i can punch you back if you want [nao]

Naoru please punch me. I can punch you back if you want.

Well. That was a text he didn’t get often.

Naoru could only stare at the text he received from Kutsu for a few moments before the meaning actually started to register. He wondered if his friend did something he thought he would get in trouble for, and asked for a reality check. After a few more seconds of contemplations, he assumed this was probably a weird way of asking for training, but he couldn’t really be sure from the missing details of the message. His confusion was quickly cleared up by another set of messages as Kutsu clarified that he would wait at Semper Fi combat area whenever he was available.

The messages seemed hurried enough that Naoru realized Kutsu was probably already at the meeting point, ready to wait for him however long he needed. That meant he had no choice but to go. Skimming the messages again, it seemed like he had to accept the challenge, or at least show up to reassure Kutsu in some way. He hummed to himself as he typed a reply assuring the boy that he would be around within twenty minutes. He idly wondered if something was wrong, if something happened. The first message was so oddly specific in its own weird way, worded strangely, that something must have happened to trigger it. He figured he will have to ask the boy about it stealthily to learn more.

Kutsu wasn’t exactly secretive, but Naoru noticed he rarely complained when the situation was serious, keeping true worries to himself or hiding behind mundane problems. That was just a vague feeling that whatever he knew of Kutsu, that was just the bare surface, the tip of the iceberg. Really, he only knew a few details of his quirk, and that he haven’t played monopoly ever before.

A small sigh left him as he got ready to head to the open military camp’s combat training area. Instead of his school uniform, he dressed in black pants and a dark, short-sleeved button-up for the occasions. Despite appearances, this was a comfortable wear fitting for possible combat, at least comfortable enough for him to move about in. His left arm had the usual black full-arm glove with the shorter pair on his right hand, but they were not visible under the white cloth covering his arms, shoulders and upper body like a bolero. He was getting more and more used to wear his Aura like clothing, and he quickly realized he felt more comfortable with it out but disguised as a coat rather than keeping it strictly under his skin and hide it away.

As he was already near, reaching the combat area didn’t take long. The commotion around was making him just a tad bit uncomfortable, making him pull his shoulders up from a bit of nerves. It wasn’t as bad as it was weeks ago when he started his training though, but his eyes still darted from one person to another and avoid possible contact as much as possible. He kept to the side and away from people, eyes roaming the area for a familiar dark-haired lad. Spotting Kutsu was an easy task, considering this boy was the only one holding onto giant plushies in the middle of a military training camp.

A fight was already going on in one of the cages, and Naoru only partially paid attention to the right hook that sent a grown man flying against the iron bars with a grunt as he reached his classmate. “Ito-san, hello! Oh, Pasta is here with you too. And another one.” He recognized the seven-legged octopus from another of their training, but he eyed the bunny curiously, as that one was unfamiliar for him yet. He beamed a polite smile toward it still considering the plushies more like living creatures than just toys. “Nice to meet you!”

As he missed the conversation between Kutsu and his plushies, he had no idea what the boy had in tow for him. “Your message seemed a bit worrying. Are you okay?” He thought it was better to ask now in case they won’t have time for it later. He couldn’t help but worry as a default when he got weird messages, but if all Kutsu wanted was to have a sparring match, Naoru would actually be relieved.

He turned toward the fight that seemed to be nearing its end with one man laying on the floor, with another on top of him, pushing him down in a grappler’s hook. With his arm twisted uncomfortably behind his back and the opponent’s around his neck, the position seemed nothing but painful. It would be within moments that the winner would be announced and the men exited the arena.

“To be quite honest, I do not want to have a fight with you, but...” he bit his lips. “But if you would really like to have a spar, I will be willing to do it. And I would definitely want you to punch me back, that is what a fight is about, in the end.”

He took a deep breath, feeling calmness settle around him with the familiar warmth of his Aura hugging his upper body comfortably. “Should we go? The cage will be empty soon.”

Naoru waved back automatically, as if Kutsu’s enthusiastic greeting was something that forced people to respond immediately. His hand froze in mid-air upon hearing the question about his coat, and he had to look down at his chest to double-check. Oh right, Kutsu was probably mentioning his Aura. Even though the plushie-maker had seen his quirk in action, seeing it in this form, appearing nearly as smooth as clothing, as if it was indeed a coat, must have been a little confusing. Naoru shook his head with a smile. “This is also my quirk, Ito-san. It is not actually warm, you know.” He added. The material was neutral in both weight and warmness compared to other material.

