AMV_WEAKLY
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[49] Smart Bastard Should've Run
🕑 Added 2025-05-30 16:59:33 +0000 UTC(Kata POV – Kata's House)
I sit on the couch, letting out a quiet sigh as Eri's cartoons are replaced by an emergency broadcast.
The screen now shows live footage from Hosu. Nomu tear through the streets while heroes scramble to stop them and save civilians who desperately run while screaming.
Then the feed changes to Mirko and I, as we tear through any Nomu we encounter.
'Of course... it just had to be this scene.'
I grimace as 'I' wave my hand, causing 3 Nomu to fly towards each other. Bone and flesh shatter as the Nomu crash into one another, their bodies bending unnaturally. Mirko then follows up with a savage heel drop, smashing skulls like watermelons.
Two pairs of eyes turn to me.
Himiko's stare is sharp as her eyes narrow. Her lips curl into a seemingly innocent smile. “I didn’t know you were that close with the bunny,” she chirps. “You looked very excited~.” Her tone stretches with playful menace as she leans in slightly, demanding answers despite never having asked any questions.
“I got to cut loose,” I reply flatly and shrug. “And use my quirk a little.”
She looks unsatisfied, but it's the truth. I shrug and turn to the other gaze.
Eri’s eyes are wide and filled with worry. Her tiny hands rest tensely on her skirt. She doesn't say anything, but she doesn’t need to. I can see the fear in her.
I reach out, patting her head gently. She hums softly and leans into the touch.
"Why do you look so worried?" I ask softly. "I like it better when you’re smiling."
She shifts closer, but doesn’t answer right away. Himiko pouts and folds her arms, her stare darting to my hand like a jealous cat. I decide to ignore it for now.
Eri hesitates, her fingers curling into the hem of her skirt and I wait patiently.
"You can tell me when something bothers you," I say gently, giving her a reassuring smile. "I'm your brother, and I'm here for you."
She finally speaks, her voice small. "I… I'm scared you’ll get hurt."
That nearly stops my heart.
'If those Nomu could hurt me, everyone else would be long dead.' I think.
I don’t like seeing her worried. But part of me likes that she worries about me.
'What a contradiction.'
I could just tell her I’m strong. But that wouldn’t mean anything to her.
“I’m super strong, y’know,” I say with a light grin. “So I won’t get hurt.”
She doesn’t seem reassured.
‘She's already started doubting me? Has she hit her rebellious phase?’ I think, recalling my research.
I exhale, leaning closer. “So… I’ll be extra careful. I promise. I’ll come back safe. Just for you.” I soften my voice. “You’re amazing, Eri. You care so much, that I have no choice but to stay safe. That makes you my hero, you know?”
Her eyes widen, a surprised glint flickering to life. She seems stunned by my logic, always making her my hero. Her mouth opens like she wants to say something—but instead, she just giggles shyly as I scoop her up, lifting her through the air like she’s flying.
She laughs louder as I spin her around and hug her close. She holds onto me and the broadcast becomes background noise. This is what matters.
'Totally worth the cringe.’ I think, both of us smiling as I set her gently back on the couch beside me.
Her grin fades, though, as her eyes drift back to the screen.
“...Will everyone else be okay too?” she asks, her voice small.
I freeze. Even Himiko—who’d been creeping closer—goes still. The question stills the room.
The truth?
No. People have died. Are dying. And many more will follow at this rate.
But how do I say that to her without making her cry?
I rub the back of my neck, sighing.
“…I can’t say everyone will be fine,” I say honestly. The words taste like ash. “But the heroes out there are doing everything they can. They're protecting as many people as possible.”
Eri’s smile fades completely. Her eyes are wet now, but she doesn’t cry. Just nods, small and sad. She doesn't ask me to do anything either. She knows I'm strong.
‘Maybe she’s scared I’ll die too.’
It hurts to watch.
I close my eyes, jaw tight. 'Life's not a fairytale. Not every story gets a happy ending.'
“...Damn it,” I mutter under my breath, then flinch when I see Eri’s wide-eyed reaction. “Sorry. I shouldn’t swear.”
I sigh again and pat her head, both to comfort and apologize.
I know she needs to learn to accept the reality. That the world's a battleground... That it's cruel, violent and messy. And not everyone will get saved...
'But not yet.'
"…Actually, everyone will be fine," I say slowly.
'That's a lie.'
"I’ll make sure of it."
'A lie I'll make true.'
Eri stares at me, surprise flickering across her face. She probably knows it’s not that simple—but there's a flicker of hope in her eyes now.
'You’re too sweet for this world, Eri,' I think with a smile.
She gives a tiny smile, curling up against me. "Then... I'll keep smiling, so you have to stay safe." She says softly with a serious smile that almost makes me laugh.
"Just watch,” I whisper, pointing toward the TV.
She nods her expression turning serious in a way that only ends up looking cute.
