So A Spider Walks into a Park...

Ever since that day Kenshin first met G, the boy had been visiting the park more often. Not just to play songs on his bass guitar, but also to chat and hang out with one of the friends he made that day. In addition to the vigilante, Kenshin also befriended Kumoko, the tall teenage girl with a giant spider for a head. After their first meeting where he and G saved her from quirk hating thugs, the two began to visit the park more often and see each other. Kumoko would listen to the boy play, while Kenshin would eagerly play bass covers of various songs. He would also give a stern talking to to anyone who had a problem with Kumoko. Kenshin did not tolerate hatred towards mutants and others with quirks, especially towards his friend.

Thankfully, most of the time, no one would cause trouble like those two thugs did that time. Today seemed to be peaceful as well. People were going on with their day, and even though Kumoko was here, no one seemed to be bothering her or even paying attention to her. She and Kenshin were having a pleasant chat at the moment about heroes.

"Oh my god! I can't believe it! You actually met THE Red Horn? That is SO amazing!" Kenshin smiled. "Yup! I even have her autograph." Then lowering his voice so that only Kumoko could hear him, Kenshin added, "And I even helped her take down some criminals. It's how we met!" Kumoko's multiple eyes widened in amazement. "That's so cool! You're really lucky, Ken!"

They then began to discuss their favorite heroes. "Well my favorite is definitely Army of One! She's so cool! Not to mention that she's a spider girl like me! How awesome is that?" Kenshin smiled. "Yeah, she's definitely awesome. I wish I could get her autograph too." Kenshin then smirked. "Hey Kumoko. How cool would it be if you were somehow related to her?" Kumoko giggled. "Oh I wish! That would make me happy beyond words!"

A while later, Kenshin began to take his bass guitar out to tune it. As he did, Kumoko began to glance around the park, looking at the various sights. Then her eyes fell on a certain woman. She gasped immediately. "OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!"

Upon hearing Kumoko seemingly panic, Kenshin immediately lifted his head. "What is it, Kumoko? What's wrong?" Was there trouble? Was there a quirkist bastard the boy would have to beat the stupid out of again? But then Kumoko looked at Kenshin and pointed out the woman to him. "IT'S HER, IT'S HER, IT'S HER!" Kenshin was confused. What was Kumoko so excited about? But then Kenshin noticed just who it was the spider girl was pointing to.

Holy crap, it's her! Army of One, in the flesh! Or whatever spiders had. Kenshin began to get almost as excited as Kumoko. Picking up his bass guitar, he followed close behind Kumoko as she made her way to the pro hero.

"HI, HI, HI! Um, sorry. I'm just really happy to meet you! I'm a HUGE fan of yours, Army of One!" Kumoko just could not contain her excitement. Neither could Kenshin for that matter. "I'm also a huge fan of yours, miss Army of One! My name is Kenshin, and my spider friend here is Kumoko." Kenshin extended a hand to shake the pro hero's, while Kumoko wasn't sure whether to extend her human hand or her spider leg. She decided to go with both to be safe.

Getting straight to the point, Kumoko took out a pen and piece of paper from her bag. "Could you please give us your autograph?" Normally, Kenshin would be worried and hope that he wasn't fanboying too much. But who cares?! It was not every day that the boy would get to meet with a pro hero face to face.

Word count: 655

Notes: This is the second spider lady Kenshin has met now lol

Kumoko began to jump up and down in excitement. "OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH THANK YOU SO MUCH!" Kenshin found Kumoko's fangirling adorable. Knowing the fear, hate, and bullying the poor girl went through, it was good to see her smile.

Reading the autograph, Kumoko's many eyes began to water. "Oh! This, this is beautiful. Thank you!" Kumoko hugged the hero. After letting go, she then looked at Caitlyn with a confused look. "Wait, second most beautiful? What do you mean? You're obviously the best spider. You're far more beautiful than I could ever be." Kenshin immediately spoke up. "Hey, don't sell yourself short. You're both the most beautiful spiders, and anyone who says otherwise is wrong." As Kumoko hugged Kenshin, the boy looked away, feeling slightly flustered. "Hey, I'm just saying the truth, is all."

As Caitlyn told the two that it's been nice to meet them both, Kenshin smiled. "Likewise." Afterwards, he noticed a small spider crawl out of the pro hero's mouth. Other people might have found this creepy or terrifying, but Kenshin was not other people. He found it to be quite fascinating. Of course, this was the army of Army of One.

