Starboy Azure

September 6th, 2070.

"Will we see each other again... One day?" A voice asked.

"We will, one day, I promise... Please… Just go, live a better life without me, okay?" The other voice responded. "I'll see you on the other side, one day..."

…

It was a rainy day, and most residents of the Marigold district were inside their homes, either sleeping or spending time with their families. The streets were quiet and relatively empty, except for a lost child, who was cold, hungry, soaked in rain, and alone.

"I just… Gotta find somewhere to rest…" A 10 year old Okoro said. Suddenly, the boy tripped and fell over, coughing violently.

"Ngh…" He grunted and started to tear up. "I don't wanna die alone… Please…"

Okoro began to hear footsteps approaching him, causing the boy to panic. Those footsteps belonged to a tall man wearing a raincoat and carrying an umbrella over his head. Okoro's heart started racing, and he looked up at the man in fear.

"P-please… Don't… Hurt me…" Okoro said in a shaky voice as he gave the stranger an intense stare. His eyes were still full of tears, and he sat there in the puddle of water.

"My apologies child, I did not mean to scare you." The man said as he extended a hand.

Okoro flinched as the man extended his hand as if he was scared he was gonna hit him. This caused the man to retract his hand.

"A-ah, I didn't mean to scare you again, I'm sorry," The man said. "You can call me Mr. Frye, okay? I'm not going to harm you."

"Mr… Frye?" Okoro said, now trying to calm down, wondering if he could trust this stranger. "M-my…. M-my name is Okoro."

"I see, it's nice to meet you, Okoro," Mr. Frye said. "Are you lost, do you know where your parents are?"

"I… Don't know where my parents are…" Okoro said as his voice began to shake again, and he teared up. "They... They haven't called for me."

Mr. Frye frowned as Okoro said this. "I'm… I'm sorry to hear that."

He reached his hand out to Okoro one last time, and the boy stared at it for a few seconds, before finally sitting up and grabbing Mr. Frye's hand.

"Please… Don't leave me..." Okoro buried his face into Mr. Frye's torso as he immediately clung to him. "P-please… d-d-don't.."

Okoro became a stuttering mess, as he started to sob uncontrollably.

"Shh.. It's okay, let it all out, I won't leave you…" Mr. Frye said as he hugged Okoro with one arm, using the other to hold the umbrella over the both of them. "You don't have to suffer anymore, my child."

"T-t-thank… T-t-thank y-you…" Okoro said. His sobbing started to slow down as he now hoped that he could be in safe arms.

"Would you like to stay at my place for now?" Mr. Frye asked, wanting to give the boy some shelter.

"Y-yes p-please…" Okoro said, the boy was now slightly relieved, all he wanted right now was a warm place to stay, and it felt like a miracle that someone had shown up to give that to him.

As the two released themselves from the hug, Mr. Frye held his hand out and Okoro took it. The two then began to walk to Mr. Frye's house, with the old man leading the way.

…

After some time, the two reached their destination and Mr. Frye helped Okoro settle in.

"T-thank you so much, Mr. Frye," Okoro said as the old man helped him remove his soaked jacket and shoes.

As the two could see each other better, Okoro looked up to observe him. Mr. Frye was an older tall man with dark brown skin, black eyes, and a greyish beard. He had a certain friendly vibe with him that'd make you feel safe and protected.

"Of course, I'd curse myself if I left a young soul out in the cold rain," Mr. Frye said. "I'll be right back, I'll prepare a bath for you, with some spare clothes of course."

"O-okay…" Okoro nodded and stood there patiently, he didn't want to be disrespectful and sit on the couch, knowing he was still somewhat drenched.

A few minutes later, Mr. Frye came back to the living room. "Your bath is ready, you do know how to bathe yourself correctly, right?"

"Mhm…" Okoro nodded. "I'll be alright."

Mr. Frye smiled. "Alright then, the bathroom is upstairs and straight down the hallway, come back down when you're ready, okay?"

"Okay!" Okoro nodded happily, smiling for the first time that night. He giddily ran up the stairs and went to the bathroom.

