Chapter 12: Chapter 12
With no hesitation, he flung the door wide open. "Kid!"
"DON'T BE SO LOUD!!"
The scene before him was the last thing he expected to see. Eri sat on her knees on the floor, a bottle of pink nail polish in her tiny hand. In front of her, cross-legged and looking thoroughly disturbed, was Asphalt. Lipstick and an array of cosmetics caked his entire face. Saki stood between them, her phone pointed at Eri, capturing photos of the bizarre scene with a satisfied grin.
"Yo, Accelerator!" Asphalt cheered, raising his free hand in greeting. "Where were you?"
BAM!
"GHACK!!"
A book had slammed straight into Asphalt's face. Accelerator, the culprit, looked as though he was about to have an aneurysm, veins throbbing all over his face in a mix of anger and irritation. "THAT'S MY LINE, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" he roared.
Asphalt winced, gently rubbing the wet cloth Saki had provided him to wipe off his makeup. "Did you have to throw a bloody book at me?" he grumbled. "Disrespectful brat."
Accelerator now sat in front of him with a cup of coffee in his hands. Usually, he preferred his usual canned coffee despite Saki's insistence on homemade, but surprisingly, the one to insist he drink homemade coffee today was Eri.
The little girl was in the kitchen with Saki, preparing snacks. Accelerator could see her intently listening as Saki droned on and on about the different types of snacks and when to serve them, effectively distracting the child from him and Asphalt. Saki was way too perceptive at times. Eri had grown a lot more confident and a lot less skittish since the first time she'd met Accelerator. He could still remember her shivering, fearful form.
'She'd been held captive somewhere before Asphalt and Velvet found her,' Accelerator thought, taking a sip of his coffee. 'I'll have to look into that, but first…'
Asphalt pouted like a child, grumbling and muttering under his breath in an exaggerated tone. Accelerator's brow twitched. 'I need to take care of this idiot.'
The room's atmosphere shifted from chaotic to a tense calm as Accelerator watched Asphalt struggle with the remnants of his impromptu makeover. The damp cloth smeared the vibrant colors across his face, making him look even more ridiculous. Saki's laughter echoed from the kitchen, mingling with the sound of clinking dishes and Eri's excited chatter.
Despite the seemingly peaceful atmosphere, Accelerator couldn't relax. Letting out a sigh, he placed his half-finished coffee cup on the coaster. "Asphalt, what happened?"
Asphalt was still for a moment, the cloth hiding his face before he dragged it down with a sigh of his own. "Jason," he said, "that bastard got the jump on me…" He paused, collecting his thoughts. "He let slip that he knew about the libr—Eri."
Accelerator's eyes narrowed. "How?"
"There aren't that many of us, you know," Asphalt began, looking up at him. "Around 80% of the population possess quirks, and barely 3% of that population knows anything about magic, much less how to use it." Accelerator listened, his face unreadable. "And of the 20% that do not possess a quirk, about 12% are magicians."
"We have too few people and what resources we have are… inefficient at best." For the first time, Accelerator could see Asphalt for his age. The man was tired, yet stubborn, a heart of gold concealed beneath his rough exterior—though Accelerator had already figured out that last bit. What he hadn't fully grasped until now was just how weary Asphalt was. "The world's too big, and the governing force of the magic side is… not exactly good."
Asphalt leaned back in the chair, taking a deep, exhausted breath. "But when it comes to security around information… about knowledge… you can be sure those old fogies are as tight-lipped about it as they can get."
He straightened up, meeting Accelerator's gaze. "He knew about Eri, about you and me," Asphalt continued, his voice heavy with concern. "Which means he's got an inside man… which makes things difficult for us."
Accelerator's mind raced. The implications were severe. An insider meant a breach in an already fragile security, a threat lurking within the ranks of individuals who have managed to stay off Hero and police radar for god knows how long. He could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on him, the urgency of protecting Eri becoming even more precarious.
He glanced towards the kitchen where Eri and Saki were still engaged in their cheerful chatter, a complete contrast to the gravity of the conversation he was having. He had to stay focused, had to ensure that this new threat was neutralized.
"Then we can't trust anyone, not until we can find this mole," Accelerator said firmly, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife. "Which does put us in a tough spot since that bastard's already got the kid."
"Figured as much," Asphalt remarked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "It's not your fault; his power isn't like anything I've ever seen before." He nodded reflexively, his eyes narrowing with determination as he locked onto Accelerator. "We'll need to tread carefully. Whoever this mole is, they've already given Jason far too many advantages. Who knows how many steps ahead of us he is?"
