The Fall of the Bloody Valkyrie (2)

Kaguya Momoko's mind was in a state of complete white, there was nothing else in her mind, just absolute emptiness, for a few moments. She was pregnant. Pregnant. PREGNANT.

'Calm your mind. Take a deep breath. I need to think seriously about all of this. But not now.' Momoko thought as the doctor continued to speak after playing this breaking news, examining Momoko's healing schedule and the prospect of future physical therapy.

"We should be able to get you out of the hospital in the next two to three weeks at the most. However, from then on, we will need to establish a system with the local hospital that includes a good physiotherapy regimen."

Momoko rubbed her eyes as she slowly nodded. "Later, ok, later ..."

Dr. Sakharov smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, you don't have to make any decisions now, we will talk when you have a little more clarity in your head."

The doctor left the room shortly thereafter, leaving the three women of the Kaguya-Vetochkina-Morakawa family alone to talk.

Then there was an awkward silence in the air.

Yuuko then broke that awkward silence. "Don't worry, it's safe here." She informed, looking at her foster mother by the bed. "We can talk about vigilante things."

Momoko then blinked. "Oh ... that's good to know." Then there was another silent pause among those present. "So ... what really happened that night?"

"Sincerely, I do not know." The girl shrugged. "I was kind of asleep when it all happened." Any of the adults could have interfered, but Yuuko kept talking. "But when I woke up, we were in Russia and you were in the hospital." The girl looked away. "I was really worried and tried to tell them about my cure, but nobody left me, although I think I kind of understood why, anyway, we are now living in a farmhouse!"

"A farmhouse?"

"Yes. There are two floors, I have my own room now and there is a real kitchen, a living room with a fireplace, a basement and other strange things too, even a strange chair made of wood with leather handcuffs. There is also a big barn! We can try to capture Santa Claus and beat him to get information, let's get the old man's flying reindeer too! " Yuuko said with a dreamy look.

"Really? That looks cool." Momoko deliberately ignored the part of beating up Santa Claus and didn't want to ask why she had that kind of idea in her head, or how long she was thinking about it. A farmhouse is relatively safe for a girl's curiosity, if the structure were solid enough. Definitely better than Yuuko jumping over the roofs and sparking fights with people twice or triple his size.

Yuuko continued to speak for a while, going over her new school and all the other interesting things in Russia that she had seen so far. "- and also, Koricheva-sensei said that my Russian is really good. Which is great because I have been practicing a lot with Veto-san, so I was worried about it."

"Now that we're talking about school, Yuuko-chan…" Yuliya politely interrupted the friendly conversation between mother and daughter. "Don't you have a math assignment to work on?"

The nine-year-old girl pouted softly as she looked at her backpack in the corner of the room "Yes but ..."

"Don't worry, I'll take over from here, kotenok." Yuliya then smiled. The young child took another long look at Momoko before she grabbed her backpack and left the hospital room. Yuliya's gaze went to the other individual in the room. "Now, as to what happened ..."

~ XxX ~

Last week, the night of the explosion ...

Yuliya Vetochkina placed little Morakawa Yuuko carefully in the back seat of the van, with her bags out beside her. While the girl would certainly pout for leaving some things behind, Yuliya was sure to bring her favorite book. Now, however, time was essentially essential. Then the Russian started the car and called for reinforcements at the same time.

The former special forces officer answered on the penultimate ring. "Gives?" He asked, sleep appearing in his voice.

"I apologize for the late hour, Alexi, but a family emergency has arisen. The girls and I will be in Russia in the coming weeks. Possibly more, depending on future circumstances."

"Don't worry, ma'am, I hold the fort around here. You can count on me."

Yuliya nodded to herself with the phone on the speaker. "I never doubted that." Yuliya then made a face and clicked her tongue at the first red light, but she didn't dare pass it. Unsafe driving can result in a fine, which would take even longer to reach the scene.

"Baa-chan?" The girl awake but still half asleep asked, starting to move.

