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All the AKIRA AUs

This wasn't how Shiho thought the day was going to go when she woke up this afternoon, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and contemplating not doing much at all today. Sure, there was probably something to do if she tried to look for it since she was the one in charge of espionage and information gathering, her psychic abilities making her perfectly suited to the task.

But she was bored and she was hungry and so the first order of the day had become "get pizza".

That's where she is now, happily selecting toppings with her most charming manner and cutest smile because that's never failed to get her extra anything she wanted. It smells good enough that she's even happy to not roll her eyes when Kaneda strolls on in.

If pressed she'd admit that she didn't hate him. Sure, their respective gangs occasionally clashed and yes, she'd referred to him as the boss of a bunch of babies at least twenty six times, she'd started calling him "what's-his-face" and any kind of conversation between them almost always turned into a snarky argument but if she really, really, really had to in a life-and-death situation, she'd say that she respected him and if it came to it, she'd probably not help someone else hurt him.

But she doesn't have to be civil about it as she tilts her head at him with a raise of her eyebrow, fully intending to make the next order of the day: Start a fight with Kaneda.

"Look who finally decided to leave his little club house. What, no one with you today?"

Never mind that she's also alone here (though her excuse is that she's easily one of the most terrifying of her group even with Kaoru the psychokinetic and Aoi the teleporter there). Which doesn't stop what happens next as an explosion rings out just across the street.

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The only plans Kaneda had for today was get fucked up. He'd blessedly skipped school, worked on his bike and after getting some late lunch he'd planned on paying a visit to one of his favorite (hottest) pharmacists to get some pills. An easy day, he was looking forward to it.

But then he'd notice Shiho (how could he not) before he'd had a chance to even order his usual 2 large pies. The teen doesn't hate her, she's kind of hot in her own way, but man she's a bitch. Always giving him a hard time, being all smug. He definitely calls her ShiHOE in his spare time. Classy.

"Looks like you've already started. What, you on your period?"

But before he can get a good punch in the face for that one, the shockwaves from the explosion nearly knocks him off his feet. Bracing his palms against the counter, he turns a rounded gaze into the street where car alarms wail and people in leather begin to file out, one by one.

Shiho's face hadn't so much as twitched when he spoke which was a sure sign that she was planning something inventive and horrible to either do to him or say to him. But the explosion steals any quip she might have had in mind and her eyes are wide for a moment as she stares in the direction of the explosion, then with her hand on the counter and her psychometry at full blast, she counts the number of people in leather, weapons, paths taken in a split second.

With that she grabs onto his shoulder and shoves him behind the counter as hard as she can, jumping back to join him. He might gain a few extra bumps but it's still better than anything else they're going to get. Which is a hail of bullets.

"What did you do this time?"

Because clearly it must be his fault.

His ass is definitely going to have a linoleum burn from all that, but he can only focus on--

"Fuck you, what did you do!? I'm not the one that regularly has explosives in her underwear." Which is what he assumes, that's the kind of rep her gang gets. It only makes sense that it's that and not, like, psychic powers.

He's kind of exploding right now anyway, his shocked expression morphed into something suspicious and drawn. Kaneda doesn't even want to poke his head out to see what's going on, he can hear the screams outside.

"Well, it's good to know you're a pervert even in these situations."

Besides, she keeps her explosives in a holster strapped to her thigh, thank you very much. Shiho may not use a holster for anything else but she does have some concept of weapon safety.

She doesn't contradict him on whether or not she has explosives because of course she does, what kind of a question even is that, considering the kind of rep her gang has.

Her own expression darkens at the sound of the screams, one hand pressed to the counter behind them to keep a close look on what's happening. Casualties... they were part and parcel of the lifestyle they'd chosen, but that didn't mean Shiho had to like it. But she knows there's even less she can do if she's dead. Not to mention the fact that Kaoru would level the city if that happened.

"We need a plan, this counter isn't going to hold out forever."

He doesn't give too much of a shit about other people, and won't until the world almost ends, but it's disconcerting to hear all the distress out there...and wonder if they're coming for him, too. What their plan is, their motives.

