The Birth of a Hero [Akira]

[Luka Kurokawa]

Luka's eyes perked up as the set on the nearing shopping center. The mall was her destination for this afternoon, along with her companion the recently introduced Student Council President, Akira. The two of them had gotten out of school early using their student council privileges to go to the mall. Despite Akira's reassurance, Luka couldn't help but question the validity of using such a privileged for what they were planning to do today. That being, Akira helping Luka create a superhero identity for herself. That's what she believed anyway. Luka wasn't going to complain, of course. She was more than grateful to the offer despite being seriously embarrassed about such an idea. She knew all too well that today's trip to the mall would undoubtedly involve going to various stores and trying on different outfits. She didn't know how well this would go over.

Looking over to her companion and now fellow student council member, Luka decided to voice her thought. We seem to be nearing the shopping center. The boy had changed into attire similar to that of when he fought the strange train shadow with her in the old terminal before leaving school, she had noticed. Are we going somewhere in particular that would be. . . fitting for our plans? She wanted to avoid actually saying what the two of them would be doing here today despite it being completely open between the two of them.

Finally reaching the mall, Luka pressed the button that made the door automatically open. She then she went on to press the other buttons that automatically opened the doors, despite it likely being much easier to simply open the door manually. After that, the two of them finally took their first steps into the mall that they were likely both familiar with. With a quick exhalation of breath, Luka turned to Akira once again. Lead the way. It almost sounded like a command, which was funny considering Luka had essentially put Akira "in charge" of their journey. Luka would then begin to follow him wherever he took her.

[Akira Nakajima]

Akira had his work cut out for him after lunch. He had to escape the campus, reach home, get changed, then head back to the school gates, as opposed to simply meeting up in the market district, all by the end of the lunch hour. It was no wonder that his figure was perfect- with exercise like that popping up all over the place, he'd never gain a pound. Well, that and his low-calorie and low-fat diet. Better yet, despite the rush, he actually hadn't gotten out of breath when he met up with the prospective Vice-President. A combination of good endurance and power-walking ensured that he was always presentable, even with that kind of exertion.

Now, there were several reasons the boy changed out of his uniform and into what could be described as a trendy, yet subdued, attire. From bottom to top, there were black pumps and knee-highs with alternating stripes, from top to bottom, of pink and black. His skirt was pleated, of course. Black, with pink trim near the bottom rim. The blouse, though hidden, was red. Over it was a zipped-up hoodie. With long sleeves and front-pockets, the hoodie was useful and a good protection against the cold. Its color base was white, but, in English and all capitals, the words “Big Boss” were clearly printed on the front, in sparkling (glittery) pink, one word on either side of the front. Now, the boy's hair was left free, but there was a ribbon in it- not that it was visible, with the hood up.

”Yep, we're just about there. I know a few good places that'll work out just fine for our needs.” He noted happily, voice on a much higher note than before. It was drastically different from the male voice the girl had heard in his office. ”Just remember, if you need to call out to me while we're here- or anytime I'm like this- that it's Ran, all-righty? I'm sure we'll come up with something good for you soon, Ruru.” Familiarity was pumped up to level ten for the sake of easing her in. If she had any ulterior motives in approaching him (which he did highly doubt, but it was still good to keep an eye out for the first expanse of time) then they would likely show up when given chances like this.

”This should be a good chance for you, though. We'll find a good outfit, develop some poses, and you'll be good to go to fight evil and strange things.” He noted before walking into a certain establishment. Whether or not Luka had the chance to see the name was beyond Akira- nor did he care. The shop's name? “Costique”. Anyone alien to certain media would know that the name was a mesh of “Cosplay” and “Boutique”. It was run by some people from America with crazy fanaticism towards costumes and dressing up.

And Akira? Akira was a favorite customer. At least, the girl-him was.

Inside the shop was a drastic mesh of colors. Costumes of all sorts, from cute to lewd, and any color, from blackest night to brightest day, were all on display. Of course, the staff was hardly against custom-orders, if need be. Letting his hood down, the boy in drag, took a look around before looking to his companion of the day. Needed to get the important info first, after all.

”Now, there's some major things we need to keep in mind. What image are you going for? What colors do you want? Tough, or cute? Red? Blue, pink, green, some-strangely-named-shade-of-something?” The fact that he knew how to filter through clothes, and that store, with details like that, though, could be called impressive in its own right.