The boy was relieved to finally take a warm bath, now washing the cold rain away…

…

Okoro sat in the warm water, relaxing as he leaned his head back, allowing his hair to get soaked in water as well.

The boy looked up at the ceiling, thinking about the events of that day.

"Can I… Really keep this promise? Y-yeah, I will!" Okoro said. "One day, hopefully."

…

Okoro now walked downstairs in his new attire, he wore an oversized T-shirt and shorts. Those were the clothes that Mr. Frye gave him for now, at least until he could buy Okoro some new clothes in his size.

"Ah you're back, how was your bath?" Mr. Frye said while sitting on the couch, looking over at Okoro.

"It was nice, thank you so much, sir," Okoro said, walking over to the couch.

"That's good to hear, my boy. I've already prepared your room, would you like to go there now?" Mr. Frye asked.

"O-oh, yes please!" Okoro said excitedly, the boy's mood seemed to get better and better.

"Alright then, I'll lead the way," Mr. Frye stood up, gesturing Okoro to follow. The man led them up the stairs and down the hallway, walking to the door on the right. He opened the door and held it open for Okoro, allowing him to walk in.

"Woahh, I can really have my own room sir?" Okoro asked, looking up at Mr. Frye with hopeful eyes.

"Of course, tomorrow we can go shopping if you'd like, I will buy you clothes and things for your room," Mr. Frye said.

"Y-yes please, I'd like to go!" Okoro nodded, playing with his fingers.

"Very well then," Mr. Frye said. "I'll leave you to get some rest, if you need anything else, just call on me, okay?"

"Okay, goodnight sir!" Okoro said as the man left the room. Okoro then went over to his new bed and stared at it for a few seconds, before he finally leaped onto it, giggling happily as he pulled the blanket over him.

"I really get to have my own room now… So cool!" He said to himself. Okoro kept rolling and turning over, before he finally settled into a comfortable position, laying on his side.

'If only… We could've enjoyed this together…' He thought to himself, frowning as he closed his eyes. 'I'll never forgive myself for leaving her behind...'

…

October 3rd, 2070.

Kandona City, Kandona.

Today was Okoro's 11th birthday, and Mr. Frye wanted to make it special.

"Almost there," Mr. Frye said as he led a blindfolded Okoro to the living room.

"Yes sir!" Okoro followed behind, wondering what the gift could be. When they reached the living room, Mr. Frye stood before the gift, holding Okoro's hand as the boy caught up.

"You may take your blindfold off now," Mr. Frye said, letting go of Okoro's hand as he allowed the boy to witness the surprise.

"Okoro finally removed his blindfold, doing it slowly to savor the moment. When it was off, his eyes fluttered open as he looked at the box before him. He quickly tore the box open, and his eyes widened when he saw what was inside.

"Hardlight skates!" Okoro exclaimed, his face lighting up as he gave Mr. Frye a smile. "Thank you!"

"W-when can I use it!?" He asked in an impatient tone.

"Whenever you're ready," Mr. Frye answered. "I'll have to keep an eye on you though, don't want you getting into any trouble."

"I don't mind!" Okoro said as he threw himself into Mr. Frye's arms. "As long as I get to see more of the city, please!"

"You will, Okoro," Mr. Frye said. "I'll make sure of it. Although, I'm sorry I can only afford just one gift at the moment."

"Are you kidding me? This is the best birthday I've ever had!" Okoro said.

"Ahh... I'm glad I could provide such an experience," Mr. Frye said.

...

Later that night, Okoro stayed in his room as he tossed and turned on his bed.

"Man..." He let out a sigh. "Even with all these cool things Mr. Frye lets me have, I still feel lonely."

"It's not fair!" Okoro said. "I don't have any friends, but I want that to change! I'm tired of isolating myself because I can't find anyone who's like me..."

...

August 20th, 2075.

Kandona City, Kandona.