The room felt colder, the shadows longer, as they pondered their next move. Accelerator's gaze shifted to the old papers Asphalt pulled from his pocket, their edges frayed and yellowed with age. Each one bore intricate cursive symbols, arcane and mysterious.
"We don't know for sure whether he's after Eri or not, but better safe than sorry," Asphalt said, the weight of the situation pressing down on his shoulders. He carefully spread the papers out on the table, the symbols almost seeming to shimmer in the dim light. "I'll place a few protection charms around the house. As long as Eri's within them, he won't get a chance to get near her." Accelerator nodded, his eyes hardening with resolve. "What about the other kid, the one he took?"
Asphalt's sigh was heavy, his expression darkening. "When we first looked into her, there was nothing particularly out of the ordinary. Granted, she did have an… unfortunate life, and I suppose that's putting it lightly. But as far as we could find, she had no connection with Jason Olas until about two weeks ago." He let out another sigh, deeper this time, as if trying to expel the weight of his thoughts. "That is… until the mole issue."
He let out another, much more exaggerated sigh. "God damn, I might have to get Velvet involved."
"Too late," Accelerator said with no hesitation and zero guilt as he took another sip of his coffee.
Asphalt's head shot up, his eyes wide with shock and horror. "What! What did you do?"
"What do you think?" Accelerator mumbled sarcastically. "I called her after you didn't answer your fucking phone."
"I lost it during the fight!"
"Obviously, that bastard called me using it."
"That fucker nabbed my phone!?"
"He mentioned the kid."
"The girl?"
"Not that kid. My—I mean Eri," he corrected himself, his voice faltering slightly.
Asphalt's face twisted into a fleeting leer before collapsing into a deep frown. "Ugh, I can't believe you called Velvet," he groaned, running a hand down his face. "After I tried so hard to keep her away from this." He slumped against his seat, the weight of impending doom pressing down on him. "She's gonna kill me."
"You had it coming." Accelerator didn't even flinch, his expression unyielding. "Pretty sure she'd have figured it out by herself anyway. I haven't known you long, but even I can tell you're shit when it comes to lying and hiding stuff."
"I am not!"
"I really doubt that."
"YOU LITTLE PUNK! DON'T YOU KNOW I'VE BEEN LYING TO MY WIFE FOR SEVENTEEN YEARS!" he roared at Accelerator, every vein on his face bulging comically as his eyes bugged out like a cartoon character on the brink of explosion. "SHE WAS SO EASILY FOOLED THAT SHE THOUGHT MY COMINGS AND GOINGS WHEN WORKING FOR RAZOH WAS ME SLEEPING AROUND."
He pointed an accusatory finger at Accelerator, his entire body shaking with the force of his indignation. "I WAS SO GOOD AT MY LYING THAT I HIRED MULTIPLE WOMEN TO PLAY THE ROLE OF MY LOVERS. SHE WAS SO CONVINCED, SHE DIVORCED ME STRAIGHT AWAY!!"
"Why the hell are you proud of that?" Accelerator's own veins throbbed in irritation, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "And stop pointing at me unless you wanna lose that finger, dumb geezer."
"You don't understand! I am the master of deception!"
"More like the master of self-sabotage. Maybe you should hire someone to play the role of your brain—oh wait! Velvet probably has that position, right?"
He took another sip and with a smug tone remarked. "Well, maybe this time she'll divorce you."
"FUCK YOU, BRAT!"
"Language!" Neither Accelerator nor Asphalt had said it. Both heads snapped toward the kitchen, where Eri stood at the edge of the floor separating the living room from the kitchen/dining area. Her tiny fists were on her hips, cheeks puffed up like an angry chipmunk, with a nervous look in her eye barely hidden beneath a mask of determination.
Her hands on her hips, she... glared at Asphalt?
Honestly, it looked like she'd never glared at anything in her life, and all things considered, she probably never had. "L-language," she repeated, nervously, "s-say sorry for the bad language." Dumbfounded and feeling a bit attacked, Asphalt slowly pointed a finger at Accelerator. "B-but he—"
Eri puffed up her cheeks more, her eyes welling up with tears at the corners. Asphalt, confused and slightly bewildered, looked at Accelerator with a 'help me' look on his face. But Accelerator simply sipped his coffee silently, his eyes twinkling with amusement, as if saying, 'You're on your own, buddy.'
Asphalt grit his teeth, his inner monologue seething, 'This little shit!'
"Say sorry," Eri repeated, her voice more insistent this time.
With a huge gulp, Asphalt gave up, not wanting to be the ass to make a little girl cry, he glared daggers at Accelerator with a look that promised retribution. He grits his teeth, "Sorry," he ground out. Accelerator gave the older man an arrogant smirk, "... you're forgiven."
