A Friend in Need

Hiro took in a deep quiet breath, absorbing the sweet silence and solidarity. She sat on a metal bench within a hallway decorated with advertisements for AFW’s latest pay per views and assorted promotional events. For now she was alone, but that wouldn't last for long. Resting beside them with a sizable handbag shaped like a fat chibi cat, while admittedly adorable, was not something she would normally be in possession of. She tried to steer away from carrying more feminine accessories in public whenever possible to maintain the guise she had worn for years now, that of being a man rather than a woman. This bag belong to one Micca Aikoh, another new Tension hopefully who had recently been signed.

The two were part of a new batch of hires that we're getting special treatment, a new HR idea of a group tour of the facilities and surrounding locations of cultural importance near the arena. Apparently the terrible retention rate of talent had them trying to make things more welcoming… it was debatable if this was helping though. After three days of sit down discussions and walk around tours, it was beginning to wear on her, perhaps because she had taken the time to familiarize herself with most of what she was being shown. Still, Hiro had mostly been enjoying their time with the tours yesterday, it was today where the problem arose.

They had all met, gave introductions and credentials and had a nice lunch before the tours began. From their they were brought to all manner of places outside of the arena proper where they would receive discounts on meals, deliveries, or other bonuses owed to them through the company. The trip through Kyoto that followed was one mostly familiar to Hiro, but there were a handful of foreigners with them who seemed to enjoy taking in the sights.

She had wound up spending most of her time with Micca, another local who knew the historical and cultural locations just as much as Hiro. The two had talked at great length about what they wanted from Tension, wrestling, and Hiro had even helped to quell some of the other woman doubts about their career choice. It was strange preaching advice about just being yourself to someone else when most of Hiro's life was built on a lie. Still, it seemed to help Micca. They had shared a small friendly hug, and that had been it…

Until today. Micca had been hanging off of her all afternoon. Dragging her by the arm, snuggling up against them while they stopped at each location… she was even pretty sure at one point Micca had groped her backside. Hiro hadn't drawn much attention to it, attempting to play it all off with a cool demeanor as if nothing was amiss but that stoney indifference only seemed to encourage her more. Now she sat outside the restrooms, babysitting the woman's purse as if the two were an item. Why was this happening?

“You’re still here!” Micca was only half peeking around the corner, big emeralds eyes flashing with mischief. When she slipped around the wall, there was something new change that caused Hiro to straighten up. The other girl had noticeably undone a few of the top buttons of her blouse to let it hang open more than it had been. The woman had started the day dressed modest, very professional. Now it seemed as though she was going for something else entirely. Hiro watched quietly as Micca strolled up, expecting her to take a seat next to her, but she instead perched upon her lap, claiming it as a throne while simultaneously preventing escape.

Hiro visibly tensed while Micca made herself at home, wiggling her backside to get comfortable and playfully adjusting Hiro’s hat so it sat at an odd angle. “So… I was thinking. Neither of us have a debut match yet and you have been so nice and helpful.” She was speaking in a slow soft tone, eyeing Hiro in a way in what seemed to be… admiration? Or was it predatory? No, a bit of both, infatuation. Hiro opened her mouth to say something but found Micca’s finger promptly placed over her lips, a forceful request for silence.

“I wanted to repay you. I thought about it quite a bit last night… also about you. So how about you and me have a match.” Micca traced her finger down Hiro’s chin, the digit painting a small trail down her neck and collar towards her…

Hiro reached up, taking hold of Micca’s wrist. A firm grasp, one that surprised the other woman enough to make her gasp. There was a long awkward silence as the woman in her lap stared into Hiro’s steely eyes, what started out as a look of shock at the abruptness instead became a starry eyed gaze. This silent “no” was taken almost like a challenge.

“I was thinking maybe a hentai match.” Micca was grinning now that her cards had been laid out on the table. A chink in Hiro’s armor showing, taken aback by the nature of the request. The other woman had seized the opportunity to tug her hand free.

Hiro couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible for this. Had she lead Micca on somehow? Was that pep talk about coming out of her shell really that effective? Her brow furrowed in deep thought unintentionally giving the woman in her lap the idea she was considering the proposition… which she wasn't.

