Greedy [Arvis & Hanako]

Spring was already beginning to show it's warm, bright side to the world on this particular day. It had just barely passed Winter not to long ago, and yet the skies and temperatures seemed to say otherwise. It was...pleasant. Something that one often forgets when life has been throwing curveballs their way. Or, in this case, burly demon thugs and cowards with a nack of making things hard for everyone.

Arvis took in the clear skies, appreciating the skyline for the stark contrast that was typically associated with the dreary winter season, as he drove his motorcycle lazily through the streets. He was in no particular rush to get to where he was going, and he didn't really have dire plans to begin with. Today was just a day of...relaxing. A luxury he rarely could afford anymore, his constant alerted senses playing tricks on him over his attempted work as a vigilante.

He decided to take the day off, if nothing else than to relieve some of the stress he had been feeling for the past week or so. It was one of the few remaining perks he could say about his current job, as it was a mostly self selected job where he could manage his own time when he wanted. Arvis felt the slightly chilly breeze through his long sleeved sweater of cyan color, his particular favorite, a simple gold checker pattern played across it. Arvis felt he rarely wore casual clothing anymore, but what better time than now, right?

With a sputtering of the throttle, Arvis found a spot to park his forest green colored motorcycle, freshly cleaned since the morning. Kicking off his vehicle, his brown boots hit the cement, paired with his ordinary tan khaki pants. Arvis told hold of his equally cyan colored helmet and removed it with a slight sweep of his hair to readjust the hair to the best of his abilities without any real work put in. His gloved hands firmly held onto the helmet as he stepped out onto the streets to take a breath of air.

Despite how serene the weather was today, Arvis just wasn't feeling it. In fact, quite the opposite. His entire body ached and burned, and he almost felt sick at times. It was even worse than when he had his run in with that other vigilante in the cowboy guise. He coughed and winced slightly at the pain, his throat feeling coarse and dry. "Damn it." He muttered. Was he coming down with something? Hopefully not...

His unkempt blonde hair twisted slightly against the occasional wind blow, giving Arvis a small sense of calmness in between the waves of nausea. Maybe it wasn't worth leaving the house today? Though, at the same time, they say fresh air did the body good. "Certainly doesn't feel like it..." Arvis mumbled aloud and coughed again.

Despite the clear, sunny day, the streets remained rather empty all things considered. The general passerby, some with titled gazes towards the outsider vigilante that stood out like a wolf among sheep. Whatever, wasn't worth getting upset over it. Was not exactly anything new anyways. A startled shout broke his melancholy focus on the streets to look up, only to see a shrouded, hooded figure barrel directly into Arvis. Intentionally or otherwise, it was hard to say for sure, but it caused Arvis to begin to lose his balance as he stumbled backwards.

With a reflexive, angry snarl, Arvis lashed his body in the same direction the perpetrator ran, snatching the first thing he could get a hold of. His grin tightened onto the hood of the jacket and, with all his might, Arvis yanked the figure back wards, turning himself once more. The motion caused both to collapse to the ground with a heavy fall. The two coughed and wheezed from the shock of the fall, but Arvis recovered more quickly as he swiftly darted overtop the figure before he could attempt to get up and flee once more.

"What the hell do you think you are-" Arvis looked down to see the clutched hand around the black tote bag before piecing things together.

The man tried to sit up in a panic, but Arvis shoved him back down with a hand. Looking at the man more carefully, now that Arvis could actually see him proper now...he...

A certain type of accessory was worn at the collar of the man's undershirt, which Arvis now saw because of the knocked off hood. It was the same pin that was worn by-

"You! You are part of that scumbag group which tried to kill me!" Arvis shouted menacingly with a jabbed, accusing finger at the thug. He was likely part of the group that robbed the jewelry store some many night ago. The short, black haired thief's eyes widened with horror as he, too, began to recognize the main that hovered over him. "N-No, I mean-"

Arvis gripped a hold of the collar of the man's coat to pull him close before yanking the tot bag out of his hold, careful not to damage the stolen property. "It might be broad daylight, but I am sure as heck going to show you not to steal from others. You hear me?"