Kaneda stays low, stricken expression shifting from looking outside to peer at Shiho.

"My plan? Is to get the fuck outta here out the back door."

At the very least, Shiho can recognize that expression on his face. Her own expression only softens somewhat before she's looking away again to count the number of leather-clad people who were clearly responsible for this.

And the number is... too many even for her in her current state. Not that the idea of just picking one and then beating the stuffing out of him as an intimidation tactic didn't cross her mind though. But first: get them both somewhere safe.

"I'd thank you for making yourself into a nice big distraction so I can get out of here but then I'd never get to call you a moron again."

Not that she'd miss it or anything. With a roll of her eyes she does reach under her skirt to produce a black canister.

"And besides, we're going to go with my plan."

Which is an expertly lobbed smoke bomb that ticks away for one, two- Shiho grabs his hand and hauls him up when it goes off, filling the shot up, broken shell of what was once her favourite pizza joint.

Kaneda, for the record, would have loved to have time for the following: bitching about her plan, bitching in general, enjoying the almost-peek up Shiho's skirt.

But really all he can do is take in a tiny wisp of the smoke from her bomb in one second, and scream within the next, all the while his fast legs and her iron-grip drags him away to safety. Or what he can only hope is safety. Really, all he can hope is--

"Holy shit!!" Is her and her smokey knickers apparently. Thankfully they both are well acquainted with the emergency exit in the back, past the other patrons and the stuff huddled back there, and back into the open air of the alley behind it.

It's for the best he didn't say, do, or look at anything he wasn't supposed to because otherwise she would have had something sharp to say to him while they were escaping. The moment she touches the door she's narrowing her eyes and then slamming her whole weight into it.

There's a yelp from behind the door as it crashes hard into another leather-wearing thug, pinned briefly between the emergency exit and the alley wall. Shiho doesn't even wait to see if the guy is fine.

"Come on. Where's the nearest safe house?"

Because she needed the information fast. Were hers closer? Or were his?

God they got in there so fast. Took no chances, either. Kaneda takes one look at his stupid face in the smudged window, cackles once, and then turns his attention back to her.

"It's around the corner on the next street. But what makes me think you won't use this to your advantage? Maybe this is all you..."

Kaneda doesn't actually think so, but he wants to get a reaction, that's for sure. But despite this he's already walking for his safe house.

Shiho allows herself a tiny smile at that cackle because serves whoever planned this right if they escaped from the most obvious exit. And also good riddance to the guy stuck between the door and the wall. Hopefully the door handle hit him somewhere painful.

That smile though turns into a raise of her eyebrow at Kaneda in the next second because of course she knows he doesn't mean it.

"To my advantage? Oh, because I want to get you alone that badly that I got someone to shoot up my favourite pizza place just for you. Are you sure you didn't hit your head or something?"

Edited 2020-01-12 06:30 (UTC)

He leans in and laughs again, bats his eyelashes at her.

"All you had to do was ask. This ambiance....a little pizza between us...some candles and some weed...I'd let you do things to me," he says in a low, sultry voice.

Of course he figures she wouldn't do this; she's too soft on the scum of this city. She wouldn't put them in danger like this. And for as much as Kaneda doesn't care for them either, that'd be too much trouble on his end either.

Shiho could sigh. But they’re running away so she settles with planting a hand on his face and pushing him away once he’s finished speaking in a sultry voice that she’s not falling for. Instead she smiles brightly once he’s far enough away for her to let go of his face.

“What a coincidence. If you had anything more than a little pizza, sad old birthday candles and weed to offer, I might have been tempted.”

But she’s quite certain he hasn’t got more to offer than that in the skeptical tone in her voice as she resumes dragging him to his safe house.

Kaneda sputters against her hand, pushed back but not daunted; he will never give up, one way or another. He picks up the pace, though, and trots off around the corner, down the street to a completely normal and not a building with a literal hole looking into the garage...

Class: Shotaro Kaneda has it. Instead of going through this hole to enter, he gets a key from beneath a nearby pile of debris to unlock the door.