In the present day, citizens in the nation of Kandona live pretty normal lives for the most part, at least those who are oblivious to the secrets of the world. But that ignorance is probably ideal as long as it keeps you out of trouble. For those who knew the truth, the dangers lurking in the shadows were ever present, present inside the confines of a so-called safe and secure city. But that's all thanks to Nixidia, the corrupt megacorporation that runs the country.

For many years, Nixidia has kept secrets from the people of Kandona City, including the full extent of how they treat Kani users. They have maintained an almost perfect image and have ruled over the country with absolute authority.

Kani is the life force energy that resides in the planet and its residents across the world. Some humans may inherit techniques that separate them from others, and they are labeled Kani users, superpowered beings, or even monsters. The full potential of Kani users is said to be immeasurable, some say they could be as powerful as gods. Because of this, Nixidia made it their mission to make sure that Kani users who live in Kandona must be suppressed, and the usage of such powers is deemed illegal, they were afraid that people who possessed such powers would take over humanity. What happens to them when they're caught is a mystery to most, but that only led to dozens of conspiracies being formed, and for many people to distrust the government.

Most Kani users believe that the universe and the existence of Kani were created by a goddess named Biani millions of years ago, and their duties are to use the powers she blessed them with for good. It is said that Biani would awaken in the form of a suppressed avatar every 100 years, with the nearest awakening day coming up in the next year, very soon.

Some say that Nixidia are the perfect example of what a government should be, and are protecting the country from superpowered freaks, while others believe they are fascist terrorists who don't care about their people at all.

Amongst them all, was a boy named Okoro, a young Kani user who wears his heart on his sleeve. He had a short and slim build with brown skin, and bright, brown eyes that were full of life. He had messy black dreadlocks that stuck out in the back and had bangs in the front, the bottom of them were dyed turquoise. He wore a black jacket decorated with blue lines and a star on the chest. He had a white shirt underneath and baggy black pants, with sneakers that matched the initial two colors.

His technique was-

"Wait hold on, I wanna explain my technique!" Okoro said. "Even though I'm bad at explaining things…"

"Anyways, my technique is called 'Heart on the sleeve!' My friend Mr. Nero helped me name it.." Okoro explained. "Wanna know how it works? Okay cool, it basically runs off of my emotions. So uhh, I get stronger when I'm mad or really excited, but I get weaker when I'm sad or discouraged. There are some others I haven't really figured out yet, but I'll get there one day! I think…"

"Mr. Nero said it's a strong power, but to be honest, I kinda hate it sometimes… It's caused me more harm than good…" Okoro said as his tone saddened. "I didn't get to have a normal childhood, and it was hard for me to make friends. Worst of all, something bad happens when I get upset, I lose myself and become someone I'm afraid to be, I don't want it to happen again."

Suddenly, he received a notification.

"Huh?" Okoro said as he quickly pulled his phone out.

"Come meet us at the HQ Okoro, it's important! ^-^ See you there." - Mina Ozawa

"Oh yeah! Speaking of friends, that's my friend Mina, and she's the reason I have friends now… Ones who are like me, and they also have cool techniques." Okoro explained. "We're all a part of a group named Azurite, and our goal is to slam Nixidia to the ground! They've done a lot of bad things to people like us… But one day, we'll make sure that won't happen anymore."

"On my way!" - Okoro texted Mina.

He now faced forward, standing on a 100-meter-high observation tower which allowed him to admire the view of the city from above. He was wearing hard-light skates attached to his shoes which allowed him to traverse any surface.

"Heh, the city's kinda pretty when it's not out to get me…" He said as he looked around, admiring thousands of lights in the futuristic city. Okoro breathed in, and breathed out, enjoying the fresh air before he sprung into action.

"Enough negativity, hehehehe… GOOD EVENING KANDONA!" Okoro shouted before leaping off of the tower. Only Okoro would dare to pull off stunts this extreme. Unlike others, he felt free…

Okoro jumped across many rooftops, smiling as he skated on the edges. He made sure to avoid civilians or other things that might get in his way, even waving at some who enjoyed watching him go.

