#fuulette

But as she ran across it, she heard a faint rush of wind, felt a sudden blast of cold, and the sudden thump of a warm body slamming her down and away from the creatures that had suddenly appeared.

Fuu rolled off of her, drawing a tire rim from the bag on her back. Gripping it like a boomerang, she settled into an easy stance in front of Olette. She looked at the silver things and said only, "Come."

They came, and she hurled the tire rim overhand at the first, ducking beneath the lashing feet of the second and shooting her left hand out at the third. "Aero," she commanded, and a blast of wind shot from her hand and threw the creature into a building. It promptly burst into dark fragments that evaporated into nothingness.

The tire rim ricocheted off the first thing's face, and Fuu sprang from her crouch, catching it easily in one hand. This time she threw it out to her right like a frisbee, shearing through the second thing entirely. Like the third one, it exploded into nothing.

The first, seeing her weapon hadn't returned, lunged for her, but Fuu ducked beneath it and rammed a solid fist where its stomach should have been, and then Olette slammed it over the head with a book, and it joined its companions.

Breathing heavily, Fuu stood, turning to face Olette. "Foolish," she said.

Olette flushed. "It looked clear."

Fuu rolled her eyes. "Impatient."

"Bored," Olette corrected. "Hayner and Pence weren't at the usual spot, so I decided to go home. But then those things came... and you saved me."

Fuu gave her an of course I did you idiot expression, then grabbed Olette's hand. "Follow."

Olette didn't pull away, and so Fuu led her across the sandlot and through the town's recently-finished underground concourse, coming up near Market Street.

"Safe," Fuu announced.

"... thank you," Olette said, reluctant to drop Fuu's hand. Impulsively, she pressed her lips to Fuu's cheek and whispered, "And thanks for saving me." She ran off before Fuu could reply.