[Luka Kurokawa]

Akira seemed to have a specific place in mind already. Was there really a shop that could cater to her specific needs? Luka was a bit surprised, yet believing it at the same time. This was the Mosaic City mall after all. There was so much variety that she wouldn't be surprised if there was a shop or two that even she didn't recognize before. Now Luka's mind was running along what could be found inside such a store. Her mental image of the store seemed a little scary should someone be able to see it. For now, she would simply follow Akira to each and every location that she had chosen for their little "adventure."

Speaking of Akira, the boy seemed a bit more energetic than before. His voice seemed a tad different too, maybe. Luka couldn't quite put her finger on it. It seemed that he wanted to be called by an alias of sorts. For now, Akira would be Ran. And until Luka got one, she would be. . . Ruru. W-Wait. Ruru? Eh? Luka wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean. Was he making of her perhaps? Judging by his carefree expression, it was unlikely. With a pouty expression Luka continued to follow Akira to their first destination.

Akira began explaining their agenda for the afternoon while leading Luka into a certain establishment that was not unlike a normal clothing store. Cos. . .tique. She read the name out loud, not really getting what is was supposed to mean. Honestly, she should have given the majority of her hobbies but the thoughts didn't click together. Upon entering though, Luka was met with a plethora of different costumes and accessories. Her imagination was starting to run a bit wild now. And it wasn't long until she was hit by a plethora of questions by Akira.

Taken aback at first, Luka gave careful thought to each question, one at a time. Colors were her first thought. Well for colors. . . She looked around at herself. Her hair was a blackish-blue. Her eyes were a striking yellow. She could make something work from that. I suppose blue, black, yellow and maybe some silver would work? But she didn't know what kind of image she would go for, that's for sure. What would be more fitting for her?

I'm not sure what kind of image I would go for. I'm not sure if I'd look better as tough or cute. An outside thought would probably serve as a better perspective. What do you think I should do? Would you think I'd look better tough? Averting her gaze a bit, she realized what she would be indirectly asking the boy. O-Or do you think I'm cute? Being a superhero sure was embarrassing work.

[Akira Nakajima]

Blue, black, yellow, and silver, was it? Excluding a helmet for sentai costumes- because getting her face in the pictures later was an absolute essential- that meant he needed to get four colors into a singular outfit, yet have them mesh together. Silver was too glow-y. Not a good dominant color, in his opinion. Good for a tertiary, however. Yellow was also very eye-catching, but more of a final extension, or singular presence than a major part. Instead, he would need to focus on blue and black. Of course, blending the two together into partners would look odd. That was more a villainous design, whereas this girl wished for a heroic design. But she did not know what image she desired. Well, keys to the kingdom? Akira had them. The world was at his fingertips. And he could only smile at the girl.

”Ruru, trust in me. I'll make you the best hero there never was!” With that, the boy shifted forward and gestured at a person who practically cheered. Once the person approached, there was a startling dynamic between the boy in drag and the naturally-dressed woman. See, this woman was probably in her mid-forties, maybe early fifties, and she looked like a fish. Big, googly eyes, massive trifocals, and a grin with crooked teeth really didn't help her, either. She looked absolutely happy to see the boy, though. And the two came close together, speaking in hushed voices as if they were discussing political secrets. And then, the boy pointed towards Luka. The woman, with her impressive armor-tier glasses sent an analytical gaze towards the girl. Then their whispered words continued. Nods were given. Gestures and waves followed. Something major was being discussed, almost as though the two were debating. Finally, with the woman panting and sweating, the two seemed to come to an agreement. Without hesitation or flinching, Akira shook the woman's hand. They shared a knowing smile.

Chaos reigned supreme.

He flashed a smile at the girl before gesturing for her to follow him. He proceeded around racks and shelves without stopping. And then he grabbed something. It was a full set- pumps, stockings, skirt, and top. The shoes were black. The stockings alternated with black and yellow- almost like warning tape. The skirt was pleated. Solid black, but with dull blue trims along the bottom rim. The top, sleeveless, was frilly. The main body was black. Each frill was a dark blue on top, silver on the bottom.

. . . the fact that there was something with the exact colors the girl listed there? It could be considered creepy. The fact that there were designs like that just laying around? Possibly worse. Whatever the case, the boy presented the set to the girl before pointing towards a set of well-hidden dressing rooms. They were hidden for a reason. But he didn't tell her that.

”Just try it on in there. Don't be shy. You'll look great!” The boy offered her the sweetest smile. Really made it questionable is it was truly a boy, but that was a matter for other times.