As Arvis went to lift a fist though, a stabbing pain shot through his chest, causing his hold on the young thug to loosen. Both let out a gasp, though for completely different reasons. Locking up, Arvis grip his chest in pain, unable to move his arm without feeling like it was going to tear out of it's socket. He chocked out another fit of coughs as the criminal stared at him in a mix of disbelief and elation that his captor was unable to harm him.

"D-Don't move. I-I-" Another sharp pain sank through into his body, though this time not from within. Arvis' eyes widened as he weakly hacked up air. Tilting his gaze down, he saw a switchblade dug deep into his abdomen with a satisfied smirk from the thug as he quickly released the handheld weapon.

"That's for Daimon, bastard." With his wicked message sent, the man scrambled fully to his feet before darting off down the street, ignoring the tote bag in favor of escape. Arvis' eyes and hands shook from shock as he slowly started to crumple to the ground, his body beginning to tense up with very little understanding of what had even just happened. His eyes teared up naturally from the pain and a singular realization ran through his mind.

This was...how he was going to die. Wasn't it? Forgotten and alone. Fly too close to the sun, and you will burn...

Groans of agonized pain traveled past Arvis' lips as he breaths and gasps became more and more unsteady with each passing moment. The sharp, unrelenting pain had overwritten his prior feelings of illness and slight nausea, but even those feelings were beginning to fade. Instead, an almost...numbing warmness started to take over his body as Arvis began to accept the inevitable. I'm...sorry everyone. Roy, Raine...everyone. Maybe it was better this way. It wasn't like this was his first bout with nearly dying, and would probably not be the last if he continued this path he set himself on.

Arvis felt like he was completely isolated. Almost like a stray animal on it's death bed where nobody would notice or care. But...it was broad daylight, and on the open city streets. It...didn't feel right. His wandering, fading conscious mind could pick up on the quickly passing pedestrians who all but tried to tune out the dying blonde like he was some kind of monster. For a moment, he tried to reach out, but lost the energy and gave up. It's no use. Arvis know full well it was a hopeless endeavor to expect others to care. It's why crime was as bad as it was.

"Hey, hey, hold up."

A voice caused Arvis' swimming mind to wake up long enough to hear the light clacking of swift heels against concrete. His dazed and glossy eyes tried to follow the sound, but his muscles refused to let him move his neck to get a good look at the woman who spoke. Still lightly clasped in his hold, the ebony colored tote bag rested against the ground to his side, thankfully avoiding the messy display that he had gotten himself into. The strap was released from his palm as Arvis went to touch the smaller blade plunged into his abdomen.

No, removing it would be worse. Would it? He only vaguely remembered hearing it was the worst thing someone could do without treatment at the ready, but at the same time, it wasn't like he had any other knowledge of medical expertise. Shame that it wasn't something he learned growing up...probably would be helping right about now.

"P-Please-" Arvis muttered out in barely audible tone as he tried to move himself, but his body locked him in place. "H-He..lp." Arvis could only beg to whatever merciful higher being he could potentially gain favor with, and it made him feel sick.

"Omigod! What happened?" A second voice sounded nearby, though Arvis couldn't see them properly either.
"Is he okay?" The obviously rhetorical question came from a younger woman, maybe in her late teens or early twenties. The matching jog was matched with a third voice, this time a similarly younger male.

"We saw what happened from the diner. How bad is it?" He asked, in a much more concerned and brisk tone. "I-Is there anything we can do or help with?" Arvis heard the young man ask the first woman who showed up to check on Arvis, even though he had no actual idea if she would be of any more help than himself. 

"Yes. Yes! Should I call the police or paramedics? I should, shouldn't I?" Though the younger girl sounded a bit bubbly and an airhead, it was clear the severity of the matter was beginning to catch up with her. She said something directly to the boy, but it was hushed and private, not meant for Arvis. They were likely a couple, based on his soothing and comforting tone to the startled young woman.

Police? Paramedics? N-No. No. Oh god no. They might find out about my actions as a vigilante, not to mentioned what he had done to Souma all those years ago. He couldn't speak though, his entire body to weak to respond to anything.

