7I had this idea of one shot once and it wouldn't stop running in my head until I wrote it down. Yeah, I've got a weak will of mind. Bare with me. Nine more words, and I've got five thousands! Yay!
Disclaimer: I don't own Black Cat. But they don't own me either, so we're even.
Leon was walking in his town. He was strolling around, alert for any suspect activities or individuals. The police knew it. The mayor knew it. The rich merchants were more than aware of it. It was HIS town. And uncontested order rule it.
Back from the Apostles of the Stars, after his fight with Eve, the wind user resumed his work, this time with his new found powers. He began by putting down every relation to the fallen Apostles there was in a fifty miles radius. Somehow, he could not gather the will to kill them. Each time he meant to send an air blade to behead one of Creed's assassins or mad scientists, Eve's face appeared and he averted his shot. He could not possibly ignore the truth she awakenned in him. He contented himself by crippling them. Temporarily. Who knew crushing bones could prove as satisfactory as cutting them? You could always do it again if they tried to escape.
It took some time for him to take them all down, but he was one of the top Apostles after all. None of them rose to be a serious challenge. From them, he found the sponsors. He got to some of them rather easily, as they were not that influential. For the wealthiest, the ones putting on a good front, he had to gather evidences before acting. That was a hassle, but he didn't want to bother with the police or any other order organisations that would take him for the bad guy. The results had more consequences then he had foreseen.
He was living back at the orphanage where he grew up. He had to purchase food and furniture now instead of simply stealing it. He had some money, but since the Apostle simply took what they wanted, they had little use for it. They didn't care much about it on a day to day basis. So he bought necessary things like clothes for the growing children and medical supplies as the life in the streets was not always easy. Then, repairs had to be made to the building. More mouths came to be fed. Another building, next to the first and as abandoned, had to be repaired and furnished to welcome everyone. The mayor graciously donated the deeds for that place, on top of officially giving them their current lodging, to Leon. This later began to wonder when he would reach the bottom of his meager saving, which he should have spent long ago. As he went to the bank one day, for the first time since he established an account, he found himself treated like a king. He soon found out that every criminal he had brought in had a bounty on their head to be caught alive. Even for the wealthiest, who were targets for the remaining of the Chronos organisation. He had quite a substantial amount of money that was making yearly interests on their own. No wonder the mayor was so nice to him.
The years after became a restoration for the whole city. His orphanages became safe, comfortable and… accessible. Even for adults who might want to adopt a child. That battle, wage by his friend Layla against his mistrust of adults, was won as she pointed the longing looks sent by the youngest ones to other children at school. Those retrieved by their parents at the end of the day. The orphanages being as good as they could get, without falling in unnecessary luxury, Leon turned himself toward the streets. They were in bad shapes. He started inspection on the underground water canals, trash disposing systems and other public services. After the initial construction, repairs or restoration cost, he hinted clearly enough to the mayor that it was his job to cover the city's need to keep it in top shape. The man was more than happy to oblige, the money brought in by tourists having more than triple in the last year.
There he was, at the age of seventeen, unofficial ruler of the city and protector. Since he accepted no crimes in his town, not even simple shoplifting, prices of goods were kept low. Because of that, always more people visited the place. Thanks to the tourists, the city's chests were kept full, the jobs were steady and the taxes low. That made life all the easiest for the townspeople, making things like organised crime a rather useless way to gather money or goods in order to survive.
Everybody was content of their life, as much as the human condition and an easy social state can bring. Some would think he was acting like a dictator, but he had no desire of ruling this city.
Only one was restless and impatient in this town. One unsatisfied soul in all of this. Leon. The more time passed, the more he replayed his fight with Eve. So he trained. Secretly. He pushed his control of his wind manipulation further. He invented new moves and techniques, preparing himself for the inevitable confrontation. He could not leave it at that. And here he was, remembering to everyone that he was still there, looking at things. Peoples saw his presence more like a comforting thing than a threat for their business. They waved at him, smiling, to which he answered with a grave nod. They were used to it. He passed offers of free meals or jewelleries. He indulged in a free ice cream though. He wasn't without weaknesses.
As he got back home, Layla went to him in full business suit. She took her self-imposed task to find homes to the youngest at heart. And to find jobs for the ones old enough.
"I found parents for Sonyda. They live in Koral City and…"
"I told you I don't want them moving out of here." he sharply interrupted her. "I can't help them if they are too far, spread in other cities."
