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It had been about a week since Major Fisk had imprisoned various heroes of New York and the branching timelines of the time-stream entanglement due to Alchemax’s sudden appearance and chronal outburst with his ‘Anti-Hero Ban’ but with the imprisoned heroes freed from Fisk’s Vault and the chronal energy contained and returned to Alchemax’s tower, Ami Han, aka White Fox, knew that the secret operation that she and Tiger Division had set up at Empire State University had to remain operational for just a while longer to ensure that the currently undercover heroes of New York could continue their heroic duties until Fisk was fully subdued.
Which is where the Kumiho director of Tiger Division now finds herself.
Under her ESU persona, Yoon Ji-woo, Ami was doing some late night monitoring of Tiger Division’s ESU cameras within a back corner of the library as she had done everyday so far since establishing this hidden operation.
Ami felt the need to yawn slowly rise in her throat but managed to suppress it to keep her focus at 100%. You don’t become the director of Korea’s equivalent of SHIELD by openly yawning for anyone to randomly pass by and see. If she was being honest to herself though, she hadn’t gotten much sleep since the operation began and that was for one primary reason.
She was worried about something. Or more accurately, she was worried about SOMEONE.
When Mayor Fisk first started imprisoning heroes in his Vault, he had managed to capture her fellow Tiger Division operative and close friend, Seol Hee, aka; Luna Snow, renowned k-pop sensation and ice shooting superhero.
While this operation was set up to stop Fisk, free the imprisoned heroes and aid in concealing the various still free heroes from Fisk’s tyrannical reign, Ami had a more selfish reason for having this whole thing set up as quickly as she did. And it was to save Luna as fast as possible.
Ami let out a silent sigh as she skimmed through several more cameras before hearing movement approaching her. Being the director of a secret organisation with Kumiho powers makes one very aware of their surroundings at all times, and thankfully, Ami knew exactly who those approaching footsteps belonged to.
“Staying up late again are we, ‘Yoon’?”
Coming into the visible light of the late night library corner was Luna herself in her own current ESU persona, Park Sun-young.
Ami let the smallest smile grow on her face as she finally looked away from her laptop. “I could be saying the same to you, Miss ‘Sun-young’.”
Luna let out a small giggle as she came closer to Ami’s table. She lent down far enough until her elbows were propped up and her chin was sitting in her palms. “Always so formal, you know you don’t have to be when it’s just the two of us, right Ami?”
Ami gave Luna an unimpressed stare at the use of her real name. “‘Park’, you know that while we’re outside on college grounds we need to refer to ourselves with our names.”
Luna rolled her eyes with an amused smile before she slid around the table and sat herself down in the chair next to Ami. She shuffled as close to Ami as she could until their arms and shoulders touched. Ami, despite her best efforts not to, felt a small blush heat up her cheeks.
“C’mon Ami, no one else is as much of a night owl on campus as us right now. It’ll be fine, you need to relax.”
Ami hummed and looked away from Luna briefly. “Relaxation is not a luxury I can afford at the moment, Seol Hee. I have to remain vigilant at all times to ensure our fellow heroes are safe and accounted for.”
Luna let out a small giggle which drew Ami’s attention back to her, only for her to see Luna giving her a smug smile. “Look who’s not using our fake names now.”
Ami just sighed while Luna continued to giggle.
“I swear. You truly do have the power to bring this side of me out whenever you please, Seol Hee.”
“It’s what I do best, not everything about me is all cold and icy after all.” Luna said.
“I suppose not.”
The two agents both fell silent for a moment, letting the nightly noises from outside ESU’s library echo around them as Luna seemed to examine Ami closely.
“You’re thinking about something, aren’t you Ami? Something that’s bothering you.” Luna eventually said, breaking the silence between them.
Ami looked away from Luna once again. “I’m unsure of what you are referring to. I’m doing quite alright.”
“You can’t lie to me Ami. I know you too well.” Luna’s voice dropped in volume, alerting Ami to the seriousness and the worry Luna was showing for her.
Ami remained quiet as Luna continued to stare at the back of her head.
“Ami? You know you can talk to me. What’s going on in that big fox brain of yours.”
The small joke helped to break the tension between the two women as Ami finally looked back into Luna’s heterochromatic eyes. Luna gave Ami a warm smile that helped release some of the tension in Ami’s shoulders.
The two just continued to stare in silence at one another, leaving Luna to try and break through Ami’s wall of silence further. “Ever since you helped break me and everyone else out of Fisk’s vault you’ve been quieter than normal. Please Ami, I’m worried about you.”
