Heels click up and down as she paces back and forth deep in thought.
"Ava get out of that head of yours we now have an opening."
She turns her attention to her brother and sighs, "I'm just getting cold feet okay I'm no Tachibana or Kaminari or even Ryujin or Yanagi it's not exactly like they shared their secrets to how they stayed in power opposing laws that were clearly against them, and stayed alive."
Ian stands up and gives her a comforting hug, "They found loopholes and when they saw an opening they jumped in head first.
"If you get worried just be smart and align yourself with someone on the winning side, now come on let's go secure our spot at the dinner table while others hesitate and quake in fear."
She smiles slightly taking a deep breath taking her laptop, she got an anonymous tip to go to the Public Safety Bureau and present her idea about changing the educational system to accommodate Supers and be open to a new world of infinite possibilities.
~
Ryu groans as she wakes up with a splitting headache and Aiko is out cold next to her, or dead, she can't be sure and finding out is not on the agenda.
When they arrived at the mass hall Izumi lead the way to the front climbing on to the stage.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" A tall dark and handsome male blocked their way with his arms crossed oozing confidence just a sandwhich shy of cockiness.
"Don't kill him he's cute." Aiko blurted out of the blue
Ryu snorts covering her mouth with the palm of her hand while the males of theie group turn to Aiko with judgemental expressions on their faces.
"Fine, it would be careless to just up and kill a warrior so courageous but stupid." Izumi paralysis him with a single touch making their way to the centre stage and standing behind Levi Taisho who claims to be the one who took down all the Supers.
"Well Aiko dear, do you wish to spare this one as well?" Izumi turns to Aiko and she shakes her head, "Good, he will be a great example for the rest."
Izumi looks Levi in the eyes and forces him to tell the truth about who really took down the Supers with mind control.
Ryu covers his mouth before he can speak and glares at Izumi, "Don't be an idiot take that back and tell him to tell everyone that he is just a foot soldier to gather the masses on your behalf.
"He's the one that brought all these people here you'll need him to keep them all here."
"Are we going to have this," He gestures between the two of them with his index finger and she furrows her brow.
"Have what?"
"You constantly getting in my way and letting me do things your way instead of my own."
"Well, my way works better and doesn't involve taking detours. I'm starting to doubt that you're really a Lin. You're an idiot"
Izumi chuckles and stops his mind control letting Ryu have her way. He chuckles and looks her in the eyes, "We do have a deal after all."
Aiko looks between the two very curious about the relation between them.
The resemblance is uncanny with the Lin's famous white hair, bright blue eyes, and she notices Izumi has a similar birth mark to the one Yuno joked about that is just above her belly button. It's shaped like a crown with an eye in the middle.
Levi hails Izumi as the rightful heir to the thrown and promises the people that he soon will be Emperor and will rule the country, "A new era is upon us. All hail the Emperor, The King. All hail Lin!"
The crowd goes wild and Ryu stands in awe watching the masses cheer and praise her.
"Is this a dream? Or did I just get promoted from a back-water slums girl to royalty?" Aiko asks feeling like she's half awake and half asleep. Never did she ever imagine there would ever come a day where she's not scraping by.
Izumi turns to her and looks away. There are some things better left unsaid.
Ryu turns to Aiko slinging an arm over her shoulder, "We all got what we wanted in the end huh, I guess now we party like royalty" Ryu wiggles her brows at Aiko who chuckles.
"There's a certain charm about you Lin's I seriously envy not to mention how you're all so crazy lucky."
"It's not luck girlfriend it's being taught right don't forget that I told you my parents were perfect never imposed any ideals on us, never seized to amaze me how they were so open and thoughtful, always happy to land a hand and everyone loved them but -
"Life taught me that with love comes hate and they ended up dead and I'm here. A shameless drunk and selfish Bitch. There's nothing charming about us we just know how to play our cards right."
"Yuno isn't like that."
Ryu hums in response nodding slowly, "She had all the time in the world to make her mistakes and learn from them she kept to herself and it worried my parents a lot, but yeah she's been taking care of herself for a long time and never liked being told what to do.
"If you wanted to see Yuno do something your only option was to wait for her to get in the mood.
"I remember this one time I told her to clean her room and she trashed it before disappearing for a few days and cleaning it up when she wanted too, though that was before her germaphobia settled in I have no idea what happened in that department."
"Are you two done? I'm not in the mood to drink with the two overly serious geezers over there." Lynx gestures to Izumi and Hitoshi talking in private.
