Thokk [Edited]

"Gee, why are you so rude? I just asked," Eve said, feigning offense.

Before I could reply, my phone buzzed.

"Cut the act, Eve. One sec—Cecil's calling," I said, answering.

"Unc, what's up?"

"I need you at the Pentagon. Now. That alien you fought? He woke up. And he's asking for you. Frankly, I don't wanna deal with him—not that I think I can," Cecil admitted.

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh shit. I didn't kill him, right? Alright, I'm on my way."

Eve tilted her head. "What was that about?"

"Nothing serious. Cecil needs me for a mission." I turned to leave, then paused. "You can tag along if you want."

Eve tapped her chin, pretending to think.

I rolled my eyes. "Don't overdo it."

As I stepped onto the balcony, she called after me. "Wait! I'm coming."

"Thought so," I said as I took off, Eve right behind me.

She pulled up beside me in the air. "So? Just a mission?"

"Not exactly. Remember when Mark and I teamed up with Titan? I fought this insanely strong alien—the strongest person on this planet, probably. And, uh… I left him alive."

"WHAT?!" Eve pushed me in mid-air.

I wobbled for a second, glaring at her. "Watch your fucking hands! I'm not that good at flying yet."

She crossed her arms. "So let me get this straight—you left him alive? Why?"

I sighed. "I dunno. It didn't feel right. And… I think we could be friends."

Eve blinked. "...What again? You're just full of surprises today. You want to be friends with him?"

"He was fun to fight, and honestly? If I can get him on our side, he could help protect people when I can't."

"Huh?" She tilted her head.

"I mean, sure, I'm strong, but I can't be everywhere at once. And I'm not fast, he's my best shot at doing shit I can't" I said, just barely dodging a bird that almost flew straight into me.

Braindead.

"Welp, there's the Pentagon. I'll talk to you about this later." I told her as we both descended to the ground.

I looked at the entrance. 

"Oi! Open the door," I told the guards.

"Yes, sir!"

The massive steel doors hissed as they slid open, revealing the heavily guarded interior of the Pentagon. Rows of armed soldiers stood at attention, their eyes flickering between me and Eve as we walked in. I ignored the stares—probably still not used to seeing us up close.

Cecil was already waiting inside, arms crossed, looking more stressed than usual. "Took you long enough," he muttered, motioning for us to follow.

"Yeah, yeah, traffic was a bitch," I said, cracking my neck.

Eve shot me a look. "You literally flew here."

I glared at her, signaling her off.

Cecil sighed, rubbing his temples. "I swear, you're worse than Mark sometimes."

"Alright, spill," I said. "Why is everyone acting like they just got told their grandma's in the ICU?"

Cecil glanced at me, then at Eve, before stopping in front of a reinforced door. "Because that 'alien dude' you fought? He hasn't said a word to anyone. Not to our scientists, not to our interrogators. Just one sentence—'Bring me Kaito.' And he's been sitting in there, waiting."

I exhaled sharply. "Great. That's not ominous at all."

Cecil tapped a security panel, and the door let out a heavy clunk before sliding open.

Inside, Battle Beast sat on the reinforced floor, legs crossed, looking eerily calm. His golden eyes locked onto mine the second I stepped in.

A slow smirk spread across his face. "There you are."

"Hey, Thokk, Battle Beast. Sick title, dude. Listen, I'm here for a negotiation, can I trust you to be non-hostile? Can I?"

Battle Beast's smirk widened—not in mockery, not in arrogance, but in something rare. Satisfaction. His golden eyes gleamed with something deeper than respect—acknowledgment.

He rose to his feet, slow and deliberate, his every movement exuding sheer, raw power. The tension in the room thickened as the guards instinctively tensed, hands gripping their weapons, but Battle Beast paid them no mind. They were beneath his notice. His focus was solely on me.

"I have sought battle across the stars," he said, his voice a deep, rumbling growl. "Fought warlords, conquerors, and self-proclaimed gods. I have crushed armies, reduced civilizations to dust, and yet…" He took a step forward, looming over me. "None have bested me as you did. Tell me, why did you not kill me?"

His expression was unreadable—neither anger nor regret. Only certainty.

