A Little Theft [Kenichi/Natsumi]

Natsumi hopped to her feet, sliding her small hands into the overgrown pockets. Her pants were barely being held up by some old and cracking leather belt. Still, in all of her homeless glory, she looked down at him like he was just the strangest thing she had ever seen... eyes wide, head tilted. "You the hero of the neighborhood or somethin'?" Natsumi asked. "I ain't gonna hurt anyone unless you hurt me first. Do somethin' stupid and it ain't on me, got it? Don't start nothin', won't be nothing."

Then he went on to pretty much answer those questions. The annoyance that came off of his last few sentences felt more real than anything else the guy had said. Natsumi's demeanor calmed, her posture relaxed and her expression felt more normal, content even. Exhaling heavily, she walked over to the edge of the building, her barrier moving with her and likely bumping Kenichi as she walked. "I guess..." Natsumi said calmly, staring out over what little of the city she could see. "There's nothing wrong with it, unless it's fake. You don't... seem like you're faking it."

"Ah? Hero? Of course I am. I'm the hero of Japan. As long as I can help it, I won't let innocent people get hurt on my watch. Humor aside, I'm actually nothing like a hero. I selfishly care for others and selfishly desire to see them thrive, able to live their lives without trouble."

Kenichi didn't mind being bumped by the invisible barrier that shrouded the young woman. He hadn't even noticed a barrier was around her to begin with. His more immediate focus was ensuring that she no longer held any inclination towards leveling the building. Following a soft sigh, he would turn to the woman as he overlooked the colorful city.

"Why fake being kind? I think that's pretty terrible. I guess one might think I have every right to be upset, but life is hard. There are thousand of others who have probably had to resort to thievery. I won't pass judgment on you for trying to survive. I just thought it was fun to engage in a chase like that. Plus, you chuckled as you avoided me. If I harbored any idea you were afraid of being chased, I would have kept my distance."

"Selfishly? I don't think you know what that word means," Natsumi said, blinking at him. There was a hint of confusion topped with amusement in her eyes as she turned back to watch him. He really was a strange boy...

"Why? It's how people trick you into thinking they're a good guy," Natsumi said, and the direct eye contact that came with the words held an air of experience, as if she had witnessed such a thing dozens of times before. "I pretend to be nice to you, and you buy me food," Natsumi said, giving a rather relatable example for their current situation, "But the moment I have what I want, I throw a food stall through a building, or just ditch you on the side of the road... What was your name?"

Once he answered, Natsumi lifted herself up and sat on the edge of the building, one leg crossed over the other. "Don't worry about it... I only hurt people who hurt me first." Natsumi said, "Getting someone to fear me is much different than ripping a body in half or crushing a building... I wouldn't do that, but... it's not like you'd know that, now would you?" Natsumi glanced to him just before leaning back over the edge of the building. Suddenly, it was like she lost her balance, or something beneath her slipped, and she was about to fall off. Her eyes widened, her arms came uncrossed, her jaw dropped, and she was going over the edge...

"That's a depressing point of view, but it isn't entirely unjustified. One can never be too careful in this world, no matter who they meet. I guess you've got me there, albeit with a poor example, but I won't speak on it. In all likelihood, if you pretended to be nice, I would have brought you an entire feast. Kindness is a two-way street, you know."

That precisely the type of man he was, a generous spirit with a heart of gold. Natsumi could have simply approached him normally, and even if she ditched him on the side of the road, the more preferable option of the two, he wouldn't have cried foul.

As long as her belly was filled, that would have been contentment enough. Such was his way of life. No matter who judged him. Of course, as though his attention was drawn elsewhere, he cast a glance at Natsumi, hazel eyes registering the faltering nature in her body language.

His body shot forward like a bullet, firm arms thundering through the air to grab her and pull her backwards. Setting her down a few meters away from the ledge, he would phew softly, thanking the gods above for his otherworldly reaction time.

"I don't know a lot of things, but I know that I genuinely have no ill-will towards you. Besides, it's hard to intimidate me."

