I was still fighting off chills from that random meeting I had with Lady L last night. It was crazy enough having her visit me in my bedroom, but to hear about the entire Organization being against me? Well, I did have a warning from Naomi, but honestly, I wasn’t really invested too much in worrying about it. Just like I shouldn’t be worried about it now. It was something beyond my control. To be fair, I’d be afraid of me, too. Stacking meta abilities like nobody’s business, growing stronger and more powerful. I was one serious SOB in the making!

That being said, these last few days had been pretty tame. I hadn’t gotten a new ability since thermal vision. I had no idea what caused the slowdown and didn’t bother too much with it, either. I was too busy toning the skills that I did have with my training sessions with Master Hayashi that it didn’t cross my mind, until last night.

Hell, what if I didn’t have someone like Lady L looking out for me? Would I have been cooked by now?

As I finished my routine on this sunny Monday morning, I tried not to fixate on it. As long as I was still hunting full time, I was solid. She also said to contact her if I found myself in any trouble with other talent. If the Organization felt froggy and decided to jump me, they’d send strong metas my way. But that was only if I gave them a reason to. Lady L would try her best to run damage control at headquarters. All I had to do was stand guard and keep myself out of trouble by not being the trouble.

And I had no intention of fucking my career over by being some narcissistic OP badass who became thirsty for power.

Didn’t fit my motto.

I had a different one, well… two to be exact. My newly acquired ‘don’t sweat what you can’t control,’ and my original ‘looking out for one another.’ I could never forget the last one. It’s what I lived by, and what I’d been constantly reminded of each and every day. Ever since I started training with Master Hayashi, he had drilled certain mantras into my head, wanting me to live by a warrior’s code. There were so many, so god damn many. Whenever we went on his metaphorical journey, I tuned him out. It was the same script. Something about honor, another about protecting the weak. Master Hayashi was always going on about how with great power comes great responsibility, like I was a character in some comic book. I had powers most people would kill for, so it was my duty to use it to help others.

Now that I thought about it, that explained why he drilled me yesterday about what I wanted from my hunting career….

Well, he didn’t have anything to worry about, and neither did Organization VII. I wasn’t about to be selfish with my talents, and I wasn’t about to screw it up for my family and go dark. Being here meant too much for me to allow greed and power to get over my head, I said to myself, my stomach protesting.

Ugh, my hunger was kicking in big time. I headed for the kitchen for a hearty breakfast. It was about time I had a decent one for the first time in Hayashi’s dojo. Luckily, Ash had done some groceries with the money we finally got to cash in. Since we were official now, all six of us got paid for our contracts. I wasn’t broke for a change! Now, the real question was, how was I going to make this money stretch out for me and my family?

Better question, why the hell were we letting someone like Ash do our groceries every other day?

“I swear the freezer was fuller before I went for that ice pop last night…” I muttered to myself deep in thought, not paying attention as I heard whistling down the hallway.

I picked my head up, but by then it was too late. I bumped right into Gun, who was strolling down with his hands in his pockets, as high spirited and merry as ever.

I grinned. “Well, well, well, someone’s in a good mood this morning.”

“Dragon Head!” he beamed. “Heading to chow town? You better get there fast before Ash cleans up the place.”

I snickered. “I’m just crossing my fingers that she didn’t clean out the fridge. You seem happy as shit this morning.”

“Sure am!”

I laughed and shook my head. “Classic Gun, always on the prowl. Let me guess? You finally got some?”

He snorted. “What?”

“With Reina? I saw you two hitting it off last night. I know you had your eyes on her ass ever since we—” Gun’s dashing toward me cut me off, my eyes getting big at his abrupt leap. He grabbed me by my shoulders and slammed me against the wall, that offended look on his face stretching wider.

“Just what kind of a man do you think I am?!” he whistled through his teeth sheepishly.

I felt like that was a trick question, but regardless, I answered honestly and said with a squint, “The horny kind?”

He cleared his throat and sharpened his voice behind his fist. “While this may be true, Reina is not like the other girls. She’s different…”

“Different?”

“A classy woman like her requires more effort. Real delicate work.”

Delicate? The girl was no flower. And if she were, she had thorns….

“I did nothing with her last night. Not even a gentle peck on the cheek.”

He… he wasn’t serious, was he?

“Instead, I serenaded her…” he said with a proud smile on his face. “With my guitar and my lovely, swooning baritone voice!”

“Y-you… brought a guitar?”

“Of course! Didn’t you hear my harmonic melody in the high hours of midnight?”

“N-no… I was… sleeping.”

“Doesn’t matter. It wasn’t meant for the dojo, anyway. It was for Reina!” he said with a proud white smile.

“Okay, gotta say I didn’t see that coming…” I muttered to myself.

“What was that?”

I chuckled sheepishly. “Heh, nothing!” I blinked, as Gun continued beaming with pride over his unusual romantic tactics. A serenade by moonlight? That was certainly a new approach for him.

