MHA: A Cat's Way

Ch 89 Bloody Sunset

I snarl as I claw through the throat of the last gang member, watching as he falls to his knees with eyes widened in terror and shock as he desperately clutches at the profusely bleeding gap that used to be his windpipe. It doesn't take long for him to fall to the side, dead after choking on his own blood. Just like the others.

I take off my mask and tilt my head upwards towards the setting sun as I close my eyes. I take a deep breath, the cloying scent of iron filling my nose. I let it out slowly. In, and out. I repeat the action a few times, letting the satisfaction of a successful hunt wash over me, replacing the rage I came here with. I smile to myself, lightly hopping across bodies to avoid the puddles of blood that pockmark the concrete.

"Finnyally. I think I can see that tom without clawing his face off meow." I stop on top of a small group of bodies that all had complimentary quirks, putting a hand against my forehead like a visor as I look around the harbor. My eyes pass over the abundance of bodies and blood splatters, all that remains of a meeting between two gangs and their mid-tier villain bosses. Well, those and a stereotypical suitcase typically brought to these types of things buried in the chest of one of them. But that's not what I'm looking for. Where is...

My ears twitch as I hear a faint sound, drawing my attention towards some shipping containers. It's a happy sound. I continue using the bodies to avoid the blood as I make my way over, the noise steadily growing in volume. Not that simply wading through the blood would change anything... I muse to myself with a quick glance down at my blood-soaked vigilante costume just as I round the corner and see the source of the noise.

"Hehehehehehe." Himiko is giggling with a lopsided smile as she splashes around in a plastic drum barrel filled almost to the brim in blood. The crimson liquid scattered around it and dripping down its sides attests to where the remaining blood went. The pile of bodies stacked next to it makes it clear how she filled it so quickly. Seeing me, she half rises out of her literal blood bath, waving her hand excitedly and sending splatters of the crimson liquid scattering.

"Cati-oops!" She puts her fingers against her lips as she giggles again. "That was clooose~. Cat-aclysm, come join me! It's nice and waaarrrm~."

I roll my eyes at her lilting tone and accidental (maybe) slip of the tongue. "Are mew blood drunk? It's been a long time since mew've gotten like that. Do I knead to call the League of Villains to pick mew up?"

She frowns, crossing her arms under her chest, and I look away, sighing when I see her clothes thoughtlessly tossed aside in one of the blood puddles. "I'm not drunk! Just haaa~py!" She sways a bit, leaning backwards as she lets her body drop back into the drum with a splash as she lets loose another giggle.

"It's been so long since we've hunted together, after all," she pouts at me with puffed cheeks. "You've been so busy with your fancy-shmancy hero school that we never hang out anymore!"

I sigh, getting ready to explain to her yet again why I don't have the freedom to act as I please now that I'm attending UA. But she waves me off before I can even open my mouth. "I know, I know. They're watching you since you reflect on them, they need to make sure you're safe since the 'attack', blah blah blah."

She ducks into the blood with a huff of annoyance, bubbles slowly rising to the surface afterwards. I know what she's probably planning, but I walk up to it anyway, waiting for her to resurface with my hands on my hips. And resurface she does, spitting blood in an arc to more fully drench my head, dying my black hair scarlet. My ears twitch and I shake my head to clear the worst of the blood off as she licks her lips and leans onto the rim, crossing her arms and resting her chest on top. She speaks, her voice light but no longer lilting.