It was a test, on he passed very quickly. She wasn't really falling, but his reaction to help her was... unexpected. As he sat her down, Natsumi looked back to the ledge and then to him. She tilted her head slightly and just stared as she listened. Even when he stopped talking though, she stared silently. It was probably a really awkward amount of time before she finally spoke up again.

"It would be hard to intimidate someone that can do the thinks ya can." Natsumi said, breaking the silence and looking at her hand. Maybe she should calm her paranoia down. He was one of the first people she really talked to in a long time, and he ended up being nice. "Do you know anything about the Duvalier Group?"

"You think so, huh? I suppose you aren't wrong there, but you aren't something to scoff at, either. I almost lost you amidst the crowd."

Kenichi turned his gaze on her as he chuckled. There wasn't really anything extraordinary about his talents from his perspective, but he took overwhelming pride in his skill. She posed a question, eliciting a raise of the eyebrow, a confused expression crossing his features. Did he know about them publicly? Perhaps. Nothing else other than that, though. Stroking his chin in contemplative thought, he posed a question.

"I only know the bare minimum about them. Not much more than that, though. Why do you ask?"

"Oh? Well, I'm doin' my best, I guess..." Natsumi said, lightly blushing. She wasn't used to being complimented and never knew how to take them from someone that wasn't an uncaring lab assistant. To change the subject, she threw something big out there in hopes of gaining more information. At least, it was big to her.

"They're evil," Natsumi said, crossing her arms and looking out over the city. Her eyes narrowed angrily as she thought about where the hell the nearest Duvalier compound would be. "If I'm going to destroy anything, it's going to be them..." she said, venom in her words. "They kidnap kids, hold them for life as experiments."

"When I finally get a hold of them, they'll pay. And ain't no one gonna be able to stop me... I'ma tear 'em down and hit 'em hard. Hit 'em so hard they'll never get back up," Natsumi said with an intense amount of anger and looked back to Kenichi. "I'm Natsumi. You said your name, but I didn't say mine, so I figure it's fair now."

"Sometimes that's all you can do. No matter what, always make sure you give it your best."

Kenichi cocked his head to the side, offering a curious glance in response to her words. He was far from familiar with them, but the revelation was far too difficult to ignore. Her expression told a thousand words, revealing far more than her words ever had.

If anything, that only server to drive his frustration home. No wonder she was fiercely against trusting him, she probably assumed she was a double-agent chasing her down to bring her back to that life she despised so vehemently. His expression grew serious as a result, his gaze far more cognizant of the information the woman had provided.

"Natsumi? That's a nice name. I'm glad you decided to ease up on me, but hearing your history now, I can see why you were so on edge. I apologize for bringing up any past anxiety. It must have been rough living the type of life you've had to endure up until now..."

Kenichi might be to kind for his own good. Though she wasn't exactly vague about her intentions, and she didn't truly hide that it was her own history being discussed here, she did not out right say it either. Natsumi was going to have to think on whether she'd allow herself to see him again. There was a reason she had no real friends; it was just safer for them and her. Having someone around wasn't her top choice. Besides that, she knew she had people looking for her... bad people aiming at a big ol' target on her back. Easier to hide if no one is messing you up...

Natsumi walked to the edge of the building and hopped up, turning back to Kenichi. "No apologizin'. I don't care about it no more," Natsumi said and smiled wide. "Besides, it weren't my history I was talkin' about. Who says I'm fightin' for me? There more kids out there, ya know... and I'ma be the one rescuin' 'em." Natsumi looked back over the ledge and hopped backwards. She landed on the air, about the same height as the roof's ledge. "Someone like me don't fall off buildin's by the way... Nice meetin' ya Kenichi. I gotta get and destroy a Duvalier! See ya later."

Natsumi didn't waste anymore time staying here. She needed to get away from that overly-nice guy before he distracted her from her goals. Besides, she already found her new target. The Duvalier help out in the CIty of Lights, so maybe she can find something there. Natsumi waved as she began floating off over the city, leaving Kenichi behind one of her invisible walls that conveniently covered the entire roof. He was stuck up there for the next five minutes, or until he broke it.