[Luka Kurokawa]

Akira flashed her a smile before speaking a few words of reassurance. Those words only made Luka get a bit more nervous. You know that feeling that some people get when they're about to get on stage in front of a bunch of people? That's how she was feeling right now. Her eyes followed Akira as he walked over to an older lady and began to discuss various things. They seem to be talking a lot, is all she could think. A chill ran down her spine when the woman looked at her for a moment, then continued to talk. Luka wanted to ask what they were talking about, but refrained from doing so. Finally, they began to nod and from what Luka could tell, had come to some sort of agreement.

Akira looked back at Luka and beckoned her over. Hesitantly, she followed Akira passed a few racks of clothes until she saw him grabbing out some sort of set. She didn't really get a good look at them until they were handed to her. When they were, the first thing she noticed was the exact colors that she had described. That was quick. Other than that, there was an unsettling amount of frills and laces. Just what had she gotten herself into? The boy gestured her to the hidden changing rooms before giving her another mysterious smile. Auuuuu. . . She wanted to say something to Akira, but didn't really know what to say. What could she? All she could do was walk the path presented to her. The path, of a hero.

The path of a hero took the form of a small cubicle in the back of a cosplay store. However to Luka, it served as either the construction of the cross from which she be crucified, or the precursor to a new path. Once inside, she placed the clothing down and took a deep breath. She was blushing already, realizing that there was no turning back. Slowly, she began to take off articles of clothing. Piece by piece. When the time came to put them on, she very slowly got a sense of what she would look like upon leaving. Her mental image of it was embarrassing to say the least. She hadn't worn clothing like this before. It felt odd on her, but everything seemed like it was on correctly. It was time to go on stage, and the stage fright was seeping in for the full effect now. Placing her other clothes neatly inside her bag, she stepped out of the little cubicle and looked to Akira with an embarrassed expression. W-Well? Its a good thing only Akira would be seeing this. She would die if anyone else saw this.

[Akira Nakajima]

The moment the warning symbol stepped out of the dressing room, rapid clicking could be heard. The origin? A certain lime-green flip-phone held in the crossdresser's hand. It wasn't just straight shots, either. He swayed a little, almost like a little dance, and took pictures with different slants and angles. His hips were pretty well-oiled, it seemed. Anyway, after the boy had sufficiently gotten some material to work with, he closed his phone and put it away, offering only the absolutely most amazing, angelic smile that could be given in a situation quite like that.

”Excellent. You could save me anyday, Magical Girl Runa-Ruka!” Came the first opinion. Seemed he had no shame or concern with the fact that he just made an album of pictures with her dressed up like that. ”R-Runa. Ru. . . Ru. . . . Runa.” He furrowed his eyebrows. Engrish was not fine. At that rate, things would have been annoying. ”. . . Ru-. . . Ru-Ru-Ru-Ru. To hell with it. You're now Magical Girl Runa Ruka.” He declared, crossing his arms. If, at first, it wasn't obvious what he meant, the grumbled declaration was plenty to go off of.

”Anyway,” He sighed, ”shall we see what the staff here has to say? Perhaps even step out into the street for a bit to see how amazing the reactions are?” Sweet smile, head tilt, and half-closed eyes made for a perfectly innocent front. Of course, he intended to melt her brain, utilizing her embarrassment. ”Or. . . are you going to keep it a secret with just me for now? That could be interesting, too, I guess~” He tilted his head to the other side, an index finger coming to his lips. His smile was more playful- impish- than angelic and sweet at that point. Of course, angelic or impish, there was still only a demon behind that smile.

Not that the world knew it.

[Luka Kurokawa]

Finally stepping out into the open, the girl felt oddly as she was walking around. The clothing seemed to hug her in a lot of different places than she was used to. And then when she was met with a flurry of camera flashes, she only became more embarrassed. H-Hey, what are you doing? She couldn't tell yet, but she would in a moment. Wait! The boy was taking pictures of her now. Was this also part of his plan to embarrass her? It had worked flawlessly if that was the case. Luka was just standing there in a panic, much like a deer in the middle of a road.

She was hoping he would stop the picture taking soon. Instead Akira began to call her by her supposed new superhero name. Luka finally began to break down at that point. Auuuu. . . You're mean. She was curled up now out of embarrassment. She knew that thing was all for her sake, but pictures were a bit much. As long as only Akira had those pictures though, she would be fine. He had already seen her like this after all.

