Updating the Group

It's the next day.
'Gaia planned another training session with Tarou, she really seems to have high hopes for him. Luckily for me I don't need to attend it, I'm free to actually go out and search for any fights happening.

...

I search all around the city, finally finding something happening near the river.
I teleport to an alley nearby, ready to take a closer look.
'Oh hey, it's Ember! How'd he get out?
...I guess I only remember him mostly trash talking Thunder... Did not enough happen or something?
And he's fighting... Oh wow, Neptune! I like that guy, he's cool.'

"Show's over Inferno, you can't defeat me here."

'Damn it, so it was Inferno, gotta amend that name on the book now...'

"Tsk, we'll see about that."

Inferno sends an attack, as I slowly get lost in thoughts.
'Still though, can't believe it, Tarou actually becoming a hero and fighting against these villains. That's going to be crazy to see.'

"Nice try, how about you use some real power instead."

Another attack launched, but I barely pay attention.
'I wonder what kind of magic he'll learn.'

"Heya there, watcha doin?"
"Hm? Oh, hey Aya."
"Wow she didn't scare you this time? She must be losing her touch."
"What's up Tomo."
"No scare from him either? Hmmm, you're lost in your thoughts, aren't you? Watcha thinking about?"
"Just something surprising that a friend might become."

"As if some hero like you would know where real power is."

"What's that? Is he about to be part of the villain list?"
"Actually not that far off Tomo, but the opposite, he might become a hero instead!"
"Wait for real?"
"NO WAY?! You gotta celebrate when that happens!"
"How do you know?"
"Gaia has started training him, he apparently has potential, I'm happy for him."
"Woah. Trained personally by Gaia herself."
"Dude you need to put me in that training immediately."
"I don't want to get dragged to another boot camp, so I'm gonna have to decline."
"Disappointing, well, I'll just have to work on myself and apply to HQ the normal way."
"Meanwhile here you are just watching. Kazu, you should totally try to become a hero like like Tomo and your friend, see how far make it!
It'd be more fun than just watching."
"And get beat up whilst being a hero? I don't know about that."
"Think about it~
Still though, your connections are getting stronger and stronger, now you'll have a friend as a hero!"
"And you got your dad in dispatch."
'Huh, they're right, neat.'
"That is indeed cool, I'll give you that"

No longer being lost in thoughts, I start paying attention to the fight.
'They're just having a stare down right now...'
"Hm, how should I spice things up?"
"Oh, throw a rock in, see if that spooks one of them into attacking!"
"For once I'd like to see you throw more than just a rock."
"Well I can't really do that now can I? I don't have that kind of strength."
"You DO have someone that could help you train."
"..."
'Forget him, let's throw a rock in.'

I teleport a rock near Inferno, right above him, hoping when it falls that it provokes Inferno.
"Well I th-"
The moment the rock lands the sound immediately stops their trash talk, and they both look in the direction of the sound.

Suddenly an explosion of smoke appears from where Inferno was stood, with it spreading everywhere.
'Woah, a smoke screen?'
"Yikes, I can't see anything!"
"I just hope it doesn't reach here, coughing would give away our position."
"I didn't expect this... I wonder what Neptune is gonna do."

After a while the smoke starts clearing up.
'No way...'
"Inferno is... gone?"
"Not just Inferno, look around, Neptune is also gone."
"No way, Inferno escaped? I guess Neptune is chasing after him? What do you think Kazu? You able to find them?"
"Me? How should I know..."
"Technically you caused this."
"It was Aya's idea!"
"That I gave because you wanted to spice things up! Don't go blaming it on me mister.
But woah, a villain actually escaped? Inferno's slippery!"
"Talk about surprising... First Kazu's friend, now this."
"...Yeah, this usually doesn't happen. What a time."
"Well who else could do a smokescreen that intense to be fair?"
"Tomo's right, I didn't even know Inferno could do this!"

'No trace of them anywhere, damn.'

"...Should we chase after them? Hm, but that'd be more running."
"With Neptune looking for him we would be spotted if we tried following him, and likely interrogated."
"Oh yeah, you're right, and we wouldn't know where to start searching.
...Unless Kazu teleports to the roof of a building and starts scouting? Pretty please?"
"Still a no from me regardless, too risky."
"Yeah, besides I can only teleport, I don't have super vision or anything."
"Awww, I guess we'll have to wait and see if they fight again today."
"True, but I guess we could still just walk around, we wouldn't be stopped for doing that, and who knows if we run into something, right?
After I say that, a devious smile appears on Tomo's face.
"Hmmmmm?
...Actually looking at the time, I think I have to go do something now, what a shame, well cya around guys!"
"Cyaa~"
'...I see what he's doing.'
"Bye Tomo."

Aya then turns to me.
"Well, shall we start then?"
"Yeah."

We then proceed to walk around town for a while, seeing if we can find anything, but with no success. No traces of them, no fights.
'Nothing here either, but this isn't so bad.
Thank you Tomo, I'll remember this. You're a hero.'

I imagine somewhere out there, Tomo is smiling back.

"Hey Kazu, you there?"
"Huh what?"
"I asked if you wanted to get some food from the pastry shop near the river, maybe they'll be there. Either way, I'm hungry."
"Oh, yeah sure. I'd love that!"
"Oh?"
"I mean-"
"I didn't know you had a sweet tooth, how fun!"

We soon reach the shop and hang out for a while, it had delicious food.
It was a great time together, afterwards, since we hadn't seen any fights, we figured that was it for the day and said our goodbyes.
After that I started walking home, the events of the day leaving me with nothing but thoughts.
'Hm, that's probably one of the first times I see someone escape, that's honestly surprising.
...I didn't mind today though, it was fun.'

...

"I'm home."
"Welcome home!"
"Is aunt not home yet?"
"Nope, not yet."

"In other news, the villain Inferno, having previously dodged prison by a technicality, has now been apprehended."

'Oh, he did get caught? Damn, I must have missed it.
...But in a way, I'm glad I did.'