I met his gaze, arms still crossed. "Killing you wouldn't have made sense."

Battle Beast narrowed his eyes slightly, intrigued. "Explain."

I shrugged. "You wanted a worthy opponent. I gave you a fight. If I killed you, that'd be it—no rematch, no learning from it. Just a waste. And besides…" I exhaled. "You weren't my enemy. Not really."

His golden eyes studied me, searching for deceit, for weakness—he found none. Slowly, his smirk returned.

"Fascinating."

Eve shifted uncomfortably beside me. "Yeah, super fascinating. Can we skip past the whole warrior poetry thing and get to why you called for Kaito?"

Battle Beast barely spared her a glance before looking back at me. "I sought clarity in battle. And now, I have it. My purpose is simple—to fight, to grow, to test the limits of strength." His eyes gleamed. "And I have found no greater test than you."

I tilted my head. "So what, you wanna fight me again? Because I'm not exactly interested in round two right now."

His smirk widened. "Not yet. But the day will come when you will seek battle again. Until then…" He pounded his fist against his chest. "I will fight by your side, Kaito. Not as a servant. Not as an ally. But as a warrior drawn to strength."

Eve blinked. "Wait—hold on. Are you saying—?"

"I will fight for you," Battle Beast declared. "Because I must."

I exhaled, shaking my head. "Damn. You really don't do things halfway, huh?"

Battle Beast chuckled. "No warrior worth his blood does."

Cecil, who had been rubbing his temples through most of this, finally muttered, "Oh, for fuck's sake."

I turned to him. "You good, unc?"

"No, Kaito. I'm not good," he snapped. "Do you realize what a nightmare this is? Battle Beast is now your personal muscle. Do you understand what kind of problem that is for me?"

I shrugged. "Sounds like a you problem."

Cecil muttered something under his breath that definitely wasn't flattering. "Fine. Whatever. If he's following you now, then you deal with him. If he steps out of line even once—"

Battle Beast cut him off with a low growl. "I do not serve men of strategy."

Cecil shot me a look. "Your problem."

I smirked. "Yeah, yeah."

Eve sighed, crossing her arms. "This is insane. You're seriously okay with this?"

I glanced up at Battle Beast. "Yeah. I think I am."

Thokk grinned, sharp and deadly.

"Yeah, unc, could you give him like a device, for communication?"

Cecil pinched the bridge of his nose. "You want me to hand Battle Beast a government-issued comm device?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Makes sense, right? If he's fighting by my side, I need a way to contact him."

Eve groaned. "Oh my god, you're really doing this."

Cecil let out a long sigh, then turned to one of the nearby agents. "Get him a secure line—and make sure it can't be traced back to us if he decides to go on another planetary conquest."

Battle Beast watched all of this with amusement, arms crossed over his massive chest.

A minute later, an agent returned with a sleek black earpiece. I held it out to Battle Beast, who examined it curiously before placing it in his ear.

"This will allow us to coordinate," I said. "In case, y'know, some cosmic warlord shows up and we need to throw hands."

Battle Beast's grin widened. "A tool for warriors. Acceptable."

Cecil threw his hands up. "Great. Fantastic. I hope you know what you're doing, Kaito, because if he wrecks a city, it's your ass on the line."

I smirked. "Relax, unc. If he wrecks a city, I'll make him clean it up."

Battle Beast let out a deep chuckle. "Then it is settled. Call upon me when the battle is worthy, Kaito. Until then…" He turned toward the door. "I shall find my own wars."

Cecil snapped his fingers. "Hold it, big guy. You're not just walking out of here."

Battle Beast paused, glancing at me.

I sighed. "Unc, what's the problem now?"

"The problem is that we can't have him flying around unchecked. You got him under control? Prove it. Tell him to stay put until we can officially clear this mess."

I turned to Battle Beast. "You cool with waiting a bit? Bureaucracy and all that."

The massive warrior let out a low growl but eventually nodded. "Very well. But not for long."

Cecil sighed. "That's the best I'm getting, huh? Fine. Kaito, get out of my sight before I start drinking again."

I grinned. "Love you too, unc."

Eve grabbed my arm. "Yeah, we're leaving before you make this worse."

As we walked out, I couldn't help but glance back at Battle Beast.