"No" Was all Arvis could choke out in an impossibly low whimper as the younger couple remained at the scene for aid. The two turned their attention towards Hanako with worried looks and distress. The girl left to try and make the call if, nothing more, than for her own comfort, not hearing Arvis' weak attempt at stopping her. "We'll stay and do what we can, are you staying too? We could use witnesses to the crime."
 

Something was so surreal with everything that happened in such a short time. His once peaceful day, if not a struggle in maintaining the ailments he might have been suffering from, came to a screeching halt. The noises. The voices. All of them seemed to come to a crawl, like someone had set the world on slow motion, and it only made everything more difficult to stay focused and awake. The woman that first approached him seemed to reassure him that she would help, but Arvis had all but resigned himself to whatever fate might befall him, whether good or bad.

Most of what else was said between the other two was drowned out by his hazy mind, not caring to try and figure out what they spoke to each other about. Having a blade stuck in your gut tended to put a damper on interest in things in general. The woman, surprisingly calm and clear with her words to Arvis seemed almost like some kind of angel that had come to claim his life. Or maybe harbinger would have been more appropriate.

"U-Uhuh." Arvis grunted weakly and absentmindedly in response to her prompting him to remain quiet. Not like he had it in him to do otherwise. The woman's shout woke him up slightly from his dimming consciousness, his eyes rolling around around in their sockets to try and focus on something. The woman's long black hair reminded him of something, but he was in no mindset to think of such trivial matters.

He had no idea why she had told the duo of young lovers to hold off on calling for paramedics, but he was glad regardless. It might be all over for him if they showed up and his background was discovered. Or, at the very least, his vigilantism would cease. That was if he was lucky.

"A-Are you sure? That doesn't seem-" Her words were cut off as the young male agreed with Hanako. "I think we should take her word for it. She wouldn't have told us without reason. Let's just follow her words, okay?" Though hesitant, the two finally agreed on the terms of the situation and her phone was put away for the moment.

"Okay. I'll try and redirect traffic from the path if you can get the water and soap?" The younger woman said in a slightly panicked and worried state, the male taking his role and going with it. "I'll see if the diner has any buckets we can borrow that can be filled up with water and see if soap is also possible to be snagged. I'm on it." He said, slightly unsure if they would agree to it, but the two swiftly disbanded to follow their orders in the operation, leaving behind Arvis and Hanako in the streets. 

Hanako took hold of the blade, and Arvis felt a sickening feeling course through his body. Even the slightly heartbeat or twitch of the hand could be felt through the weapon that was currently plunged into him, an extremely uncomfortable and unpleasant feeling that Arvis wished he didn't have to feel. It was keeping him awake though, despite how awful the feeling was. Taking staggered, ragged breaths, Arvis attempted to steady himself, but no amount of preparing would have aided in the ripping out of the switchblade from his abdomen.

Shouting in a great amount of pain, the experience was far worse than he would have expected and felt a thousand times worse than when it was stabbed into him. His entire body instinctively spasmed as he writhed on the ground. What was worse though, was as Arvis' legs kicked against the ground, a loss of control over his muscles and body forced out his quirk impulsively, warping his legs into the beast like once he was capable of molding into. A heavy tail burst forth and slammed into the pavement beside him, leaving a small impact from the blow.

After the brief bout of shock and writhing ceased, Arvis regained himself partly and returned to a state of weakness as she lifted his shirt to attempt to cover the wound. "A-Arvis. It's...Arvis" He attempted out tiredly, though not entirely sure why he was so willing to speak his name to a stranger. Maybe it was because he...trusted the information with her. She had halted the paramedic call, and there was a sense of serenity to her that he felt at peace with. Though the pain was all too real, he still couldn't help but believe she was some type of otherworldly agent come to deliver judgement on.

Arvis was much to dazed and confused to hear the concern in Hanako's words as his tail flicked occasionally with barely moved motions.

"You...look beautiful, by the way." Arvis faintly smiled in a pathetic attempt at keeping himself calm. Or maybe it was just the delirium speaking for him. "I...swear I feel like I've met you before." 

