Beaten Up With Nowhere to Go

[of_many_treasures]

[Well if this wasn't a sorry sight.

Kaitou was stumbling along, holding a wounded shoulder as he was making his way to the only people who he trusted to get him help. And with a groan, he collapsed in the front of Myodoun Academy, face first on the ground.

It wasn't long till students started noticing this, and Kaitou groaned as he tried to get up. He was also clutching onto a familiar looking cooler with a shrill elephant-like miniature sound trumpeting from inside.

With a heave, he looked up at the nearest student, biting out,] Call your student body president... and get me to the infirmary...

[Someone help? Looks like he got severely thrashed again.]

Comments

[sunbloom]

Gee, Kaitou, I wonder why. Maybe you're walking into this school, which is my domain, injured by an at-the-time-unknown enemy. For all I know there's someone walking in behind you with a weapon that's just gained access to several hundred hostages. I don't mind helping you, but please understand where I'm coming from.

[She sighs, shaking her head and putting a hand on her hip.]

You stole from the Shinkenger, and inadvertently got shot. I'm not going to say you deserved it, but it's certainly punishment for slights dealt. I am glad someone was looking out for you, though.

I'm worried, though... without your DiendDriver, you're pretty much stuck, right? No powers, no worldhop, nothing. So... where were you planning to stay while you worked out a plan?

[of_many_treasures]

To be fair, I don't think the Ayakashi that was sicced on us was THAT smart. But there's a lot of unknown threats. Hopefully Tsukasa can get my DiendDriver back. And we were clear across in Tokyo, so I think we're safe.

I have no powers... so I was wondering if I could bum a room from you for a little bit. I know Tsubomi and Erika don't have spare rooms, and it'd be awkward for Yuri to house me. I could just camp out in the corner of your place for a bit...

[sunbloom]

[She wants to hit him. There are just too many things he took for granted this time. But it's not sporting to hit a man while he's down; she'll save it for later. Settling for a worried expression, she starts to rummage through the drawers for antiseptic and bandages, her back to Kaitou.]

I sure hope he can. Without your DiendDriver, your little mission - not to mentioned your crime sprees - are dead in the water. And there's a nonzero chance you'll follow soon after. Tokyo's far from here, but not that far.

Anyway, if I didn't already know how you knew what their homes looked like, I'd remind Tsubomi and Erika to lock their windows at night. As it stands, you're right on all counts, and I can't just leave you here... okay. I'll see what I can do. But you're not sleeping on the lawn, it'll raise too many questions. There's probably an empty room somewhere I can borrow for a little bit.

[of_many_treasures]

[Kaitou nodded.] He's with the Shinkengers now, like it or not. That'll change something at least.

I've been close to their homes once or twice, passing through. So I know the places by reputation at least. And thanks, I'll make it up to you. I hate having debts.

[sunbloom]

We can only hope. I mean, it's one thing for him to get involved, but... the best thing to get back your power is an equivalent power that knows whose Driver he's found. We'll deal with the rest when it happens.

[Satisfied with her medical loadout, she turns back around to figure out how to patch him up; her mood's improved a little.]

Are you kidding? I still owe you for helping make sure everything turned out okay with the whole Sunshine thing. Don't get me wrong, you were right to come here - even if we weren't already friends through everything, I'm not going to leave you out in the cold. But even then, I'm not doing this out of some kind of desire to even up, or because Yuri would want it. I'm doing this because it's the right thing to do, and I worry. Please, don't ever feel like you owe me for something like this.

[Cotton swab and isopropyl alcohol in hand, Itsuki feels it'd be fair to warn him:] This will sting. You can handle it, I'm sure, but don't say I didn't warn you.

[of_many_treasures]

Tsukasa knows exactly whose driver this is. He's seen it in action many times, so he and Yusuke can handle it.

[He smirked at that, shaking his head.] Well all right, thanks. I guess it helps that you feel like you still owe me something in return.

Ow! Can you get any less stingy iodine?

[sunbloom]

Well, I'm glad you're confident. I'll let you worry about that; I've got far too much else on my mind to deal with that right now.

[The process thankfully doesn't take that long - he's got a nasty wound, but it's only one, and she's trained on how to patch people up - she wouldn't be a very good student council president if she couldn't take over in the infirmary if something happened, after all. In short order she's put down the alcohol and switched to some gauze and bandages.]

No, that's more expensive to replace; I can get another bottle of this at the convenience store for a couple hundred yen, so I don't really care about using it. Besides, you're tough. Besides, there's an easy solution - don't get hurt again. I mean that, okay? I don't like being reminded my superhero friends get hurt, too. [Her gaze glasses over for a moment, and there's pain in her smile.] I found that out the hard way once already.

[of_many_treasures]

Well I guess if it works... [He wore a wry smile on his face as he shook his head.]

Everyone gets hurt, no matter who you are. You just have to deal with helping them through the fallout.

[sunbloom]

I know that. I just don't like to see it happen. And really... why can't it be me? I have the power to protect. That's all I want to do... keep my important people safe.

I mean, I'm okay with helping them after the fact too, but... I want to keep it from happening in the first place. Not all scars disappear with time.

[of_many_treasures]

Funny how my own power to protect was tested sorely in the last couple of days.

And yeah, you have a point. One slipup and... [Kaitou fell silent.]