Reina would be the one to change someone like Gun. Soon, he’d be less consumed by his usual antics and more thoughtful, even reflective. Maybe Reina was inspiring something new in him. I didn’t know this guy’s track record, but something told me that it was a special feat to witness in person.

Still, I had to chuckle internally at the thought of Gun hauling a guitar around, determined to properly court this woman who had caught his interest. He could be surprisingly sentimental when he wanted to be….

“Well hey, good for you, Gun! I’m happy for you.”

“I have you to thank for that, Nero.”

“Me?”

“Yeah, if you didn’t throw in the towel in our fight, she might not have seen me the same way. You didn’t have to do that, but I’m glad you did.”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“No problem!”

“You know, one of these days, we should have a serious fight, one where you don’t hold back.” He winked.

I snickered nervously. “I honestly don’t think that’s a good idea. I’m pretty sure these fists could break through metal.”

He laughed.

He didn’t think I was serious.

Part of me was tempted to show him, to really cut loose in a fight someday. But I knew that was stupid. My powers were meant to help me protect others, not to feed some macho desire to prove myself.

Besides, Gun seemed happy now. His mind was on romance, not fighting. I should leave him to his moonlight serenades with Reina. At least that way she’d stop annoying the crap out of me.

“On a different note, you don’t seem like you’re ready to head out to school this morning,” I asked, noticing that he didn’t have his uniform on. The standard colors for Nishimaru International were black and white—black bottoms and a white top. Gun was dressed heavy on the casual side, which was why I asked him that question. Today was our first day of classes, and we were expected to be there on time. Hayashi stressed that a lot. Not only for appearances, but for us to familiarize ourselves with the commute.

He tossed his head back and sighed. “I’m not a uniform type of guy.”

I chuckled. “What are you talking about? Hayashi is going to hand us our hunting gear tonight. And it’s mandatory.”

“I know, doesn’t mean I have to like it. The whole idea is stupid, anyway, don’t you think? If a flesh eater spots our uniform, then we’ll be compromised either way.”

“Not if we aren’t on a covert mission. I’ve done a few of those already, and I wasn’t in uniform.” I smirked. “Just wear the outfit and quit complaining.”

“I hate being put into categories.”

I snorted. “You’re just upset that you can’t v-neck your line like you’re used to.”

“Well, what can I say? I love showing off all of my assets,” he said with a flex. “I’ll find a way around it, make it my own.”

“Yeah, we all know how you like to stick out from a crowd. Got any assignments lined up?”

“Nope. Just classes. You?”

“Not yet, and I’m not exactly itching for any today, either.”

“I’m thinking the same. After class, I’m going to spend some time with Reina.”

You mean she agreed to that sober?

“Take her shopping downtown Utoro, you know, walk around and get to know the area.”

“Jeez, Gun, you better be careful with that. She’s going to run your pockets dry.”

He grinned. “I’ll get it all back with these contracts, and the Hunter Games event coming up! I need to take every opportunity I can to get to know her better. I really like her a lot. And with everything that’s been going on lately, I could use a break to just relax and enjoy time with someone special.”

“Heh, I’ve seen enough of downtown Utoro from our contracts. A little down time at the dojo sounds more appealing. But don’t take too long getting ready. You know how Master Hayashi gets when we’re not where we are supposed to be on time.” Just as I said that, Mrs. Tardy herself appeared, Reina walking down the hall and spotted us talking.

“Morning,” I said with a friendly smile and wave.

“Nero…” she said in a groggy voice as she held her bath things in her arms. “Gunther….”

“Hey Reina!” he tweeted, before he reeled in all of that excitement just so he could look cool. He cleared his throat and did a smooth do-over, but Reina wasn’t impressed. In fact, she looked out of it.

“You look tired as shit,” I commented bluntly.

She sucked her teeth and scratched her head. “It is much too early for your insults, K-pop!” she hissed. “I have this horrendous migraine from all of that alcohol last night.”

“All of what alcohol?”

“Too much beer.”

“Was that your first time drinking?” I asked curiously.

“It was, yes.”

“I got the perfect fix for that!” Gun suggested. “Hang tight!” He turned back around and dashed toward the kitchen with big bold and comical steps, and then I pivoted to Reina.

“I hope you’re not planning on skipping school or anything.”

“No, I’m more sophisticated than that,” she sighed. “But, if the school were to miraculously shut down today, I wouldn’t be against it.”

“Hey,” I said, then turned over my shoulder to make sure Gun wasn’t around, and then I turned back to Reina and whispered, “Are you into Gun?”

She raised her eyebrow at me.

“I only ask because I know you, Reina.”

She jerked back like she was insulted. “Do you, now?”

“You have this bad habit of leading a guy on and then leaving him high and dry once you get bored of him. The typical timespan being about a few days to a week.”

Reina’s eyes flashed with anger. “How dare you accuse me of something like that,” she said sharply. “I would never intentionally lead someone on!”

I deadpanned her.