"Go on. I'll show you exactly what I got waiting for you, besides all this." Cue him flexing at her now, again, undeterred.

Shiho wipes her hand on his back as he goes to unlock the door because don't sputter on her, how dare.

"Trying to ease me in with the least impressive stuff you have, huh."

Which is him, flexing, and that hole in the garage. She's not about to crawl through the hole to get in though so she'll follow after him. This time.

It probably looks just as bad inside as she expected. At least there's some furniture-- it's threadbare and some of it has definitely suffered through 'boys will be boys' or a world war or three. It's also scattered about with articles of clothing and takeout boxes (some lined neatly, surely not Kaneda's work).

And in the corner is the skeleton of a motorcycle.

"Make yourself at home," he says proudly.

‘This boy,’ she thinks with every ounce of her being, judging the whole place pretty much the moment she walks in. Was it... supposed to make her feel maternal and indulgent? Because it doesn’t work and she wrinkles her nose at first the whole place then at him.

“....Never mind, I guess you really are the most impressive thing here.”

Edited 2020-01-16 05:29 (UTC)

The only mom he wants is a sugar mama, and from his first look at Shiho who knows how long ago, he knew in his heart.....this would not be it.

He brushes off her snub and kicks a few boxes away, clearing a space for her, isn't he nice.

"Whatever-- you want something to eat while we figure something out? I'm sure my crew wants to get involved. How bout yours?"

Shiho’s own space back at her own hideout isn’t spotless by any means (because that takes effort and she’s all about using as little effort as humanly possible). But even then watching him kick boxes out of the way for her kind of makes her want to walk back out.

Except, of course, she can’t because someone could still be looking for them and Shiho isn’t about to go out and be their walking target. So she sighs inside, her foot nudging the rest of the stuff away to give her more space.

“Knowing Kaoru-chan and Aoi-chan, I doubt they’d just stand by while some thugs with ugly jackets are going around shooting up innocent people.”

And also because it’s well known that the three girls stuck together through thick and thin. You messed with one, you messed with all three and they weren’t known for their mercy in situations like that.

Shiho sighs though, crossing her arms and acting like this is all one big inconvenience, “This better not mean we have to start getting along.”

Though she's annoying and judging and really, really irritating-- the most fun comes from irritating her for a change. Which is exactly why he keeps prodding and pushing and generally being a gremlin.

Hence the big grin on his face even surrounded by crap.

"You mean you don't wanna spend all night with me? What a waste of a shitty situation."

Kaneda also isn't really worried about his crew, either-- is it because he trusts them? is it because the blood in his being is only in one part of his body?

Shiho scoffs and doesn't even look up from the pile she's pushing away with her foot, trying to get it as close to the wall as possible.

"Wow, you're actually smarter and more observant than you look."

She knows she doesn't need to worry about Kaoru, not if Aoi was there. They'd take care of each other and she trusts them... but she's antsy despite it with the lingering worry that she might not be there if they needed it.

So she isn't about to take that grin of his nor the direction his blood seems to constantly be flowing in.

"And what do you mean "all night"? There's bending the truth and then there's blatant false advertising."

"Hey!" He barks, at least a little offended there. Kaneda shoots her a look, as unimpressed as she remains, one hand cocked on his hip.

"You're the one shooting yourself in the foot by not trying it out." Seriously! She's missing out!

"Either way, we're stuck at least until the shooting dies down." He does move to crack a window despite the gargantuan hole in the garage that easily lets air, and sound, in.

Shiho is pretty sure that the first rule of being in a safe house is “stay away from windows” and that’s the only reason why she steps forward to grab his sleeve and pull him back.

“Just because you’re so obsessed with shooting doesn’t mean you need to go and make yourself a target.”

And with that said she’s tugging him back and away from the window. Maybe she should make him sit down, she thinks. Or put him in a nice, safe corner. Preferably have him facing the wall and thinking about what he’s said to her in the past while. That would teach him.

He harrumphs and shoots her a brief look of annoyance, but really he knows she's trying to help....deep down he knows, anyway.

And besides, he relishes the contact. So much so that he goes along with her tugging, all the way so he can throw an arm around her shoulders.