Okoro then dropped down a bit and began to wall-ride, moving faster so he could effortlessly jump from building to building. The further he went, the better he felt, and that's when he started to perform tricks, flipping in the air and showing off a bit. He really knew how to make the most out of anything.

But sadly, the fun had come to a halt, and Okoro had realized something was missing.

"Wait wait, my staff!" Okoro panicked as he floated in the air for a bit. "Oh my gosh…"

Okoro usually carried his staff with him, which he could extend and shorten whenever he pressed the button on it, but while he was performing tricks in the air, it had dropped from his pocket.

"Shoot…" Okoro then looked down at the ground, realizing he'd have to search for it immediately.

"Heh, I'm not letting anything ruin this night," Okoro said as he smirked, trying to hype himself up before he felt discouraged.

The boy then descended to the ground, skating around as he searched for any sign of his staff.

"It could be…" He paused as he looked around. "Anywhere."

He then saw something that alerted him, causing the boy to grit his teeth. "Oh come on…"

Okoro had seen a couple of Nixidia soldiers, standing in the streets as one of them examined his staff. "Seriously? They don't even monitor this district that much, what the heck!"

Nixidia Corporation had several divisions of soldiers who were a part of their combat programs and army. They wore black and red armor and utilized weapons that the corporation made to combat Kani users.

"Bleh, I can handle this!" Okoro said, shaking off his disappointment. Because of his technique, he constantly had to stop himself from getting too discouraged, or else he'd pretty much be useless. "But I don't wanna fight anyone right now..."

…

Okoro hid in the shadows, watching the soldiers as he planned to hit a sneak attack on them. Until then, he listened to their conversation, shifting over a little.

"Did you hear something?" One of them said. "I swear I always feel like I'm being watched."

"No dude, that's because you're sleep-deprived like always," The other replied.

"Heh, at least I can do him a favor!" Okoro said as he smirked, pulling his hood over his head to hide his identity. Shortly after, he sprung into action, using his smaller frame and great agility to maneuver around the soldiers, successfully snatching his staff, and kicking them in the head.

"Damnit, stupid brat!" One of the soldiers yelled while the other fell to the ground, unconscious. "After him!" The remaining soldier said to the others in the area.

"I'm sorry! But hey, didn't your parents tell you not to steal from kids?" Okoro said while making a run for it. His instincts made him apologize every time he had to hit someone, even if they were soldiers who abducted innocent people.

Several soldiers held their guns out and aimed at Okoro, firing barrages of photons, only for him to dodge all of them without much effort. These seemed to be Division 3 soldiers, meaning they were among the higher ranks. Because of that, they carried photon guns.

"Guns, seriously? These guys are insane!" He said as he began to skate away.

"That kid... He's a Kani user isn't he?" One of the soldiers said. "No normal child can move like that."

"Has to be, if we can't catch him, then we'll report him to Nixidia later!" Another soldier replied.

"Hmph!" He exclaimed while riding away. 

Okoro smirked, fleeing the area as he planned to escape from the soldiers who called back up to chase him down. He slid and jumped through the streets, trying to avoid civilians and vehicles. Dozens of soldiers still chased him down, but that didn't stop him from fighting back.

He jumped through the air again, lunging himself at a soldier to disarm them. Okoro picked up the photon gun and aimed it at another soldier, who froze in place due to being afraid of being hit by a laser.

"Gotcha!" Okoro said as he threw the gun at another enemy's head, before dashing behind the fearful soldier to knock him out as well. "I'm sorry again!"

"Okay okay… I was showing off a bit, gotta go!" He said as he skated away again. Okoro smiled again as he rode through the city, crossing streets, maneuvering across railings, sliding down sets of stairs, and high-fiving pedestrians who observed the scene.

"Rock on, 'lil freedom fighter!" A random man with brown skin and black dreadlocks said as he smiled. He wore a jacket that said 'T-Man.'

"Mhm!" Okoro gave him a nod as he flipped in the air, moving to a building and wall-running as he did earlier.

