Wavelengths Apart

Chapter 1

"Get back here! You have to pay for your food, you bums!" shouted an angry man from nearly a block away.

Kita's fuzzy pink sheep ears twitched at the commotion. She took off sprinting down the sidewalk, the golden heels of her boots clacking with every step. People murmured in surprise as she dashed past them.

"There goes Aries!"

"That was the Golden Ram Hero- Aries!"

The streets of Osaka were more crowded than usual with it being lunch time. Kita didn't have time to bob and weave through all the civilians. She crouched low to the ground before springing up high into the air and landing on top of an adjacent building. She scanned the bustling streets with her golden eyes, able to see over a mile away thanks to her Quirk. She could see the Dontobori Canal stretching far in either direction, bisecting the city from west to east.

There! Two teenage girls were sprinting in the opposite direction of her, a little over a block away now. They took a sharp turn left into a vacant alleyway.

Kita ran across the rooftop, her powerful legs pushing her faster with each step. She jumped from building to building, gaining on the teenagers by the second. When only one building separated Kita and the girls, she leapt up again, soaring overhead and landing gracefully in front of the dine and dashers. The Pro stood to her full height, towering over the petite culprits.

The two girls, one blonde and one brunette, looked up at her with panic-stricken faces. "A—Aries," the blonde said as she stumbled back a step. The brunette glanced over her shoulder as if she were contemplating making a run for it.

"I wouldn't if I were you," Kita said bluntly, her voice stern. The girls gulped in unison. "You're both going to go back and pay the owner of that restaurant for your meals and you're going to apologize." The curve of the Ram Hero's horns pointed at the girls.

Under different circumstances, Kita might have been more sympathetic, but these girls clearly had money judging by their nice clothes and purses. They sported designer purses and heels that would set the average working-class person back a paycheck or two. These girls just wanted the thrill of seeing if they could get a free meal.

They nodded their heads, not saying a word.

"Well, get moving," Kita said, pointing a finger in the direction they had come from. "I'm going to escort you there and make sure you follow through."

The teenagers hung their heads as they began their shameful walk back to the restaurant. A strong gust of October wind blew off the canal as they walked down the boardwalk, gently misting them with water. It felt like ages by the time they made it back to the restaurant due to the sheer size of the lunchtime crowd. When the three of them entered the building, the manager, a short, rotund man, looked surprised. He had likely considered the money he lost on their meals gone for good.

The two girls couldn't even look him in the eyes as they apologized. "We're sorry for leaving without paying. It was wrong. We won't do it ever again," the brunette said. They each bowed deeply and handed him several bills.

"See to it that it doesn't," he said curtly, taking the bills and counting them.

Kita stared down at the girls, forcing them to meet her gaze. "If I ever catch you two doing something like this again, I'll get the police involved. Now, go on and stay out of trouble."

"Yes, Aries. It won't happen again," the blonde said quietly.

"Good," Kita grunted with a nod and sent them on their way.

The owner's voice caught her attention. "I can't thank you enough, Aries. Please, let me get you something to eat on the house. A free meal for Osaka's favorite Hero is more than justified."