"We had this talk already." she huffed angrily.
"And I didn't agreed at the end of it back then either. What if they don't treat him right? How will he come to us for help? What will he endure by the time someone care for his case back there? If they ever do?" He told her.
"You have to trust people. Isn't that why you quit the Apostle of the Stars? Because you gave a second chance to humanity? Including the adults?"
"Not a blind faith. Not for something as important as the innocence and safety of my wards."
He seemed decided and resolute. But for once, his voice waved. Layla jumped on the occasion, seeing an opportunity to get her cause further.
"The whole point of this is to give the protective role to a pair of responsible adults that will care for him individually, not collectively like in an orphanage. As much as you love them, you can't be their father. You can't deny them a chance at happiness because of distance and fear of the unknown. They are ready to do it. To leave us all behind, simply to be part of a family, to have their own home." she pleaded, her hand closed on her chest.
Leon was uncertain, his confused face clearly showing it.
"But…there is no guarantee it's going to be okay. So many things can go wrong. Even if they…have…good intentions, they could…make mistakes."
It was the first time he ever admitted adults could be good peoples. She saw his change of heart. She had to nail it there.
"Leon… you're a good man. All the nice and necessary things you provided for those children…All the work you did to cloth them all, to educate them, to teach them to defend themselves and to recognized evil…the roof above their head: it's all thanks to you."
"Which is why I want to keep them close." he asserted, getting back on known ground.
"You don't understand. You're a good MAN. Not a boy. Age isn't everything. You're an adult too. You have been for quite some time. You're responsible and caring. You have grown out of childhood."
Leon had a look of utmost horror and disgust.
"That doesn't change who you are. It defines you, but you are still you, as an adult." she continued.
"I'm not..." he started to protest.
"You are. A young adult. Or an old teen." she said grinning.
Leon sighed. He was afraid of that himself.
"Then you must realize, Leon." said Layla as she got closer, "Other adults like you exist. Good peoples who cares for the children, for their children. For the one they choose to make their own."
Leon stood there for two full minutes, thinking. He raised back his head, which was down, deep in thoughts. He looked at his childhood friend hardly, seriously. She feared she had crossed a line.
"Okay. He can go. If he choose so. They can all. On one condition."
Layla knew negotiations started. It was her strong field. She knew that Leon would hold on hard on any conditions he would put. He was headstrong. She signalled to him to continue.
"We have… three jobless kids right now, I think." he said mysteriously.
"They are no more kids than you, Leon!" she said, frowning and amused.
"Right. They will be hired by the orphanage. Their job will be to secretly look out for the children sent to other cities. They are to never show themselves and never interfere unless my fears come true. Bad treatment will have to be taken care of. And the child sent back here. Is it understood?"
Layla saw no loophole out of this one.
"Agreed."
"Good." said Leon, getting a far away look. Very far, as he slowly, mindlessly walked away. Layla shadowed his steps, never leaving his side.
"You'll be able to do it then. To go there."
Leon turned sharply toward her. How did she know?
"Don't look so surprised. I know you're longing for something. Something you have to do. Somewhere else, far from here. It's written all over your face after a day's work. Something's missing. You seem more at ease every time you get back from training." Layla said simply.
Leon stopped walking and turned squarely to face her now, looking at her with wide eyes.
"Oh come ON! You think you're so secretive? To disappear somewhere and get back all dirty and sweaty hours later? Even hurt sometimes! No scums you fought left you in such states! You've prepared yourself for a fight that is important to you!"
Leon closed his hanging mouth, took back his far away look with downcast eyes.
"Yeah, I did." he said softly.
"Do… you think you're ready?" her friend asked courageously.
"I think so. More than ever." he mumbled, more than a hint of hesitation showing.
"Do you think you could die?" she asked fearfully.
Leon's head raised and he finally smiled a true smile.
"No chance. Not with her."
"Her?" she said, incredulous.
"Eve."
"Eve! The same Eve who brought you back to us? On the right path?" she said, not really asking. They knew of one Eve. "You… want to fight her again?"
Leon closed his eyes and fist.
"Last time, I didn't realized yet but it left me…unsatisfied. I trained hard so that now, I can fight the way I want."
As he said that, no hint of doubt or hesitation showed on his voice, or face.
"Then go. Fight her and get your answers. Sort out your ideas and thoughts. Come back after that. This place is your home after all." she said, pleading.