“If you are camera shy, I understand.” Micca pursed her lips, cheeks taking on a soft red hue. “Maybe… it can be a little private match between you and me. Here.” The woman picked up her chibi cat purse, slipping two fingers into its mouth to open the bag up. From within the woman withdrew a small notepad and pen, flipping a few pages in before starting to scribble something down. She seemed so excited, something that only served to make Hiro woozy as the thought. She hadn't even been here officially for one day and she was already going to have to dodge bullets… not a great start.

“My number and my address… I am currently staying at a hotel until I get an apartment squared away. So it can just be me and you. A nice warm up before a real match.” Micca tore the paper from her pad, neatly folding it into a tight triangle. Reaching up she tucked the paper in the band of Hiro's hat, grinning devilishly all the while. She seemed empowered by Hiro's in ability to fight her in this moment, using it to push harder and further than she likely would have otherwise.

Micca leaned in, pushing herself up against Hiro as she leaned back, with no place to retreat to. The blond lingered so close she could feel the heat radiating off her body. To say Hiro was uncomfortable would have been an understatement. Did Micca expect her to do something? The two stayed like that, unmoving for several long seconds before Micca simply gave up on waiting for Hiro to make a move and did it herself, gripping the collar of their shirt and pulling them into a forceful kiss.

Hiro winced visibly but the detail went unnoticed by the woman sitting in her lap. Eyes closed, head tilting as she was really pushing it. It had to be over soon right? It wasn't until she felt something wet and slippery pressing at her lips, trying to get through that she finally moved to cut the advancement off. Hiro clamped her hand down on Micca's shoulders, prying the woman back off her. The blond woman was flushed red, but still enamored enough to not be offended.

Micca only giggled, squirming herself free from Hiro while moving to stand. Popping the collar she had previously held onto so tightly as final act of defiance. No more words were spoken between them, just a silent mouthing of the words “call me” to accompany a gesture of a phone. Micca, seemingly proud of herself licked her lips and headed down the hallway alone, a new sway to her hips more pronounced.

Hiro cleared her throat softly, carefully fixing their clothes in a daze as if they were suffering from shell shock. Back in school, there had been a few close calls with flirty girls, but nothing like this. Her fingers lightly tapped her lips, eyeing the transfer of lipstick currently painted on the tips of her digits. She could still smell Micca, taste her… with a soft groan she pushed herself up to move to the bathroom.

Nudging the door open with a shoulder she leaned inside, peering around cautiously. It had become a habit to check before entering the men's room to avoid any needless complication. It seemed clear from here, no sounds or visible feet under the stalls. They only needed a moment to clean up anyway. Hiro moved to the sink, tearing two paper towels from a dispenser. A bit of water and she was already scrubbing any traces of Micca off of her, she could just pretend it never happened for now. Returning to the tour group though… that didn't seem wise. Micca would be waiting.

Eyes cast low, Hiro moved from the sink with a slow March towards the restroom door while she wracked her brain what to do next. Her attention drawn in every direction except where she was going at the moment.

Hiro not needing to lay one finger on the handle of the bathroom door before it opened itself via the dynamic entrance of a golden spiky-haired youth aggressively propelling himself inside with rampaging force until coming to stop in the middle of the tiled bathroom. One Nobu Tano arched over with both hands propped on his knees, breathing his lungs out with raspy inhalation and sweating up a storm as if he had just come in second place after trying to catch up in a decathlon. No attention being given to the shadow of a person he blurred past...only subconsciously catching that the dude was in a suit and wore a hat, Nobu inwardly praying that he was a security guard on break or something. Someone with authority, a taser, and a license to use deadly force if necessary to protect the defenseless. Anyone who could forestall the wrathful judgment soon to come barreling down those hallways...

*Awww man...I'm soooo very dead...why must the innocent and good-looking always die young??!!...nnngh...what'd I do to deserve this?* Nobu was internally bemoaning his fate after perhaps going a bit too far with a certain, defaming prank against the absolute wrong person to pull one off on. One of the narcissistic muscle-heads of the Tension roster thinking it the height of hilarity to dump a fellow wrestlers belonging's, and himself, out of the locker room because he...quote "didn't have what it takes to make it in Tension anyway, so why don'tcha get lost, pipsqueak?" That friendly individual in particular not noticing Nobu watching this all go down from behind a corner, as well as that guy than make his arrogant way into the tanning bed room. Now Nobu was no hero of the downtrodden or something...but he knew chances for mischief when they happened upon him. And so he snuck into the room with the guy catching a few Z's on the tanning bed, and helped himself to a bottle of suntan lotion. The rest is history, as they say.

