wonder as I turn it to face me and select the communicator option, receiving nothing but static.
“Maybe they’re trying to call you?” She offers with a chuckle and I smile warily. No comms is a worrying prospect. I close the display and let go of Hanako’s wrist. She rubs it with a blush and I ease myself onto my feet.
“Thanks anyway, Hanako. Would you like to keep it? I guess I could get another one from Yuuko. Though I bet she’ll give me hell for just giving it away…” I rub the back of my neck and stretch my shoulder blades.
“Y-you’re not going, are you?” She hops onto her feet and stands between me and the door, holding her arm close to her chest.
“Sorry, but if I can’t reach my friends through
that, then I’m going to have to find them. Hey, would you like to come along and meet them?” I offer sincerely. We were meant to find the source of the mysterious goings-on and I did, soooo… mission accomplished, right?
“N-no. You’re
not leaving. I just got you. You
can’t leave me alone!” She thrashes her head from side to side and begins growling. Her eyes are becoming a sickly yellow as she advances on me.
“Hanako… Please… You’re not going to h-hurt your friend, right?” I ask nervously as I step backwards, catching my feet on something underfoot and tumbling onto my back. She steps over me and drops onto me, straddling my waist.
“Hanako!
Get off me!” I try to push her off but she forces my arms down either side of my head. She’s really strong…
“Kenji…
Please don’t leave…” The yellow in her eyes fades as she pleads in a whisper, inching closer to my face again. “
Just stay…
I’m so lonely.”
“H-how long have you been like this?” I ask, desperate to distract her from forcing herself on me.
“Three years. Three
long years. No human conversation, no human
contact… Just me, trapped in this school. It’s not so bad. But now it’s better. You’re here.”
“Wouldn’t you like to leave though? You can come with us! With my team!” I’m clutching at straws now. If she’s this unhinged, not to mention her being a werewolf, would any of the others accept her?
“T-team?” She eases back but she’s still got me pinned underneath her legs.
“When I said we’re not from around here… I meant we’re not from your world. We’re
all from different worlds. We travel through the multiverse, from Earth to Earth, fixing things.”
“You’re… Fixers? Are you going to fix me? Is that why you’re here? Am I…
broken?” She asks, looking hurt at the implication.
“Do
you think you’re broken?” I ask, cautiously sitting up and rubbing her shoulder gently. She averts her eyes and nods meekly. I can't leave her here. It wouldn't be right.
"Do you want to come with us?"
“Please.”
-----Molly-----
Bloody hell, my thighs are killing me. I’m running on fumes right now and Shin is just standing there like he hasn’t been keeping up with me this entire time.
“Kzzt… Lo?… Ca… Guys… Hello? Can you guys read me?” Kenji’s voice chirps from mine and Shin’s bracelets. He’s okay!
“Mr Setou? What a relief! Are you alright?” Shin answers and I bolt upright to look at the screen.
“Just a bump to the head, nothing I can’t handle. Can you guys meet me at the main gates?”
We sign off and rush to the lower floors, running into Shiina and Lilly along the way. They seem just as elated to hear Kenji’s alive as we are. As we approach the school's gates, we see Kenji; his head is bandaged and he’s waving alongside a girl cloaked in his uniform jacket.
“Sorry for making you guys worry!” He grins sheepishly and Shiina pounces on him, throwing her arms around his neck. She hugs him tight before slapping his arm hard.
“I was worried sick, you
jackass and you were off picking up girls!?” Shiina gestures to the girl beside him who giggles. She offers a hand out to Shiina who shakes it.
“I picked
him up actually, but you were there for that. Good job hitting me, shooty girl.” She cheerily says and Shiina looks around confused.
“Have we met?” Wait, it couldn’t be…
“Everyone get back!” I cry out and, to their credit, they seem to trust me enough to take a few steps back. All except Kenji. “Hurricane Blossom:
Kusanagi!”
“Molls, what the fuck are you doing?” Shiina shouts while the others look at me just as confused as I pull the latest addition to my arsenal from the weapon realm and bring it to bear against the girl.
“She’s the werewolf! Kenji, move your {arse}!” I order and he looks to the girl and shakes his head.
“No. I promised that we’d help her.” He stands a little in front of her. Is he crazy?
“She’s the
enemy!”
“She’s lost and confused, Molly. She hasn’t hurt anyone!”
“She attacked you!” I respond, gripping the katana tighter.
