Ordinary (Sniper Mask x Reader)

chapter sixteen

"So he ended up being a hostage? Well, I'm sure he'll be able to manage the situation well." Sniper reached into his coat, pulling out his ashtray swiftly.

"Sounds like you have faith in him," Kuon added, looking at him hopefully.

"According to Yuri, Rika is a really strong kid. He'll make it just fine." You leaned against the window, looking up at the dark clouds in the sky rolling in. "Looks like a storm is coming."

Sniper stuck his cigarette in the ashtray, letting out a hardly noticeable sigh. "But it's still an inconvenient situation. I could go rescue him myself."

You frowned, flipping around slowly. He looked at your expression, and your heart softened. "It could be dangerous."

Before he could get the chance to respond, a sharp burst of electricity left his mask and he stiffened. Your shoulders tensed at the sight and your eyes widened in concern. His rifle slipped off of his shoulder, and he slowly stumbled to the ground. Quickly making your way over to him, you bent down to his level.

"Sniper?"

He didn't look up at you, though, and instead put his gloved hand across his mask.

"This must be..." he whispered, regaining his breath. You knitted your eyebrows together and reached out a hand, but he swiftly stuck his hand out, pushing you away gently. "I'm fine, Y/N. At least for now."

You glowered, watching carefully as he reached out for his gun. His body was stiff and shaky, and it seemed as if he needed to muster all of his strength to stand up straight. You shook your head, crossing your arms over your chest sadly. Your eyes were filled to the brim with worry.

"Something's wrong..." you muttered, and he nodded in response.

"It seems like what happened to Mayuko Nise might happen to me as well."

Kuon looked at him seriously, listening carefully to what he might say. You joined her, thought your face was much more troubled.

"Hibernation, the program that eliminates defective Angels," he stated, slightly slouched over. Your anxious gaze trailed from his mask down to his hands, and you couldn't help but catch how they trembled. "I'm still able to retain my consciousness right now, but it could happen any minute, which is a bit of a concern."

You bit your lip, fiddling with your fingers as you stepped closer to him. "But Kuon can do something about it, right? She fixed Mayuko, so she has to be able to fix you." You turned to Kuon desperately. "Right?"

"I'm terribly sorry. I'm unable to intervene in your brain unless you're unconscious," she murmured, and you felt your heart drop a little.

"You don't need to apologize for that. I'm counting on you when the time comes, got it?" He finished his words, finally standing up straight.

"Yes, of course." The resolve in her voice was amazing, and despite the situation, you couldn't help but be proud of her. She had grown a lot from the girl that first woke you up that night. She turned around, mumbling a few things to herself as a way to psych herself up.

You stared at her with admiration, but her small mutters came to an abrupt stop as she sat there in silence for a few moments. Turning around slowly, she gave you a knowing look, the sly grin that had appeared a couple of times prior making it's return.

"I have to go use the restroom, I'll be back soon!" she announced, giving you a small wave. Biting your cheek, you looked straight at the ground.

Hibernation, huh...? When we first found Mayuko, she seemed to be in a lot of pain. Not to mention, intervening takes a lot of energy out of Kuon. This is quite the sticky situation...