...or rather...Nobu will be history if he doesn't think of a way out of this predicament. The spirited rapscallion standing back up with a gulp of air. Than flinging himself towards the blue-haired stranger and grabbing onto his shoulders with pure-wild-eyed desperation on his pleading face. Nobu accepting that this stranger wasn't the po-po, but maybe this dude could still end up saving his life. "Hey man...you gotta be a pal and do me this solid. This ripped dude's gonna come dashing down the hallway looking for me!!! Say whatever you gotta say to get him off my tail!!! Say you saw me running into the parking lot!!! The cafeteria!!!The souvenir stand!!!PleasePleasePleasemanI'llbeyourbestfriendforlifethanksyou'rethegreatest!!!" Nobu yammering the last part of his request with lightning fast speed and eloquence as he scampered behind the stranger and started pushing him towards the door and into the hallway, knowing full well that time was running out!!! Once pushed into the hallway...a ripped dude tanned golden brown would come tearing down the hallway. Barefoot, bare-chested and barely able to repress his seething rage while wearing only a speedo and a pair of goggles loosened around his neck. He'd stop at the bathroom and begin looking around the perimeter before looking down at Hiro.

"You seen some spiky-yellow-haired punk come down this hallway?!?! I'M GONNA BEAT THE STUFFING OUT OF HIM!!!!" he vehemently barked down at the demure fellow...a certain word fully visible on his chiseled pectorals that only could have been there if someone squirted tanning lotion there...

The sudden explosion of the bathroom door erupting towards Hiro got an immediate reaction. She took a springy step back, narrowly avoiding the swinging door as it crashed into the wall with a clatter so loud it completely obscured the mousey sound of surprise that had escaped her. She remained pressed to the wall as if pressed to a cliffside ledge having to remain still or risk tumbling to her doom.

Her blue eyes followed Nobu to where he stopped, silently trying to appraise the situation based upon his current state. She was almost entirely sure she wanted no part of his woes with her own still lingering just down the hall someplace. There had been a chance in his haste that the blonde hadn't even noticed her. Slowly, carefully she pushed off the wall to creep towards the door inch by inch

She had placed a hand to the door when the hurried squeak of Nobu's shoes on the tiles brought her attention back to him. Hiro sported a tight lipped grimace as he set his palm on her shoulder, fighting back the urge to shove him back. She had her fill of people laying their hands on her and was fast approaching the last straw.

The panic in Nobu's tone and body language however worked to buy the stranger a degree of empathy. While she would hear him out… she still reached up to gently take his hand in here and pluck it off her shoulder. She wasn't sure what to make of his request though. What had transpired between this person and the other? She internally cursed at her curiosity buying into the idea of helping Nobu and undermining her want to keep a low profile.

"I'm not going to li- H-hey!" Hiro blinked, trying to follow her squirrelly acquaintance as he moved to slip behind her. Still trying to be polite, it wasn't until he started shoving her forward that she resisted. Heels dug in, it was a slow bring as she was being pushed towards the door.

"What is this even ab-" her body hit the door, smoothing her cheek up against the hard wood surface. Her shoes clipped the small rise in the doorway causing her to trip forward and stumble out of the bathroom. Arms flailing she caught herself, a bit disheveled. Fingers clenched into fists, shooting a board back towards Nobu as the door swung back, obscuring the stranger within.

Hiro snapped to rigid attention and the bellowing call of the distant bull of a man fast approaching. It was hard to stifle a reaction as he came charging right up to her. Red faced, overly tanned saved for what she assumed was Nobu's handiwork. Taken out of context this was all very strange… on second thought, the context didn't really help.

She cleared her throat, speaking softly in response with a deepness in her voice that had become commonplace when talking to anyone but herself. "He's in the washroom." Hiro canted their head towards the door behind them, not even giving the question a second thought.

