Without realizing, three weeks passed, and the team was a little bit suspicious since the villain duo hasn’t shown up in all this time.

“They completely vanished.” Jeongyeon says as she leans on her seat, Sana looks at her from the backseat and Mina side-eyes the blonde until they’re in front of red light, Mina turns to look at Jeongyeon from the driver seat.

“Remember what Wendy said.” Sana starts. “They tend to disappear for days and weeks, the longest they’ve disappeared has been two months.”

“Yeah, but why? It isn’t like we hurt them a lot in the last fight.” Jeongyeon frowns. “Or maybe they’re searching for something before attacking?”

“That could be a possibility.” Mina says as she sees the greenlight and drives again. “All their robberies seem to be pretty well calculated, not random attacks.”

“What if this time they have what they need? Don’t you think they must have a big plan?” Sana intervenes.

“And that’s another good possibility.” Jeongyeon says as she passes a hand through her hair with a groan. “Why can’t we discover something from them? Like their names, occupation, anything would be so useful.”

“The only useful thing we have right now is the CEO of the energy drink company associates and investors, but Wendy can’t find anything yet.” Mina says with a long sigh.

The Jeep is quiet again for a few moments until Sana speaks again. “There’s definitely something really fishy, and I don’t know about you girls, but we really need to capture them, this duo is so unpredictable that it can be dangerous...”

“That’s why this is so frustrating, they’re the type we need to be careful with.” Jeongyeon says frowning again. “The types of villains who are meticulous are usually the ones who plan on attacking people, the city or make big chaos either because they’re pretty crazy or because they’ve an objective-“

Jeongyeon seems interrupted when the stereo stops and there’s an incoming call, the three women turn to look at the screen and Mina answers when she presses a button of the steering wheel. “What's up Tzuyu?”

“I will be a little bit late for the weekly evaluation, or can you tell Jihyo-unnie if she can check me on Monday?” Tzuyu says and Jeongyeon raises a curious brow. “Yeah, we can tell her but something happened?”

Tzuyu stays in silence for a few moments but speaks again. “Elkie came for a couple of days, I want to talk with her.”

Sana and the other two women exchange knowing looks. “A date with your university friend huh”

Tzuyu lets out a chuckle knowing what Sana is meaning behind her tone and words. “Is not a date, I just need to ask her a few things, that’s all.”

“Like asking her out?” Jeongyeon says with a smirk and they can hear Tzuyu tired sigh. “Look she’s just a friend.”

“Uh-huh, whatever you say Tzuyu.” Mina also says with a teasing tone and they only hear Tzuyu’s chuckle before she hangs up making them open their mouths with surprise.

“She really hanged up just like that” Sana says with a hand on her chest. “Rude.”

“She learned that from Jeongyeon and you.” Mina says with a light laugh.

“Myoui Mina, we’re older than you, where are the honorifics?” Jeongyeon and Sana say in unison making Mina laugh even more. “You’re just two years older, but act like big babies.”

“Hey!!!”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tzuyu waits in the coffee shop as she drinks her iced americano quietly and typing a message to someone on her phone.

“Are you free tomorrow?”

“Remind me why I gave you my number again”

“Because you’re Chaeyoung’s guardian and I needed it”

“And also maybe because you like going to karaoke with such an amazing company ¯\_(ツ)_/¯”

“Still a tolerable company, you still don’t level up Chou.”

“And you are the one enjoying an amazing company, let that be clear”

“HA, believe whatever you want Im”

“Wanna play volleyball tomorrow?”

“We played two days ago, don’t you have better ideas?”

“Why don’t you tell me one? Mastermind.”

“I have one, but I don’t think your ice can’t handle it with this weather.”

“Do I need to remind you I kicked your in outdoor basketball with the burning sunlight?”

“Just because of your long limbs and height Chou, only for that”

“Sore loser.”

“Pain in the .”

“crabby Fireball.”