"I'll come back here, do not doubt." He said. He never thought the day he would take his leave would finally come.
"Then you will leave tomorrow morning. We'll prepare your trip this very evening. You let that matter drag on long enough." She said with finality. She saw him leave once, with little hope of getting him back. Thanks to Eve, that small hope turned into reality. Her new hope was that Eve could relieve his spirits from his burden once again.
Leon had no transportation problems. He traded his skateboard for a surfboard long ago. He used the longer tool to train his power and used its size to grip more wind. He left early in the morning, taking flight fast and high. No one was there to wish him a good trip or anything. He was simply going to do his business, might it take a day or a month. So high he went he could have been mistaken for some strange bird. Forget the bird, it was more like a plane… or a rocket.
Anyhow, he was fast. Unfortunately, he never explored further then ten minutes away from his home at maximum speed. He had no clue as to where he had to go from this altitude. He basically searched sweeper bars of a few cities he passed by, gathering informations. Those three were not exactly trying to keep a low profile. He easily found a trail leading to Train Heartnet, Sven Vollfied and Eve. St-Armando City was where they last headed. The bartender told him they were on some big case.
Leon took flight again and followed some kind of road often interrupted in its wavering course. He understood that from up there, he could not see all the difficulties met on the road, but were so many turns necessary? He finally got sigh of a medium sized, seemingly lost to the world, city. He scouted around and found a place that would be perfect. Perfect for the stage of his confrontation with Eve. He landed on the road, not caring to be seen or not. Since few people had the reflex to look up while walking, he passed rather unnoticed. He found an Inn where he paid for a simple room and went to rest. Tomorrow. It would be the day his effort would be rewarded… or crushed.
Leon checked the address written on a dirty sheet of paper. Said information had been provided, with a small contribution, by the patron of the sweeper bar of this town. He found it to be almost unnecessary. Simply strolling this street would have betrayed them. From a room in the Inn came loud voices and songs. He wasn't sure but he though he heard music too. He went in and counted the door until he was in front of the one indicated by the clerk at the entrance. He knocked on the door, loudly enough to be heard, he hoped. At first, the loud voices and song didn't stop. He though of knocking again. He would have hit Eve on the forehead as she opened the door.
She looked even more like her mother than before. Her hair kept growing, but it barely hid the fact that she had grown in height a lot herself. As Leon looked behind her, he saw Train and Sven in some kind of chaotic dancing pattern. Eve was looking at him expectantly. He decided to begin with a safe topic.
"Hey. What's happening?"
Wow. So cool of him. But he could not just ask for a fight right there, could he? He had trouble enough to keep his speech fluid in front of her. Eve looked back at her partners, a smile tugging on her lips.
"We had a contract from a wealthy agency. We had to find the locations of a small group of scientists and Tao users who wanted to take back the mission of Creed where he left it. Our latest sources were closer than we expected and we stumbled on them in their new HQ."
"What happened?"
Eve looked at him, no expressions showing.
"Never mind" sighed Leon. "That was a stupid question. What now?"
"The bounty got a few more 'zero' behind the 'one' as Sven put it. Count that the car was undamaged this time and that we were far from any civilian zone… we finally made a lot of money. That's a good thing. I need new clothes."
"You're what, seventeen? It's kind of normal to want a lot of clothing. And you're still growing I bet." he said, dismissingly.
"Right now, it's not in height it doesn't fit. My robes begin to feel… tight." she said looking down.
As Leon followed her gaze, and took the time to detail her ample chest, his face went red all the way to the ears. The fabric of her black dress was hugging her skin very close. You could almost make out the shape of her…
Maybe that's why Train manage to grab him from the doorway where he stood and swung him around, +spinning on himself. Eve closed the door and watched the scene. Train threw Leon in the air only to catch him and throw him back. Maybe he didn't realize yet that Leon was three inches taller than him. On the last, very enthusiast throw, Leon cushioned his predictable impact with the ceiling and just kept floating. Train was looking at his empty hands, confused, his playmate having disappeared. The wind user let himself fall to the floor, looking weary of not getting caught again. Train went to him, arms wide, and patted him hard on the shoulder.
"Hi Leon! How're you doing! Man, how rude of me! Welcome to the party! Here, have a cat!"