The muscle bound man furrowed a brow at the quick response, seemingly having some doubts right away. They leaned in close, having to duck down to Hiro's height to meet her gaze. The two appraised one another, though on her end she gave nothing back to him last the answer to his question. This seemed to grate on him though, she could hear the tumbling of a growl in his throat. Without a word he shouldered past Hiro, hard enough to make her step to the side.

"It will fade." The moment the larger man's palm touched the door however, Hiro spoke up.

"What?" He sounded as if the simple statement had been the single most insulting thing he had ever heard, looking back over his shoulder to glare at Hiro.

"The… writing. It will fade. No need to get violent over a few characters… He seems to regret his actions already." She offered hesitantly, avoiding outright lies by bending the truth to suit her diplomatic intentions. She inched to the side, partially putting herself in the way of the door.

"You kidding me?" He stood upright, his full height. While Hiro wasn't exactly the smallest woman ever, this guy nearly had a whole foot over her to the point she was shadowed by him. For a moment she thought the situation had been refused, watching his eyes shake with indecision. Perhaps he didn't want to cause a scene.

Suddenly he surged forward, gripping Hiro firmly by the shoulder to shove her aside. Her eyes hardened as his grip was hard enough to cause immediate pain. In that moment she snapped to action, flight or tight response kicked into overdrive by being touched one too many times by all these strangers. Her body jerked with the shove, bringing her hands up to clap them around the man's wrist. She curled her fingers, bending his joint to it's limit as she whirled up behind him to wrenching his elbow up painfully into the small of his back.

If this man couldn't take a moment to settle down, Hiro was going to make him. The two came through the restroom door fast, blowing it open with their combined weight. He had size and muscle but she had leverage, the simplest of cranks of his wrist make their journey towards the wall a quick but not altogether painless one. Her intentions were to pin him up against the wall and talk this out…


She felt the jolt run through her captive, leaning back as his head snapped backwards for her. She thought for a moment he had tried to headbutt her until the loud humm of the hand dryer drones on just past him. She had apparently slammed his face right into the device, hard enough to leave a dent… whoops.

"Argh!" Hiro took a step back, releasing the larger man to drop to his knees, clutching his face in his hands. She paper a bit, eyes darting to Nobu as if to ask for his help… until she remembered he had gotten her into this mess to begin with. She looked back down to the hunched over man, a faint trickle of crimson working from in between his fingers. He was growling now, shaking… she knew what was going to come next. She looked back to Nobu, flashing him a small apologetic held smile until she saw the larger man start to rise again.

"Run." Hiro leaned her weight into the door, holding it open for Nobu as she held the line. The moment her new accomplice in crime was out the door, she would be booking it right behind him in hopes he knew a safer place to hide this time around.

"PHEW!!!!....that was a close one...." Nobu breathing a hefty sigh of relief while brushing his hand over his forehead, wiping off the sweat from sprinting halfway around the Tension arena in any and all random directions. Nobu stood upright and stretched out his back, sporting a carefree smile as waltzed over to the sink and splashed some water over his face while he waited for the tanned knucklehead outside. If it sounded like Nobu was acting rather cavalier about this situation...it might be because the spiky-haired prankster believes he found the perfect patsy to bail him out on this one. The blue-haired dude he just escorted to the hallway seemed to be a dependable looking guy. A real straight-shooter. Certainly dressed the part of a swarthy gentleman who knew the virtue of helping a friend in need. A suave do-gooder with an air of mystery about him who would never leave his friends hanging~...of course, this could all just be Nobu telling himself what he wants to hear to help curtail these feelings of dread and nervousness over what Senor Douche-bag would do to him if he ever-...

spiky-yellow-haired punk come down this hallway?!?! I'M GONNA BEAT THE STUFFING OUT OF HIM!!!!"

*Ah...showtime~...* Nobu thought to himself upon hearing that obnoxious muscle-head outside. The confident prankster prince leaning up beside the door with his arms folded and legs crossed, eyes closed as he waited patiently for all of this to blow over as he planned it. *Yeah...I can trust that guy, no problem. Seemed like a loyal, dependable, trustworthy-*

"He's in the washroom."