"Don't worry about it, little one, we just need to take a little walk."

"OK." The ex-spy then watched the girl's head fall on the pillow in the rearview mirror and fall asleep once more.

With the little one safe, Yuliya walked to the beach coordinates. It was off the beaten path known to people, a small gravel road connecting to the shore in front of the pier. As the van approached, the headlights lit several pairs of eyes.

Yuliya went down and saw that more than a dozen birds were now perched on top of the fallen body of Valkyrie. They stepped aside when she approached, allowing her to approach.

"Oh, Mokochan ..." Yuliya sighed. The girl managed to crawl to the shore before passing out from her injuries. Mura-san's feathered agents must have informed her, and she instructed them to stabilize her for the time being. Pelicans, seagulls and the like were perched to try to keep Momoko warm.

Yuliya turned to one of the biggest birds present. "Go back to Mura-san. Tell her that we will be gone for a while." The bird lowered its beak in recognition before flying away.

Yuliya Vetochkina then took out her emergency cell phone. She had some favors to collect.

~ XxX ~

"... From then on, it was just a matter of time to make certain calls to certain people who could help. A call to go on the first medical plane to Russia. A call to have a 'system error' to fake our arrival date. A phone call to stage a small accident in the eyes of everyone. As for Yuuko-chan, well, Funai-san was a little confused when I informed him, but understanding the transfer in the short term. The Utarefson Academy is well regarded and is among the top 100 in terms of early childhood education, so any parent should take the opportunity to have their children enrolled there. "

"Did you enroll her in school here? Isn't that a little, uh, excessive?" Momoko felt a little lost with all this information.

"Utarefson Academy is a great school and I think it will be good for the development of little Yuuko to study abroad."

"This is something that children usually do in high school, but ... well, even with my injuries, we should be able to return to Japan in a few weeks, right? The hospitals there are fully equipped to deal with these types of injuries. injuries. " Momoko said with a hint of hope in her voice.

Yuliya looked to the side for a moment, after returning to Momoko. "About that ... I think it would be prudent for us to stay in Russia until your wounds are sufficiently healed, Mokochan. And possibly until your son is born. Is that ... if you want to?"

Momoko then had to think for a moment, but the answer came relatively quickly. "Raising Yuuko was a real joy, so ... yes, of course, why not have another child?"

A soft smile spread across the old woman's face, illuminating her dark eyes. "Well, then, it couldn't have come at a better time. This hospital happens to have a great care center for pregnant women. Of course, we'll have to talk to the embassy, ​​settle everything with the paperwork-"

"Uh, sensei, if I could get this conversation back on track?" Momoko interrupted. "Why do you insist that we stay in Russia? Yes, I am injured and pregnant, but I also have certain ... responsibilities with my second job."

Yuliya's lips thinned as she frowned. "Mokochan, you can't."

"I admit it is a little reckless, but just a quick appearance with the leather jacket and the mask, reminding people that I am still out there while I take a ... pause. They will interpret it as great work in disguise, so the underworld will be even more nervous. Young people can probably hold the fort for a few months. " Momoko said, referring to the new hero agencies that started a few weeks ago in Hamura.

Yuliya then looked at the young woman in front of him. "Mokochan, the Orito Family is currently looking for Valkyrie. Sticking your head out now is a good way to cut it off."

"The Orito Family hasn't taken a big step in years." The watchman waved his hand with more confidence than she probably should have. Was it the painkillers? Perhaps it was the painkillers. Yes, it was definitely the painkillers.

"They are an old family who are very careful with their image for the other groups. Bloody Valkyrie has embarrassed them and destroyed a large consignment of a future business. They are embarrassed and are looking for her head." Yuliya then paused: "Besides, with this explosion, I think that now would be a good time for you to retire."

"What?!" Momoko was startled by those words.