“Ice cube jerk”

“Whatever, what’s your idea?”

Tzuyu notices Nayeon doesn’t answer fast and thinks maybe she’s busy walking or taking care of dogs, as she does the majority of the time.

Taking a sip from her beverage while she imagines a fuming Nayeon because of her teasing the hero can’t help but chuckle, but when she looks ups she almost let’s her iced coffee fall from her hands when she finds a smirking blonde in front of her.

“Jesus Christ Elkie, how long have you been there?” Tzuyu says with a hand on her chest and surprised eyes.

“Not too long.” Elkie answers with a chuckle, still smirking. “You were veeeery focused on your phone, that’s pretty weird, along with the chuckles you let out.”

Tzuyu only rolls her eyes and sighs. “I was seeing funny memes, that’s all.”

“While typing?” Elkie wiggles her eyebrows and Tzuyu only raises an eyebrow. “Yeah, while typing.”

Elkie only makes a grimace that says she doesn’t believe Tzuyu. “Well, are you not going to give a hug? Or even a hi I missed you??”

Tzuyu chuckles and gets up along with Elkie, the tall girl hugs Elkie softly hearing Elkie humming happily, and when they separate the blonde caresses Tzuyu’s hair.”Look at you, you keep getting prettier, what do you eat?”

“Bread and veggies” Tzuyu answers with a laugh and smiles making the blonde laughs as well.

They sit again in front of each other and Elkie orders an iced coffee too before she starts to speak again. “And why did you call me? I expected your call but not too fast”

The ice hero takes a sip from her coffee before speaking. “Aside from your doctor job, you also work as a villain behavior analyzer for the hero’s association.”

Elkie nods and thanks to the waiter for her iced coffee before speaking. “Yeah, I’ve been working on that for two years, why?”

“I have a few questions about their behavior, I was wondering if you can help me.” Tzuyu says with a tiny pleading smile.

“Sure!” Elkie says with a wide smile. “Ask anything you want I would love to help you.”

“Great!” Tzuyu says with a happy tone but frowns a little bit, seeming to think in her words carefully.

“Have you ever analyzed a villain that doesn’t act like one?”

Elkie frowns with curiosity and then makes a thinking face. “A couple of times, but that’s not a usual case you can see.”

Tzuyu nods. “I know, it’s unusual because even their…vibe it’s different.”

“Usually.” Elkie starts with a serious voice. “They’re more emotional than the common villains, not too meticulous and in some cases they’re somewhat dumb because they don’t think about strategies or something more complicated.”

The ice hero looks at Elkie with attentive eyes and asks. “They don’t have the profile to be one, but why are they villains?”

“From the cases I’ve analyzed and the ones I studied.” Elkie explains. “It could be because they search for easy ways to survive without killing people, sometimes they’ve huge debts or they were born in a villain family.”

“Most of them hate what they do and often feel guilty for what they do, especially if someone was hurt or killed.” Elkie points out. “The one thing those individuals who doesn’t want to be villains have in common, that I’ve found, is that they hate hurting innocent people or animals”

“They despise the thought of hurting someone innocent too much.” Elkie says with a slight frown. “You can see them breaking walls, punching heroes, but never an innocent civilian.”

Tzuyu then opens her eyes a little bit wide the way, Elkie is describing that type of villains can’t help but remind her to Nayeon and thinks for a moment, feeling whether she should ask another question or not.

Breathing deeply, she looks at Elkie with serious eyes that surprise the blonde. “Have you…ever analyzed a villain that saves people?”

Elkie then purses her lips, thinking and trying to remember. “I haven’t…but that’s pretty interesting, did you see something like that?” the blonde asks with curious eyes.

“Yeah.” Tzuyu says but bites her inner cheek.

The blonde leans on her chair with a curious look and then frowns. “I suppose you cannot tell me too much.”

Tzuyu nods and thanks the team and heroes policies to not say vital information when there’s an investigation or mission going on.