As he got closer and closer to his destination, there were fewer signs of Nixidia soldiers being on his tail, causing Okoro to finally relax, and he could finally ride in peace.

He skated across a street fountain, allowing himself to enjoy the feeling of triumph. Afterward, he moved onto the road, deciding to see if he could race some cars. He slipped through them and rode past, smiling to himself as he realized he was almost there.

"Right... So those guys are Nixidia soldiers," Okoro said. "They're supposed to monitor the country and make sure Kani users aren't using their powers illegally. I know I'm not supposed to be seen, but I can't really help it! It's not fair that we're not allowed to be our true selves because the government thinks gonna take over humanity or something."

"Half of the time, we're even getting falsely accused or convicted of crimes we didn't even commit!" Okoro exclaimed. "Sadly I'm not the most educated on this kind of stuff, you'll probably learn more from someone like Lumi."

"Still, I became a freedom fighter because I know that I'm strong enough to do something about this!" Okoro said. "I don't care how long it takes... One day, I'll help put an end to this."

After a few more minutes of performing tricks and stunts, Okoro was finally at his destination. He stopped in front of a bakery, reading the glowing sign above it.

It read 'Laurent's Bakery.' Which was a place owned by one of his friends named Ember. Beneath it was Azurite HQ, the meeting spot for Okoro and the rest of the Azurite members.

"Hehe, I'm finally here guys, I hope I'm not too late…" He smiled at himself before walking inside…

"Hmm," Okoro hummed as he looked a bit closer, seeing that there happened to be a glowing closed sign next to the door.

"Ahh…" He said as he slumped his shoulders in disappointment, about to turn back around. "I must've been too late then."

"Wait!" A feminine voice was heard from the other side of the door as a woman rushed over to open it. "Hey Okoro, come in!"

"Mina!" Okoro's face lit up as he ran over to hug her.

"Hey," Mina sang, cooing as she wrapped her arms around him. "How've you been?"

Mina Ozawa is a beautiful fair-skinned woman of above-average height, an athletic build, and a slim but toned physique. She has long black hair and brown monolid eyes. She is wearing a long-sleeved black shirt with baggy cargo pants of the same shade. Mina is usually called the big sister of Azurite's younger side, she is extremely empathetic and tries to do whatever she can to ensure everyone else is doing well. She is optimistic, reserved, caring, intelligent, and a good leader when she needs to be. Mina is known to be very inspirational, and it's why some of the other members look up to her. Even if she has her own flaws and struggles, she has no problem putting her issues aside to help those around her.

"I'm good, what about you?" Okoro said, grinning bashfully as he looked up at her. "My bad for being late!"

"I'm good as well!" Mina looked down at him with a smile. "And don't worry, you actually arrived earlier than I thought you would."

"Hey!" Okoro said with an annoyed pout, pulling away from the hug.

"Just kidding, just kidding." Mina couldn't hold back a chuckle. "Anyways, c'mon, let's meet with the others."

"Okay!" Okoro said excitedly, his mood immediately changing as the topic did. The two walked towards the back, but Okoro paused briefly to wave at someone behind the counter.

"Hey Ember, nice to see you!" Okoro said as he walked towards the door.

"Hey sweetie, nice to see you too!" Ember said as she waved back, smiling at the boy before he left.

Ember is a tall, beautiful dark-skinned woman with a slim build. She has long butterfly locs that hang towards the right side of her face and round, light brown eyes. She has her nose, eyebrows, and ears pierced and is wearing a black and white baker uniform. Ember is another key member of Azurite. She is not a combatant or a Kani user, but she runs the bakery above the HQ. This means she usually holds the fort down whenever everyone else is out or busy. She is very kind and laid-back, and others usually feel a lot calmer when they're around her.

Meanwhile, Okoro and Mina walked into the room in the back, revealing an elevator in front of them. As the two walked in, Okoro couldn't contain his excitement as he bounced up and down.

"So what are we all gonna talk about? It's about a new mission right?" He asked, looking up at Mina.

"Relax, you'll see in a bit," Mina answered. "But yeah, there's something important that Akanji wanted to talk to everyone about."

