Chapter 2: Ryuko, Senketsu and Mako!

I kept my eyes on the sunset as the tram rumbled to a stop, and I looked around to see I was in the slum district. "Oh dear..." I sighed in an overdramatic manner. "It APPEARS I have MISSED my STOP. It SEEMS I shall have to spend the night in THIS area instead."...What? I prefer the slums okay? Nice change of scenery.

I then heard a thud next to the tram. 'Huh? Is someone drunk?' I looked over the side, and what I saw was the LAST thing I expected! Instead of some wasted old man a girl who looked about my age was passed out. She had black hair with red highlights, and seemed to be holding some kind of sword that looked like a red scissor half.

But...the clothes...just looking at them made me cringe, they were so skimpy! Too much exposure! No decency!...Yet there was something about them. I could feel the powerful essence of Life Fibre's from it, and I could only assume it was 100% of the stuff, plus there seemed to be a...sentience in it, and this definitely peaked my curiosity.

"Check it out! It's a half-naked chick!" I then noticed a group of boys hovering over her really creepily, and it didn't take a single male adult to tell what was going to happen next.

"Oi!" They looked up at me as I stood up. "A gentleman never takes advantage of an unconscious woman."

"Eh? What is he talking about?" One asked.

"He probably just wants her for himself." Another said.

'Perish the thought.' I thought before jumping in between them. "Why don't you pervs run back to your dimly lit rooms or something?"

"Nice try pal, but we're not giving an opportunity like this up!" The supposed leader said.

"I think you are." I stated as I flicked him in the forehead, my masquerading strength sending him flying back onto the ground, just enough to leave a nasty bruise. The other two just stared with dropped jaws. "Bye-bye now." The duo grabbed their blithering leader and ran for it.

"That takes care of that!" I sang proudly with a smile. "Now..." I stared at the girl awkwardly. "...What am I to do with you? I can't leave you here...hmmm...how am I gonna do this?"

Eventually I settled on staying as far away as possible and grabbing the back of her shirt with one hand, lifting her up with my Life Fibre enhanced strength whilst I carried her scissor sword in a casing I found with my other hand. "Ewwwww!" As I walked aimlessly I held her as far away from me as possible, as if I was carrying a giant bag of dog poo, but...it was so CRINGY! "Ewewewewewewewewewewew!"

"Uh...what are you doing?" I turned towards the voice to see a boy with brown hair wearing a loose black shirt and goggles on his forehead.

"I'm trying to help this girl." I stated.

"It...kinda looks like your treating her like crap." He stated.

"I have my reasons..." I sweatdropped. "Can you help me?"

"Sure." He said, walking over. "I recognise her anyway, she helped my sister out."

"She did?" I looked at the unconscious female.

"This way, my dad should be able to fix her up." So I followed the boy down an alleyway.

ProjectEVO

"Ryuko Matoi..." I mumbled. "So that's her name...arigatou again for letting me stay here Sukuyo-san."

"No problem!" She called over in a carefree manner. "It's rare we have people to stay, let alone two!"

"By the way, Mako..." I looked at the girl. "I think I've seen you in the Academy a couple of times."

"Oh yeah!" She smiled. "I've seen you a lot too, Eito! So why are you aaaall the way down here when you should be further up? You are further up right? 'Course I don't know what star you are, hmmmm..." She puffed her cheeks and scrunched her face up in thought.

"I don't really have a 'star', I can come and go as I please...within reason." I waved it off.

"Really!? That's sugoi!" She cheered.

I looked back into the opposite room. "Barazo-san will be able to help her, right?"

"Sure he can." Mataro, the boy said. "...If it's a good day."

"Okay then." I smiled. "Still though, just appearing out of nowhere to demand answers out of Satsuki...she must be really needy or really-"

"You pervert!" A large crashing sound was heard from the next room.

"...Headstrong." I finished as Mako ran in.

I waited out the conversation as Mako managed to clear things up and say that her dad was not a raping pervert, which led us to our current situation of just sitting around.