The...Fourth Corner? The name was...oh so familiar. Something about it rang clear, even through the foggy daylight, and gave Arvis a glint of hope. "R-Right. The bar. How could I forget-" Arvis gave a weak series of coughs, but thankfully because of Hanako's swift work in staving off the underworld's gatekeeper, he was able to stay relatively still and not cause too much problems for his black haired savior.

"I'm...glad that you look like you are feeling better, Hanako." Arvis fought himself to speak, even softly, but it was the most he could do to stay awake. Better to hurt conversing than lose consciousness. "Well...aside from the problems I've caused you..." Arvis smiled weakly, trying to lighten the mood. He would live, but yet again it wasn't because of his own actions or work. In such a short time span, he had been saved by three individuals, all of vastly different personalities and backgrounds, but they still did it out of their own choice.

It made Arvis feel significant. Like he mattered enough to be kept alive. Yet, at the same time, the vigilante felt horribly pathetic and weak. He was a vigilante for Christ sake. How could he keep letting others get caught up in his dangers and troubles. It was a sort of mockery that he could barely stand, but it was yet another of the many sick jokes that came with his indecisions and becoming the quirk monster he was now.

While Arvis still struggled to fully stay focused, he was awake and aware enough to notice the young man that had left to gather the water and soap, much to the surprising sight of a sudden quirk beast in front of where the injured blonde used to be. His look of a mixture of shock and terror were very much apparent on the man's face, looking like he wanted to flee in horror at the sudden revelation. Arvis gave him a mild, but stilted 'thank you', though it could barely be heard through the lack of strength in his voice.

This quirk was...nothing but a burden. Arvis could wish to help the city as much as possible, but this accursed quirk would forever alter what he was truly capable of. He would always be a danger to those he wished to protect. A ticking time bomb of self-destruction. If even looking at him instilled fear, how could he possibly assure others that he was a good guy.

Thoughts of what Jetstream and him and done for that innocent woman in danger sank into his mind. It felt nothing but a mere coincidence though. One person doesn't equal the entire city, and how long would it be before Arvis did something he could never truly take back? Even now, he regret most of the decisions he had made. All because he acquired this...monster of a quirk.

His dreary thoughts were cut short as Hanako had said something to him and lifted his head, no real objections from the blonde that could barely move for the moment. "O-Oh, alright. Thank you for looking out for me." Instinctively his hand wrapped over one of her hands that had finished sealing and cleaning the wound. Despite everything that had just happened, his hand was strangely clean, though now placing it over hers in gratitude felt the dampness of her work.

"I'll...try my best." Arvis chuckled in a half effort attempt at calming his still jittery nerves of being on death's door. "Though I am not sure why you did it, no amount of words describe how grateful I am." The words of self doubt let slip, as he was too tired to both think straight and rectify himself. As if the caged beast in the back of his mind was listening to his every thought and word, gave a low growl somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind, but clearly was just as shaken up by the injury as Arvis was.

So it seems the creature has it's limits as much as the host body. The passing thought caused his tail to flick slightly more than usual, perhaps in a spiteful response to the beast being called weak, but Arvis didn't care. He would remain in control. He...had to. Not in front of someone that didn't deserve to see such a terrible monster such as Hanako.

Resting his head on what he assumed was the bag he managed to pry free from the hostile criminal, Arvis started to regulate his breathing, which was actually beginning to return to him. R-Relax. Just...relax. His eyes had also started to clear, taking in the light once more and attempting to focus on anything specific. The colors began to return, misty vision lifting as something caught his sight and formed a smile that was as genuine of one he had given in some time.

"Congratulations on the child, Hanako. I hope they end up growing up to be as wonderful person as you." Arvis said with ease in his voice, happy for the rather worried and panicked looking Hanako. Here he was, causing all this grief for a pregnant woman. The feeling was a sinkhole in his heart. He had his suspicions over the night at the Fourth Corner, but presuming too much often ended in disappointment for one side or the other. Still, at the very least, Arvis could at least try to assure Hanako that he would be safe now thanks to her work.