If Kenshin was fascinated, then that was nothing compared to how Kumoko felt. "Awwww, you're so adorable! What a sweet little cutie! And speaking of sweet little cuties..." As Kumoko ruffled Kenshin's hair in an adoring manner, Kenshin just sighed and muttered. "Shut up, I am not."

Kenshin then had an idea. "Hey, want me to play you some songs on my bass?" Taking both his bass guitar and the portable amp out of his case, Kenshin began to plug in his bass. Kumoko began to get excited. "Ooh yay!" After tuning the instrument, Kenshin began to play a short song to get warmed up. After finishing, Kenshin looked at Caitlyn.

"Got any requests? I know a few songs."

Word count: 320

Notes: Regarding the song choice, I regret nothing

As Kumoko listened to Caitlyn tell her she was wrong, the spider-headed girl supposed that there was no arguing with her. "Aw, fine. Let's just agree to disagree there." She did not understand how she could ever be more beautiful than the pro hero. Was there something that the woman could see in her? Or was she just modest? Well if that were the case, then both spider ladies had something in common.

Unfortunately, neither Kenshin nor Kumoko could tell that Caitlyn was not exactly enjoying herself as much as they hoped. Instead, Kenshin continued to play on his bass guitar while Kumoko cheerfully listened. After that warmup, Kenshin was ready to play a full song, far more than just a simple melody. But first, Kenshin answered Caitlyn's question.

"I've been playing for a few years. Like three or four. My father played bass in the past, and he taught me to play when I saw him play a song for the family."

Caitlyn did not have any particular song requests, so Kenshin decided to just start jamming and play whatever came to him. Deciding to go with a song he once saw someone play on uTube, Kenshin began to play, hoping that Caitlyn would enjoy this one.

As Kenshin continued to play (all while focusing very hard on not screwing up the notes), a couple of people began to listen in as well. Some were smiling, swaying their heads as they listened to the sound of the bass. They were clearly enjoying it.

However, not all of the people Kenshin drew in with his playing had good intentions. A few of them were glaring at the spider women. Disgust and hatred showed in their faces, although no one else seemed notice them just yet. They would not attempt to do anything just yet, especially in the presence of a pro hero. However, they were determined as hell to not let these 'freaks' as they would call them, get away with having a good time. No, one way or another, they were determined to find a way to ruin the good time the mutants seemed to be having.

Word count: 358

Notes: welp

Once Kenshin was finished playing the song on his bass, Kumoko was the first to begin clapping. Others soon followed her lead and applauded the boy as well. Smiling nervously and looking away, Kenshin bowed a bit as he nervously muttered. "Thank you." He was still not very used to performing in front of so many people. Kenshin wished that he wouldn't feel so awkward around a crowd. Overcoming his loner tendencies was proving to be quite difficult.

Kenshin then noticed Caitlyn. Something was wrong. The boy could not tell what it was exactly, but she seemed to be backing away a bit, almost like she needed space or something. Kenshin began to worry. Did he do something wrong? Did she just want to be left alone? Or was it something else entirely?

Hearing her explain that she needed to go home and check on her daughter, Kenshin nodded. "Ah, that's understandable. Well thank you for taking the time out of your day for us. I really appreciate it." Kenshin smiled and bowed. It was a shame, but the boy could not blame the pro hero. She was undoubtedly very busy, so he appreciated the fact that she actually stayed for a bit to listen to him play. Kumoko frowned a bit when she heard that Caitlyn needed to go, but her frown changed quickly to a warm smile as she spoke. "Aw, you have to go already? It's fine, I understand. Thank you so much again, Army of One! Have an awesome day!"

Suddenly, things seemed to be going south very quickly. As Caitlyn turned to leave, a man blocked her way. Kenshin was already starting to have a bad feeling about this. Was this going to be just like that other time? Were there going to be quirk haters ruining everyone's fun time again? The boy became angrier and angrier as the seconds passed. However, he would do nothing just yet. Only watch and observe. Acting rashly now was very unwise.

But then Kenshin saw the man shove the pro hero to the floor. It took the boy everything he had not to transform and beat the stupid out of this moron right there. "Hey! What in the hell is your problem, idiot?" Fortunately, Caitlyn showed the moron why it was unwise to shove a pro hero. Seeing the spiders come out of her mouth freaked out some of the people in the crowd. A few were disgusted. But there were several who watched with curiosity and even excitement as the spiders formed a simplistic skeletal being. Kenshin just stared in amazement. "So freaking awesome!"