“Well.” Elkie takes a sip of her coffee moving her eyes as if she was thinking or analyzing. “Maybe that villain does it because they want to feel less guilty for their crimes, some of them think if they do something good that will erase a part of their crimes.”

“And if it was by instinct?” Tzuyu says looking at her coffee with a stormy look.

Elkie looks at the ice hero with wider eyes and puts a fist on her lips as she frowns with incredulity. “Can you tell me if the villain does major crimes or?”

“It could be labeled as minor crimes.” Tzuyu says as she narrows her eyes thinking about the villain duo crimes.

“Then that villain cannot be one.” Elkie leans on her chair again thinking deeply before arriving at one conclusion. “Based on what you’re saying to me, they can’t be categorized as a villain.”

“That person must be anything but a villain”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Tzuyu arrives home, she notices there’s no one and sighs softly going to her room remembering Mina is at work, Sana and Jeongyeon are having a double date with Jihyo and Dahyun.

The team leader lets out a tiny smile remembering Jeongyeon had to introduce Dahyun to them in the supermarket, not the best place for introductions but the blonde’s blush when the girls noticed she was holding hands and being all lovey-dovey with Dahyun was priceless.

Laying on her bed with her back resting on the soft surface, the blue grey-haired woman looks at the roof for a couple of minutes, she takes her Ipad from her desk and opens a couple of new classified files about Nayeon and Stormwater-M.

“Stormwater-M, calm but thunderous like a storm, the calmest of the two but apparently the one who has more control in her quirk, giving any form she wants to the water and control the water nearby her that is not bottled, her fighting style is focused more on flexibility and strategy than strength, however, her strongest attacks can even break bones.” Tzuyu reads and clicks her tongue, this is one of the few documents she has about the duo, but again, there’s not too much information but it’s somewhat useful.

“Wildfire-N, uncontrollable and fierce fire quirk seems to be the strongest with a good management of her quirk, her movements are fast and powerful, seems to have training in hand-to-hand combat, she is the one who does more injuries to heroes since her fighting style is harsh and with high-powered attacks.” Tzuyu keeps reading and squints her eyes when she sees a picture of them, zooming on their backs, she can read tiny letters their villain’s name.

“Why do they have that?” Tzuyu frowns and keeps looking at the picture. “Villains are the types that reveal that information on their own most of the times”

The hero keeps looking at the picture with confused and troubled eyes, but maybe they wanted police and heroes to know their villain names since the beginning?

Frowning as she thinks of possibilities, she rubs her eyes before letting out a long sigh. “The more Wendy and the team get information about them, this gets more complicated to understand.”

The ice hero only shakes her head trying to concentrate again in the documents and scrolls it until she finds another picture of them, in this one Nayeon is barely visible, but Stormwater-M can be seen more clearly.

Zooming the picture, Tzuyu notices a tiny part of her mask was broking revealing part of her left eye and face.

However, even though she tries to brighten and zoom the picture even more, she cannot even see the eye color and bites her lower lip with frustration but breathes in and exhales, sending the picture to Wendy hopping the scientific girl can make miracles with her hyper-intelligence quirk.

Leaving her iPad on the desk again to lay on her bed she looks at the roof, even though in these past weeks she and Nayeon have developed a... strange friendship if Tzuyu can call it like that.

Even if it has been a few weeks, she knows Nayeon still doesn’t trust her fully, however... she can see the villain now is somewhat different, laughing more and even letting out a couple smiles from time to time.

Sometimes Nayeon would tell her about what she likes or would like to know, like the drive-in cinema or that she wants to see the movie Chaeyoung's recommended her, Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind.

But when the auburn brown-haired woman seems like she wants to tell her something more personal, she stops.

Tzuyu sighs softly wondering if their "friendship" is improving slowly or fastly, she wants to know more about Nayeon, but she feels is she pushes the villain too much all her effort will fall like a Jenga tower.