Naoru’s eyes wandered over to Pasta, and couldn’t help but find the octopus’s greeting endearing. In response, he also raised both his arms, as if cheering, mimicking the plush animal. His arms fell down upon seeing the metallic glint of the bunny’s teeth though, and he nearly sweated from the sight. Those looked painful, even with the edges blunted like they were. There was no question about this bun being a battle plush Ito made for actual fighting. “I am glad she seems to be more appreciative of me.” He said, although a bit uncertain. The cute appearance of Kutsu’s plushies were always misleading, and he had to remind himself that Kutsu’s quirk was equally as deadly as adorable it appeared. That bunny looked exactly like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Still, he tried to look encouragingly at Kutsu. “It is fine, I was not sure what exactly happened, and I got worried, is all. I do not spar often either, so maybe this will be good practice for both of us.” When Kutsu mentioned his fight with Darren, Naoru frowned. Was the boy injured from his mock-fight with their speedster? If Kutsu was starting the fight with injuries, he would be handicapped in there. Naoru wasn’t sure he liked that idea, but seeing the other’s hesitation and worry, he couldn’t help but try to be a little bit more encouraging in turn. Once they were within the cage, getting in position, Naoru turned to the boy. “Please, do not worry about injuring me. If it makes you feel better, I heal faster than others. And anyway...” His Aura that was settled comfortably around his shoulders flared a little. In turn, his left arm grew just a tad bit in size, fingers forming into claws to get ready for battle. “I would like to ask you to be as serious as possible. That is the only way we can both benefit from a training like this. Alright, Ito-san?”

What surprised him was Kutsu admitting that he only asked him for a spar, because he was sure he couldn’t win against Naoru. He faltered. What kind of misguided faith did the plushie-maker had in him? Naoru was not a fighter, he was not someone that could win a fight easily. If anything, Kutsu had the advantage in numbers, with the two plushies, one obviously made for battle, and the other there to give versatility, mobility, and unpredictable actions. Kustu had no reason to belittle himself so much. Naoru knew that if Kutsu was to get serious, he could easily win.

Naoru adjusted his posture upon hearing the starting whistle and Kutsu’s declaration. He must have had about as much confidence as him, if not less, but Naoru had more doubts. The outcome was really not determined, and he could see more chance for Kutsu to win than for himself.

Despite the declaration and everything, it came as a surprise that Kutsu attacked right off the bat. It wasn’t a surprise that the battle bunny was sent to the front lines though. Naoru fully expected to cross claws and teeth with her, but definitely not so soon. “Whoa!” As the bunny leaped for him, he automatically raised his left arm in front of his body in defense, but it seemed that the bunny was going for his hand either way. He frowned in concentration, hardening his Aura to be as strong as stone when the bun chomped down on it. If she expected it to be flesh, she would be disappointed. His left hand, as opposed to his right, was completely made of Aura, so Naoru didn’t have to actually coat it in white shroud to control it. The claws curled, and he winced as the bite resonated through his nerves. He was slow at lessening his Aura’s sensitivity, so the pain was real, but at least it was sturdy enough now to withstand an attack from those steel chompers. “That is a snappy bunny.”

Without waiting for another reaction from Leapingsworth, he swept his arm forcefully to the side in an attempt to shake the bun off. While doing the movement, he would shrink the Aura down a size so Leap’s grip would more likely slip off of it. A few ropes formed from the flares of his Aura and shoot after the bunny, snaking around its legs and arms to try and restrain her as much as possible while Naoru turned toward the plushies’ master.

The cage wasn’t too big, or at least it was small enough that Naoru’s limited range with his Aura would not be a problem within it. He could try and restrain the animated plush toys while keeping his movements unpredictable. He raised his clawed arm and jumped forward, extending his left arm in an attempt to grab and restrain Pasta in a similar way as he did with the bun. He did not want to hurt the octopus, but he realized that simply trying to tie it down with ropes would be a little tiring, considering he might need at least seven for all of its tentacles. So he instead aimed to have the plush’s body pushed against the side of the cage with his clawed grip. Luckily, he would feel if his Aura could restrain Lady Leap or not even if he wasn’t looking. In case the bunny escaped, he fully intended to pull himself up on the wall of the cage with a few Aura ropes to get away from her if needed.

