Beast Speaker, Monster Tamer

41: Aizawa is Fed Up with Your Shit

The final day of the internship dawned quietly and early. It was almost maddening how similar it was to the previous days. What set off the normality were the whispered talks of Stain, her nightmares, and the thick, thick tension that hung over everything in Hosu. Otherwise, Elise would have believed it to be just any other day. As of right now, she was walking through the halls of the agency, side by side with Astoria as the woman walked with her up to Madara's office. The blonde had come across Elise and, upon realizing they were headed to the same place, decided to accompany her there.

"It's the last day for you here, isn't that right, Wing?" Astoria asked her. "If I remember correctly, the U.A. internship duration for you lasts five days."

"Yes ma'am," Elise replied. "I'll be heading back to Musutafu later on today."

"Ah," Astoria sighed. "Everything passed by so quickly. I wish that your experiences here were better. I'm sorry."

The girl quickly shook her head. "It's alright, Astoria-sama! There wasn't anything you could have done to prevent it, so please don't feel bad. I really liked being here despite the circumstances and am grateful that I got the opportunity to be here."

"Oh you're so sweet," the woman laughed as she pushed the door to Madara's office open, allowing Elise to enter the sprawling space. The main space of the office had a sizeable office desk facing the door and shelves and cabinets of work pushed up against the wall behind it. A tall potted plant nestled in the right-hand corner, next to the windows overlooking the street below.

No hero was to be seen from where Elise stood so she assumed Madara was off in his personal space, a smaller office that lied behind the door on the left wall. Astoria apparently had the same thoughts as she headed straight to the modest door, opening it without knocking and sticking her head in to talk to the hero in it. A quick exchange passed before she backed out with Madara in tow as they headed to his main desk.

Astoria set down a stack of papers at the corner of his desk and began leaving, stopping by Elise. "I have something for you," the woman said, withdrawing a rectangular, wrapped box and placing it elegantly in Elise's hands along with a business card. "Tea, for you and your family. My contact number if you ever need anything, or just to say hello."

Just realizing that she was staring at Astoria in open-mouthed shock. Clacking her mouth shut, Elise bowed at the woman. "Thank you so much Astoria-sama! Thank you!"

The woman smiled gently at her as she straightened. "Of course," she said. Astoria gently patted her on the arm. "You've been a ray of sunshine here. I hope we'll see you again." With that, she departed.

I'll miss her.

Elise turned to greet Madara, patiently waiting in his seat. "Please, come and take a seat." The hero waved Elise over with his good arm, motioning to the chair opposite of his.

She did just that, setting into the comfortable furniture. "How are you, Madara-sama? Is your arm feeling better?"

He smiled, mask lifting up slightly. "Yes, thank you. And how are you faring?"

"I'm... kind of tired still. But relieved that the attack and all is over. It feels like a dream."

Madara nodded, hands clasped loosely on top of the desk. "When you face a major event, especially one of this magnitude, it takes a while for it to settle in. But before we continue onwards, I'd like to say a few things." He reached towards his face, fingers gripping his kitsune mask and lifting it up and over his head. Tranquil pools of blue irises were revealed to Elise as they followed the mask's trajectory as it was set down upon the table. Madara looked at Elise and she saw the hero's face for the first time.