"We're not in trouble are we?" Okoro said as he panicked. "I know I almost went berserk last time, but it was an accident I promise!"

"You're fine Okoro," Mina said with a soft, reassuring smile as she put a hand on his shoulder. "No one's holding things like that against you. And if they do, tell them to see me about it."

Okoro immediately calmed down, letting out a sigh of relief as he leaned against her. "Thanks Mina…"

Mina and Okoro have a very close sibling-like bond. After all, she's the one who took him in and helped him join Azurite. Okoro looks up to her and usually goes to Mina whenever he has a problem with something, and she is always more than happy to help. Okoro likes helping her out as well and hopes to repay her for being the reason he's where he is today.

"Of course!" Mina said as the elevator door opened. The two walked out and were greeted by the other Azurite members.

They were currently in a lounge underground, which had a large couch and a television in the middle. The place was nicely decorated, with furniture, appliances, and other useful devices that would be used in someone's daily life. The room was also well-conditioned and smelled nice, it was just about everything you needed in a lounge. On the other side of the room was a door, most likely leading to other places underground.

"Hey guys, oh my gosh… Okoro!" A woman said as she hopped off of the couch and dashed towards them, wrapping Okoro in a death hug. "I missed you so much, please stop leaving me to be stuck with these doofuses."

"H-hey Lumi!" Okoro said with widened eyes as he smiled at her, grunting as he struggled to keep up with the hug. "I missed you too!"

Lumi is a beautiful, dark-skinned woman of average height and a slim build. She has long cyan hair braided into a ponytail and brown up-turned eyes with light blue eye shadow around them. She has freckles and wears round glasses. She is wearing a white and blue sweatshirt with a cat logo on the middle, and a black skirt with thigh highs and boots. Lumi is one of Azurite's biggest players, she is a world-class hacker and inventor, and she is often regarded as a genius, and effortlessly proves herself to be one. She is very energetic, caring, intelligent, playful, and a bit snarky at times. She likes bantering with some of the others, especially Ash and Amari who tend to get on her nerves. She is undisputedly Azurite's most intelligent member.

"So adorable…" Lumi cooed. "Unlike a certain duo!"

"Yo, Okoro!" One of the guys said as he stood up and walked towards them. "Man let go of him!"

"Bleh!" Lumi stuck her tongue out at him as she pulled away.

"Ash!" Okoro said excitedly as they dapped each other up.

Ash is a tall dark-skinned boy with a lean, athletic build. He has black hair braided into cornrows and brown upturned eyes. He obviously resembles Ember, her younger brother, and the two share matching beauty marks under one of their eyes. He is wearing a white t-shirt, black baggy cargo shorts, and black and orange sneakers. Ash is one of Azurite's most exciting members and he always brings around good energy. He is friendly, impulsive, energetic, cocky, and humorous. He tends to crack jokes during missions, trying to keep things as stress-free as possible, but he knows when to lock in. Ash looks up to his older sister Ember, and is very protective of her.

"Wassup 'lil man!" Another man walked up to them.

"Amari!" Okoro said happily as he gave Amari his trademark salute.

Amari is a handsome, tall dark-skinned young man with a very muscular build, making him the biggest member of Azurite. He has short black hair with red highlights and brown eyes. He is wearing a black tank top with black track pants and white sneakers. Amari is the leader of Azurite's younger side. He is attentive, confident, hardworking, and charismatic. Similar to Mina, Amari is seen as one of the big brothers of Azurite's younger side. He enjoys hanging out with everyone and exchanging banter whenever they have free time. He takes his role very seriously, and would never hesitate to put his life on the line to protect everyone else.

While the three caught up with Okoro, Mina decided to make her way to the other side of the room, having her eyes set on a certain someone.

"Uzo!" She sang, catching the attention of the young man in the corner, who quickly looked over at her. She gave him a gentle smile.

"Hey," He said quietly, not putting much energy into his words. He did seem less tense now that she was present, something she picked up on but decided to not comment on.