Right after the man was knocked down, Kenshin heard a loud shriek from behind him. Turning his head, he saw a man shoving Kumoko to the floor. Her eyes were beginning to water. Meanwhile, Kenshin's anger was further increasing. "HEY! Get your filthy hands off her!" Dropping his bass guitar and its case to the ground, Kenshin ran towards the man, only just barely resisting the urge to transform. "What in the damn hell is your problem? Picking on a poor defenseless girl like that! How despicable! Get the hell out of here, now!"

The man just stared at Kenshin. "Oh? You think you can tell me what to do, you little shit? My buddies and I just want to have a fun time at the park. It ain't our faults that this place is being infested by these hideous freaks!" The more this guy kept talking, the angrier Kenshin got. He just could not stand quirkist bastards like this guy! "I don't care if that freak is a pro hero. She doesn't belong here. And neither does this ugly monster right here!" Pointing at the crying Kumoko, the man looked ready to kick her. He then glared at Kenshin. "And as for you, you're the one who needs to get the hell out now. The only thing I hate more than freaks are freak lovers."

As most of the crowd just stood there uselessly watching, Kenshin began to curl his fists and grit his teeth in anger. If Caitlyn did not intervene soon, then there was a possibility that Kenshin would do something incredibly rash soon. This man was a bully, and Kenshin did not take kindly to bullies, especially ones who went after his family or friends. The boy could only hold himself back for so long.

Word count: 736

Notes: Oh boy...

The man aimed at kick at the crying Kumoko while she tried to get back up. If Kenshin were a volcano, he would be erupting in anger right now. "I TOLD YOU TO KEEP YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF HER!" Meanwhile, the man just laughed. "You dumbass! I used my foot, not my hands!"

That was it. This scumbag was just as bad as the criminals Kenshin swore to take down, if not worse. There would be no mercy. Not for this quirk hater. Time for a beating! Transf-

"No!" Kumoko looked Kenshin in the eyes. "P-please don't!" If anyone in the crowd was listening, they would have assumed that Kumoko meant for the boy to not endanger himself and try to recklessly pick a fight with the man. While this was technically not incorrect, Kenshin understood the true meaning of her words. Don't transform. She did not want him to blow his cover and risk getting in trouble for being a vigilante. Especially since there were so many witnesses in the area, not to mention a pro hero. Gritting his teeth, Kenshin listened to Kumoko, no matter how much he didn't want to.

"Yeah, that's right kid! Listen to this freak here! Don't try to pick a fight with me, got it?" As the man laughed, he then aimed to kick Kumoko again.

However, that kick never came.

After dealing with the other thug, Caitlyn saw what the man was about to do. She was not having any of that shit. With a leap, she punched the quirk hater in the face. Kumoko watched in surprise, while Kenshin watched with glee. Good! Give that fucker the beating he deserves! Kenshin was not the only one with those thoughts. Several of the people in the crowd began to cheer for the pro hero, supporting and even applauding her actions against the scumbag.

Meanwhile, Kenshin ran to Kumoko's side, helping the poor spider girl up. "Are you hurt? How bad is it?" Kenshin was then surprised to see that some people were also approaching the girl. Not with disgust or malice, but with concern and worry. Wiping her tears away, Kumoko smiled a bit. "I'm okay. There's no need to worry. It's just a bruise or two. Nothing that won't heal in time."

The man became scared. Once the pro hero stopped punching his face, he began to tear up and cry. Getting up as quickly as he could, the man attempted to flee the scene, but not before saying his final words. "How dare you touch me, you freak! Stay the hell away from me!" Seeing the crowd fully supporting the pro hero and showing great sympathy to Kumoko, the man's friends realized that this was not the time to pick a fight, as they were definitely not going to win. They too decided to leave. If no one would stop them, then they would follow the fleeing and crying man out of the park.

Kenshin watched them run in disgust. What a bunch of losers! Acting high and mighty while causing trouble, but then running with their tails between their legs once things didn't go their way. The boy decided not to try to give chase, however. Instead, he left that choice to Caitlyn, trusting her decision on the matter.

Word count: 550

Notes: Yeah, you better run!

Kenshin was relieved. The scumbag who hurt Kumoko was restrained. He wasn't getting away. Sure, his friends were escaping, but it didn't matter all that much. They would not stay free for long. It was only a matter of time until they too were caught and put behind bars. At least the main culprit was going to be punished soon. He would pay for his words and actions.