Step outside? Her nearly teary eyed, flushed face looked up at Akira at the mentioning of going outside to show the public. Could she really do such a thing? She was torn now. On one hand, she was embarrassed even standing here. She felt awkward. Yet, she knew that she wouldn't be able to get anywhere as a superhero if she couldn't even step outside like this. Looking down at the floor in an almost defeatist way, she spoke up lightly. Akira. She covered her mouth and averted her gaze as yet another wave of red overtook her expression. Do as you would like with me. . .

[Akira Nakajima]

”I'm immortalizing your glory, of course.” He casually responded to the question. The boy watched in delight as she squirmed and twisted about in embarrassment. However, something he had not expected at all came up. This girl was a high-level opponent. He already had reason to believe that, but this girl was just ridiculous. It was the beginning of the game, and the world saw it fit to give him a pre-end-game boss?! “Do as you would like with me” was the equivalent of Pandora's Box opening up in his head. Luka might have said just that, but his mind tacked an additional word on at the end.

As though someone had a full-auto rifle in his head, loaded with images, and pulled the trigger, scenes and scenarios flashed inside him. This was bad. Something that could trigger him that badly should not have come unexpectedly. He couldn't let his guard down. A weak, strangled sound came from him before he turned away. Had to clear his head. Methods, methods, methods. That shelf looked good. He walked to it. Thunk! Whap! Creak! Thump! Four tremendous hits to the forehead calmed him down. Couldn't have possibly been good for his health, or the small wound that was bandaged, but that certainly didn't stop him. Nope. He needed that. That was dangerous.

He'd never give her a chance like that again.

”Right. So. Get your, uh, stuff. They know me. They knew what we would go for. Got a tab. Can pay later.” His speech was still fragmented, though. He nodded slowly and started heading towards the entrance. He didn't even care if she kept the costume on. He needed air. Clean air. And, while the city air wasn't pure, it was better than the smells that would remind him of that scene for some time to come. Just. How was she so powerful? Why was there a max-level opponent there?

It defied expectations.

”I'll. . . wait outside. Yeah.” He noted quickly and made a power-walk charge for the doors.

[Luka Kurokawa]

After she responded, Akira began to act rather weird. Blinking a few times, Luka watched as he stopped taking pictures and stumbled away from her. She was pretty sure she heard a small yelp of sorts come from him too. He began to walk over to a shelf, then proceeded to attack the shelf using his head. A look of terror appeared on Luka's face. It was happening again. Wait! You'll open your wound again. Despite her voiced concern, she maintained her fetal position. The way the clothing "touched" her made her feel rather odd. Moving around would only happen if necessary. Still, she was getting worried.

After the senseless beating of himself, Akira spoke to Luka in a rather broken voice. Did she break him, perhaps? And then without warning, he began to leave the store. Luka only watched him for now, until she saw his figure stop outside the store. Was she causing him trouble, perhaps? Slowly getting up, she headed to the outside. She was nervous about going outside like this, but Akira left her no choice having already gone outside the store.

Finally getting to him, she returned to that spot that made him just a tad uncomfortable when she tried to redo his bandages. Her expression looked almost half annoyed, despite it simply being an expression of concern. Well, your bandage seems fine at least. She let out a sigh. You also succeeded in getting me outside the store like this and taking pictures of me. She leaned against the wall of the store, folding her arms behind her back. But you don't find me adequate, do you? She clearly wasn't confident in wearing such a unique outfit, let alone letting other people see her like this. And judging by the way that she broke the supposedly ever-confident and charismatic student council president into a mess, her display must have been awful. The breeze that seemed to permeate the mall "flowed through her" in a lot of unfamiliar places. She was also self-conscious about the people who might be staring at her right now. Still, she would simply follow Akira for the time being, still trusting in his judgement.

[Akira Nakajima]

Akira had waited outside the store. Frankly, he was not sure he had fully recovered. It was dangerous. This whole situation was dangerous. The outfit was weird- laughable even. It had its charms on her, sure, but the most dangerous thing was the girl herself. How could she just spew out something like that? Was she just that socially-off? Or was she a wolf in sheep's clothing with a voice changer? Whatever the case, she was dangerous. Top-tier threat on a personal level. When the girl popped out from the store and drew close, the boy in drag reflexively leaned back. This really was awkward. It was, dare he say it, actually embarrassing. He averted his eyes and coughed before his personal space was returned in one peace. Fortunately, he had raised his guard. So that last line, just as barbed as the one in the store, was much more tolerable than before.