Make it all fine, huh? As pleasing as the thought was, Arvis knew living as a vigilante would never allow for that. They lived a life of self-gratification, regardless of how you looked at it, but it was one fraught with danger. No vigilante, at least of any redeemable credibility, did what they did and expect to live a life of peace. They took it upon themselves to do what others couldn't bring themselves to do...or were too afraid to do. A risky, dark road, but one that all vigilantes accepted for one reason or another.

His head was moved once more, though his senses had all but dulled most of the awareness to the point Arvis barely noticed. It seemed the cleaning was just about finished, and Hanako reassured him once more with a kind smile, though a more cautiously optimistic remark. Arvis grinned weakly in response, not wanting to fight her efforts despite how uncomfortable the experience was.

"Hehe, I...suppose you are right. I must not look in the best shape." Arvis wasn't clear exactly what he meant, but his tail still occasionally flicking against the concrete gave all the reasoning behind the words. Quirkers were nothing new around the city, but acceptance of them was hardly in a perfect state, and even more so one that, if evidence was provided, could easily be pointed out by his altercation. His eyes held briefly on the warped, beast like legs that were unnatural to the rest of his humanoid appearance. (Save for the small splotches of scaly skin that accompanied the quirk transformation)

Arvis lingered on the thought, the way Hanako spoke and how easily she accepted his plea for not calling the paramedics and police. Her willingness and skill in fixing his wound with so little effort. Like she had done this all before many times. Was she part of the medical field or...did she know he was a vigilante?

Someone with...my job? Was that what being a vigilante was to Hanako? A job? Or was she speaking something else entirely? 

A...job.

The thought only briefly hung in his mind before the aching pain hit again and forced it back into the recesses of the back of his consciousness as he grabbed the side of his pounding head. "I...don't suppose it matters why in the end. Sorry for discrediting your kindness, Hanako. I'm just glad I'm the only one that took any real harm." Arvis wasn't being self-deprecating at this given moment, even if it might have sounded as such, and he suspected Hanako knew that also. However, prying further would only give himself further away, and that was something most vigilantes took very seriously. Even if Hanako...had her suspicions of the blonde.

Whatever important things Hanako meant wouldn't have really swayed his decision in the end. Arvis stopped a thief, and that was all he saw it as. It could have been upper class, or lower class. He would have taken action either way. However, knowing it meant a great deal to Hanako did help make the sharp, unpleasant stab at least slightly more bearable.

Arvis chuckled once more and blinked several times to try and adjust against the day lit sky. "Well, I'm just glad the idiot wasted time getting petty revenge then finishing what he started. Didn't even bother trying to snatch the bag back after I stopped him." The thought amused him, despite the sustained injury. Guess Arvis should have expected something like this would have been the response the more desperate that band of criminals got.

"Hm?" His eyes rolled over to the offered medicine and water. Well, he certainly wouldn't refuse if offered. Arvis, despite being rattled, was able to prop himself up enough on single elbow, not trying to fully sit back up in case it might effect the wound. "T-Thank you. Could you...get the cap loose?" Arvis asked sheepishly, fearing that his sapped strength would make him look worse by attempting to feign his weakness instead of just accepting that he needed help.

"I think I'll be okay to take it though." Though his hands were still shaky, Arvis was being at least honest in that he believed he could handle at least that much. He appreciated Hanako's gesture though. Taking the pills in his on free hand, he popped in his mouth without putting much stock into taking the medic from someone that was effectively a stranger and waterfall'ed enough water to where the pills could flow down his throat.

With a slight grimace, Arvis swallowed and shook his head. "And here I go causing all this unwanted stress for you." Arvis grumbled to himself aloud, brushing his hair back as if nothing had happened to him moments ago. Even before the pills, Hanako's work had already started making him more confident in his quality of health. He wasn't in a good state, but a stable one.

"Stress is terrible for a expecting mother. I only stopped it from being worse..." That would have been the worst case scenario. Taking the attack and the bag had gotten stolen. Guess he could take solace in that. "I'm...not sure how I could repay you. It doesn't really seem right that I put you through all of this just because of foolishly letting my guard down." But what could someone like Arvis offer the Hanako? As much as the black haired woman seemed the type to assure him that everything was fine, deep in his core, Arvis felt awful for putting her in such a spot.