Both he and Kumoko were surprised when the pro hero suddenly sat down and apologized to the two of them. Wait what? Why was she apologizing? Army of One had nothing to be sorry for. She just helped bring the situation under control! She stopped the quirk haters! So why? It didn't make sense!

"Please, stop. It's okay. You're not the one who needs to apologize. You did nothing wrong. If anything, you're the one who helped make things right. Just like you always do. So thank you! Thank you for helping to keep the peace. Thank you for driving those awful men away. Thank you for saving me!"

After Kumoko's words, it was Kenshin's turn to speak. "Kumoko's right. You're not the one who did anything wrong here. And please don't blame yourself for what those idiots did. The sad fact of life is that there will always be those who hate other people just because they look different or talk different or think different from the so called 'norm' or whatever bullshit. Even if you weren't here, they would have gone after Kumoko, or someone else. In fact, there were these thugs a while back who went after Kumoko because of her spider head. But that doesn't mean it was her fault that their way of thinking is horribly flawed. No, the fault lies with them! Not Kumoko, not anyone else, and certainly not you!"

Kenshin was normally not one who would ever willingly hug a person, but he felt that in this situation, he just couldn't help it. Leaning in close, he gave Caitlyn a hug. "I hate the fact that people are still like that. We're all the result of millions of years of evolution. Or god, whichever you say is the truth. So why? Why do people not act like it? Why do they act worse than neanderthals, like their brain hasn't developed yet? It's not fair that hate is still prevalent in society even in 2072. But please, never act like you're to blame for that. You should never feel guilty for things that aren't your fault at all!"

Afterwards, Kenshin quickly let go. If he felt awkward about that hug, he could not even begin to imagine how awkward it must be for Caitlyn. But then Kumoko, who began to tear up, tightly hugged the both of them, using both her arms and her spider legs. And unlike Kenshin, she did not want to let go so soon.

"Ken is right. It's not fair that people pick on and bully us. Just because we're not like them doesn't mean that we're inferior to them, that we should be looked down on and frowned upon, or that we should be ashamed of what we are. Every single one of us is human, no matter what we look like, or think, or say, or do! It's not right for people like those thugs to treat us like were anything less than human! They're the ones who should say sorry! They're the ones who should be ashamed of themselves!

"So please. Please don't ever apologize for being yourself. Or for doing what's right." Kenshin smiled. Moved by Kumoko's words, even he began to tear up a little. "Yeah! She's exactly right! So please, don't sit down and apologize. Instead, get back up and smile. You did an amazing job and deserve praise for it."

Once Kumoko finally stopped the group hug, she and Kenshin got up and each extended a hand to the pro hero to help her get up. Both of them smiled and hoped that their words helped the pro hero feel better, even a little.

"Thank you, Army of One!"

Word count: 685

Notes: No, don't apologize, Caitlyn! You're not the one who needs to say sorry! ;-;

Well it was all over. The villains were stopped, one was captured, the hero saved the day, and all was well! So why did it not feel that way at all? It seemed as though not everything was destined to be easily fixable, or fixable at all for that matter. Despite Kenshin's intention to help out however he could, he just could not fix everything that went wrong. His words just weren't enough to convince Caitlyn that she did good, that her actions were and deserved to be praised and commended, not discouraged and criticized. Why did she blame herself for something that was not her fault? Like she did something wrong? It was all beyond the boy's understanding. He did not even realize that his and Kumoko's attempts to cheer up the pro hero only made her feel worse.

After getting up, it really was time for Caitlyn to go. Kenshin was curious when she mentioned the Pink Jackal as the place to go find her if he ever wanted to talk with her again. The boy wondered what the place was like, but he would of course go check the place out sometime in the near future. After all, there was no chance that he would ever pass up the opportunity to talk to the pro hero again. "Of course! Despite those idiot thugs ruining things, I had fun talking to you and seeing you in action. I look forward to talking with you again."

As the pro hero took her leave, Kumoko waved at her with both her right hand and one of her spider legs. "Thank you so much again! Have a wonderful rest of the day, Army of One! Bye!"

Overall, today was not a fiasco by any means. Sure the quirk haters ruined everyone's fun time, and sure Kenshin and Kumoko were ultimately unsuccessful in their attempt to make Caitlyn feel better. But still, it was not all bad. At least the two got to meet Army of One, get her autograph, and watch her kick ass. And while this meeting may not have went as well as it could have, it also could have been far worse.

Word count: 364

Notes: At least things could have been worse