"I've got you" Sero Hanta
Warnings: THIS IS LONG AF YO
A note from Quirkless: BABE HOLY SHIT. This turned into a mini ficlet!!! This. Is. Loooooong! But I hope you like it, my darling~
"Hey, boss? Yeah, it's me. I'm going to be late today. Apparently there's a villain rampaging close to the tracks." You let out an annoyed sigh as the warning chimed over the train's loudspeakers again, tapping your foot impatiently against the floor. You had already been running a little late, but this? This was just going to make your day hell.
Your boss let out a similar sigh on the other end of the line, and you could just picture him running a hand over his face in exasperation. After a moment's pause, he gave you a standard "be safe and get in as soon as you can" spiel. Like you had any control over when the train would start moving again.
Almost as soon as you had hung up and shoved the phone back in your bag, a loud 'bang' crashed against the side of the train, you being among the people to cry out in surprise. Your car shook, and you swore your heart stopped when you felt the wheels lift off the track.
The lights flickered above your head, and screams seemed to bounce off the air around you. From all around. Your car, the ones ahead, behind... and in the midst of it all, a loud creaking mixed with the horrified shrieks and created this cacophony of terror. Somehow, amidst the noise, you heard someone scream.
You turned your gaze to the front of the car, just barely able to peer out the window from where you were clinging to the hand loops dangling from the ceiling. You could make out the care in front of you, tipping to the left. It was almost completely on its side, and the creaking you heard was your car resisting the urge to follow it.
Another loud bang shook beneath your feet, and you cried out, hands gripping the loops tightly as your car lifted slightly from the force. You could hardly hear the sound of fighting going on outside as everyone in your car screamed in terror, children wailing and screaming as they clung to their mothers.
Finally, your car gave up the fight, and through the shattered windows all around you, you watched as the view around you shifted slowly as your train car tilted. Soon your feet were unable to touch the ground, and you dangled from the loops hanging from the ceiling, desperately kicking your feet to find some sort of purchase. Your heart pounded in your ears, your vision blurred as fearful tears pricked at your eyes. Glass shattered somewhere, and screams only grew louder. You were going to die.
The right side of the train was completely lifted, and your feet dangled over the window below you, giving you a frightening sight of the ground below. You could feel your grip slipping, and panic seized every fiber of your being. You were going to die.
'Please, someone help...'
Suddenly, the train jolted to a halt, creaking and groaning with the sudden stop. The hand loops jerked in your grip, and your right hand came loose. You shrieked, sheer terror taking over you as you scrambled to grab for it again. Through the shattered glass above you, you could see the heroes, flashes of pink and green and red-
-And they just as quickly faded from your vision as your left hand gave you, and you crashed through the window beneath you.
You couldnt tell what was louder, the wind whistling through your ears as you plummeted, or your screams. You were falling fast, too fast. You were going to die before lunch on a damned Monday.
"Someone help me!!" You desperately cried, the sight of the train above you blurred by your tears. You couldn't bring yourself to look down, you were too scared. No matter where you looked, the sight was terrifying.
"Gotcha!" A new voice rang out, temporarily breaking you out of your terrified stupor as something solid grabbed hold of your shirt. You suddenly felt yourself jerked to a stop, grunting as your head snapped back from the force of it. Your neck popped, and left your ears ringing, but only relief flooded through you as you were pulled to a strong broad chest. You didnt know who saved you, but you couldnt bring yourself to care. You grabbed at them, wrapping your arms and legs around your savior and clinging tightly.
"Are you alright? Are you injured?" Your savior put their head next to your ear, and his voice just seemed to naturally put you at ease. Somehow. Even through the wind and blood rushing in your ears, his deep voice rang clear. You opened your eyes, peering over his shoulder to the ground rushing beneath you. You couldnt help but shriek, hiding your face in his shoulder and clinging tighter, hardly catching the soft grunt your tightened grip pulled from him.
"Don't drop me! Please, please don't drop me!!"
"I won't, I promise." He kept an arm wrapped around you, holding you to his chest as he moved you both through the air. "I've got you."
You were able to put your feet on the ground after what felt like an agonizing eternity, but was realistically only a few seconds. The pro hero who had saved you kept his arm around you as he lowered you to the ground, and you found yourself grabbing his bicep as your knees almost immediately buckled underneath you.