"So your the one who picked me up?" Ryuko asked. "Why?"

"I just couldn't leave you there, could I?" I rebuked. "Anyway, that's all in the past now. I'm Eito Kimura, pleased to meetcha!"

"You too." She greeted back. "Arigatou for your help."

"It didn't seem much like help." Mataro commented as he rubbed the bruise he had got from Ryuko's punch. "He was carrying ya around like he didn't want to...wait, are you gay or something?"

"I don't think so." I said. "It was just the way your...clothing...WAS at the time, it was just so...ugh...revealing..."

"Oh yeah!" Mako spoke up. "Ryuko, Eito hates revealing clothing."

"What, like it's indecent?" Ryuko glanced sideways awkwardly as she spoke.

I shuddered. "No, it's just...skin."

"Skin?" She echoed.

"I don't like too much skin to be showing, it just grosses me out." This was a personal problem of mine, just seeing too much skin on one person makes my eyes water and my stomach lurch..."My clothes are my second skin!" I declared my catchphrase.

"Okay..." She said.

We all sat down for dinner as Mako explained her 'daddys' occupation. "If you compare the number of people he's killed to the number he's saved, he's killed more!"

"That's not a good thing." Ryuko sweatdropped.

"Don't worry about it." Barazo-san laughed. "The dead ones can't sue you!"

"Oh, right!" Sukuyo-san brought in a large pot. "I know it's nothing fancy, but eat all you like!" She gave out a hearty helping of croquettes each.

"Go ahead Ryuko! Don't be shy!" Mako coaxed as Ryuko looked at it with unidentifiable feelings. "It's unidentifiable stuff made into croquettes, and unidentifiable stuff in miso soup!"

"Oh you!" Her mother blushed. "I only use non-poisonous ingredients."

"Better dig in before I eat it all!" Mataro added, shovelling in croquettes.

"In that case, arigatou!" I cried before dipping a croquette in the soup and eating it whole (much to Ryuko's horror). "Mm! Sukuyo-san! This is very nice! I should give you my recipe for ox tail and blueberry dessert!"

"Your too kind, Eito!" She smiled.

That's when the dog, Guts, came in and started eating. "Down, Guts! Your food is out there!" Mako stated as she picked it up and threw it out the window, only for it to jump straight back in.

"We call him Guts because he eats with such gusto!" Mataro explained.

"You were anemic, little lady, so eat up." Barazo-san advised.

"Don't just sit there, eat!" Mako said as she forced some croquettes into Ryuko's mouth.

"Try some soup too!" I added as I chugged down a whole bowl after three more croquettes, it was one of the best meals I've ever had.

ProjectEVO

I lay up in the middle of the night, feigning sleep as I listened to Ryuko trying to get her unifrom to respond to her. When she stopped talking I cautiously looked over to see her sleeping, so I gently got up and tiptoed over to the clothing on the wall.

"Hey." I whispered. "There's something about you that's...different...can you talk? Wanna talk to me?" No response. "Hmm...how about..." I gently rested my hands on it and concentrated. "...B...bl...bluebottle? You want a fly? No, hold on...blo...blooooooo...blood! Oh, blood!...Ryuko's?...Okaaaay..."

I slowly knelt down next to her. "Gomen, Ryuko, but I need just a little bit of your blood, is that okay?...I'll take no response as a yes." I held my breath as I took out a sewing needle and gently jabbed her arm, she violently stirred, but settled back down as I placed a plaster on the wound.

I then took the uniform and tiptoed around the sleeping family until we were outside, at which point, I flicked the drop onto the uniform. A sudden and unexpected change came about it as its arms lengthened, its skirt turned into a lower jaw, and its eye moved.

"...Alright, you got me out." It stated. "What do you want to talk about, Eito?"

"Oh so you DID hear us all that time." I nodded. "Nothing much really, I could tell something was special about you, I just didn't think you were alive!"

It gave me a half-lidded look. "So that's it? You were just curious?"

"Uh-huh." I confirmed.

"Well at least I know your special as well." It said. "I thought only Ryuko could hear me, guess you can too."