“That’s exactly what’s wrong Seol Hee…” Ami finally said.
“Huh?”
“You never should have been taken into Fisk’s vault in the first place. I should have been able to protect you as your director. And yet I couldn’t.”
Ami’s sharp nailed fingers gripped her skirt as she looked down at her laptop screen.
“Fisk should never have been able to touch you. But he was still able to imprison one of my agents right from under my nose. I failed you as your leader Seol Hee…”
Luna examined Ami’s expression and her words closely before reaching over and wrapping one of Ami’s hands in her own.
Ami tensed as she looked back at Luna once more.
“There’s more you’re not saying Ami. I can tell. Please, for now, drop the director speech and talk to me. Not as an agent, but as your friend.”
Ami seemed to hesitate while glancing down at their held hands.
“…I was worried about you Seol Hee…” Ami admitted, her voice quieter than Luna had heard before. “I was worried for you. Not knowing what Fisk could do with you within his personal prison complex. If we had not acted sooner I worry what would have happened.”
“But you did get me out of there as fast as you could Ami, nothing serious happened. You know that.” Luna said.
“I know. And yet…” Ami took a deep breath. “Yet I can’t help but envision the scenarios that could have been if I hadn’t. I won’t… can’t allow something like this to happen again, Seol Hee.”
Ami saw Luna let go of her hand before feeling both of Luna’s hands gently press themselves against her cheeks. Luna’s hands were cold, an effect from her ice powers, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. In fact, it was comforting for Ami, as if a cool pillow was being pressed against either side of her face.
Luna gently raised Ami’s head to make sure she couldn’t look away from her again.
“Ami,” Luna said, “You might be the director of Tiger Division but sometimes you can be the biggest dummy I know.”
Ami blinked at that and furrowed her brows. “Pardon?”
Luna giggled in response. “Ami, listen to me, everything that happened with Fisk? That was nothing but a blip in our jobs as heroes. And what you’re doing right now is letting your worrying guide your decisions. That’s not like the logically and tactically thinking Director Han that I know.”
“I just want to protect you Seol Hee.” Ami said, bringing one hand up to lay it against one of Luna’s.
“I know, but we’re superheroes. Stuff like this is part of the job, remember? You can’t always protect me, no matter how much you want to. And besides, I can defend myself just fine. That’s not to say I don’t want help from you Ami, knowing you’ll be there to defend me when you can makes my heart sing. Plus it’s very adorable seeing you worry this hard about me.”
Ami’s cheeks went red as one of her nine Kumiho tails appeared behind her and slowly began to wag. She did her best to look away from Luna’s gaze but was extremely limited while her face was still being held between Luna’s hands.
“That last comment was extremely unnecessary, Seol Hee.” Ami said.
“And yet so very true.” Luna retorted.
If anyone asked, Ami Han, Director of Tiger Divsion, tactical genius and last of the Kumiho, definitely did not pout at Luna Snow’s witty reply.
Luna couldn’t help but giggle at Ami’s reaction. “Promise me Ami, that you’ll chill a bit while we’re still here at ESU. I’m fine, and will continue to be fine.”
“Was that an ice pun?” Ami asked.
“Don’t get distracted Ami! Promise me!” Luna said, a cheeky smile on her face.
Ami sighed but nodded regards. “Very well, I promise to try and ‘chill’ as you say, Seol Hee.”
Luna nodded back in satisfaction. “Good Fox.”
Before Ami could react to that last comment, Luna suddenly leaned forward and pressed an ice cold kiss against Ami’s lips before finally letting her cheeks free. Luna pulled away and immediately stood up while stretching out her arms above her.
“Well, it’s been a pleasure, Yoon Ji-woo, but I must be heading back to my room to catch some beauty sleep. I don’t get to stay this pretty by staying up all night. Have an ice night Ami.” Luna winked at Ami before spinning away and began skating away on tracks of ice beneath her feet.
Ami was left stunned for several more moments before shaking her head to organise her thoughts. She watched Luna slide away from her and into the nightly atmosphere of Empire State University.
“Seol Hee…” Ami said quietly, gently pressing her index and middle finger against her lips.
Ami let out a small, amused huff as she returned her attention back to her laptop. “I swear, she has far too much confidence, even for a K-Pop celebrity.”
A smile remained on Ami’s face for the rest of the night as she allowed the icy feeling of their lips pressing together to help remind her of why she fought and who she fought for.
After all, white foxes depend on the snow to keep them alive.