"You too!"
"What?" Accelerator looked at the girl in genuine confusion.
"Say you're sorry too."
"... huh!?" It was like Accelerator's whole world suddenly crashed down on him. Saki, watching from the kitchen, let out a small snicker as she smirked, enjoying the turn of events. Asphalt, now grinning widely, leaned back, savoring this rare moment of triumph.
Accelerator's mind raced. Apologize? Him? The sheer absurdity of the concept had him momentarily paralyzed. "Sorry for what?"
Eri's cheeks puffed up even more. "For making Mr. Asphalt use bad language!"
Accelerator blinked in shock before answering in a tight voice. "He's a grown a- man! He's responsible for his own words!"
Eri pursed her lips, her small face set in a determined expression. "Say sorry for bullying Mr. Asphalt," she demanded. The words hit Accelerator like a bolt of lightning, leaving him momentarily stunned. He stood there, utterly flabbergasted, his mouth opening and closing like a gaping fish. After a few seconds, he took a deep breath, mentally chanting that yelling at the kid now would only make him the bad guy. Turning to face Asphalt's smug expression, he forced a murderous smile onto his face.
"I'm so sorry, Asphalt," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm as a menacing aura began to emanate from him. "I'm so sorry that I almost forgot to mention—your partner is on her way here as we speak."
"What!?" Asphalt blurted out, his confidence crumbling as a bead of sweat formed on his forehead.
"She was just so concerned because we couldn't reach you that she immediately began making her way here," Accelerator continued with a malicious smile, his eyes gleaming with a predatory light.
"YOU TOLD HER I WAS MISSING!?" Asphalt's voice rose to a near-shriek as he jumped out of his seat, panic setting in. He raced towards the door, his footsteps frantic and uneven. "Sorry! Can't stay! A madwoman's on my tail!"
He yanked the door open and popped his head through, casting one last glare, pointing in Accelerator's direction. "THIS ISN'T OVER!!" he roared before disappearing down the hallway, the sound of his hurried footsteps echoing in the distance.
Scoffing, Accelerator's smile twisted into a vindictive smirk. He watched the door for a moment, savoring the victory. "I don't get what just happened, but all I know is that you're a jerk," Saki commented, breaking the silence and making Accelerator huff in annoyance. Her voice carried a mix of confusion and disdain, as if she was still processing the bizarre encounter.
Eri, who had been quietly observing the entire exchange, was now staring up at him with wide, unblinking eyes. Accelerator glanced down at her, his irritation giving way to concern. "What?" he asked, his mind racing. 'Shit! Is she gonna cry?'
Eri blinked at him for a few moments, her expression unreadable. Then, with a determined look, she toddled up to him. She climbed onto the couch, her small hands gripping the cushions for support. Kneeling beside him on the sofa to reach his head, though she was still slightly shorter, she looked like she was about to embark on a serious mission. "What?" Accelerator questioned again, raising an eyebrow, genuinely perplexed by her actions.
Eri extended her tiny arm, her fingers outstretched. Accelerator hesitated for a moment, then lowered his vector shield, allowing her to touch his head. To his surprise, she started patting him gently. It was the oddest feeling—he had never experienced anyone touching his head in such a gentle manner. He felt her tiny, soft fingers brush lightly against his scalp, the sensation both soothing and strange.
"Good job," she said softly, her voice filled with innocent sincerity.
"Hmm?" Accelerator responded, still processing the unexpected turn of events.
"Good job, you said sorry," she repeated, her tone unwavering and earnest, making Accelerator blink in surprise. Her words carried a simple truth, and for a moment, the weight of her innocence made him feel something unfamiliar—pride.
Before he could stop himself, a subtle, slow and genuine smile began to creep across Accelerator's face, a stark contrast to his earlier expressions of sarcasm and menace. He realized that, despite everything, Eri had simply seen the good in his actions, however begrudgingly or vindictively he had performed them.
He glanced at Saki, who was watching the interaction with a mixture of satisfaction and amusement and was quick to drop his smile. "Looks like I'm not such a jerk after all," he said, his tone lighter, despite his attempts to sound uncaring.
Saki shrugged, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Maybe not completely", she said in a teasing tone.
Eri continued to pat his head for a few more seconds before finally sitting back, her mission accomplished. She gave herself a small, proud and satisfied nod, her eyes twinkling with a childlike joy on her natural chubby, round face.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Safia_Sabry
Safia_Sabry Give my Tumblr account a peek, I am now posting my fanart and original art pieces.
As well as a few photos here and there.
https://www.tumblr.com/writerslot/754962797706854400/i-will-seriously-kill-for-this-little-sweet-bean?source=share
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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