"I don't want her to feel pressured...even though I would like to know more, I can wait." The hero thinks with a tiny smile. "Maybe she will surprise me one of these days."

Rolling on her bed to lay on her left side, she looks at the window for a couple of moments but her phone surprises her when it vibrates making her frown a little bit, taking her phone out of her pocket she can’t help but let out a chuckle when she reads who messaged her.

“Speaking about the Queen of Rome.” The hero says and opens the message with raised eyebrows.

“I thought about hiking, can you handle it?”

“I can, I’m not the one who gets tired after running 20 km.”

“Try to run them with Chocolate dragging you, that dog stamina is insane.”

“It’s insane that a dog has even more stamina than you, unbelievable. :P”

“You’re being so ing annoying today, more than usual”

“I was pretty tolerable this morning, don’t you think?”

“Partially, but anyway ¬_¬.”

“About the hiking thing, count with me, where are we going?”

“The Mount baekundae and Yeonbong.”

“The one who is in Bukhansan National Park?”

“Yeah, that one, at 8:00 am, how about that?”

“Sounds good to me, I will see you at the convenience store first.”

“See you there.”

Nayeon leaves her phone on the table and keeps eating with a little smile that doesn’t go unnoticed, making Chaeyoung and Momo exchange looks and signals.

“I can see your signals girls.” Nayeon says and looks at her younger sisters who seem like children who were caught up. “What are you plotting, mmm?”

Momo and Chaeyoung exchange looks again and seem to debate whether they speak their minds or say a lame excuse.

Chaeyoung who has gotten a little braver these past weeks it’s the one who dares to ask. “We…have noticed you seem to be in a good mood and smile a little bit more, so we were wondering what is the new hobby that is making you like this?”

Nayeon seems to be taken off guard and blinks for a moment before leaving her empty plate aside. “You two are imaging things.”

Momo looks at her with narrowed eyes and a curious eyebrow while Chaeyoung asks again. “Is it volleyball? I saw you brought a really cool Mikasa ball the other day.”

Nayeon closes her eyes and purses her lips thinking. “I shouldn’t have taken Chou’s volleyball ball with me dammit.”

“Or something related to singing? You’ve been singing in the shower a lot more.” Chaeyoung says with sparkling eyes.

“How long have you been watching me?” Nayeon says with an unbelievable laugh, her brownish-green eyes avoiding Momo’s piercing and suspicious blue orbs.

“Not too long! I swear!” Chaeyoung says with a tiny laugh and smiles softly making Nayeon stop laughing for a moment. “But…whatever thing you’re doing keep doing it! You seem less stressed and even frown less now!”

“You look freer!”

Nayeon opens her eyes with surprise when she hears Chaeyoung’s words and turns to see Momo’s gentle eyes and smile.

“You know you can tell us anything, right?” Momo says with a soft but also with a pinch of worry tone. “You can trust us.”

“We’re here for you!” Chaeyoung says with a bright smile that makes Momo and Nayeon smile softly as they look at their youngest sister fondly.

“I know, I know.”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I really didn’t think you would endure this.” Nayeon says as she and Tzuyu sit in one of the benches with somewhat fast breaths after they did a bet about who would arrive to the end first.

“Endure and win?” Tzuyu says with a raised eyebrow and a smirk that makes Nayeon let out a light chuckle, rolling her eyes. “Don’t get too cocky Chou.”

“Look who’s talking.” The ice hero says with a mocking laugh as she drinks water only to choke after Nayeon tilted her water bottle with a mischievous smile.

“What the-“Tzuyu says between coughs and looks at Nayeon with an indignant frown which the villain only answers with smile shrugging as she leans on the bench.

The ice hero only clicks her tongue and looks at her water bottle before looking at Nayeon with a smirking face.

Before Nayeon can react, Tzuyu splashes water right on Nayeon’s face with a loud laugh before she runs away leaving the surprised and soaked villain with an open mouth.