"If you wanted me somewhere all you needed to do was ask. I'm also not too obsessed with getting lead in my ass."

And she knows that he knows she's trying to help. And also that, for some crazy reason he doesn't seem to mind that she's just touched him. That for some completely insane reason he relishes her touch.

Maybe he's forgotten she's a psychometer, she wouldn't put that past him. Despite that she relishes the contact too even if she'll furrow her brown and look away as if the rest of this messy place was suddenly more interesting. But she doesn't push him away.

"Well, I don't want you anywhere. And with where that window is, you're more likely to get lead in your face."

Again it isn't so much the psychometer issue that's an issue, nothing is an issue as long as it's a soft, beautiful GOIL!!! touching him. Even a punch is okay. What about being a masochist doesn't anyone understand about this idiot?

"They haven't gotten to this part of the city yet. They might not even spread-- they might not even be after me!" These are all very big ifs and very unlikely ones.

And though the sounds of fighting can still be heard through the hole, it is true it hasn't seemed to have advanced. Are these guys more worried about concentrating firepower rather than searching?

He’s so easy. Too easy, she thinks. Any other time and she’d be telling him that there are psychometers who would tell other girls and tell them to take advantage of this. Thankfully for him, she’s kind and still too annoyed from being shot at to properly plot how to usurp his position and take over his gang.

“And water might not be wet and elephants might be able to fly.”

She rolls her eyes at him but steers him further away from the hole.

“Whether they’re after you or after me, it doesn’t change the fact that the other one would still be a windfall for these guys.”

"I thought that was pigs and cute girls in anime."

He sounds thoughtful but really he's too distracted, pulled between the usual Boy Feels and the adrenaline is starting to wear off. He wonders idly if there's anything in the fridge...surely no one'll deliver food in the middle of a shoot out...

"I just hate that we just gotta sit here on our asses-- present company notwithstanding, of course." Much as he isn't worried about his crew!! This could get boring very fast.

This boy, she thinks and rolls her eyes at him and his Boy Feels. Though she’d be the first to admit that she understands that feeling well.

Though not the Boy ones. Mostly the ones of not being worried but being Bored Out of Her Mind by inaction. She’s not used to sitting back and waiting to be rescued, letting someone else do the work. But she also doesn’t want to say “Hey, let’s go out and kick some rival gang butts” because it was irresponsible. What if something happens to him on her watch? Beating him fair and square, usurping his gang and relegating it to being a off-shoot of their own gang was fine. But letting someone else get him and absorbing his then leaderless gang somehow seemed just a bit too dishonest even for her.

“Well, let’s do something then, you big baby.”

There’s that gaping hole in the door, after all.

“Any weapons here? Or are we just stuck with my handgun and sleeping darts?”

Because, of course this girl has weapons on her person.

If she said 'hey let's go kick rival gang butts' he'd be on that like mashed potatoes to a plate. The magic words, the troubled words.

So it's a good thing she's the smart, level headed one. Though Kaneda does perk up at the mention of weapons.

"You've got a handgun on you? Sweet! You coulda just popped that out earlier. Got an extra?"

This boy, she thinks for the umpteenth time as he immediately looks interested at the very mention of weapons.

“Popped it out earlier and done what, exactly?”

Her one handgun against a bunch of armed thugs (in leather jackets) with way more firepower? She’d probably have had better luck trying to surrender and use her big eyes, fluffy hair and well-practiced air of helpless cuteness to get close enough to take someone important hostage before they figured out she was armed. But she’s apparently his babysitter now so???

“And no, you get the sleeping darts.”

Which she holds out to him in the form of a straight pipe loaded with tranquilizer darts.

Don't ever underestimate the cuteness factor when it comes to murder. That's the first mistake any villain makes. He peers at the pipe, and though he's disappointed and will grouse about it in a second, he does take it.

"You couldda found the boss and popped him one! Or threatened one of 'em to take you to their leader." Duh! Doesn't she watch movies? "I could handle a gun no problem, anyway..." There's the grumbling, there it is.