"Let's get this party started." Aiko raises her hands capturing Izumi's attention.
He glares at the dark male from earlier eyeing her. If he had his way he'd be dead.
~
Ryu stands up and checks her surroundings stumbling on a dead body, "Holy hell, what the fuck?" She turns to Aiko and shakes her awake. Aiko groans and shoves her away, "Come on don't be like that I just want to know what happened to this guy he's dead."
"He partied till it killed him that's what happened, now stop being an ass just because you're awake doesn't mean you have to wake the rest of us."
The door swings open and Izumi shakes his head, "Was it necessary to leave a trail of dead bodies like this? In case you forgot these people are the Anti-Supers faction you're lucky you're alive."
Ryu cocks a brow at Izumi, "Are you talking to me? I think you've got the wrong person I didn't do anything."
"Goodness we have a binge eater," Izumi closes the door and chuckles.
Ryu runs after him and stops him in his tracks grabbing his hand pulling him to a halt, "Binge eater? Is that a type of Immortal? Do I eat people?"
Izumi nods trying to keep his amusement at bay watching Ryu have a meltdown.
"Don't be so cruel to the girl you're enjoying this too much Lin." Hitoshi stands in front of Ryu and sighs, "Binge eaters are the worst it's just sad and lonely being one because your hunger is so strong you can't help it even when you want to fight it it's just too strong.
"You might eat yourself in the end I've seen countless others do it."
Ryu trembles at the thought and runs around like a headless chicken looking for Lynx finding him in his room still sleeping. She shakes him awake taking deep breaths to keep herself calm.
"The hell Ryu? What the hell is your problem?"
"Tell me everything about a Binge eater."
"A Binge what?" Lynx opens his eyes still heavy with sleep and his mind slowly waking up, "Fuck you dude you seriously woke me up for this bullshit, go prank Aiko or something I'm not in the mood."
"Lynx wake the hell up and fix me I don't want to be a binge eater."
"There's no such thing as a binge eater, now leave me alone." Lynx covers his face and closes his eyes while Ryu walks back to Izumi and Hitoshi smirking and stifling laughter.
"Real funny you assholes that was uncalled for."
"Next time we say don't drink so much don't." Izumi takes his cup of coffee and sits in front of the TV watching the news.
"You're King now Izumi, why are we still staying at Lynx's place?"
Izumi turns to Ryu with a sly look on his face, "Live long enough and you'll appreciate the little things besides it'll take time to actually be accepted as King nationwide especially considering I'm being backed by a group of occultists and extremists."
He slurps his coffee looking like he's deep in thought, "I'd like to meet Yuno and Kai one day you wouldn't shut up about them last night.
"I was even surprised when you said you want to be a better mother to Hitori now that you've got the means to take care of him without having to lift a finger and went on a shopping spree calling your sister non-stop."
"If you're telling the truth I'm glad I don't remember it."
Yuno wakes up to find Tori and Xavier playing on the bedroom floor. Snow is nuzzled up closely to her sleeping on the bed.
"No way Snow, not the bed." Ken picks up the puppy and gives it to the two boys before he turns to Yuno still not sure if he should be angry or happy she's still alive.
"You ready to get up now?" Ken asks Yuno and she groans her body aches and that's a first for her.
"Are we going to have a big fight about me coming to get you?"
"Probably."
"Answer's no."
Ken chuckles and gets in the blankets with Yuno covering them both up just to kiss her, "What happened out there? And why did you feel the need to come get me?"
Yuno looks into his eyes when the blanket is suddenly pulled off.
Ken glares at Tori looking between the two on the bed before laying Snow between them.
"Ken, who's he?" Yuno points to Tori's new friend that Ken doesn't seem to mind and that has her very curious. He is very over protective about who hangs around Tori and would rather he have no friends then bad friends.
Moment of silence for Ken Tachibana's parenting style.
"Uhh, that's Xavier and before you say anything let me explain, please."
Kai and Setsuno stop in their tracks looking confused when they see Ken chasing after an upset Yuno who just heard that he actually died and Ken was being all casual about it and didn't seem to be bothered at all or act like he was taking this seriously.
"Trouble in paradise?"
Kai nods and the two sneak behind them following at a safe distance and hiding behind a tree.
"Yuno, you're over reacting I'm still alive and here."
"Again, you don't get it, but how could you since you camped with the dinosaurs and probably changed Muhamad Ali's diaper."