*-BACKSTABBING JUDAS!!!!!!!!!*

Nobu clamped onto his electric hair-do in shock and horror from the outright BETRAYAL on display!!! He TOTALLY misread that blue-haired traitor, and now he was gonna be at the mercy of someone who could probably twist him into a pretzeled knot!!! The panicking prankster frozen in stomach-churning terror in wide-eyed disbelief as he started sweating profusely again, although for reasons altogether different this time. He scrambled to think of a way to defend himself as he scanned his immediate surroundings...and found a mop behind the door that the janitor forgot!!!! Nobu snatching it up and taking a fighting stance in the middle of the room, brandishing his custodial weaponry with the grey-strands facing the door like a samurai sword. If he was going to go down...he'd make sure this ass-munch was going to get the mopping of a lifetim-


"WHOA!!!" Nobu scarcely managing to sidestep Senor Douchebag being rammed through the door for a banging faceplant into the medal dryer. Too many questions were whirling around Nobu's head about all of this...one of the primary ones being how this stranger managed to subdue someone who easily dwarfed him in height and strength. His agape mouth indicating he was about to say something...until the stranger said something that seemed to be the best course of action for the both of them. Especially in the immediate sense. Nobu not needing anymore convincing to start taking off, but once outside the bathroom, he made the sensible decision to stick the mop through the handle of the door. Buying the two of them a few more seconds of running time until Senor Douche-bag just plowed his way through and turned that mop into splinters. Nobu would make it back up to Hiro in no time however, the prankster pumping his legs and his arms with his fists balled for the extension of this non-stop running marathon. But he still had a few choice words for his running partner-in-crime.

"DUDE YOU TOTALLY RATTED ME OUT!!!!! WHO JUST SNITCHES ON THEIR FRIEND LIKE THAT???!!!! DON'T YOU KNOW THERE'S A BRO-CODE TO ALL OF THIS!!!!! Guys our size around here have to stick together against those muscled meatheads, or they'll eat us alive!!! What are you new here or something?!?!" Nobu wrathfully bellowed, the vicious bitterness in his voice easing up at the end upon starting to ask questions about this well-dressed friend/betrayer. For now he continued running beside Hiro with no real direction or destination in mind...but what awaited them ahead was the tour group which the enamored Micca had returned to. The lovely lady with the smitten crush on the tomboy reapplying her lipstick as she gazed into her pocket mirror, already thinking of new ways she could coerce the scrumptiously cute young man into joining her for that private sparring session all night at her place...and maybe once more in the morning.

Hiro hadn't really envisioned this being how their opening week was going to go with the company. This was after all, the big leagues. No more teacher, no more books, but somehow she found herself in the company of crooks… well, one potential crook, that being Nobu. Her earlier run in with overly touchy feely rookies had been more than enough to sour the day. Now she found herself running from a guy that quite possibly had about a hundred pounds on her. While she was confident in a fight, assaulting co-workers in bathrooms wasn't written on any of the expectations management had voiced to the new batch of hopefuls.

Nobu and Hiro did an awkward dance at the door. Hiro holding it for him then taking off when he passed by, only for Nobu to scramble back to… wedge a mop against the door. She slowed for him again, only for him to rocket by, prompting her to speed back up so the two ran side by side. It wasn't that she felt beholden to him in any way, more that she hoped he knew a better place to flee than she did with limited knowledge of the building.

"Wait, what? Friend? I don't even know you!" If there was one thing Hiro learned about Nobu today other than his ability to make enemies it was the fact he was fast. She was having trouble keeping up with him as they scrambled down the hall. She spared a glance back where they came, only to wish she hadn't.

"Bro-code?" Was this some sort of Tension policy she was unfamiliar with or perhaps a cultural thing? She wasn't sure, but Nobu seemed incredibly adamant about it. Was this another piece of kindling to stoke the flames of her career her going up in smoke before it began? Her face twisted into a screwed look of annoyance, glancing sidelong at her cohort.

"Well yeah, I am new here." This was a strange conversation to be having with the backdrop of their shoes slapping against the floor and heavy huffs of exertion. She wasn't really feeling it either. "Save the small talk for when we-" Turning to face forward Hiro's eyes locked onto the touring crowd before them. A roadblock of additional problems set to sandwich the two of them in.

Catching an intersection in their peripheral vision, Hiro shot out one of her arms, grabbing hold of Nobu's arm. With a planted heel her soles squealed on the tile floor, putting a hard stop on her momentum as she swung the man with her in a wide semi circle to redirect him down a new hall. She reached up with a free hand, holding her hat in place for the most part save for it becoming slightly one-sided.