"Guess so." I nodded. "Do you have a name or something?"

"Ryuko gave me the name Senketsu." It said. "So you can call me that."

"Gotcha, nice to meet you Senketsu!" We shook hand and sleeve. "I'd better put you back. You can tell Ryuko the next time you talk to her I know you now, right?"

Senketsu shrugged. "Suppose so."

"Awesome." I smiled as I gently crept back into the house with Senketsu.

ProjectEVO

We woke up, admittedly, a little late, but we still managed to get the tram and enjoy the lovely scenery on the way to the Academy, I spotted two cats making love.

"There's a pretty distinct gap between rich and poor." Ryuko stated as we went past the Two-Star residentials.

"That's how it works in this city." I said. "Those with higher credentials get better living arrangements for themselves and their families, depending on whether they wear a One, Two, or Three star Goku Uniform."

"Your position at school determines where you live?"

"That's right." Mako confirmed as we stepped off the tram and headed into school. "Oh, that reminds me! Ryuko, mum said that if you needed a place to stay-" She was interrupted as a stream of tennis balls began hitting her in the face. "Mum said that-if you don't have-a place to stay-you can stay-with us! She's already-filed the paperwork!" She was still being hit even as she spoke, her face getting worse with each volley.

"Is this any time to be talking about that!?" Ryuko shouted. "What's the big idea!?"

"Ah, you're the transfer student who was rude to Lady Satsuki if I recall." The familiar blonde spoke, wearing a new uniform. "And Eito, I heard you ran off again!"

"Omiko Hakodate." I mumbled.

"Who the hell is she?" Ryuko growled.

"Captain of the Girls Tennis Club." I told her. "Since when did YOU get a Two-Star Goku Uniform?"

"Ah, do you like it?" She grinned. "It is a recent present from Lady Satsuki. But on the matter at hand, you both shall have to step aside. Club member Mako Mankanshoku has failed to fulfill her club obligations, and is being purged as a result."

"What did Mako do wrong!?" Ryuko demanded.

"She skipped yesterdays club practice." Omiko proclaimed. "Our rule is that anyone who fails to come to practice will receive the 110 Million Cannonball Serves."

"Yesterday!? Mako was being held hostage yesterday!" Ryuko rebuffed. "Of course she didn't come to your stupid practice!"

"You were!?" I gasped.

"Kinda." She admitted sheepishly.

Tennis balls were suddenly launched towards us and Mako had to block with her Scissor Blades case. "Mako! Go on ahead! You'll be expelled if your late, right!?"

"Yeah!" She quickly zipped around and into school. "Thanks a bunch! I'll see you both later, okay?"

"Yup!" We both confirmed.

"So you two will take her place?"

"I owe her for a meal and a nights lodging. Eito, you can go on ahead too!"

"Nani? No way! I can take a few tennis balls! Besides, I wanna see how you fight."

She smirked. "Guess I'll show you then. I'm gonna make quick use of those Goku Uniforms of yours! Let's do it, Senketsu!" There was a lengthy pause. "...Hey! Hey! Let's get to it Senketsu! Hey! What's wrong with you!?"

"Uh, Ryuko?" We huddled up. "I think Senketsu needs blood to work."

"Blood?" She repeated. "Guess that makes sense, but how do you know?"

"Well I-"

"Die!" We both facefaulted as a whole wall of tennis balls barelled towards us, the attack sending us flying off the edge!

"Oh crap!" My left sleeve stretched out and wrapped around the railing, and whilst I tried to grab Ryuko with my right sleeve, she still fell into the water. "Ryuko!"

"What, a love game? No challenge whatsoever." Omiko sighed as I crawled my way back up. "Your lucky Lady Senketsu prizes you Eito, otherwise we'd have to attack you more. Girls! Move on!" The group then marched off.

"Bitches." I muttered as I dusted myself down, my sleeves returning to their regular length. "At least Mako got in okay." I looked over the edge of the wall to the water. "And Mikisugi-sensei should help Ryuko..." I then plodded my way to class. "Man this is a mess..."

