Red and Gold Create Sexual Tension

Breath

Ailurus screamed. She didn't realize she screamed until her mouth closed immediately afterwards. It was an odd thing. She'd screamed before, but there was something different about this one. It hid something that couldn't quite be identified with ordinary ears. And unfortunately for the red panda her round animal ears weren't as great as she hoped them to be. So the scarlet-haired woman took a moment to analyze what had been spewed from her mouth, and she had come to realized that her scream wasn't just a random release of her voice. No, she actually cried a word. She cried Gol's name.

It was unintentional. The red head never meant to say anything, let alone let her voice vocalize her worry. It was helpless, for as her black eyes watched the bomb bullet explode right next to golden tiger that was Gol, Ailurus could do no more than scream his name in the moment of seeing his body fly across the street and land limp against the cobblestone. She couldn't quite believe it. Gol took the bullet for them.

He took a literal goddamn bullet. For the sake of the little girl, Ailurus couldn't be quite sure. It lay as the only explanation considering that the hazelnut-orb boy didn't exactly hold life-saving feelings toward his fellow hero. It had to be the only reason he slashed that bullet.

However, in the moment that Ailurus watched him extend his claws and cut through that which he knew to be fatal, she couldn't help but wonder if his actions weren't just for the sake of the girl.

Somewhere, deep inside her, the red panda's feelings told her he did it for her, too.

The little girl wailed louder. Whatever hope lay in her eyes of success had dispersed, her witness of a hero taking such a blow saw to that. She clutched her dirt-caked bear, arms curled around the knees she hugged to her chest, rocking back in forth in their attempt to comfort herself. Ailurus knew how she felt, and wished she could sit down beside her to try and comfort herself as well.

However, with Gol down, now there was nothing thay stood in between them and Adam Bomb.

"What a pathetic display of heroism," the orange-clad villian cackled, throwing back his head at the vision of Gol lying immobile against the street. "How deliciously hopeless."

Ailurus was a step ahead of him as he swung his watch at her, plucking the little girl off the road and dashing towards the safety of the building beside them. A bullet whistled through the air before detonating the exact area that the red panda had escaped them from.

The crimson-headed woman was surprised to be met with a group of civilians pressed against the concrete walls of the building. A woman covered in dirt showed an expression of pure gratitude and relief as she knelt down with her arms spread out, the little girl wiggling out of Ailurus' arms only to run into the arms of the other woman.

"Thank you, thank you so much," the woman whispered, hugging her daughter close to her chest again as she stood up to approach the hero.

Ailurus smiled gently for a moment before her face returned to its battle-ready expression. She let a hand rest on the woman's shoulder. "Keep your eye on that one, okay?" She gestured to the little girl, receiving only an understanding nod from her mother. "I don't want any more of you in danger while this guy is being taken down."

"Oh little red!" Adam bomb sang from the other side of the building. "Come out come out wherever you are!"

Ailurus bared her teeth. "Now hurry and get everyone out of here," She ushered, pulling her nun chucks from her belt. "The other heroes should be along soon, so find some place to hide until we tell you it's safe to come out."

The civilians were gone without another word, disappearing into the evening, running hand in hand, clammy with fear and hope. Ailurus didn't watch them go, knowing that if she took one glance she would want to follow them into the safety of the rising shadow. The evening was about to set, Gol was most likely still unconscience, and she had to beat herself an Akuma. She propelled her nun chucks, giving herself a moment to breath before she dashed from behind the building, unleashing her most daring battlecry.