"Dude, you're so damn big, totally jacked, I like it," I told him.

Battle Beast let out a deep, rumbling chuckle. "Strength is the only truth, Kaito. You understand this well."

Battle Beast pounded his chest once. "We shall fight together, Kaito. And should the day come when you seek battle once more… you will find me ready." 

I put my fist forward, only to be left hanging.

"Hey, uh, you're supposed to do a fist bump," I told him.

"What is a fist bump?"

Battle Beast frowned slightly, eyeing my outstretched fist like it was a foreign object.

"It's a sign of respect," I explained. "A way to acknowledge strength without words."

He studied my fist for a moment before slowly raising his own. His massive, clawed hand curled into a fist, and he brought it forward, tapping it against mine with a force that nearly sent me stumbling back.

"Shit—" I muttered, shaking my hand. "Alright, we'll work on the pressure next time."

Battle Beast let out a deep chuckle. "A warrior's greeting. I shall remember this."

"Yeah, you better." I watched as he walked out of there. 

"Eve," I called her, she was spacing out, probably daydreaming.

"Oh, are you done?" She asked me.

"Very funny,"

"So… just like that, you got Battle Beast on our side?" she asked. "That easy?"

I shrugged. "Guess so. He respects strength, and I gave him the best fight he's had in years. Makes sense he'd want more of that."

She nodded, considering it. "Yeah, I get it. He's a warrior first, everything else second. As long as he sees you as worthy, he'll stick around."

"Exactly."

She glanced at me. "Still, I gotta ask—are you actually cool with this? You basically just picked up a walking apocalypse as a battle partner."

I smirked. "Better to have him with us than against us."

We stepped out of the Pentagon, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows over the city. The air was crisp, and Eve tilted her head slightly, looking at me.

"So, what now?"

I stretched, cracking my neck. "Not sure. Kinda hungry."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course you are."

We touched down in an alleyway near a stretch of restaurants, the streets buzzing with people. I ran a hand through my hair, already scanning for something good.

"Alright, what are we feeling?" I asked, cracking my knuckles. "Burgers? Tacos? Something fancy?"

Eve rolled her eyes. "Fancy? Please, you eat like a caveman."

"Wow. First of all, rude. Second, I'm an efficient eater."

"Right. Because shoveling food into your mouth at super speed is efficient."

"It is efficient. You ever seen me waste time eating? Nope."

She sighed. "Whatever. I could go for sushi."

I paused. "...Sushi, huh? Fancy."

She shot me a look.

I smirked. "Alright, sushi it is."

We walked toward a nearby place that had a line forming outside. Looked good. The sign read Shinobu Sushi, and the scent of grilled eel and fresh fish hit me instantly. My stomach practically cheered.

"Think we need a reservation?" Eve asked.

"Nah. We're superheroes. Perks of the job." I stepped inside.

"That's not how it works," she muttered, following me in.

"It's Lawbreaker!"

Heads turned. Whispers spread through the restaurant like wildfire. Some people gawked, others fumbled with their phones, probably snapping pictures. A few even stood up slightly, like they weren't sure if they should be excited or worried.

Eve sighed. "Great. Here we go."

A guy behind the counter—probably the owner—stared at me with wide eyes. "You're really him?"

I leaned on the counter, smirking. "Unless there's another guy running around breaking laws of physics, yeah, that's me."

The owner blinked, then suddenly clapped his hands together. "Ah! This is an honor! Please, please, take a seat! Your meal is on the house!"

Eve arched an eyebrow. "Wait, seriously?"

The guy nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! You saved my cousin's shop from that rampaging Kaiju last year!"

I thought back. "Oh, the big-ass lizard thing?"

"Yes! You threw it into the ocean before it could destroy the whole block! Fucking cool!"

I shrugged. "Yeah, well, it was getting in the way of my lunch, so…"

Eve rolled her eyes. "Unbelievable."

The guy waved us toward a private booth in the back. "Please, sit! I will bring you the best we have!"

I slid into the seat, stretching out. "Man, I could get used to this."

Eve sat across from me, arms crossed. "This is why you have an ego the size of a planet."