“Now you have done it.” Nayeon says as she grits her teeth with a smile and the water vaporize after she activates her fire quirk for a few moments.

Nayeon runs after Tzuyu leaving the people she passes by surprised and confused but the auburn brown-haired woman ignores them, she searches for the ice hero only to feel water falling on her head like someone poured a bucket on her.

Nayeon only hears a loud laugh and someone running away again, she remains still until she vaporizes the water again and covers her clenching fists with fire.

“CHOU TZUYU!!!!”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Are you being serious?” Tzuyu asks with a deadpanned expression and a soaked face

“Do I look like I’m not?” Nayeon says pointing Tzuyu with a water bottle as the tall girl leans on her car.

“You have splashed three bottles on my face, don’t you think a four one which is a whole liter is too much?” Tzuyu asks eyeing the water bottle approaching her face.

Nayeon squints her eyes and approaches the water bottle even more, seeming to debate whether she should pour Tzuyu this water bottle or not.

Tzuyu also squints her eyes looking at Nayeon, her greyish black eyes never leaving the brownish-green eyes.

The auburn brown-haired woman retreats the water bottle and lets out a light scoff. “Consider you lucky, just this time.”

Tzuyu can’t help but let out a light chuckle as she shakes her head and looks at Nayeon turning to drink from the water bottle with a tiny smile.

“Even if you hide them, I can see them.” The blue grey-haired woman thinks and smiles going to the driver's side. “Are you going to buy me lunch or not?”

“You’re unbelievable.” Nayeon says as soon as she closes her water bottle looking at Tzuyu with a raised eyebrow and remains quiet for a few minutes before sighing deeply thinking “Why should I pay? It was a bet I get it-“

“Don’t be cheap, it’s just a lunch.” Nayeon’s inner voice speaks for the first time in the day.

“And there you are.” Nayeon rolls her eyes internally.

“If you don’t want to hear me buy her lunch.”

“I was planning to do it even if you didn’t talk to me.” Nayeon thinks and smiles internally when she doesn’t hear the voice again.

After letting out a long sigh and closing her eyes for a moment she looks at Tzuyu who is looking at her with curious eyes.

“What do you want to eat?”

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Later Nayeon and Tzuyu go to their now usual spot, in front of the yangjaecheon steam trail eating noodles and seafood quietly, until Tzuyu decides to break the silence.

“This food it’s pretty good, you seem to know about good restaurants.” Tzuyu says between munches and looks at Nayeon.

“When I have free time, I like to search for good restaurants.” Nayeon says after finishing her noodles and think. “Even if it’s like a miracle to have money and free time, it’s almost like a privilege for me.”

“Show me more restaurants whenever you are free.” Tzuyu says with a smile. “It sounds interesting and quite fun”

“Fun, huh.” Nayeon says with a light smile and seems to be lost in her thoughts, making Tzuyu look at her and frown a little worried, because Nayeon seems to look off and even…sad.

There are still many things Tzuyu doesn’t know about Nayeon and its in moments like this that she can feel a breach between them, not too large like the first days but is still there.

However, that doesn’t stop her from asking if Nayeon it’s all right, after all, there’s a tiny bit of confidence or at least that’s what Tzuyu thinks.

“Hey…are you all right? You seem a little bit off…”Tzuyu asks with a careful voice looking at Nayeon with curiosity and worry.

Nayeon seems to snap from the trance and turn to look at Tzuyu, pursing her lips and debating whether she can tell the hero what’s on her mind.

Looking deeply at Tzuyu’s greyish black orbs she sees what she’s used to find, honesty.

There’s never a hint of malice, the hero’s eyes can mirror her good intentions, and it reliefs Nayeon that it has been like this from the start.

“Of course, a hero can’t have malice in their heart… because their eyes would tell everything…” Nayeon thinks as she keeps looking at Tzuyu and smiles when she notices Tzuyu always looks at her in the eyes.