Whipping Nobu off, she followed, kicking off the ground to dash after. There was a brief moment when her forward lean didn't match her pace, causing her to stumble along, having to push off the floor with a palm to keep from biting it right then and there. Arms pumping, she managed to regain herself and catch back up. "We need a place to lay low. Not a bathroom." She shot Nobu a look, just wanting to make sure they were on the same page, for now at least.

As one can probably surmise given his fleet-footed fiestiness, Nobu was quite the adept track runner ever since his high-school days. Although much of his practice regimen came from outrunning schoolyard bullies who just couldn't take a joke when it was at their own expense. It was how he managed to gain such a lengthy head-start over that rampaging narcissist in the first place, but even he was starting to get somewhat winded by the time he and his newfound friend with the snazzy fashion sense started the second lap of this endurance run. But it's not like he could be blamed for all of this anyway. Ever since those afterschool marathons with bullies hot on his heels, he's tried to be more careful about his pranking targets. But it's just that he's just been so bored ever since signing up with Tension with not one match to show for all his time. What else was he supposed to do except start making up his own fun and find rambunctious ways to kill time until he was called up? He was an artiste who needed creative outlets to express himself...even if it was through whoopie cushions.

And this artiste thought he happened upon their mutual salvation upon coming across a tour group full of murmuring rookies they could blend into until the danger passed. And if worse comes to worse, they were potential witnesses to hopefully dissuade Senor Douchebag from pummeling him into a fine paste should he be spotted. Nobu breathing a sigh relief in between his exhausted wheezing, thanking his lucky stars that something had finally gone right toda-

"WHOAHO!!!" Nobu's so called "lucky stars" abruptly twirling him about and tugging him in the exact opposite direction of the tour group. His sneakered feet screeching against the floor and blurted-out objection catching the quizzical attention of Micca. The flirtatious little lady scanning her immediate surroundings and the entrance to an adjacent hallway she could have sworn was where the sound originated from.

Nobu stumbling a bit at first after crossing one leg over the other, but a hopping skip and whirling flail of his arms balanced himself out and put him back on track right beside his sprinting cohort. The Prankster Prince lengthening his stride with an upright posture while driving his arms with every step, than shooting Hiro a slant-eyed glance as to why he opted to forego the safety of a bustling audience to blend into. A question perhaps for another time since the guy seemed to think their would be better times for banter, perhaps when they aren't running for their lives along this exceptionally long hallway.

"We need a place to lay low..."

Nobu just than brightened up with a beaming smile, knowing full well that the ladies locker-room with an adjoining shower-bathroom wasn't too far-

...Not a bathroom."

Nevermind. Nobu's smile saddening from having his hopes and dreams crushed, but nevertheless put his noodle to work thinking of a possible safehouse. He propped his chin atop his hand in concentrated thought before snapping his fingers and snatching Hiro's hand to perform a sharp right turn into a hallway that seemed to get more ritzy and opulent with it's decorations and furnishings as they went. Pictured portraits of former Tension champions adorning the walls as their stomping footsteps became muffled beneath the rose carpeted floor. Hiro scanning the doors before coming to one very specific. He than took out a plastic card and scanned the lock...to a buzzing red, denying them entry. Nobu trying two more cards before getting the relieving sight of green, than tugging Hiro inside the extravagant dressing room before slamming the door shut behind them.

"...*pant*...Phew, alright. I think we're in the clear now...there's no scheduled matches today, so no one should be coming in here unless it's like the janitor or something. But dude...we're gonna have to work on your cardio and your nasty snitching habit if we're gonna keep hangin out." Nobu uttered in panting exhaustion, dangling his arms with a slumping posture as he started waltzing towards the mini-fridge.

The escalation of the days events unfolding had been a whirlwind of misfortune. Starting out her day the only real concern had been how to avoid using the restroom at the same time as the rest of her your group. Now she was avoiding admirers, aiding and abetting a prankster figative, and running from a brand new enemy. What even was this? As the pair ran she found herself glancing over every so often, hoping, praying Nobu had something more up his sleeve before they ran out of runway in the halls.