Yuliya continued. "I told you when I started training you, Mokochan, that long-term solutions are with the police and professional heroes. Well, that's exactly what is happening now. Things just got better. Not to mention how long it will take you. out of the game now that you're going to have another child. "

"Whoa whoa whoa, I agree that I should definitely not jump over rooftops with a belly, I think that retiring can be a little premature at this point in the championship." Momoko insisted.

"Babies demand a lot of work, care and attention. And I know how much I pay you, so I can say with absolute certainty that you cannot afford a full-time nanny. Yuuko is small, he can help with one or two things, however this is not going to be enough. " Yuliya helped herself to a glass of water.

"You didn't have those concerns when I caught Yuuko, hell, it was you who brought this idea up!"

"This is different." Yuliya spit out, before calming down. "As horrible as it may be, Yuuko was at least a little used to a life of danger. A baby is completely different. With the explosion, the longer you go un counted, the more people start to think that you are dead, and will stop looking for you. You can rest and recover without a yakuza hitting your head. Why waste such a perfect opportunity to retire in silence? "

"But what if it doesn't work?" Momoko spat back. "What if ... the minute people start thinking that Bloody Valkyrie is dead, a bunch of nasty cockroaches crawl out of the wood to destroy Hamura? Huh? That's in my head."

"I'm not ignoring the risks. Something that would always happen, whether you retired or not, or fell into the line of duty. But, as you just pointed out, you are no longer the only exterminator in the city." Momoko looked away. "Let other hands take your burden, Mokochan. Raise your children in peace." Yuliya gently put his hand on her shoulder. "Your children deserve to be raised by a mother who loves them. You deserve the chance to see your children grow up. You deserve to have the chance to have a happy family."

Momoko continued to say nothing, her jaw clenched as she looked out the window.

"I will ... I will think about it." Momoko finally managed to speak.

Yuliya silently nodded. "That's all I ask."

~ XxX ~

To be honest, Kakinomoto Yoshio did not intend to break the TV. He really didn't want to do that.

To back it up, Alicia Blake, her extraordinary business manager, caught him sleeping in the office for the sixth consecutive morning. This in itself was not a strange occurrence, Yoshi tended to fall asleep at his desk after a long night working on a case. What was different was why he was sleeping there.

"Get up asleep and shine even more, little star." This was the replacement for his usual alarm clock. Yoshi was startled and almost fell off the couch.

"Ah!" He manages to balance himself just in time before he falls and stood on the couch rubbing his sleepy eyes. "What time is it?"

"Shortly after nine." Alicia commented, taking a sip from her take-out coffee mug. He couldn't help but look with envy when he smelled the strong coffee. "You know ... you have your own apartment, right? When was the last time you went back there?"

Yoshio then forced a smile. "I have some spare clothes along with some uniforms here and a restaurant not far away. I'm fine."

Alicia looks at him at length. "Hm ... well, this is usually the point where I would say that you are an adult and I am definitely not your nanny, but you look like a mess right now. Oily hair, dark circles, a lot doesn't look like number one. So Seriously, go home. Bath, change clothes, food and sleep right. In that order. " She ordered, before leaving for her own office.

Kakinomoto Yoshio ran a hand through his hair and sighed. If it were that simple.

~ XxX ~

Seven days.

One week.

It had been seven days. It had been a week with no sign of Valkyrie anywhere. Although this was disheartening in a normal investigation of missing persons, Luphinus had not given up hope. It would take months for someone to recover from injuries related to the explosion. Not to mention the theory that all of this was somehow staged, and the watchman was somehow disguised in a major operation. It wasn't something he particularly believed in, but it was something he could rely on.

Still, the real reason he hadn't been back in his apartment was because he felt guilty. It was stupid, he knew it was stupid. It didn't make the guilt go away. He grimaced the moment he opened the front door, the dark apartment perfectly matched his stern mood. In fact, all of this was really different from his personality, in fact.

The point was that Kakinomoto Yoshio dealt with unpleasant emotions in the same way that most people dealt with the car's 'engine check' light on; ignoring until something went wrong and just waiting for it to disappear on its own. Was it healthy? Probably not. Was he going to keep doing this? Yes.