Setsuno snorts and Kai bangs his head against the tree, "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" He whisper shouts and feels someone tugging on his pants, "Setsuno grow the fuck up dude." Kai comments paying close attention to Yuno and Ken.
"Setsuno!" Xavier calls out.
Kai turns around and Xavier is with Tori tugging on Setsuno's pants. He turns to face Setsuno with murder in his eyes for the rude comment Kai made, seconds away from losing it.
Yuno and Ken turn abruptly when they hear Kai scream only to sigh disappointedly when they realise he and Setsuno are goofing off again chasing each other around like headless chicken.
"Setsuno!" Xavier joins the chase only complicating everything because now they have to be careful not to bump him while killing each.
"Fuck this." Setsuno picks up Xavier and uses him as a living weapon.
"Hey!" Ken shouts at Kai and Setsuno when Kai picks Tori up and the two start jousting. The two innocent boys are being used as the lances.
"Setsuno I want ice cream." Xavier doesn't look very interested in whatever game Kai and Setsuno are getting into.
"Weapons don't speak."
Yuno turns away when Ken grabs the two by the back of their necks and glares at them
"He did it." Kai and Setsuno hold up Tori and Xavier in front of Ken both of them with bright smiles plastered on their faces waiting for ice cream.
"Setsuno I want ice cream."
Kai steps on Setsuno's foot but Ken missed it.
Yuno gulps on their behalf saying all the prayers she knows when Setsuno used Xavier to kick Kai in the face, "Ken!" She drags him away before he murders all four of them in a blind raging fit.
"Setsuno get them ice cream, yoghurt for Bobo, and you two hide when you're done."
"I'm not afraid of Muhammed Ali's nanny." Kai states with confidence stretching.
Yuno stops in her tracks and the two boys sprint off leaving Tori and Xavier confused.
"Setsuno I want ice cream! Dad Setsuno won't give me ice cream."
"You'll find him in the freezer by the time I'm done with him."
"To think that was supposed to be you." Yuno walks towards the kitchen with Tori behind her getting them ice cream and yoghurt sitting in the garden with Snow on guard.
"Yuno I seriously don't get why you're upset is this about Xavier? Are you having a hard time adjusting?"
"You're hopeless Tachibana"
Ken stands in front of Yuno leaving just an inch of distance between them, "Okay, first of all you nearly got yourself killed too and I know I was going to throw a similar fit you just so happened to have the ammo to throw one first.
"I'm sorry I almost got myself killed or actually got myself killed I'll be careful from now on and if you're worried about Xavier or have mixed feelings about him I'll give you time to adjust if that's what you need."
Ken takes a deep breath and sighs heavily, "I seriously need your help on a more pressing matter."
Yuno offers him ice cream and he declines, "What's the matter?"
Ken huffs, "I need to explain to Xavier that his mother's dead and I have no idea how he'll take it."
Yuno drops the tub and gives Ken a hug, "I have no idea how he'll take it, but I think more one on one time will give him a small sense of security that he still has his dad."
"I don't even know where to start Yuno I spent so long mourning his death, now he's here, and I don't even know how I should feel right now. The overwhelming sense of dread is too strong."
"It's called anxiety Ken and it won't kill you nor will it change reality, if you want to make it up to me for dying I want you to start hanging out with him more and avoid him less. I can tell you are."
"Fine, I just don't want Hitori to think I replaced him or anything."
"Somehow I doubt Bobo will care he's always got someone to distract him and shower him with tons and tons of attention."
"Still, it's different when it comes from your father."
"I guess it is."
Ken leans in and Tori's screaming stops him in his tracks they turn their heads to find Tori upset that Xavier tasted his yoghurt.
"Here, taste mine." Xavier feeds Tori his ice cream and they start sharing alternating between yoghurt and ice cream.
"I have a feeling Setsuno and Kai are toxic for them they'll corrupt them with their constant fighting."
"That's if you don't kill them first." Yuno turns to get herself more ice cream.
Ken follows her into the kitchen and smirks before closing the fridge after she opens it to get Yuno's attention crashing his lips into hers the second she turns around, "How much alone time do you think ice cream bought us?"
"Not enough for what you've got in mind."
"It's a good thing I don't care." Ken picks her up and the sound of someone clearing his throat with an accusing look on his face gets Yuno flustered and Ken turns around to glare at Bino.
"Couldn't you just play dead or something?" Ken asks annoyed obviously picking up on the jealousy. He walks away with Yuno hiding her face in the crook of Ken's neck.
"I have too many free loaders in my Palace I'll have to do something about that."