For now, he wasn’t attacking Kutsu at all, as he knew that most of the battle power was in his plushies. He knew he could cut the spar short if Kutsu was incapacitated, but the point wasn’t that right now. They needed training.

“I heal just a tad bit faster than others, that is all. I usually take days, instead of a week, for example.” He clarified, in case Kutsu was thinking about something extreme. He couldn’t heal himself on a moment’s notice, nothing flashy as that. He just had a body with naturally quicker regeneration, and as good as that sounded, it wasn’t a very visible difference compared to others.

Within the cage, Naoru was surprised by the ferocity of Kutsu’s plushies. Leap was, of course, already expected to be a battler, but the sturdy metal in her was still a rather big surprise, even if he could render her motionless for the time being. The seven-legged octopus flying toward him was another surprise, but his claws caught leather and fabric, and squeezed Pasta against the iron bars of their battleground. Two down, or so Naoru assumed.

All Pasta needed were new orders to make his work that much harder. The constricting tentacles hugged his wrist and lower arm uncomfortably, making the Aura of his left arm flare up in response to the touch. It wasn’t a human presence, but the squeezing was a reminder enough that there was a will behind it. The remaining five legs were smashing and piercing the arm enough that Naoru was forced to concentrate on hardening its surface to not feel the barrage of attacks as intensely. His control over the ropes holding Leapingsworth captive slackened, and he noticed belatedly that Kutsu was already there to rescue her. He got her out of the shackles with surprising ease. When the ropes lost their hostage, they retreated to the bigger mass of Aura that was surrounding Naoru, leaving only his arm and coat as a reminder.

He made the mistake of dividing his attention too much. Even though his Aura could feel his surroundings, he wasn’t good enough at controlling it as separate parts yet. Hardening one part, keeping another steady and still pay attention to his surroundings seemed to have lessened his focus enough that Kutsu was able to get back his advantage again. He really had the strength in numbers, and Naoru had to do something about that.

His attention was still divided enough that just when he was retracting his arm, the octopus held between his claws, he couldn’t kick his reflexes in gear fast enough to avoid Kutsu’s simple attack. The wind was knocked out of him momentarily as a fist smashed into his stomach with a surprise. Gritting his teeth, he took a step back, then jumped away to gain a healthy distance from Kutsu and his battle bunny. His right was pressed gently against his abdomen, the other still steadily holding Pasta with his claws, her barraging attacks a distracting presence on the surface of his Aura. He always assumed that the main battle power was with Kutsu’s plushies, but he shouldn’t just write off their leader in a fight. He had to pay attention to the boy as well if he wanted progress. He was the one giving the orders, after all, so of course he was a force himself. But right now, cutting off the head in this fight wasn’t Naoru’s intention. He wanted to prolong this, so they could learn something new.

For now, he had to keep all of them where he could see them.

Aura ropes shot out again, but not toward the opponent, but up, to coil around the bars of the cage, pulling Naoru up two meters in the air. It was easier to get his bearings when he could see the battleground from bird-view. Once they were all within eyesight, his left arm expanded straight forward just as he released his ropes’ hold on the cage, Aura arm gaining a new mass as it grew longer and longer. His attack aimed at Lady Leapingsworth, intent in smashing Pasta against the bunny, possibly pinning not only the octopus, but both of them against the ground with his hand this time. His claws would find a hold on the floor, and using this arm as a force to pull himself forward, he would try to jump at Kutsu from above, possibly knocking the boy over, maybe even landing on him if the ending was a bit more unfortunate.

Naoru’s fighting style was strangely ferocious and energetic compared to how he usually acted. He learned from another monster to retaliate, after all.

Seemed that momentarily retreating from the line of fire was the better choice for Naoru. Up above, he was able to gauge the current situation and aim his attack accordingly. He apparently also confused his opponent by the maneuver enough to make him speechless, which was a missed fact as he concentrated on other things. Namely, to gather both of the plushies under his claws, but still, he only managed to trap one. The ever helpful Pasta ended up rescuing the fiery little bunny with her spandex leg, but for the time being, that was enough distraction to go on with the plan.

