Chapter 45 – The Enemy of My Enemy

Rain looks back at Ronin, studying the approving expression she's directing at him. He suspected that she might be this way, deep down. That whatever was broken inside him by that Curse, pushed to the edge by his childhood, might already have broken inside Ronin as well. He could see it in her eyes, even on that first day of orientation. But suspicion and knowledge are two different things...

'Damn...she's scary...'

Shaking off the unnerving sensation of seeing Ronin truly smile for the first time, over something so dark no less, Rain just smirks at her. He straightens his back, then walks to the chair near her bed and once again takes a seat to face her. Pleased that it seems like he's finally going to be involved the way Unhinged is pushing him to be...the way he wants at his core...he nods at Ronin with an approving smile. 

"Well...can I assume this means you've decided to reevaluate how you treat me in this alliance? And that you're going to be a bit more honest about the reason for these tea parties?"

Her expression slowly returns to its stoic default, the unnerving smile fading from her lips. However, her pale blue eyes are studying him with a new light, more curious than before. She nods politely in response to his questions. 

"I have..."

The small smile on his lips widen slightly, and Rain's eyebrows raise expectantly. 

"Good. In that case, our priority for now is still just surviving our Crucibles. It would really take the wind out of my sails to see whoever is responsible for your parents' deaths getting their way again by killing you. So, let's discuss what you want from me. The real reason behind the tea parties, of course, but also anything else you need. Naturally, I intend to ask for your help when it suits me...this isn't a one-way street. I'm not going to be shy about my requests either, so don't hold back on yours. I can always say no if it's too much trouble."

He sees the corner of Ronin's mouth twitch, then she studies him for a several more moments. When she responds, her tone sounds...cautiously optimistic. 

"Very well, but first...when it comes to information about me personally, do I have your word that you won't share what you learn? With anyone...not even allies. I'm surrounded by enemies whose faces I don't know, and any knowledge about me that spreads could reduce my chances of survival. Telling you more about myself...I'd be placing significantly greater trust in you than I first intended. And I have no way to verify if you're lying, so please make this convincing."

Rain gives her a puzzled expression. He isn't surprised that she wants to affirm that prior assurance of his, but he is a bit confused about how he's supposed to make it more convincing this time around. He studies her thoughtfully, while her expression remains expectant but patient. 

'I guess if her reason for concern is the possibility of her putting too much trust in me and having information about her spread through allies whose wants I placed above hers...'

He nods at Ronin, and gives her an apologetic smile. 

"In that case, you have my word. Also, Nik already knows about your ability to predict people's actions in real time, as if you can see a short span into the future. Foresight, I think he called it? Regardless, I thought you'd want to know that it's not a complete secret, though I doubt Nik has told anyone else. I hope this good-faith information shows you that I value your concerns for privacy as much as the interests of my other allies."

Ronin's eyes widen in uncharacteristically severe surprise, and her tone becomes a bit more urgent. 

"Rain...that's...do you know how he knows about that?"

As she stares at him intently, Rain feels a pang of guilt. 

'Shit...'

He sheepishly rubs the back of his neck, glancing away as he thinks. Eventually, he turns an apologetic gaze towards her, scratching his cheek nervously as he responds. 

"Uhm...yeah...about that. It's kind of my fault...sorry. I saw the way you were moving through the crowd in the cafeteria after you left orientation, and put two and two together. A couple days later, I mentioned it to Nik offhandedly, and he seemed to know the name of the ability."

Ronin blinks at him in surprise, then looks away thoughtfully for several moments. Eventually, she sighs and shakes her head. 

"So...I only have my own carelessness to blame...I see."

Now it's Rain's turn to be surprised.

'She's...not mad at me over that?'

Seeing his dumbfounded expression, she seems to realize the reason for it, and her eyebrows raise in surprise. 

"I can't really blame you, Rain. For one, I'd only been antagonistic towards you up to that point. More importantly, you didn't betray anything learned in confidence, you just shared observations about how I behaved publicly. Truthfully, I'm impressed...though, I can't pretend that people knowing about my ability isn't concerning for me. Foresight isn't...well...let's just say that I would have liked for it to remain secret."

Ronin trails off, her face troubled. After a moment, she seems to remember something, though, and she glances back at Rain with her normal, calm expression. 

"Regardless, thank you for telling me...I'll take you at your word about keeping my personal information private."

Rain breathes an internal sigh of relief and nods appreciatively. 

"Great, I'm glad to hear it. So, what's the deal with this tea party nonsense?"

Her expression quickly becomes serious. She leans back on her bed slowly, her eyes sliding away from him to stare off into space. Her demeanor becomes almost...apprehensive. Despite that, Rain's eyes can't help but be drawn to the way the fabric of her shirt pulls against her chest and midsection. He's always viewed her body as tomboyish, the lean muscles of her back clearly displayed under her training tank-tops, but now he's surprised to see the outlines of her body revealing a curvier, more alluring figure. 