“I knocked
myself out on a light pole! She was just taking me to her den to treat the cut on my forehead when you showed up.” He counters, Shiina laughing unintentionally.
“You really are useless, aren’t you Kenny?” Shiina guffaws.
“She attacked me and Shiina!” I get back on topic and the girl shakes her head.
“N-no… I never did. I only dodged. You attacked
me, if anything.” She states adamantly. Well, yeah, I guess that’s what happened but she’s…
“Yes, she’s the werewolf but I’ve already seen that she’s in control of it.” Kenji says before patting the girl on the shoulder. “It’s okay, Hanako. I know you won’t hurt them.”
“Oh my!” Shin’s gasp draws my attention and he approaches the girl. “Excuse me, miss. Is your name Hanako Ikezawa by any chance?”
“Y-yes? Do I know you?” Her answer makes Shin smile broadly and chuckle.
“No, but I’ve met you before. On another world. We’re friends, actually.” He answers and her face lights up.
“You really are from parallel worlds! That’s so cool! Are you guys Fixers like Kenji said?” She takes Shin’s hand and shakes it vigorously.
“
Fixers? Did you decide on a team name without consulting us, Kenji?” Lilly chuckles, folding her arms.
“Ah, no, Hanako came up with it, I guess…”
“I quite like it. We’d been struggling to think of a name for our little group so thank you, Miss Ikezawa.” Shin smiles and I just can’t take any more of this… bullshit.
“What the hell is
wrong with you people? She’s a monster!” My knuckles are turning white as I grip the hilt of my summoned blade. Kenji narrows his eyes and strides towards me. Shiina, seeing his expression, rushes to his side.
“Kenny, don’t. She didn’t--” Before she can finish her sentence, Kenji has pressed his chest against the tip of Kusanagi.
“On our world, some people consider me and Shiina to be monsters too. Are you going to kill
us as well, Molly?”
“N-no, of course not. You guys are--”
“This girl lost her family, has been alone for three god damn years and you want to kill her just for being something she didn’t choose to be? I thought you were supposed to be a hero.” His words cut me deeper than any wound I’ve ever received in my time as a champion.
This isn’t my world… She’s clearly not the same kind of ravenous beasts I’ve encountered before but… No, she didn’t retaliate when she could have and she even helped Kenji. Whatever my hang-ups… I shouldn’t take it out on her. Plus, if she’s a Hanako, she
can’t be bad, right?
“I’m s-sorry. I just…” I relax my muscles and Kenji places a hand on my shoulder. “
I have a thing with werewolves.” I admit quietly.
“It’s okay, Molly, but can you do me a favour?” He asks and I nod solemnly. “Think you can use Kusanagai to clear a path through that wolfsbane? Hanako’s been trapped here because that stuff.”
I follow his pointed finger to the flowers just outside the gates. She’s been a prisoner here all this time too…
“On it, Kenji.” I nod and step through the gates. I twist the blade through the air, summoning a gust before spreading it around in a horizontal arc, decimating the gardens.
“Wow! That was so cool, sword girl!” Hanako pops up out of nowhere and grins at me. Why do I get the feeling her isolation has left her with no real sense of personal space?
“Um, no problem… Listen, if you’re coming with us, I’ll tell you about the whys and wherefores about… well, I’ll explain later but for now, I’m sorry for being such a cow.” I ramble, trying to apologise.
“That’s okay, sword-girl! I’m sorry for being a wolf.” She smiles and her earnest apology makes me laugh a little. Even though it’s hard to swallow my pride for doing what I thought was right, she’s kinda sweet. I bet all Hanakos are sweethearts though.
“Alright, Hanako. Let’s go have a chat with Yuuko.” Kenji grins as he leads Hanako out through the gates. Shiina bounces alongside him and starts cracking jokes.
“Oh! We could say she followed us home!
Pleeeease, Yuuko, can we keep her?”
Lilly gives me a smile and I sigh heavily. I trust Kenji’s judgement but I can’t help but feel…
I bend down and pick up one of the wolfsbane flowers, pocketing it while the others aren’t looking. I sheathe Kusanagi once more and return it to the arsenal before calling out to my team.
“Hold up, you lot!”
, y u do dis to me Sharp? D:
"I'll never need a weapon as long as I have you" 
)
, just doesn't mean we aren't too.
still hoping she gets added to the team, though. Might make for an interesting conflict with her and Molly