"Were you really just standing there the whole time since I left?" Mina asked, giving him a bit of a concerned look.

"That's exactly what I was doing," Uzoma said. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"Yes! Well, not really…" Mina said, folding her arms as she tilted her head to the side. "I won't force you to socialize, I just don't want you to feel alienated from everyone, y'know?"

"Right," Uzoma said quietly as he let out a sigh. He knew she was correct, but he was still hesitant. "I'm working on it."

Uzoma is a handsome dark-skinned man of average height and a lean, toned, and athletic build. He has white dreadlocks tied into a ponytail and purple monolid eyes. He is wearing a black hoodie with baggy black cargo pants similar to Mina's. Uzoma is seemingly, stoic, aloof, reserved, and a bit unfriendly at times. He is somewhat new to Azurite and joined after Mina had convinced him to. Not much is known about him yet but he mostly keeps to himself and speaks when spoken to. He does not have any bad intentions, he is just having a hard time getting used to a new setting.

So far, Uzoma is only close to Mina. Like Okoro, she recruited him as well. It took a lot of convincing, and she still hopes to see him come out of his shell and end his self-loathing. Despite Uzoma's stubbornness, he understands that Mina wants the best for him and is trying to push himself to get over his negative habits.

Mina let out a sigh as well, hoping she didn't make things awkward again.

"Promise?" She asked in a soft tone, making direct eye contact with him.

Uzoma paused for a bit, staring at her as a troubled expression flashed for a split second. "Promise…"

"Okay, okay, I won't nag you about it too much," Mina said with a chuckle. "But I will hold you to it!"

"Heyo!" A feminine voice said before playfully smacking Okoro on the head and appearing in front of him.

"What the! What's your problem, Hana?" Okoro said as he gave her an annoyed look.

"Nothing, nothing, just happy to see my training buddy again! Say, you up for another session later?" The girl known as Hana said.

Hana Inoue is a short and slim young woman with warm ivory skin, long black hair with the other half dyed cyan, bangs that covered her forehead, brown monolid eyes, and a cheerful expression. She had just finished a session in the training room and was wearing a white T-shirt with black track pants. Hana is a confident, mischievous, and outgoing person. She is the daughter of Hanzo Inoue, the founder and leader of Azurite. She is not afraid to be playful around her friends and Okoro, is unfortunately the prime target of her banter. It all comes from a good place since she considers him a good friend and was happy to meet someone her age whom she can relate to. She does not like being looked down on and has no problem provoking enemies in battle.

"Well, sure, if even have time to," Okoro said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Of course we'll have time to, dork, who says otherwise?" Hana scoffed.

"Well what if I said otherwise?" Okoro retorted, crossing his arms as he pouted at her.

"You won't, that's why I always ask." Hana countered, flicking him on the forehead.

"Good point," Okoro said with a blank expression, admitting defeat. "Fine then, you're on!"

"Hehe, you never disappoint!" Hana said, and the two reached out to shake each other's hands.

…

"Anyways, these are some of my friends!" Okoro said. "I dunno where the rest are though… But I met them all pretty recently after Mina introduced me to 'em! Everyone's really nice to me too, I never thought I'd meet so many other people with powers like mine at first, but here I am!"

"In all seriousness, it's really relieving to be around them… The country isn't too kind to people like us, so at the end of the day, all we really have is each other," Okoro said. "I can't say I'm fine with just that… I wanna go out more, I wanna meet new people, I wanted to grow up as a normal kid too… A lot of special things were robbed from us because of the way we were born."

"Why do we have to live as outsiders just because we're different? It's not fair at all, but that's why we're gonna make a change! We're gonna make sure people like us will have freedom in Kandona and will no longer be seen as monsters," Okoro said. "They think that of us, but it's not like we asked for these abilities… I'm sure most of us were just normal kids wanting to spend time with their families."

"Ehh, now that I think about it… What would I do after we change the country?" Okoro asked himself. "Hmm… Oh yeah! Maybe I'll travel around the world… Or start streaming! I'll probably have more time for that.."