"Woah- easy now..." You turned your gaze up, only to find yourself face to face with a mask. Black glass with orange bordering.
"C-... Cellophane?" Cellophane himself saved you? You didnt even think he worked in this area, what-?
Even behind the mask you could see a wide grin, but he didnt directly respond to you, as he turned to call out to someone else.
"Hey, 'Riot! I need your help over here!" With that, he turned back to you. "You need to go with Red Riot, alright Miss? He's going to get you out of the danger zone. Stay close to him."
You felt his arm slide away from you, and you staggered a little to try and grab at him, panic welling up slightly as the man who saved you made room for another hero to come get you.
"It'll be alright, stay with Red Riot. He'll get you to safety."
You looked up at Red Riot, who had an arm around you already, but you hardly heard his gentle urging for you to move, turning back to Cellophane. But he was gone, already in the air and going back to help subdue the villain and save the others on the train.
"I-I didn't get to thank him, o-or..."
"Don't worry about Cellophane, Miss. He's a pro! Let's focus on getting you out of here, and to safety." You finally let Red Riot start guiding you along, feeling a slight pang in your chest the further you walked away from the Tape Hero. Maybe... you would see him again?
It had been about two weeks since your brush with death, and every day since, the man who had saved you had been on your mind. You had saved and taken screenshots of every article telling of the event, and had watched every news story relating to it as well. One channel had even interviewed Cellophane himself, and they had even used pictures they captured of him saving you!
You so desperately wanted to thank him for saving you. It was the least you could do, after all. You could have suffered a fate far worse than the few cuts and bruises you received from the window you had fallen through, if it hadn't been for him.
But all you could do was day dream as you swept the store, sighing wistfully and remembering the feel of his strong, warm arms around you. Could you even offer to take a pro hero out for coffee? How many offers like that has he gotten in his career? What would make you any different?
The bell for the door chimed, and you straightened, putting on your mask of Good Customer Service and calling our cheerfully.
The words dried up in your mouth, which hung open slightly as you processed the sight in front of you. Even without his hero costume, you spent enough time memorizing his face from news stories and articles alike.
Dark hair, undercut and styled upright, hovered over a familiar face. Angled jaw, a wide grin, and bright eyes that stared back at you-
"Oh- I didnt expect I'd see you here! How have you been, Miss?"
"I-I-... you remember me?" You stammered as Cellophane himself walked closer to you. Instead of his form fitting hero suit, though, he was actually dressed in a loose casual shirt, the sleeves rolled up past his elbows. A light jacket, simple jeans... he must have the day off...
"Of course! How could I forget you?" Was that a compliment? Or a jab at how tightly you had clung to him? Either way, your cheeks started to turn pink.
"I-I-... THANK YOU!" You blurt out, bowing your head to hide the fact that the outburst now had your entire face going red. He stopped in his tracks, clearly surprised by the raised volume. "Without you, I-... I would have-"
"-Hey, there's no need to thank me." He took on a more gentle tone, and you peeked up at him through your bangs. His expression was soft, his smile more... genuine. "Its part of my job. And besides, it would have been a shame to let you fall."
Was... he hitting on you? He was, he so was.
"... Can I buy you a coffee?" You asked as you finally stood up, cheeks still radiating heat. Now it was his turn to blush, though. "If you're free?"
He brought a hand up, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.
"You beat me to it..." You could hear him mutter, and a grin slowly broke over your own face. He was hitting on you!! Well, there was no way you could turn him down now. Not that you would have to begin with.
"Uh, yeah. Y-yes. I would like that, actually. What time are you free?"
"I'm out at Five." You responded cheerfully, propping your broom up against the wall as you ran back to the counter to grab a sheet of paper and a pen.
"Ah, well... Five may be a little late for coffee... what about dinner? My treat."
You looked up from your scribbling.
"Now how am I supposed to thank you if you're paying?"
He grinned, both hands tucked in his pockets as he walked up to the counter.
"We could call it a date?" Even beyond his cheek grin, you could see the blush tinting his cheeks and the tips of his ears. You chuckled.
"I've got you." You tore off the small notebook paper and handed it across the counter. "Here's my number. I'll see you for dinner."