Blue Butterfly | Amajiki Tamaki

| 30 |

3rd POV

The night was still young.

The bustling streets of the Hanamatsuri Festival were flooded with a sea of people, the musical burst of cheery laughs and the overflowing excitement buzzing from crowd to crowd. From the calls Pamela had received from the elders, the activities were a success and the equipment were functioning properly and there were no signs of potential disturbances.

An accomplished smile slipped onto Pamela's lips, feeling proud of the outcome.

Ina opted to remain at the cafe shack with her father, not at all enthralled by the idea of partying outside at night, mentioning something about 'monsters'. Her husband managed to bribe their daughter with goodies and of course—the TV—but at least there was one less migraine to deal with.

With an event as huge as the Hanamatsuri, a few Pros and their sidekicks were assigned to the area each year, including the best of the best like Endeavor, Ryukyu and Miruko—but the Rabbit Hero did not like joining teams and had the major habit of storming off on her own. Needless to say, Pamela was always one of the Pros providing security, and she was sure, with the Festival reaching its peak, that this year wouldn't be any different.

... That was until, while she was patrolling the outskirts of the lively town, her ears tingled with the cacophonous rupture of an explosion.

The first thing she saw was a massive fire where the radio station of the festival had been set up, burning up in a torrent of orange flames. And the next surprise nearly tossed her to her bare feet.

The roof of the house she had been on shook with a tremor, and all she could hear were muffled screams and cries interspersed between the noise of collapsing stalls. Her chest sunk with melancholy and sheer shock, and the thick blood in her veins spiked with urgency, immediately bouncing from house-to-house effortlessly.

The Pros and the police made sure to stay in contact via a transmission earpiece if a disaster arose, so as soon as the first quake ensued, Pamela had notified both Edgeshot and Ryukyu who were also patrolling in the same vicinity. But hope was not on her side. Backup wouldn't be arriving till an hour later with the sudden traffic jam blocking every street, and the two Top Ten Pros were busy subduing a group of thieves at the local hall bank.

Which would in turn take an ample of time if they were to wait for the police to weave past the chaos to apprehend the evil doers. 'What great timing', Pamela sighed. Life of a Pro was definitely taxing at times, but it did pay off in the end.

Towards the entrance gate, she recognised Ingenium's shiny armour and his sidekicks guiding the stampede of terrified people to safe ground further down the lit streets, keeping them in single files. Pamela didn't expect to see him on her side of town, but she was grateful for his booming, commanding voice that brought order to the frightened.

She nodded listlessly at him when she leaped overhead, golden hair whipping behind her.

Now, with her moss-coloured eyes on the path, Pamela adjusted her visor and brushed her falling bangs to the side, scanning the first level of destruction. 'The majority of the civilians must have evacuated and Ingenium's sidekicks are providing medical aid for the moment. But there may be people closer to the fire... I'll have to check that out!'

"Ingenium." Her earpiece droned into action. "How far has your team gone?"

"Sakyū."  His voice overpowered the groans of the injured in the background. "We've mainly covered the first few streets before everyone came running towards the gate. No one can tell us if there were people left behind but witnesses say that the villains are at the radio station."