The sudden grasp of her hand made her tense, being jerked off path again, her shoes squealed along the smooth floor in potent over the sudden change in momentum. She corrected course though and was back running along side Nobu in no time. Her eyes flicked from side to side, eyeing the various passing portraits. Was this some manner of hall of fame? She wasn't sure. This hadn't been on the tour.

When Nobu stopped as stood beside him, eyeing the security lock on the door questioning. Her brow furrowed as he slipped a card out, trying it to no success. Great… Hiro drew in a deep breath, turning slowly to watch the hall. If this took to long they were going to have another fight on their hands.

"Try to hurry…" Hiro shifted her weight from foot to foot, shaking out her arms to work a bit more room into her jacket. If that large guy came this way, she had to be ready to fend him off. The idea of trying to take him head on was… less than ideal but she had thrown her lot in with Nobu now. No going back.

Just when she had mentally prepared herself to face down the raging beast if he showed himself, something grabbed hold of her collar and pulled her backwards through the door. "Egh!" She stumbled backwards through the doorway, whirling around defensively to be face to face with Nobu closing the door behind them. Her posture loosened as the door clicked shut, leaving the two of them with a moment of silence before her partner in crime spoke up.

"My cardio?" She let out an exasperated huff, throwing an arm out to gesture at Nobu who seemed just as spent as she was… and in more reasonable clothes to be running around in than her. Taking in a deep breath she settled and just focused on her breathing instead.

"I don't owe you anything. As far as I can tell, you were very much in the wrong." She folded her arms firmly across her chest, standing near the door almost as if in silent protest to the situation. Her eyes drifted about the room slowly, taking it all in. "Just who are you anyhow? You keep implying we're friends and I don't even know your name... Also, where are we exactly?"

Yes...HER cardio. Nobu was perfectly capable of outrunning that obnoxious knuckle-head all on his own, but out of the kindness of his immeasurably generous heart, he slowed up his pace to allow this mysterious stranger time to catch up to him. He always did think he had the skills of a varsity athlete in running track. Who knows how far he would've gotten if not for his genuinely easygoing nature not exactly melding well with the hardwork and dedication it takes to achieve greatness in the sport. That, and being informed by his high school track coach that practice sessions started at 6:AM in the morning. Nobu never having made such a faster bead for the exit before.

"Well...didn’t know it was Detective Conan I ran into outside." Nobu guipped while his head was still stuffed looking inside of the mini fridge before squirreling up some bottled water, than waltzing towards his culprit in crime with drinks in hand before handing one off to him. "Firstly, allow myself to introduce...uh...myself." Nobu cocking one-eye from his verbal fumble before righting himself with a semi-bow and proper introduction. "Name's Nobu Tano. No need to memorize it, as one day you'll see it plastered all over this place in shinning letters next to studly pictures of myself right besides all sorts of lovely honey's~..." Nobu's flight of fancy being detailed with a flick of his electric chair before he started making his way back inside the luxurious room.

"As for the where...we be in the luxurious, palatial suite area of the building. Outside are the hallowed halls of all the Tension greats, and these are the extravagant rooms reserved for those creme de la creme of competitors to suit up for matches and relax whenever they so choose." He wafted an arm around the room before spinning in place to plop himself on one of the master arm chairs, than pressing a button on the arm rest to have it begin reclining backward so he can kick his feet up and fold his legs. "And the way I see it...you owe me plenty, boyo. I'm the one who saved your life from that guy by hiding you out in here, when all you had to was tell a little white lie to get him off my trail and you could have been on your merry. Instead you went all John Wick on the guy and got us both into MORE heat. You're just as guilty and just as much in the wrong as me now, compadre." Nobu stretched himself out and pointed the index finger of judgmental blame right back at this dude before taking a swig of his drink and continuing. "...*gulp*...Alright my turn. Just who the heck are you anyway? I think it important I know the name of my roughhousing, ass-kicking partner in crime dressed in the snazzy suit."

Hiro could imagine Nobu's pictures plastered all over the place, it was true. Her vision of it differed, thinking instead it would feature a grimy and disheveled version of the young man in black and white. Most wanted posters weren't terribly concerned with portraying their subjects in a flattering light after all. The mention of being surrounded by women got a roll of her eyes as well. While she don't identify as a lady these days, she was pretty certain this level of misplaced confidence wasn't going to get him much contact with the women past a slap in the face.