He threw his dirty clothes in the basket and was not surprised that the dark mood did not disappear in the shower. After making the necessary effort to stay acceptable, Yoshi entered his kitchen.

Yoshio had the TV on more because of the background noise than because he wanted to watch the news. Unsurprisingly, he found that 24-hour news channels covered Valkyrie's story, which was known about him. He could practically hear her react to broadcasters discussing her apparent death, irreverent and sassy as ever. "Wait, do you think it could really kill me? I eat bigger bursts for breakfast. Heat, strength and shrapnel, all part of a balanced diet." She would say that or something in that line of words.

Yoshi smiled as he remembered her attitude. That's when his attention was drawn back to the broadcast.

[... and of course, we cannot ignore the role of Luphinus in all of this.]

The news anchor nodded. [Well, yes, it is certainly a great help for the investigation to have Hero Number One involved.]

[No, that's not what I'm talking about.] The "expert" said, and there was a flash of confusion on the anchor's face before being replaced by perfect image professionalism.

[What do you mean?]

[To be honest, Luphinus had many chances to arrest Valkyrie for his vigilant activities. Chance after chance, he let her go and continued to violently violate the laws of this country. Unfortunately, this explosion was the result of a lone wolf poking a bear with a stick until he attacked it. And now, at least four men are dead.]

[I think this is a little extreme-]

[I guarantee you, if he had done his job and taken the vigilante Valkyrie into custody, she would still be alive. Just like those other men who were killed in the explosion. She was an untrained civilian playing in a dangerous profession, and it was mainly the actions of Luphinus that killed her-]

That's when he threw the remote on the TV. The small rectangle fit the screen with a sharp 'snap', making the image look and blur before it goes black.

Yoshio had no idea why he did this. In fact, the fact that he threw the remote control was not even registered until the device started to smoke. Did Yoshio immediately regret this? In a way, no. It was a fit of child resentment, he knew that, he was above that, he knew his own strength, so why the hell did he do that?

Oh, don't be so stupid. An intrusive voice in the back of his head whispered. Even if you don't want to change.

Yoshi ran a hand through his hair. Shit. Directly or indirectly, what happened to Valkyrie was his fault. While she fought for her life, he decided to ignore her letter and go to bed. He would never forgive himself for such laziness.

And yet he goes wrong looking for a woman? A part of his mind whispered. The Symbol of Peace is to protect and uplift everyone, not to selfishly prioritize those you know personally.

Well, then what should he do, withdraw from the case? He knew Valkyrie better, if anyone could find the watchman, it would be him. Furthermore, he couldn't just ignore a person who needed help. Especially one that he-

What, loved it? This is his next mistake. You saw what happened to Naomi, you big idiot! You saw her pain after she lost her husband and son. And you went ahead and fell in love with her anyway.

It's not like he has a choice in the matter. Valkyrie was smart, strong, empathetic, protective of others, resilient-

Not tough enough, apparently. And no matter how good she was, she was not a professional hero. You allowed her to walk this path with just a word of reproach or discouragement, you were an idiot. Whatever happened to her, it was because you didn't stop it before!

There was a knock on the door and the intrusive thoughts began to spread with the sound. Yoshi couldn't find his voice. To say 'come in' or 'go away' ... he didn't know. The decision was made by him when the door opened anyway.

The last person he would have thought came through that door, Alicia Blake. She was wearing her long coat over her normal suit and had something under her arm.

Alicia raised an eyebrow at the broken TV. "We are planning to change the interior decoration of the house, are you also planning to change the decoration of yours? Can I pass the contract for my interior design, interested?" She commented to the redhead. It was her way of trying to break the tension. Apparently it didn't work.

"What are you doing here?" Yoshio asked, embarrassment draining any anger from him.

"Well, as you know, I am your business manager, maybe an advisor, not your guardian. But my beautiful, adorable and amazing wife, who is always a much better person than me, said that bringing food in times difficult things is something that decent people do from time to time. "

"Food?" Yoshio repeated, more like a question, in fact it was really a question. Because Alicia Blake ... she was many things. But she was not someone who showed up at home bringing food.