ProjectEVO

"Bogily nimuvoo sibaaaaa!" I sang as I pranced out of class. "Dogiyadi vopu amineeeeef!" I deliberately passed by the sports court, and as I expected, I saw my two new friends there, one of them tied up. "Oiiiii! Ryuko! Mako!"

"Eito!" "Eito!?" Both gasped as I ran over to them.

"I sure missed you two during class." I grinned. "I knew you wouldn't die, Ryuko!"

"Uh, thanks?" She sweatdropped.

"Did you both come here for another beating?" Omiko asked as she stepped forward.

"As if!" Ryuko rejected. "This time, I'm gonna knock you all on your asses! Let's do it, Senketsu!" She did something with this new red glove on her left wrist, that caused Senketsu to swallow her up in a twisted transformation into battle mode.

"Urrrgghhh..." I couldn't even look at it as I crossed my arms over my lurching stomach whilst turning away. "That is not a good image for me..."

"That looks both painful and embarrassing, you masochistic exhibitionist!" Omiko commented overtly prestigiously with polysyllabic lexis...I had just come out of Language.

"Bite me! I'm not a stripper!" Ryuko rebuffed covertly prestigiously...again, Language.

"Quite splitting hairs!" The rest of the team lined up behind her. "Let's begin! 110 Million Serve!" Again, a storm of tennis balls flew at us, only this time Ryuko quickly got out her Scissor Blade and cut them all up into single strands.

"Fault!" Sanageyama yelled. "You're disqualified, transfer student!"

"Nani!?"

"True, you evaded Hakodate's attack, but slicing balls in half is against the rules in a match! In other words, you've won the fight but lost the match!" Ryuko visibly showed confusion. "Listen up! What your standing on is a tennis court! Which means that you can't say you have won if you didn't win according to the rules of tennis!"

"Why are you getting all picky now!? What about yesterday!?" Ryuko argued.

"That was yesterday!"

"That's a stupid reason!" I facefaulted angrily.

"It doesn't matter, she's still disqualified!"

"No, she won!" Mako jumped in, still tied up, before the ropes fell away. "Ryuko won! She won!"

"Nani?" Sanageyama said with a blank face.

"Ryuko rescued me! She may have lost the match, but she won with friendship! Winning with friendship means winning at life!"

"Hell yeah!" I agreed. "Plus, it was really cool! Friendship!"

"If you're going to be like that, then you leave her no choice! Ryuko will win! Even in tennis! Even in tennis! Even in tennis she'll win!"

"Just hold this, please." I said as I gave her a racket and held her arm up in a triumphant manner to contrast with her blank face, which matched practically everybody elses.

"So you're saying that you want to face me, Tennis Club Captain Omiko Hakodate, in a tennis match?" Omiko grinned.

"Do your best, Ryuko." Mako encouraged her.

"...Alright, alright." She conceded with a smile. "Let's do this!"

ProjectEVO

In practically no time flat, most of the school had assembled into the charming spike covered special tennis court to watch the match. "The match is one game! Decide who goes first!"

"We're watching, Ryuko!" Me and Mako cheered.

"She's a rookie. I'll let her decide." Omiko smirked.

"I'll take you up on that and serve first then." Ryuko said, with me still unable to look at her. "I won't hold back!" That statement however didn't stop her losing the first shot, on account of her racket breaking.

"Go, go, Omiko-chan! If she can't do it, no-one can!" I heard the annoying sound and groaned.

"Oh geez, not these girls." I glanced at the cheerleader squad on the sidelines, waving their pom poms around.

"Hey, that's the Cheerleader Club, isn't it?" Mako asked.

"Uh-huh." I confirmed. "Headed by Akira Fukui." I pointed to the Two-Star Goku Uniform wearer with blue ponytailed hair and Life Fibre pom poms. "Geez, these ones are loud."

Ryuko was sent crashing into the wall after failing the second serve, not that I could see with me being unable to look at her without my stomach twisting. "Hey, hey, Hakodate! Beat that stripper and win the day!" The horrible chanting continued.