I feel weight press into my other shoulder. Himiko’s there, resting her head quietly. She meets my eyes and doesn’t say a word.
‘Is this her way of comforting me?’ I smile faintly as lean back, closing my eyes, as my consciousness merges back into my body in Hosu.
Freedom isn't about doing whatever you want.
Freedom is choosing not to do the things you hate.
'And I hate seeing Eri sad.'
(Kata POV – Hosu City)
I hover quietly in the air for a moment, letting the wind whistle past me. I observe the chaos in the distance, before letting out a sigh and landing lightly beside Mirko on the damaged street.
She glances at me, raising an eyebrow. “You tired already?” she asks with a sharp grin, her costume stained with blood, none of it hers. “Didn't think you had so little stamina and thought you'd last longer.”
I roll my eyes, wondering if she phrases it that way in purpose. “I just think it’s time to end this.”
She places a hand on her waist. “You got a new move or something?”
“Something like that. I recently became able to try it.” I reply seriously.
Her smirk widens. “Good. How confident are you?”
I shrug. “Maybe 80%?”
She stretches her neck with a crack, rolling her shoulder. “Well, go ahead then. These things are too weak anyway. I was starting to get bored.” She says, as she kicks a collapsed Nomu.
I glance at her. “You’ll cover for me, Partner?”
'I might as well abuse the new title I've been given.'
She snorts before gives me a half-smirk, half-eye roll combo. “Fine, I’ll babysit. Just give me something fun to watch, and a spar later.”
I nod and close my eyes to focus.
But before she can ask more, the ground beneath us rumbles and she stiffens. "Was that you?"
I don't answer. I couldn’t if I wanted to.
All my attention is focused inward.
My quirk is capable of doing almost anything and my imagination is the limit. I've never really had a reason to try something before developing it properly.
But I do now.
'I did promise Eri everyone would be fine.'
The air around me distorts slightly as the surge begins. Telekinetic energy floods through me, far beyond my usual threshold. My body stiffens as I approach ten times my normal limit. Yet... I can do more?
'So ten isn’t the limit anymore... That helps.' I think, deciding not to push further. I already have more than enough to handle.
I refocus.
My biggest limitation has always been range.
No matter how strong my quirk is, I affect something in unaware of. And training my radar takes a long time.
But what if I don’t extend my range?
What if I just bring the world closer?
Instead of directly sensing the things within space, I reach for the space itself. I compress it, fold it inward, pull it closer without affecting the reality around me. My range remains constant, but the distance shrinks, at least in my perception.
The ground groans again, cracks splintering outward beneath my feet, due to my decreased focus and control.
It’s the first time I’ve ever manipulated space. I'm not changing it, just bending it a bit so somehow... I manage.
1 kilometer.
3.
7.
I stop there. Any more and I risk hurting myself.
But it’s enough to cover most of the city. Enough to feel everything.
I take a deep breath and brace myself... And then it hits.
A tidal wave of information crashing into my skull.
There's too much. Too many things to keep track of. Screams, heartbeats, footsteps, debris, engines—every motion thunders in my mind as each demands attention.
My head throbs before I decide to cut the clutter.
No sky. No underground. No stationary objects. Just what matters.
The thousands of people moving all over the city... and the Nomu.
And even with those restrictions, pain pulses behind my eyes.
Still... it’s manageable, but extremely unpleasant.
Time slows as I lock onto every single Nomu across Hosu. Hundreds of them are scattered and causing chaos.
I breathe.
And I reach.
Simultaneously, I seize them all—every single one—locked in my telekinetic grasp.
Delicacy is out of the question and precision isn't within my capabilities. At this scale, not harming heroes and civilians is the best I can do.
(Mirko POV – Hosu City)
The ground starts rumbling like something under it’s trying to crawl out, and I immediately take a step back from instinct, not fear. The air around Kata changes becoming thick and heavy. He's enveloped in a pressure that pushes everything back.
Then he starts glowing.
Just a faint white light, bleeding from his skin like his body can't contain all that power anymore.
'I’ve never seen him serious before.' During our spars, he always held back. He didn’t say it, but I could tell that he's never felt pressured.
But this is different.
The pressure intensifies again, pushing me back. It doesn't hurt, but something tells me I'd get hurt if I try getting too close.
I grin at the thought. 'Just how strong is he if even this can hurt me?'
His eyes are closed. He looks calm and focused. That light from his body brightens a little and the pressure rises once more.
The street cracks beneath his feet, and my ear twitches as I hear multiple sounds of collision.
BANG.
I turn and see a Nomu get slammed straight into the ground hard enough to kick up a plume of dust.
A second one explodes mid-step, body folding in on itself like it got crushed from every direction at once.
My ears twitch.
'Why is it suddenly so much quieter?' I wonder.
The sounds of battle have stopped. Screams and shouts seemingly muted. It's unnaturally and eerie.
I look around and see both heroes and civilians looking towards the sky in stunned silence.