“You make me out to be a cold-hearted harlot with no regard to anyone’s feelings!”

“There’s no one here but us,” I reminded her. “You’re acting like I didn’t go to the same school as you did for four years. I’ve seen it in person. Your warpath is filled with men with broken egos and shattered hearts. Not that I have any real sympathy for any of them. They were the same jock heads that bullied me around. But Gun is different. He isn’t just some creep. Sure, he came off as an Fboy, but deep down, he really cares a lot about you, Reina. I just don’t want to see him getting hurt.”

Reina’s expression softened slightly. “Well, it doesn’t really matter what you think, now does it? Unless of course, you were jealous?”

I chuckled. “That was a joke, right?”

“Why can’t a simple nerd like me win over a girl like her?”

“Someone’s clearly in delulu land.”

She smirked. “You don’t come off as the type who would really care about trivial things, Nero,” she sang as she waltzed by me, feeling proud and confident.

“Gun isn’t trivial. He’s a friend.”

“Well, this friend of yours has nothing to worry about,” she said, which at first, I thought she was messing around and being sarcastic. But then that look on her face turned sweet. “I really like him.”

I grinned. “That’s good to hear.”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. He has this real charm to him. He’s confident, funny, and he knows he’s attractive.”

I made a mental note to myself to let him know to keep the cocky attitude.

“He can also be sweet sometimes, but not too much. And he is the strongest in the dojo after Hayashi, so there’s that, too.”

I was happy for them both. Gun was a good guy who deserved someone special in his life. And Reina, well, underneath all of… that, she was a caring person who just wanted to be accepted for who she was.

“I’m glad to hear it,” I said sincerely. “You’re lucky to have someone like Gun looking out for you.”

“What about you, Nero?”

“Hmm?”

She gave me a mischievous grin. “Who has got you up at high hours of the night?”

I scoffed playfully. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“I would. You had no problem questioning my personal affairs.”

“It wasn’t as personal as you think, we all saw you hitting it off in the hot springs last night,” I sassed.

“No matter, you were still very nosy!”

“Don’t you have a date with the bathroom, or something?”

“Quit dodging the question and answer it!”

“Now I’m looking at you funny. Why are you so interested in my love life?” I smirked. “Are you the one who’s jealous?!”

“Very funny, Nero.”

“I don’t have a girlfriend, Reina,” I finally answered. “I’m the lone pup on campus, remember?”

Her face sulked. “Oh, right… I almost forgot about that….”

Wow, that was strange. I wasn’t expecting that kind of a reaction from the name she’d given me in sophomore year. It was a curse, not being able to keep a girl around for longer than a few weeks. But honestly, I had little to do with it. Those jock heads would spread rumors about me, the same dicks who hung out with Reina and her paparazzi. After that, it wouldn’t take long for my love interests to avoid me like the plague. I’d never really know what was said to shoo them away, but truth be told, it was all water under the bridge now.

“Hey, it’s no big deal,” I said, trying to brush it off. “I’m used to being the lone wolf by now.”

But Reina didn't seem convinced. She bit her lip, looking like she wanted to say more but couldn’t find the words.

“I’m not mad at you, or anything.” I placed a hand on her shoulder as a show of good spirit. “Go wash up and join us for breakfast, all right?” I said, then felt a tight twisting feeling in my stomach. My heart jumped, anticipating what was next. I’d felt this before, back when we were watching that movie… My eyes drew to Reina’s neck, her jugular vein stealing my attention. All of a sudden, my mouth started to water, the sight of her pulse getting me excited. I quickly looked away and took a deep breath, trying to push down the strange urge. Focusing on Reina’s neck had stirred some type of primal hunger, unlocking an instinct I didn’t understand.

Where was this feeling from?

“Nero?” she whispered timidly, her face scrunched up at me.

I chuckled nervously. “Heh, sorry about that. My mind got caught up with something. Try not to drag your feet in there!”

“Are you all right?”

“Yeah! On second thought, I’m gonna go for a quick walk to clear my head,” I muttered. “You go on ahead, I’ll catch up in a bit.”

Before she could ask me another question, I bolted. My heart raced as I ran out of the dojo. Once outside, I tried to regain control over myself. I couldn’t stand there anymore—my head was swimming and I was getting weird chills. Sweat misted over my forehead, and the heat along my collar was suffocating. The smell that had been coming off of Reina was sweet, and not in a good way….

I’m fine, I’m fine… I kept whispering in my head, before the feeling of throwing up made me run to a bush, where I puked.

Drips of bile stamped the grass as I leaned over a tree and hurled. Emptying out my stomach wasn’t the worst part of it… When I opened my eyes, my bile began to sizzle and fizz. I froze, realizing that the crap that was in my stomach was eating away at the earth.

What… the fuck?

It looked like molten lava, but more translucent and less viscous. After it ate the grass and the dirt, it began to blacken over and then harden.

I staggered back from the bush, staring at the smoldering patch of earth.

What was happening to me?