”Adequate? You're correct. You're beyond adequate. You fit the role so well I was tempted to inflict harm upon myself just to be saved by you. Fortunately, I built a tolerance up for it quickly. Otherwise, you'd likely be saving me right now.” Hell, was that even going to work? If this whole outing was ruined, it was her fault- really. She shouldn't have said such a ridiculous thing. ”A-ny-way. You are correct in that you're now outside of the shop. So, tell me. Is it really as dangerous and embarrassing as you thought it would be? Or are you perhaps disappointed that you couldn't keep it a secret with just little ol' me?” A slight wink punctuated the end of that, but the entirety of it was an attempt to get her to lighten up.

Sure enough, they did get some attention. Most people didn't seem to give a damn, though. The joys of modern society. Also why most of them could just enter the Terminal with nobody raising a fuss. A few flashy colors only drew attention. It didn't maintain it. The girl would be safe. Probably. He figured she would. Worst-case, he could just act the part of the hero and gain brownie points. Actually, that might be unhealthy- she was already dangerous as it was.

”So, Magical Girl Runa-Ruka, how does it feel to be seen by the citizens you'll one day save? Does it inspire you to say something? A catch phrase? Maybe while striking a pose?” A small grin persisted. ”Or shall we utilize some. . . other places to get you set up for that?”

[Luka Kurokawa]

Upon entering the boy's personal space again, she was met with some resistance. Realizing that she might have been bothering him again, she moved to a normal distance from him. He described Luka as more than adequate for the role of a super hero. So much in fact, that he wanted her to try and save him already. Despite such a blatant asspull, Luka fully believed him. What reason did she have to doubt him after all? Ah, I see. I see. It made her feel a little better about herself, perhaps, having heard that from him.

Now looking around at the various people in the mall, and Akira having mentioned that they were now outside and all, Luka began to feel a little bit better. This really wasn't so bad after all. Nobody seemed to really care. Though there was still one little issue she was having. I suppose you're right. But. . . Gripping the edge of her skirt and looking down, she returned to the expression she made when she finished dressing herself. This clothing. . . feels a little exposing. If she had to categorize it, she felt naked in areas where her clothing usually hugged her. Other than that though, I think I'll manage.

Now Akira began asking things about catchphrases and poses. She pondered for a moment, thinking of a few ideas. Sure. I'd like to find somewhere off to the side though if you don't mind. Naturally, she didn't want to cause any more of a scene than she was. Walking through the mall to a certain unoccupied nook that she knew about, her eye caught onto something in one of the various stores. Stopping for a moment, she nearly clinged to the glass to get a good look. It was just an ordinary black and blue scarf, but to Luka, it was a necessity for any super hero. Capes were cool and all, but scarves were what really got her going. So cool. But realizing that it was time to get to posing and catchphrases, she removed herself from the glass and continued leading Akira to her location of choice.

[Akira Nakajima]

It seemed like his words effectively saved the day. Akira was really unsure of just. . . how to deal with this girl. She older than him, yet. . . worse off than his younger sister. Just what was the deal? He'd have to look over her records to get an idea of what to do with her- how to react to her. She complained that the outfit was exposing. That was fine. After all, it was a magical girl outfit, or based off of one. They usually were show-y. Both in quality and in skin factor. But she did think she could manage. So there were no real issues. For now, at least.

As they headed off to find a good “spot”, the boy considered a few good things. Eventually, he ended up with the idea of a photo booth. More physical evidence, and plenty of ways to play it off. She did pause for a moment, though. He didn't catch it at first, but, when he did, he noticed the scarf. Black and blue. She really had a thing for those colors. Odd. He just went with whatever. Well, he'd tuck that information into the corner of his head for the time being. Offering a slight smile once she picked up the pace, he guided her into one of the booths. Without giving her a chance to ask anything, he put some coins in.

”This will be a good way to test your poses out and compare them. Practice, after all, makes perfect. Left hand behind head, right pointing outward. Peace sign next to your face, hand on hip. Plenty of different things to try.” Of course, he was referencing magical girl poses from existing series, but he doubted that she knew about that. While he was saying all this, though, he was setting the machine up to take pictures of them. There were a selection of borders, but he left it at the default- the heart-shaped things.

”You have five seconds to prepare yourself. Enjoy!” He noted, stepping back against the wall of the booth to give her time. He wouldn't let her escape. He already used money, after all. This was gonna happen.

[Luka Kurokawa]

Akira led her to what looked like an arcade machine, with Luka watching as he put a few coins inside. A tad confused, the girl entered the booth to find no controls whatsoever. What kind of game was this? Though, when Akira entered the booth with her she finally realized what this was. It was one of those photo booths where people could take pictures together. She had never gone in one herself, never really seeing any point in doing so. But Akira had presented her with a good reason to.