Alicia took a deep breath, looking almost like she was getting ready to run. "I'm here, with food, because you, whether you like it or not, are my friend, you idiot."

Yoshio then blinked.

"On here." Alicia took out the package, revealing a take-out tupperware full of pancakes. "My lovely wife put raspberries instead of chocolate chips as usual, because you seem to be the type of person who eats this." She sat across from him at the table and drank from her takeaway cup full of coffee.

Yoshi moved to pick up a knife and fork, still honestly a little confused by the whole situation.

The business manager herself was not immune to embarrassment, sitting firmly at the table. Yoshi started to eat his pancakes.

"So ... Valkyrie?" Alicia ventured after watching Yoshio take a few bites and widen, albeit slightly, her eyes

Yoshio then hummed, his mouth full of food. "I'm working on it. I have Reykjavik going at an angle."

Alicia hummed back in recognition. There were a few more sips of coffee before she made a decision.

"Yoshio, you know I'm not able to meddle in your personal life, but, uh ... well, there's no polite way of saying that. Are you in a relationship with Valkyrie? Like ... a romantic relationship?"

Yoshi was in the middle of taking a sip of orange juice. He almost spit, but easily managed to swallow it without spilling or coughing. "H-How did you know ?!"

Alicia then raised an eyebrow with a confused look. "What, was this supposed to be some kind of secret?"

Yoshio then wiped his face with a napkin. "Yes ... whereas I only found out about it a week ago, yes, I think." Yoshio realized that he spoke badly about two seconds after the words left his mouth.

This time, Alicia's eyebrows were furrowed. "You only realized you were in a relationship for a week !? Yoshio there is a limit to how dense someone is ..."

"No, no! I just ... discovered that I, uh ... really liked him last week ..." Yoshio murmured looking in the direction of his pancakes.

Then there was a silence and a sip of Alicia's coffee. "Really? Why wasn't working with the Most Wanted Watcher without even thinking about turning to the police?"

Yoshio just ate another slice of pancake, unable to make up his usual excuses. "I'm kidding, of course. As for how I met ... the charity gala a few years ago. The way you two played with each other ..." Alicia shrugged. "I am good at reading people. It comes from time to time with work." Alicia smiled. "Even then, it was obvious how much you liked her. And how much she liked you."

"... I'm still trying to figure this out, to be honest. The last time I was in a relationship ... well, things just disappeared after I moved out." Yoshio remembered the past, thinking about his time of almost a decade in America. "And I love her, I really do, but I have no idea what it really means in the grand scheme of things. I should be the Symbol of Peace, how can I do this and be with someone, knowing what I work for and how dangerous is he really? " Yoshio saw the pain and depression that settled in Naomi, after her husband was murdered. The last thing he wanted was to be responsible for Valkyrie to feel it for himself.

The redhead looked at her hand, before looking at him. "Well, to be fair, it's not like life is completely risk-free. I could go down a flight of stairs, stumble and open my head like impact. There's always a balance between risk and reward, so you have to decide if it's worth it, Valkyrie is obviously worth it. "

Yoshi snorted and looked back at his business manager. "How would that work? Hero Number One with Watchman Number One? Because I imagine it's something that people will easily notice."

"To be honest, I've probably spent a lot of time thinking about it. Simple way: Luphinus is never in a relationship with Valkyrie, but Kakinomoto Yoshio is in a relationship with the woman behind the character of Valkyrie. A little less simple way: staging a date cute with his civilian identities, let's say we want to keep things private. More complicated way: it involves defense lawyers, press conferences and probably a three-hour special on Dateline. " Alicia smiled, before starting to become a frown. "That, however, depends on the idea that-"

"She is alive!" Yoshi interrupted his words. "I know she is alive."

Because Valkyrie always managed to get out alive.

-XxX-