"Grrrrrrrr!" I grinded my teeth. "I can't take it anymore!" I jumped out of the stands and landed next to them. "Akira! Can you PLEASE stop that! I'm trying to not watch, here!"

"Oi! No interfering, Eito!" Sanageyama scolded me.

"It's alright." Akio said as her team lined up behind her. "We'll just beat a little manners into Eito. It'll make a good half-time entertainment, right girls?" The others cheered in response.

"You try to ask nicely...whatever. Sounds fine by me." I grinned. "Now these folks get two shows!"

"Eito! Are you sure you can fight!?" Ryuko called.

"Right now? Nope." I shrugged. "But right after I do this I will be!" I held my fist up. "To defeat my opponent, I'll go beyond my current weakness, and evolve new strengths! Armour EVO!" My clothes reverted into Life Fibers and reformed into my familiar armour from yesterday.

"Nani? How did you do that?" Ryuko gaped.

I wagged my finger. "A magician never reveals his secrets. Except in this case where I just think about it really hard and then it happens." She collapsed comically.

"Girls! Tower formation!" The team stacked up into a high person tower. "Let's give Eito little, painful lesson in manners!"

"I've already been taught those!" I countered as I charged forward.

"All together now! And sweep!" Suddenly the chain of girls all lashed across the ground at me, and I had to jump to avoid being clotheslined.

"Woah, you all sure are nimble!" I complimented them as I continued running.

"He's fast...Keep up the attack!" I sidestepped to the left and right to dodge two more sweeps, before I dropped to my back and slid under another swipe, jumping back up immediantely.

'My best bet is to attack Akira, the leader.' I thought as I jumped at her. 'This will end it!'

"Wall formation!" Suddenly the team spread out in front of me and I ended up crashing into them instead!

"Nani!?" I gasped as they held their ground and threw me back, with me landing on my feet as they reformed into a pyramid. "That's some strong grip."

"You'd have better luck hitting an iron wall." Akira confirmed. "Training like this is great for the figure you know."

"That so?" I chuckled. "Well, I'm sorry, but I've gotta tear down your wall now!" I jumped up at the pyramid of cheerleaders, clenching my right gloved fist as an aura surrounded it.

"Battle Buster!" I drove my fist into the wall of cheerleaders, the defence buckling under the force of my punch, but maintaining as weak shockwaves resonated out.

"You just don't listen, do you?" Akira laughed. "Your gonna waste all your stamina in that attack, and it'll all be in vain."

"Ngh...uuuurrrggghhh! Like heeeeeeeeeeell!" With one big push, my punch over powered the wall and sent the cheerleaders flying back like ragdolls, crashing behind a wide eyed Akira unconsciously.

I dusted myself off. "Look at that. Guess you can't hide behind your little team anymore."

Akira's look changed from shock to anger. "You son of a bitch!" The ribbons on her pom poms suddenly sharpened into spikes, and she swung them around by a ribbon each like a ball and chain. "I'm gonna crush you to a bloody pulp!"

She tossed the deadly weapons at me, which I nimbly avoided, managing to dodge all the attacks until we were interrupted by a large explosion. "Eh? What was that?...Satsuki? When did you get here?" I only just noticed the woman and her accompanying golden light.

"How dare you talk to her like that!?" Akira hissed whilst bowing.

"Please, it's not like she cares." I said as I found the source of the explosion, and it was not nice for me. "WHY THE HELL IS OMIKO NAKED!?" I fell to my hands and knees as the latter buckled. "My eyyyyyyyyyes! They buuuuuuuuurn! Oh god...I think I'm gonna..." A wave of nausea overcame me.

"Don't get too full of yourself, bitch." Sanageyama snarled at Ryuko.

"Wait, Sanageyama." Satsuki said as she appeared behind him. "The victor of the match is that girl."

"Lady Satsuki!" He gasped as everybody bowed, with me rolling my eyes.