Train shoved a tiny black cat with a birthday party hat on his head in his hands and went back dancing with Sven, joinning him by the elbow. Leon looked at the feline who seemed to make smiling eyes to him and meowed a shot. Leon petted him gently, absently. He forgot how hectic it could be around those two. How could Sven smoke this big of a cigar while running around like that was beyond his understanding.
While walking on his hands, Train finally asked for the obvious.
"So, what bring you here, Leon?"
"I came here for a fight." he answered seriously.
The vinyl disk scratched and the music stopped suddenly. Train got back to his feet while Sven scratched his unshaved beard.
The Black Cat was back full force, smiling evilly.
"So… you came in search of a worthy opponent. You feel strong enough to challenge me. Well, I'm in a good mood and since it's you…"
Leon interrupted him.
"Not you. Her." He said, pointing Eve with a nod.
"You want a fight with Eve?" Train asked, dead serious.
"Yes."
"A serious battle?"
"Yes,"
"It was good knowing you!" Train finished with a wide smile. The music started again, and so did the dancing. Eve was looking at Leon who was looking back.
"Why do you want to fight me?" she simply asked, lightly frowning.
Leon looked at his feet for a moment before meeting her eyes again with his.
"I'm forgetting what you taught me that day. I want to find back the resolution I got back then. To grab the feeling again. If I beat you today, it means that it wasn't that important and that I followed yet another road that leads to a dead end."
Eve looked resolute.
"I understand. I accept your challenge. When and where?"
"There is a quiet spot just outside of town, half an hour from here, surrounded on three sides by high hills. I'll be waiting for you there." he answered.
"When?" she asked again.
"In one hour. Come alone."
"Agreed."
Leon turned back. It would be one long hour of waiting. He didn't have so much to do to get ready. But in a way, he would need that time to gather the resolve to fight seriously the girl who changed the course of his life so much.
Leon had his eyes closed, focussing on his environment. He could predict the slightest gust of air that would blow around him in a fifty meter radius only by reading and combining information delivered by his five senses. He felt her shape get near even before the sound of her footsteps on the grass could be heard. He turned toward Eve, which looked exactly the same as one hour ago. The sun was slowly gliding down in the sky, his ray getting longer.
"Why are you hesitating in you way, Leon? I heard you did well in your city." started Eve.
"With time, my memory of that understanding… let just say that my interest there faded. I'm here to confirm if me, taking care of those children made me a stronger person, if my unstable feeling weaken me… This fight is going to tell me. I remember myself so strong back then. I can't believe I lost. But everything fades in face of one simple matter."
"Which is?" Eve asked, taking an offensive pose, fist closed.
"That, you will know if you lay me down again." he said, crossing his arms high above his head.
"You conditions are acceptable." she said before dashing toward him.
Wind picked up from a breeze to a full blown wind, circling the Tao user in an instant. The time Eve managed to close the distance between them, her hair were flying wild around her, a local gale raging. Her fist reached him but was stopped by a strange change of pressure that occurred right over Leon's skin. Air seemed to give him some kind of leather-thick, hard-cushioning armour. Eve dug her feet to the ground before changing her own body bio-structure to one akin to metal. Her skin took a deep shade of grey while her hand got closer to Leon's face.
"I told you before, Eve. Your body won't stand my wind, even if you turn it whole to steel." said a calm Leon under the noise of their collided strength.
Leon suddenly exploded in motion and screams as the gale around him expulsed itself in an uncountable number of air blades. So many in so many directions that the ground erupted from under them both in huge chunks of rocks. The attack, even in point zero range, didn't dent the shield that she put between her and her foe in an incredible show of speed. She did lose her footing but simply grew larger feet to avoid falling down. She abandoned her metallic form to launch a whip attack with tresses strand of her hair toward Leon. The later jumped on his surfboard that just flew to him. He escaped the trends of hair, performing a perfect slalom between them, deflecting some that got to close by a simple cone of wind directed on the end of the trend.
Leon got near enough to deliver a hard kick, his leg standing far from his board. Eve blocked and caught the leg. She pulled on it with one hand and used her other, enlarged hand to strike him. Leon twisted himself, putting his board between them. Eve learned something. That board was made of something really hard, probably very heavy. Leon was incredibly strong to make something like this float in the air like a feather. Such was her surprise that she let his foot escape.