She would be trying different poses in the booth which each one being recorded by the pictures taken. The idea was simple enough. Akira even gave Luka some quick ideas for poses. It was probably good that he did too, given that most of her poses in mind wouldn't work in such a small booth. She began to carefully consider how to go about this when she heard that she only had five seconds left. Wait, what? Only having enough reaction to look at the camera with a dumbfounded expression, the first flash hit her. A bit surprised by the first flash, the second flash captured a picture of her startled expression. She may have bumped into Akira as well. By the time the third flash happened, she was still moving her hand up into a pose position. But when the fourth flash hit, she displayed a horizontal peace sign over her eye, much like a stereotypical magical girl pose.

Now on the fifth flash, she turned back to Akira to asked for another idea since she had forgotten. But on the sixth flash, she turned around, realizing that the camera was still taking pictures. The seventh flash didn't capture much but a set up, but the eighth flash was a full blown magical girl pose. A hand pointed outward towards the camera with another stretched behind her head. Her expression was a bit serious, but in a cute way. Other than that, it was a successful pose; for a grand total of two actual poses. And with that, the picture-taking had stopped.

She took a deep breath and looked to Akira once again. So, how did I do? She wasn't sure where to get the pictures from, and was honestly a bit too nervous to look at them. She would leave the verdict to Akira for now.

[Akira Nakajima]

The result was glorious. She panicked. She wasted the first two shots. Even stumbled into Akira. Third was a partial waste. Fourth was the first actually-good shot. Akira made a toothy grin and flashed a peace sign in the back, just for good measure. By that point, Luka turned around and tried to question him. He, of course, only let out a girlish giggle. His eyes were closed for the fifth shot. Sixth and seventh were again wasted by the girl. Akira, again, made a peace sign during the eighth and final shot. Well, that was entertaining in its own special way. They'd make for interesting memories.

The girl seemed to be stressed. And she was breathing deeply. Seemed she wanted a review. It would be good to not be too hard on her. But it was tempting all the same. He crossed his arms at first. Then left his right arm across his chest, left raising to allow the hand to reach his face. Index finger against his lips, he tilted his head to the side. He gave the appearance to seriously consider it. He swayed his hips a little, effectively causing his upper body to go from left to right slowly. Finally, he nodded, lowering his arms and thrusting his hands in the pockets of his hoodie.

”If we consider it a test, then you bombed six of the eight questions by panicking. That's a twenty-five, which is well within the tight, unrelenting grips of the evil letter 'F'. Of course, you tried your best, and you're still a fledgeling hero, so I'd say, altogether, you had an 'A'. Good for you!” He gave a slight clap before offering another impish smile. ”Of course, you still need a catch phrase~! Don't think you're done yet.” With those somewhat ominous words, he slid around her and out of the booth, quickly snatching the photos up from the dispenser outside. He'd keep them with him for now. He had some good idea of how to really end their little adventure. But that was a little later on.

”Still a bit more to go. I guess you want somewhere private to take care of catch phrases?” He asked, tilting his head to the side. He already had an idea, too. Plus, he did need to punish her for using his real name. Yes, there was still much to do on their little excursion.

[Luka Kurokawa]

Luka waited anxiously for Akira's input. Had she done well enough to be considered heroic in his eyes? She stared at him rather closely as he examined he pictures thoroughly. Perhaps she was trying to get a read on his thoughts, but it didn't really get her anywhere. Well? How is it? She was nervous. Being tested on heroic ability was quite a serious matter.

The first thing he said caused her heart to sink. The second only made things worse. Uuu. . . It wasn't much of a response, mostly because her mind was trying to accept how badly she did. For someone who had some of the highest grades in the school, she had gotten well below a failing grade. Quite honestly, it was awful to her. It wasn't until Akira finished his review that she felt a bit better. It was true, after all. She was still a beginner hero. I suppose you're right. She nodded, then followed him out of the booth.

It was already time to work on a catch phrase, it seemed. She was already so close to becoming a full fledged superhero as well. She certainly didn't feel any different, but she was getting there. It looked like Akira already had a place in mind to practice too. Catching up to him, she followed closely behind. She was getting used to the new clothes rather quickly, even if they did feel a bit off. Truth be told, she was beginning to enjoy the feeling somewhat. You have a place in mind already? First an odd costume store, then a photo booth. She could only imagine where they were going next. Just what kind of adventure was this?