"So, are you going to tell me? Are you the Scissor Blade woman?" Ryuko persisted, when suddenly a slash hit her in the shoulder. "Nani!?"

"If you wish to know the answer, ask the question with your skill." Satsuki stated with her Bakuzan drawn. "Eito."

"Eh?" I asked.

"You have a battle to finish. So lose or don't."

"How blunt." I sweatdropped. "Alright then, c'mon Akira!"

"Grrrrrr! I'm gonna beat you in front of Lady Satsuki, then get to a Three-Star!" She shouted, before launching her deadly pom poms at me. I swept across the ground towards her.

'How Ryuko defeated Omiko...' I thought as I ran. 'It was made by the Scissor Blade...theoretically I could...ugh...my stomach churns just thinking about it...but I have to experiment!'

"Battle Daggers!" My gloves transformed into daggers around my hands as I came close to her.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!" The edges of my daggers became heavily outlined as I slashed past Akira with incredible speed. "Fiber Lost!" I heard the sound of ripping, and I felt a bit tingly for a second, before it was over, and my clothes reverted back to normal.

I then threw up on the ground. "I'm sorry..." I gurgled. "It's just...too much skin...bleugh..."

"How did you do that?" I heard Senketsu ask me.

"Hey! Why are you talking to Eito? Can he hear you?" Ryuko asked.

"Apparently."

"Well how long for!?"

"We had a little talk last night."

"You were supposed to tell her about that." I groaned.

"Okay, but he does make a good point. How did you cut that?"

"Eito is the lone survivor of Project EVO." Satsuki informed her as I got up.

"Project EVO? The hell is that?"

"A research into Life Fibre evolution." She looked at me. "Eito's clothes are 100% Life Fibre, which he has been wearing for as long as he can remember."

"100% Life Fibre's?" Senketsu echoed.

"Yeah." I admitted. "Guess you could say that's why I'm so attached to them."

"But, you didn't want to hear that, did you?" Satsuki readied her blade. "Since Eito's matter is finished, let's continue ours."

I'm pretty sure Ryuko and Senketsu talked for a few seconds, but I couldn't hear, before they clashed in a devastating explosion. Ryuko was obviously fighting a losing battle, so she used Senketsu's steam to place some distance between them.

"Mark my words! Next time I'll finish this once and for all!" Ryuko yelled. "Let's go, Mako! Eito!"

"'Kay!" "Gotcha!" And with that we made a hasty tactical retreat.

ProjectEVO

"Was all of that true?"

I stared out of the side of the tram. "Yep. Preeeeetty much."

"I guess I have enough evidence with how you performed a Fibre Lost. But that doesn't explain a few things. Like how you can talk to Senketsu." I looked at the 'Kamui', who remained silent as his wearer talked.

I shrugged. "Good point...truth is...there's probably LOADS of things Satsuki knows that I don't about Project EVO."

"She's keeping you in the dark?" Ryuko narrowed her eyes.

"Uh-huh." I nodded. "Ah well, doesn't hurt not knowing."

"Eito..." I looked at her. "If I can help you find your answers, I will. Let's get the information we need from Satsuki together." She held out her hand.

I smiled as I took it. "If we get to stay friends, then sure!"

"And me too!" Mako interjected, placing her hand on top of ours.

"Guess I'm in this too." Senketsu spoke up.

"Then it's set!" I grinned. "Hey, Mako! Do you think I could stay one more night for some of your mothers delicious cooking?"

"Sure! She said we should get extra helpings tonight!" We both drooled at the thought, whilst Ryuko cringed.

"Guess I'm stuck with you two." Ryuko laughed. "What the hell, it's not too bad."

"'Course it's not!" I laughed. "Your a great friend!"

"The best!" Mako agreed, making us all laugh together.

For the first time in a long time, I felt like I had friends.

Finally! Chapter Two! Sorry this is so late, but I had a ton of revision and mocks, better late then never, right?

I want to say a big thank you to everybody who Followed, Favourited, and especially reviewed the first chapter! I was shocked by how much good reception this got! Thank you so much!

And with that, I'll see you next chapter!