…

Meanwhile, we are brought to two men who are still in the training room, having a discussion. Nero Akanji, the co-leader of Azurite met up with Hanzo Inoue, the founder and leader of Azurite. Nero was leaning against the wall, folding his arms as Hanzo stood beside him.

Nero is a tall, handsome dark-skinned man with a slim and toned build. He has long dreadlocks that are dyed blonde and dark brown eyes. He always wears a serious expression around everyone. He is currently wearing a long-sleeved black shirt with slacks of the same color. Nero Akanji is a very calm, wise, compassionate, and serious man. He takes his role as Azurite's co-leader very seriously and always ensures that everyone is at their best. Nero is more of a no-nonsense person, but he is not unfriendly and doesn't seem to mind spending time with his peers. He is someone who everyone looks up to, and people see him as a good role model for young Kani users, though he thinks otherwise. He is usually regarded as one of the strongest in the world.

Hanzo Inoue, also regarded as one of the strongest in the world, is a handsome middle-aged ivory-skinned man with a very tall and muscular build, making him the second biggest member of Azurite. He has brown monolid eyes, a chiseled face, and grey hair that is swept back with a few bangs in the front. He is wearing a similar outfit to Nero's. Hanzo is an aloof, wise, and earnest man. He has seen a lot in his life, being the man who founded Azurite and began the revolution. He genuinely cares about the Kani users in the country and wants nothing more than to see freedom for his people. He loves his daughter Hana and his wife Hae very much.

"Mr. Inoue, I can assure you that you will not have to come with us," Nero said to the older man.

Hanzo sighed and folded his arms as well.

"I do trust you all, but are you sure this is a mission I should not attend? Hana… I'm worried for her," Hanzo said. "She's never been out in a place like that."

"I'll make sure she's fine alright. She has grown up, not only as a person but as a fighter. She wants you to believe in her," Nero replied. "Although I do understand where you're coming from, the undercity won't be too kind to us as long as I'm there."

"That is true…" Hanzo said. "Perhaps I have been a bit overbearing, or rather protective, as any normal father would, of course."

"If something happens, I will not hesitate to rush out there, alright?" Hanzo said. "Yao, promise me one thing, please?"

"I know, I promise to protect Hana with my life. If anything goes wrong, I'll take full responsibility for it…" Nero said. "But I can assure you that nothing will go wrong."

"Mr. Inoue, please relax for once and continue to spend time with your wife. Please… Let me carry on the responsibilities and continue doing the heavy lifting," Nero said. "Even if it means I have to put my life on the line, I don't mind at all if it means that you can rest assured."

Hanzo let out a grateful sigh. "You are correct, but it appears we are both being… Rather stubborn in a way. I will take your word for it, Nari tends to get extremely worried when I'm out in battle, and I do not wish to scare her again."

"Thank you," Nero said. "I'm… I'm not trying to say we don't need your help, but until we get closer to finally overthrowing Nixidia, I want you to be able to spend more time with your family, Mr. Inoue. You've been working for a long time."

"You're a good man, Nero," Hanzo smiled. "Very well then, I trust that you will be able to take care of the Undercity's problems, but please do not hesitate to call me if things go wrong. Until then, I believe I should take Nari somewhere nice, perhaps a fancy restaurant. I've cursed myself for a while, what kind of husband have I been? I did not want to reach a point where I was so worried about the revolution that I began to neglect the love of my life."

"You're good, I'm sure she understands. You and I both tell each other that we're too hard on ourselves," Nero said. "And believe me, Azurite has only gotten stronger over time, especially the next generation. They've all grown into very exceptional fighters, even Hana."

"And that, I am proud of her for. I'll make sure to tell her when I can," Hanzo said with a chuckle.

"You should, she'd be bummed if you didn't," Nero said. "I think it's time we go tell them now, huh?"

"Of course, of course, I'll be on my way in a minute," Hanzo said.

Nero nodded and walked out of the room, going to meet up with the others, who were all currently in the lounge.

…