"Uh-huh… so how did you get a key for it then?" Hiro's interest had been piqued, slowly slipping away from the door to quietly wander the interior of the suite. She stopped every so often to eye the various posters that lined the walls. Some new, most older, practically relics of a bygone age. She was keen to not get comfortable though, this was a temporary hideout and not their personal clubhouse.

"...Saved me? You, saved, me? Are you joking?" Hiro slowly turned in her heel to stare incredulously at Nobu as he reclined in a chair. Her lips stiffened and brow furrowed at the sight, keeping that bottles up as he continued. "Why would I lie for you, Nobu Tano?" She placed that added emphasis on his name, that sort of edge that came from a parental figure of school disciplinarian and commended a bit of respect despite the two of them being equals.

Her expression quickly softened at the mention of what she had done to the other man. Truly it had been unintentional, a product of wrong place and wrong time merged with her having a bad day. Her stern veneer was flaking away as she looked towards the ceiling with a sudden embarrassed blush. She hated to admit fault for roughing the other man up knowing full well Nobu was the sort that would latch on to any sort of admission of guilt but it wasn't like her to push blame off to something else. She was responsible.

"It was a mistake." There was a genuine sense of regret in her voice, not because it lead her down this road and into cahoots with Nobu either. She was actually upset she had let herself get carried away and attacks someone. She hadn't even started working here yet and already she had battered a man in a bathroom.

"Shiba Hiro." While it was nice to know he thought so highly of her skills, the thought of a newfound life of crime didn't appeal to her. Nobu could likely see it, a softness in her eyes as she looked towards the door. There was a very real feeling she might leave and turn herself in for what she had done, unraveling everything… then where would that leave Nobu? It seemed as though his pushing of ride or die with Hiro was driving her to want to fall on her sword for honor's sake. A slight miscalculation.

...Uh-oh. Nobu could sense hesitation and mindful regret in the sound of this guy's voice as he sullenly uttered his name. The prankster prince recognizing that voice and body language by having developed a sixth sense for things like this. Many times his friends would start to get cold feet when they were on the verge of what Nobu insistently proclaimed would be the "prank of a lifetime." He already had two strikes against him with the AFW top brass in regards to various chicanery he was regrettably caught red-handed in perpetrating via security cameras and DNA evidence. One more strike against him means getting canned, fined, and probably a beating from Senor Douchebag out there once he finds him in the parking lot. Nobu couldn't risk losing such a cushy job like this where he's surrounded by beautiful women 24/7 and could weasel his way into the lap of luxury whenever he wanted...

...oh yeah, plus he kinda felt bad for the guy too. It didn't seem like he was cut out for the life of rampant criminality Nobu alluded to anyway...well. maybe with time. "Whoa hey come on now, I'm just messing with ya..." Nobu popped out of his chair and stepped in front of Hiro to block her view of the door, and hopefully have her curtail any lingering thoughts about narcing on him. "Look dude, all ya did, was stop some guy from beating the hell out of me. Guy probably woulda done...a hundred times worse to me had you not intervened. And I appreciate it. So...whaddya say we just start over, and try and be pals. I promise I'm not gonna get you into any more trouble, scout's honor." Nobu smiled warmly and put up three fingers for the typical boy scout salute, sounding genuine and heartfelt in his words to try and get his buddy not to go tattling on him. And no, Nobu was not in the scout's. He just thought it helped back up his words.

"But ya know...if you're planning to stick around this joint…you GOTTA learn a little subterfuge and ways of weaseling yourself out of trouble. If you're just gonna go being all honest engine and telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth...you're gonna find yourself getting into fights all the time with zero friends to back you up. And wind up getting bullied, battered, beaten, and robbed before the end of the week. I've seen jacked dudes waaaay tougher than you or me wash out and get hung out by their jockstraps before their first match. I've only survived here comes I'm a damn fast runner and know how to...omit, certain uncomfortable facts, from time to time. Trust me...if ya don't learn how to start dipping into shades of grey, than you're just asking for a 0 and 20 win/loss ratio before getting piledriven into the canvas with like, Killer King's junk in your face or something." Nobu nodded his head in wide-eyed affirmation while gulping down his water in case Hiro was looking skeptical, saying quite a mouthful there but meaning every word.