The hero’s calm and curious eyes are always patient and relaxing...making her feel at ease... like she can tell Tzuyu anything and the hero will not betray her….

“I can see she would never say something vital and important of me…even to her teammates that still don’t know my identity.” Nayeon thinks and looks at Tzuyu raise a curious eyebrow along with a smile, the hint of worry in Tzuyu’s eyes makes her let out a light chuckle.

So Nayeon decides to trust even more this hero looking at the stream for a moment, thinking. “In these past weeks she has been nothing but patient, respectful, and quite careful.”

"It's okay...to trust more and care less about everything...right?"

“She’s someone I can trust, isn’t it?”

“We finally agree on one of your suggestions.” Her inner voice says with a happy tone.

Nayeon chuckles internally and turns to look at Tzuyu who is still looking at her with a light and patient smile.

“I was…” Nayeon starts with an unusual calm tone. “Thinking about these past weeks, it has been the first time I gave myself the opportunity to have fun, and everything seems and feels lighter, even the atmosphere in my house... my sisters seem happier, it’s like a good dream I never thought I could have.”

“Never thought I would deserve it…” Nayeon thinks and narrows her eyes as she purses her lips but shakes her head continuing even though her previous expression doesn’t go unnoticed by Tzuyu.

“And I’m quite prideful but I know when I can leave it aside.” Nayeon says and raises an eyebrow when she hears Tzuyu’s light chuckle, but the hero stops and stays quiet again making Nayeon smile slightly. “I admit you have helped me to have fun and even... feel my life quite enjoyable, Its fun to wait what new things you will show me.”

“I think... I like this freedom.” Nayeon says looking at Tzuyu’s eyes surprising Tzuyu with her honest and soft? Gaze.

The blue grey-haired woman blinks and can’t help but smile more than usual surprising Nayeon this time.

"Just like I thought...she surprised me." Tzuyu thinks and chuckles internally. "Sometimes things that look far are not that far, isn't it?

"It's a good step, and it feels like a huge one...being able to hear finally a part of what's on her mind." The hero thinks with a calm gaze, still smiling. "and that progress is thanks to that freedom she mentions which is true since I can also feel progress with myself....then-"

“Then let’s keep that freedom alive.” Tzuyu says with determined eyes and voice extending a hand to Nayeon, the auburn-brown haired woman looks at the hand and then at Tzuyu who is showing her a truthful smile, the greyish black orbs shining with excitement.

The fire villain cannot help but remember the first time they made the “normal civilian” agreement, thinking how much can change in a couple of weeks.

At first, she didn’t even want to look at the hero nor even talk to her, but right now she is not the same person she was three weeks ago.

Now, she even likes to look at Tzuyu’s greyish black orbs, despite her ice quirk they’re warm and so bright.

“And pretty, let’s be honest here.” Nayeon’s inner voice speaks making her roll her eyes internally.

Nayeon’s attention returns to Tzuyu who is still looking at her with shinny and cheerful eyes, the auburn brown-haired woman shows a tiny smile thinking. “Well…maybe her eyes are a little bit pretty…”

Not wasting more time, Nayeon doesn’t think twice and grabs Tzuyu’s hand without hesitation, squeezing it as she lets out a joyful laugh.

Tzuyu answers with a squeeze too along with a joyful laugh that combines with Nayeon’s melodious laugh.

Even though is not a pinkie promise, it feels like one.

--------------------------------------------------

Helllooo!

It feels like our duo can finally trust each other and that trust will only grow more from now on cx

I hope you liked the chapter and the next ones!

(PS: Did you hear M&M english version? it was such a BLESSING DEAR GOD)

(PS2: and Milky Way from RV? I MISSED SEEING AND HEARING WENDY AAAAH ToT)

Please remember to sleep and eat well! and wear your masks please cx

See you later!