Oh, she knows how important the cuteness factor is when going in for a murder. After all, there’s a reason she always smells nice and wears cute clothes. One of the reasons is, of course, because that’s what she likes and she refuses to let anyone else dictate what she wears. Another reason is because her greatest power is how often people underestimate her for being a girl, or being a psychometer, or being cute. And she loves taking advantage of that first and usually last mistake the villain makes.

She rolls her eyes at Kaneda though, “Aww, you believed in me that much? I’m touched.”

Though really, anyone who has met her could probably easily believe that she would have had that boss sobbing and begging for forgiveness by the time she was done with him.

“And it’s not about you knowing how to handle a gun or not.”

With that she’s tilting her head with a cheeky smirk at him, “This gun is mine and I have better aim. Now are you ready to make some thugs rethink their life decisions or not?”

"I can and should handle a gun," he has to make that clear first, voice pitched low from the pout and arms barely crossed over his chest. He even gives her a sideeye that gives way to a wide eyed look. He's quick to shift gears, here.

"What? Really? You mean we can go shove their heads up their own asses now?" He'd be wagging his tail if he was a puppy. Because as you can see while he enjoys this adorable, annoying company almost nothing is more important than bashing heads in. Since he isn't going to get the 2nd most important thing might as well move on.

"You probably could and you probably should but it's not going to happen because you forgot to bring your own gun."

She replies to that pout with a grin and a playful nudge of her elbow against his arm that is definitely all Kaoru. Causing hell is her, their favourite pastime, after all.

"Really."

And she'd have his back if he has hers. With that said though there's a knock at the door. Redundant, probably since there's a huge hole right there but the people on the other side definitely think they have the two of them cornered and are enjoying having them at their mercy. Shiho smiles then, sharp and the warmth not quite reaching her eyes as she tilts her gun to point at knee level of whoever would open the door.

"Come on in~"

Of course, the moment they come in, it's a bullet straight to the knee and she isn't sorry.

Kaneda can't help the lopsided little grin at the nudge she gives him; for all of a pain in the ass she is, she's reliable. And he'd just as much have her at his back as his own crew.

Looks like they're about to find out, though. The teen freezes for a split second and in that next breath she gives the invitation. He readies the flimsy, weird little weapon she gave him, his grin now sharp as a razor while dark eyes root out whatever furniture or rubble he can use to also throw at their assailants.

Why did they even bother to file in through the door, anyway, at least seven of them, varying in sizes and ages but the one thing that's the same is the somehow grim, yet smug looks on their faces as they look to try to surround the duo.

Shiho wipes the smug look off the first one's face with a well-placed shot to the knee that will probably never heal correctly. The second shot to the next one's shoulder, disabling their gun-toting arm. Shiho doesn't shoot to kill, but she doesn't shoot like she'd mind it terribly if they died of shock afterwards.

She trusts him to have at least shot one person since those darts are laced with heavy sedatives, the amount usually reserved for elephants and cause almost immediate blurry vision and loss of motor control. And she trusts in the faint sound she can hear. It sounds like the scream of a jet. Or like a psychokinetic that can almost reach the speed of sound and has the unerring ability to know when her friends were in trouble.

"...You trust me, right?"

Because with that Shiho is grabbing him by the hand and with a disconcerting shift they're in the air, floating high over what is now technically still his safehouse. Just in powder form. Only then does Shiho breathe a sigh of relief, just in time to get tackled from the side by both Aoi and Kaoru. And then a barrage of questions: Was Shiho hurt? (only a little and she hides the scrape by holding onto the back of Kaneda's shirt) Was Kaneda hurt? Did Kaneda actually do a good job and protect Shiho? Whoa, he's actually more dependable than we first thought, Aoi-chan. Does that mean we don't have to pay for that safehouse?

All throughout it though, Shiho is smiling, even turning that smile to Kaneda while she's at it.

"So? Are you hurt?"

Because that hand she has holding onto his shirt is opening, her palm pressed to his back to make sure he really hasn't been hurt.

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All the AKIRA AUs

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oh my gosh, I'm sorry this is so late