'Why have I never noticed how...gorgeous...she is. Wait...why am I thinking about this right now!?'

Sitting upright again, jarring Rain from his trance, Ronin runs her fingers through her long, blonde hair absentmindedly, as she appears to think over what she wants to say. Eventually, she turns and studies Rain, her mind made up. 

"Do you remember how I told you that you're immune to all of my abilities?"

Rain's eyes widen in surprise, shocked by the sudden change in the conversation. 

"Uhm...yeah..."

Ronin nods, considering her next words carefully. 

"Well...your ability to suppress my Lineage is even more significant than that. It seems that you're even able...to suppress my Quirk."

Processing her words, and connecting the dots between them and the day's events, Rain feels a deep sense of...envy. 

'Son of a bitch...here I am stuck with Unhinged, but you mean that all she has to do to get rid of her Quirk...'

He directs a bewildered gaze at Ronin.

"So, the reason you want to have tea with me...every evening..."

Taking advantage of his hesitant pause, Ronin just nods seriously. 

"Yes...it's so that I can use your presence to suppress my Quirk. As long as you have tea with me every evening, I won't suffer its effects. The truth is, Rain, my Quirk is incredibly...draining. It takes such a constant toll on me that sometimes, it even feels like more than I can bear. I know this arrangement will get interrupted by the Crucible, but...every day that I'm free of that burden will help me build my strength and prepare."

Rain stares at Ronin's stony face for several seconds, before an exasperated chuckle escapes his throat and he shakes his head. Looking back at her, there's a subtly amused expression on his face. 

"Well, I'm a bit...jealous...about you having the option to suppress your Quirk. Regardless, consider your request granted. I'm glad to be able to help with your situation, and I'm looking forward to our evening tea parties."

He sees visible relief flood Ronin's blue eyes, warming them slightly, though her face remains calm. However, the corners of her mouth eventually turn slightly upwards as she looks back at him. When she speaks, her tone is unmistakably...appreciative...happy, even. 

"Thank you, Rain...I mean it."

Not particularly comfortable with the girl's unprecedented gratitude, he shrugs nonchalantly and makes a dismissive hand gesture, throwing out the first joke that comes to mind.

"Err, relax...I'm sure you'll hold up your end of our alliance, too. Plus, there are plenty of guys that would kill to be in my shoes...I'll consider their hypothetical envy a down payment."

Ronin makes a puzzled expression, looking at him carefully. 

"You mean...because of my dad?"

Realizing what intrusive thought he let slip out, Rain quickly tries to move on from this line of conversation. Scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, he responds to her in a flustered tone. 

"Err, yeah, exactly. I'm sure they'd want to spend time alone with you, too...because of your dad. Uhm...anyways...back to business. What else can I do from my end? Hopefully, more than just act as a wet blanket for your Quirk."

Quick to forget the prior line of conversation, Ronin looks away thoughtfully, her finger tracing the line of her chin absentmindedly. After a moment, she glances back at him, her expression hesitant. 

"You're sure you really want to be more involved?"

He smirks dryly. It's far too late for him to back out now...

"Yes. As I said, treat me like an actual ally. If something you ask for is too much, I'll let you know."

She nods slowly as her blue eyes study him, seeming to make up her mind. Her tone becomes less hesitant, and more serious. 

"Very well, thank you. In that case, I'd appreciate it if you could help me finish determining which students are Legacies or citizens that already pledged to a clan, and which are just regular citizens. It would help me know who to distrust most, and...uhm...I am not very good at that kind of face-to-face information gathering...with people."

She looks away from him towards the end, as though embarrassed when she talks about not being good with people. Rain has to stifle a chuckle at the sight...it's still hard for him to believe how cold and determined she can be in some contexts, but strangely immature in others. 

He gives Ronin a reassuring smile and nods. 

"Sure, consider it done. We can exchange contact information for scheduling the tea parties, and you can message me if you think of anything else you want to ask me for."

Hearing his suggestion, she nods seriously and begins fiddling with her omniwatch. When she finishes and looks back at him expectantly, she seems to realize something, and her expression becomes nervous as she glances at his wrist. 

"Uhm...I need your hand...please...so I can transfer my contact information."

Confused at first, he glances at his wrist, then he remembers what Bright showed him. 

'Right...it's like the boxes on the doors, you have to touch them together...'

Flashing her an apologetic smile, he offers his hand to her. 

"Of course, sorry. I'm still getting used to these things."

Nodding her thanks, Ronin extends her arm towards his and gently presses their devices near one another. As she does, she seems...wary...like the action is a precarious or delicate one. When the watches whir, signaling the end of the process, she quickly pulls her arm away. She clears her throat nervously and looks at him again, her expression returning to its calm, unflustered norm. 

"Ehem...there, now you can get in contact with me, too. Uhm...so, what can I do for you in return?"

As Ronin stares at him expectantly, her blue eyes scanning his face, he feels his eyes widen in surprise. Now that he thinks about it...he has no idea what to ask Ronin for.