Hanako did her best to reassure and help make Arvis feel safe, but the minute that calling for help was brought up again, Arvis grew a bit more frantic, even if he didn't show it outwardly. Not that he had the energy to do so even if he tried. "T-That's alright. These should last me until I get back home, or I can seek out full attention to the injury. Thanks though, I appreciate the concern."

Arvis sounded calm, despite the grimacing and weak groaning any time he moved in just a slightly off way. It was probably for the better to try and convince the black haired medic that he could find someone to take proper care of him then calling for government issued aid. It wouldn't take long before the media swarmed on a story like this, and god only knows how bad that would end for himself...or possibly Hanako, depending on the lifestyle she lived.

"If I don't think the first aid did the job, I'll be sure to get proper help." He reaffirmed after taking the painkillers, watching her cradle the 'would be' baby with her hands. Taking steadier breaths, Arvis got himself into a sitting position, though it wasn't easy nor comfortable at all. Clasping his stomach with a gentle hand as to not agitate the wound, he listened to Hanako's almost motherly advice to the inexperienced blonde.

It made him blush slightly, not feeling like he deserved the attention of worry. It was almost a lot like how Roy and Rain acted around him, being that Arvis had a tendency to act independent because of his roots on the street, leading him to try to keep problems to himself. It always ended up coming back to bite him though, usually with one or both of them pouring their hearts out with concern for the blonde and him having to spend the day calming them down; letting them know everything was fine. 

Even now, Hanako was spending more time worrying for the vigilante then herself, which made him furrow his brows and frown slightly. "A doctor or someone I trust..." His words trailed off as he knew deep down, there wasn't much of anybody that could fill such a description. Arvis couldn't trust any licensed doctors for fear of being found out, and trust was...an issue he struggled with. Aside from Charles, Delta, and now Hanako, he had no one he could really put faith in while living in Japan.

While he was sure there was those with skills in the medical field that lacked the governmental ties, then came the issue of how much stock he could put into trusting them. "I'll...see what I can do.", With a ruffle of his hair, he gave a understanding smile to the Hanako. She was already taking well to being a sort of parental figure, wasn't she? Far more then he was, that was for sure. Reckless fool...

"Well, in that case, I'm just glad to have helped. Wouldn't have felt right to let the guy just run off like that.", As much as Arvis wanted to protest, he couldn't imagine changing Hanako's humbleness, so he'd just have to accept her generosity. "But if there is anything else in the future, then maybe I could-"

Arvis' words trailed into a hushed and halted pace as he felt the odd sense of burning in the back of his head. It was a sixth sense, and not literal, but it did cause his head to turn to see that the once clear path was not starting to gather a scene, with several onlookers watching the two. Some seemed confused, others shocked or whispering among themselves. It wasn't a sight Arvis had wanted to see, and his stray animal personality started to kick in as he forced himself upwards to his feet, fighting the pain and displeasure all the way up.

He looked at the girl of the couple, whose eyes were filled with regret at not being able to hold it off any longer. It did make Arvis glad that she wasn't responsible for the gathering crowd, empathizing with the young lady.

"Thank you again for all of the help. I can't say anything less then you having my gratitude." Still holding onto his stomach lightly, his body mostly moved from adrenaline alone at this point. Hopefully it would last long enough for him to flee the scene...

"If you even need me, just come to the Fourth Corner. It is now my home away from home." Arvis was one to spend more time working then idly sitting around, so to him, his new occupants establishment might as well have been his living quarters now. "If you need 'him', though, keep the name 'Drifter' in mind. He'll be there when you need him. And if anybody asks what happened, we should keep this on the down low."

As harsh as it might have sounded, Arvis needed to keep a low profile, and he was sure that Hanako understood. After all, she seemed to let on that she was aware of more then she acted. 

Slowly, but with heavy and firm footsteps, Arvis shuffled back down the street, making for his motorcycle to once again fade from the day lit scene of the crime. Just like a vigilante would. Just who was Hanako, and had it been pure circumstance that the two from that night at the Fourth Corner had met once again in such a situation? Only time would tell for Drifter.