"Hey, I earned this ego." I picked up a menu. "Now, let's see—oh damn, they got wagyu sushi?"

Eve sighed, but I caught the small smile on her lips.

A few minutes later, the owner came back with a massive platter of sushi—fresh, vibrant, and expensive as hell. He set it down with a flourish. "For the savior of my cousin's shop!"

I cracked my knuckles. "Alright, time to put in work."

Eve picked up her chopsticks, watching as I grabbed a piece and popped it into my mouth. The moment it hit my tongue, I groaned. "Holy shit. That's insane."

Eve took a bite as well, eyes widening slightly. "Okay, yeah. This is good."

We ate in relative peace—well, as much peace as you could have with people sneaking glances at us every few minutes. But honestly? I didn't care.

For once, I could just sit down, eat some bomb-ass food, and not worry about getting punched through a building.

See, you gotta cash in your benefits, okay? If they're offering, why are you declining? I quickly finished my food.

Before, I knew it, everyone flooded us.

I smirked, wiping my mouth with a napkin. "Alright, alright, one at a time. Autographs, pictures—what's the move?"

Eve groaned, setting her chopsticks down. "This is literally why I don't go out with you in public."

A kid, probably no older than ten, ran up to me with a napkin and a pen. "Lawbreaker! Can you sign this?"

I took the napkin, twirling the pen between my fingers before scribbling my signature. "There you go, kid. Try not to sell it on eBay too fast."

The kid gasped. "No way! I'm keeping this forever!" He ran back to his parents, who gave me a respectful nod.

More people approached, a mix of awe, curiosity, and just pure excitement. Some wanted photos, others just wanted to shake my hand.

Eve watched with an exasperated look. "You're really basking in this, huh?"

I shrugged. "Hey, if saving people gets me free sushi and a little love, who am I to complain?"

A woman approached, a bit more hesitant than the others. "Um… sorry, I just wanted to say thank you. A few months ago, my brother was caught in a building collapse. They said you pulled him out before the whole thing came down. He—he's alive because of you."

I blinked. That wasn't something I did for recognition—I just did it. But seeing the genuine gratitude in her eyes made it hit different.

I nodded. "That's what I do. Glad he's okay."

She gave me a shaky smile before stepping back, leaving me with a weird, warm feeling in my chest.

Eve noticed. "See? That's why we do this. Not the free food. Not the fame. But that."

I exhaled, rubbing the back of my neck. "Yeah, yeah. I get it."

The crowd slowly started to back off after a while, giving us breathing room again. I leaned back, sipping on some tea.

"You done lecturing me now?"

Eve smirked. "For now."

I stretched. "Cool. 'Cause I got one more thing I wanna do."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh no. What now?"

I grinned. "Dessert."

"NO!" She shouted.

"Ouch, okay," I told her. 

"Sorry, guys. I gotta go." I told them.

"Are you dating Atom Eve?!" Someone asked.

Eve choked on her tea. I nearly spat mine out. The entire restaurant went dead silent for a second before the murmurs started back up, louder than before.

"Oh my god, are they together?""Wait, that actually makes sense—""They've been hanging out a lot recently!"

I glanced at Eve. She was red—not just her usual pink glow, but full-on, fire-engine red.

She slammed her cup down. "Okay, who the hell asked that?"

A teenage girl in the back hesitantly raised her hand. "Uhh… me?"

Eve exhaled sharply, rubbing her temples. "Jesus Christ."

I leaned back, smirking. "Damn, Eve. That much of a downgrade to you?"

She shot me a death glare. "Oh, shut up."

The crowd waited, clearly expecting an answer.

I shrugged. "I dunno. Are we dating, Eve?"

She looked at me like I had just drop-kicked a puppy. "I hate you."

"That's not a no."

She groaned, standing up. "We are leaving."

I laughed, standing up as well. "Alright, alright. Keep your secrets."

As we stepped out of the restaurant, I could still hear the whispers trailing behind us.

"That's totally a yes.""They'd be such a power couple.""I ship it."

Eve sighed, floating up beside me as we took off. "You enjoy making my life difficult, don't you?"

I grinned. "Oh, absolutely not, ehy would you think so?"

She rolled her eyes, but I caught the tiny, amused smile tugging at her lips.