She had to get more than just serious. She had to let herself loose. Both her hands got twice as big as her. She put them in front of her in what Leon thought to be an imitation of a boxing pose. He realized his mistake after her first few attacks. It WAS a boxer pose. Her blow, with the size of those fists, could take his head off! He managed to either piss her off, or make her take him seriously. That was good.
Leon used his board as a bucker to withstand the assault. From behind his barely sufficient shield, Leon gathered energy and let out a barrage of spinning blades of wind. Then went randomly in front of him, too small and too many to be avoided. Eve worked her way through them with quick jabs, accepting grazing hits on her. Her enhanced skin stopped any cuts to form. It scratched painfully though. She jumped back to plan her next move. She should have pressed the attack.
Leon lifted his surfboard above his head without putting a hand on it. He took back his starting pose, but instead to stand his ground firmly, his foot firmly rooted on the ground, leg apart, he had one crossed in front of the other, his arms above his head in a continuing spiral shape. His board stood horizontally above his extended arm, forming a 'T' shape. Wind picked up once more, gathering at Leon's feet to rotate all around him, gaining strength and speed, to release its energy against the board. It expressed itself as the surfboard started to spin. It was slow at first, but in matter of moment, it was fast enough to let out its own whirlwind. It sucked the air under Leon faster and faster, pulling his hair straight up.
Eve saw Leon open his eyes and look at her from under his lowered head. His gaze told her the simple nature of the attack. He would throw it at her, and probably chase her around with it. She had no chance to escape a weapon of that power for long, unless she takes the game to a new level.
Without anymore warning than that simple gaze, Leon threw what looked now like a solid spinning disk at her, the ground splitting as if it was giving way to the point of a tornado behind its passage. Eve's robes ripped in her back, letting her four beautiful angel wings take her high above the ground in one beating by pair, letting the weapon fly harmlessly below her.
Before she could use her new airborne advantage, Leon's brain kicked in overdrive. That was it! The moment of truth! What he had waited for and the single occasion he could use that attack he spent month designing and practicing. He sent both his arm forward, palm open directed on Eve's angelic form, her wings spread wide. The weapon, at the other end of the field, dug deep in the earth, the wind controlling it being no more. All movement of air stopped for half a second on the battleground.
From under Eve, a hot, soothing breeze went up to meet her. From Leon's sleeve shot more hot wind carrying an incredible quantity of… sakura petals. Before she knew it, Eve was surrounded by a soothing, comfortable, almost hugging breeze that brushed an insane amount of flower petals on her bare arms and legs. The feeling was so delightful she just floated there, the hot current keeping her in flight without a beating of her magnificent wings necessary on her end.
Leon managed to keep it up a full two minutes, his own mouth gaping open from that heavenly vision of pure beauty. He had to finally let go, the petal having dispersed all around and the dust impossible to keep down anymore. Eve floated down, her breath slow and even, as if waking from a peaceful slumber.
She didn't understand it all. Up there, it felt so nice she rather take an attack than disturb the peaceful feeling she reached. Attack that never came. She walked slowly to him.
"Look like you won. I was defenceless." she told him, her eyes focussed on his.
"You won first." he replied, shaking his head lightly, smiling. "You ripped all will to fight from me just looking at you."
"Are you flirting with me?"
"Yes. How am I doing?"
She kept her stare on his eyes, took another two step forward, raised herself to his height and kissed him lightly on the lips. He guessed he did it right. He took her by her waist, keeping the kiss going on softly, his head in a daze. He fought with his hormone to keep the kiss light, not to scare her by the intensity of the feeling he had to hide and repress all those years to keep true to his duty. He could not press this gentle, shy girl as the chaste feeling of this kiss showed. As a boy, as a man, he would not push her too fast.
As they broke the kiss naturally, Eve stared at him again, her eyes sparkling with incredible intensity.
"Could you perform that technique again?"
Leon laughed heartily, feeling happy like he never did before.
"I'm afraid the petals are wasted." He said sadly, but smiling. "I could do it again, eventually…"
"Because I would like to feel it on more skin. On all… my skin…uncovered. Feeling this all over me… I don't know the kind of reaction I could have. I know of a secret, discreet place…"
Leon swallowed his saliva hard.
"I think I saw a flower shop near here."
That was fun! All did this in a few day's span. Started from a combination of attack and powers I though from many animes and it resulted in the last "technique." I only had to find a story to make it happen. Yup, sometime, we write stuff on a whim.
'Till next time!