I follow and look up.
They’re floating.
Dozens of Nomu. High in the sky, all of them hanging there like broken puppets. Some are twitching, some already limp. And that's what comes into view from a single glance. Looking around, I'm way too lazy to count the hundreds of helpless creatures.
And Kata—he’s just standing there, hand slowly rising, like he’s orchestrating some sinister play.
"Damn." I curse as I feel my heart drum away recklessly. The grin on my face widening from anticipation and thrill.
My breathing becomes rapid. 'This is what I've been missing out on?'
Before I can think more, Kata moves again.
He brings his hand low, palm facing up. Then, he raise his hand and my hair rises, as my heart thumps in my chest.
The air vibrates as I quickly look up, my sight almost blinded as the evening sky lights up.
A dome of fire blooms across the heavens, so massive it swallows the horizon. Blue lightning dances through it, weaving in and out like veins.
The flames blaze intensely, but there's no heat. The air trembles from the forces at play, but there's no sound.
"What the fuck?" I stare at the spectacle, wide eyed and unable to see the edge of the fiery ball of death.
Finally, Kata waves his hand aside, and the flame and lightning instantly scatter, the air becomes eerily still.
I gulp. 'There's nothing left... not even ashes.'
The Nomu are just... gone. Like they've never existed.
Kata, seemingly unbothered, finally opens his eyes as he drops his hand.
His eyes are still that same red, but for the first time, I see some fatigue beneath the normal indifference. He’s bleeding from the nose, and sweat beads at his temple, but he seems otherwise unbothered.
I let out a slow whistle.
"...Huh."
There’s not a single Nomu left in sight. Just chunks of morbid confetti from the ones that didn't make it airborne.
I stare at him for a second, arms crossed, tail flicking excitedly behind me.
“This what you meant by ‘maybe?'” I call out, a wild grin decorating my face.
He doesn’t answer right away. Just wipes the blood from his nose away with the back of his hand, as he looks towards a certain direction with a contemplative look.
'So this is his limit? No... he’s not done. He just stopped here.'
He only targeted the Nomu. And he was trying to prevent collateral damage.
I glance at the cratered street. My smirk fades and turns thoughtful.
I’ve already sparred him a few times and I lost spectacularly each time.
But this is on another level.
This isn’t just strong. It’s hopeless. If he wanted to, he could crush me, burn me, or fry me with just a thought. There's no way to win, not even counting all his other tricks.
Still—
I don’t feel discouraged.
'No way in hell!'
My fists clench. I feel the fire in my blood kick up again as my excitement surges.
'That’s my partner!'
I can’t fall behind him. No matter what it takes. Even if the gap's wider than I thought... I’ll close it. Somehow.
Because if this is what he can do when he’s serious, I can't even be considered a threat.
I frown slightly. 'Should I take his offer?'
'I don’t like getting handouts... but it’s not really that, is it? He’s my partner now, so it counts as teamwork, right?' I debate internally, grinding my teeth. Pride and practicality don’t get along much.
Then I hear it.
"I didn't know your tail wags like that. It's cute."
…
I freeze.
Oh, hell no.
I turn slowly, lip twitching as my eyes narrow. Kata’s the only one nearby. The little shit’s standing there spouting shit, but he has the audacity to smile at me.
Dead man walking.
"You wouldn't attack an injured person, would you?" he asks casually, that cocky little smirk twitching at the corners.
I pause.
He is injured and tired.
"Hmm... You're right," I say calmly. Too calmly.
"You're injured and tired. It’d be wrong to hit you," I add, smiling sweetly.
His brow furrows just a bit.
Smart bastard should’ve run.
I stroll over and sling an arm around his neck, yanking his taller frame down until his face is buried against my chest. He stiffens immediately.
Good.
I ruffle his hair with my free hand, snickering. “That was awesome,” I laugh, grin sharp and teeth bared. “I want to see more of that when we spar next time.”
"You’d die," he mutters, voice muffled against my boobs.
I feel him shift, like he just realized where exactly his face is. He pulls back slightly, blinking up at me, clearly rattled.
His ears are a little red.
Heh.
"We’ll see then," I say with a teasing grin, narrowing my eyes before shifting my weight.
I raise my fist.
Then I slam it into his side. Hard.
The blow catches him clean, knocking him off balance. He stumbles back a few steps, eyes wide with surprise.
‘Huh? I didn’t expect that to connect. Thought he always kept those fancy little barriers up.’
I blink once—
Then burst into laughter.
“Serves you right!” I cackle, hands on my hips. “I finally got a hit in.”
He’s still staring at me like he’s trying to process what just happened. Maybe wondering how I slipped past his defenses. Something I also don't know.
'Bastard thought I’d spare him just ‘cause he’s hurt? What an idiot.'
I snicker again, tail flicking smugly behind me.
“Lesson one, partner,” I grin. “Don’t spout shit around me and expect to get away with it.”
