Locker Room - Questions (COMPLETE)

Haruka had been rendered speechless by Cerbera's cruelty. No way, she thought desperately. That can't be Cerbera-san... she's not that cold even in matches... even when we first fought, when we were enemies first, she was never that cruel... what happened?

"What happened, Asteria-san?" Masato asked the witch girl. "I thought things would turn out for the better after you defeated Sindel and took over the Era of Hell?"

Then he gasped. Haruka's face had set hard. To Masato's astonishment, Haruka ran after Cerbera.

"Haruka!"

"Cerbera-san!" she demanded of the bigger girl. "Why are you acting like this?"

Asteria sighed, shaking her head.

" Even I don't know.. She just started acting this way out of nowhere.. "

Asteria then looked up as Haruka chased Cerbera, blinking a few times.

Cerbera was putting her jacket back on when Haruka confronted her, staring at her.

" Don't you get it, moron? I used you and Masato to distract Sindel to take the leadership for myself, so thanks for being such a good believing idiot! Hahahaha!! "

Haruka looked like Cerbera had punched her in the gut. "No," she murmured, her anger draining away as quickly as the blood from her face. "No, it can't be..."

Masato came to stand beside his ward. He gripped Haruka's hand and stared into Cerbera's eyes without fear or hate. "Is that so?" he softly asked. "Is that true?" He refused to believe such a bald statement. He couldn't.

Cerbera stared at them both with a deadly gaze, though a smirk was upon her lips. Asteria followed and stood besides the two, listening quietly.

" With you two goody goody types trying to keep Sindel away from little ol' me, she had her mind set on beating you two, not even keeping an eye on me.. Haha.. You two just went into my fake " I need help.. " personality, thus making my plan succeed without much difficulty.. I even knew youu two would go to that beach and I waited there patiently! You two just simply played my game without even knowing the ending! Hahahahaha! "

Cerbera bursted out of laughter, almost even in a loud way as she stared at Haruka's look, then at Asteria.

" And you, what are you doing besides them, huh? "

Asteria frowned, mumbling the word ' sorry ' to Masato and Haruka before stepping up to stand besides Cerbera.

While Haruka seemed robbed of wits and words, Masato steeled himself. He focused on Asteria instead. "Asteria-san," he coolly stated. "Is what Cerbera-san telling us true? Did the two you just lie to us back on the beach?

"Please consider your answer carefully. You know what this means, don't you?" he added.

Please, God, don't let this happen, don't kill all our hopes in one blow...

Asteria blinked up at Masato and hearing his question, looking sadly at him before noticing Cerbera staring threatenly at her, bringing one hand up to the side of her head and gripped it lightly, starting to talk to herself.

" Ngh.. What to do.. Lie and say Yes to keep Cerbera close or say No to get in trouble.. So nervoussss... "

Asteria started to shake her head lightly from side to side, starting to get a headache. Seeing Asteria in such state made Cerbera blink a few times before narrowing them, growling at her.

" You idiot! What are you doing!? "

Masato tried not to grimace. Damn! I've put Asteria-san in a bad spot! I should have been less hasty... He opened his mouth to defend Asteria.

"Don't call her an idiot."

Haruka said that in such a low yet powerful tone that Masato found himself falling back from his ward despite himself. The idol girl's brown-topped head was bowed so that the front bangs of her hair covered her eyes. Both her fists were clenched.

"Don't call Asteria-san an idiot," she repeated. "Don't insult your friend like that. Stop lying to us. Stop lying to yourself."

Cerbera turned to look at Haruka and Masato again, growling lowly as she stared coldly at them, ignoring Asteria for the moment, who made quick baby steps back and away from them, clutching the sides of her head with both of her heads, shaking lightly from side to side as she kept talking to herself.

" So confusing.. Can't focus... "

Cerbera crossed her arms against her chest, smirking.

" What if I will, little Haruka? You honestly have no idea, do you? Your petty little mind still clutches on to that little idea that we're friends.. I used you to get what I want, no you should back off before I send the entire organization at you.. And Masato. "

Cerbera glared straight at Masato, she looked very serious at him, though she did seem to be more on the defensive now.

Before Masato could answer, Haruka snapped "We are friends! That's why-"

And whether or not Cerbera shifted attention to her, Haruka raised her head so she could glare into the recalcitrant Cerbera's face with her burning green pupils. "-I'm going to knock some sense back into your head, whether you like it or not, just like Asteria-san told me and you I would!"

With that declaration of war, Haruka punched at Cerbera's face with her left fist!

Cerbera released a surprising gasp when she was hit right in the face, not even expecting such an attack. Cerbera took a step back, swinging her fist forward blindly towards Haruka's head, not wanting to take the time to recover from that sudden punch.

Asteria merely backed away into the corner, lowering herself completely down and stared down at the ground.