Although he didn’t want to hurt Kutsu and cut their training short, it was a quick realization that in any other fight, against any other opponent, the boy would be in grave danger. A villain would quickly realize the fact that they need to cut off the head to stop the plushies, so Kutsu had to get ready to be in the heat of the fight as well, not only behind his own creations.

The landing was inelegant, but it did the trick. He straddled the boy who fell on his back, right hand between his shoulder-blades, although not pushing him down with force. He left enough struggle-room for him to possibly get free. One foot firmly planted on the ground, kneeling with his other leg, Kustu was able to turn around or even get free from under him, although the shock of the sudden attack and the fall must have been enough for him not to realize that at first. The question came as a surprise, especially in their current situation, and considering Naoru already told the boy before, back when they all introduced themselves and their abilities in front of the class. He couldn’t blame that he might not remember it though – many things happened that day, and Naoru might not remember half of the quirks shown back then.

“It is my Aura.” He gave the short answer, because that was what he called it, for simplicity’s sake, for lack of a better word. It was a substance he generated, something that was packed full of his body’s nerves, a part of himself as opposed to others who controlled similar substances as emitter types. His mutation was ghastly, morbid, despite the occasional ethereal beauty it held.

Kutsu decided to act after he got his answer. Naoru didn’t force him to stay down, and didn’t shut him up by a hand over his mouth. He was actually curious, he wanted to see what the other was capable of. By now, it was obvious that part of his strength was in his voice. His plushies acted according to his will, but only when they heard his command. Unless that was a clever feint used in a fight to distract the opponent, Kutsu will need to take better care of his voice, and possibly get a costume that protected his neck from harm in the future.

His musing distracted him enough so Pasta could leap into action... pun not intended. Bashing the kevlar bun against his arm was painful, as if someone repeatedly punched his arm that solidified into stone. It was a dull pain, but still one that distracted enough for his Aura to flare at his shoulders uncomfortably. But he only gave a sideways glance toward the toy animals before turning back to Kutsu to see if he would do anything else once this kind of attack ended up being useless in saving him.

That was when the actually painful bite came. Feeling the dulled, steel teeth chomp down on him gained a painful yelp and a low grunt from him. His arm convulsed, claws squeezed for a moment before opening and shaking out of reflex that run through his nerves. The piece that was bitten out of him evaporated through Leap’s teeth, as if it was nothing but mist, nothing but illusion once disconnected from his body. It was not flesh, there was nothing the bunny would spit out except air by the time she let go of the price that was a piece of Naoru’s Aura she took with her. There was a good chunk missing just above his wrist, but the attacks seemed to stop immediately as the creatures were released from his grasp.

Through the somewhat hazy mind that concentrated on the unfortunate pain, he looked down at Kutsu, and cleared up instantly. “Hey, hey it is okay.” He soothed the boy, placing his left arm on his shoulder in reassurance. His left hand retracted, shrinking to near normal-size, showing the little bunny-mouth-shaped dent at his wrist. It appeared slightly smaller once his arm was back at normal-size too. “This arm is not flesh. Look.” He angled it so Kutsu could see. There was no blood, there was no visible pink flesh and bone under the bite mark. It was only the same white mass everywhere, as if a piece was missing from a marble statue. It was painful, yes. But it was not an injury that Kutsu needed to concern himself with. “It hurts, but she did not make lasting damage, do not worry.”

As the plushies stopped for now, Naoru scooted back and sat on his heels, giving Kutsu room to sit or stand back up and gather himself, so they could possibly continue the training if it was desired. Naoru felt a small crack, and looked at his arm worriedly. From the bite mark, spider-webs crawled up his arm toward his elbow, indicating that the maneuver must have been a little too much for his current ability of control.

Ah. It is breaking. Looks like that was all it took for his Aura to shatter today. Maybe it was really bad choice to go against Kutsu in a fight.

He didn’t want to hurt the boy. Neither did he want to hurt his plushies. But so help him, if Kustu wanted to go on, Naoru might not be able to hold back at aiming his claws to the source to cut their training short... “How about stopping for a bit for today?” At least until the cracks disappear from his Aura. “I can at least clear up your worries before we start a next round, so you can plan your actions better.”