It's not meant as a dig at Lamarckian, just a joke referencing what happened there. Lamarckian is one of my favorite fanfics, and I actually talked to @Gorgoneion before including that part.
It's not intended as "Haha, Gang Orca would never dunk someone into an aquarium tank by surprise what a silly idea", but rather the joke is that he totally would do that, just not to someone with Thalassophobia.
Sunday dinner in the Tatsuma family was something of an awkward affair. Mainly but not exclusively due to the fact that one participant was the size of an elephant, and had to eat from a bucket. The kitchen furniture had been arranged so that I could comfortably sit down next to the table, with my rear and tail in the living room.
Oh, and did I mention that when a four-ton dragon is devouring a bucketful of meat and bones, it's loud?
I knew for a fact Mom didn't enjoy the audible crunching noises that made conversation awkward if not impossible, after years of doing her best to raise her children with some tableside manners. I felt guilty, of course, but… what could I possibly do about it? Except spontaneously regaining my ability to turn back to human, of course.
...
So, we ate without saying a word, as I hurried to finish my meal as fast as I could. Once the last of the meat had disappeared down my gullet, the awkward atmosphere of the situation began to relax. You could almost pretend like it was normal, if you squint. Ignore the elephant in the room, if you will.
I am funny.
Slowly, conversation began to filter back in. Dad mentioned a cute dog he'd treated for an infection at work today, and a new movie he'd be going out to watch with his colleagues. I talked about how school was going, and even Mom explained how she was almost finished with a large special order of carvings she'd been commissioned for.
Just… normal, everyday stuff.
It was nice.
"So, Ryuuzaki, have you got everything packed away for your internship?" Dad asked as he turned towards me.
"Yeah." I said, scratching my side. "I mean, it's not like there's a lot I need to carry with me, aside from my costume. UA worked out the special accommodations with the Agency ahead of time."
He snorted. "Don't count on it. Talk is cheap."
"It's the Number Two Hero Agency in the nation, if anyone's got the resources to do it it's them."
There was a sound of wood clattering against wood, and I turned my head around to see Mom had dropped her chopsticks.
"Endeavour." She repeated slowly. "You're interning with Endeavour?"
"Yes?"I swear to god, if I had eyebrows they would have been through the roof.
"No. You aren't." She stated. "I forbid it."
"What?!" I blinked, taken aback. "The internships start tomorrow!"
"Why haven't you brought up that you're interning with Endeavour until now?"
"I talked about it with Ryuko-"
"Oh sure, talk about it with your sister but not your parents."
"I have." I said, raising my voice. "I talked about it with Ryuko, and I've brought it up multiple times the last few weeks, you're just constantly working or not paying attention."
"Well this is the first I've heard of it." She snapped, with her best 'don't talk back to me'-face.
"Well it's not like you ever cared all that much about my hero studies anyway." I muttered before I could stop myself.
"Ryuuzaki." Dad admonished as he turned to Mom, who looked shocked. "Ryutsuki, dear, let's all be calm and reasonable about this. Why do you feel so strongly about her interning with Endeavour?"
"...I don't like it." She turned her head, refusing to elaborate.
"Well, I can't change your mind on that. But don't you think that it's unreasonable to expect Ryuuzaki to try to change her Internship at the last minute without even giving a reason?"
"She could intern with Ryuko. I'm sure she'd have no trouble with it." She spoke in a clipped tone.
"I'm sure she would, but do you want me to call the Number Two Hero in Japan and tell him I'm not coming, cancel all preparations because you said so?" I threw out, feeling resentful and frustrated.
She snatched up her chopsticks and returned to her meal in a resentful huff, leaving me to look at Dad with bewilderment in my eyes.
-----
"Do you all have your phones, costumes and train tickets?" Vlad King's deep voice carried over the bustle and noise of the train station. We were gathered around him in a semicircle, carrying various bags and other required items for our internship week. A sense of nervous excitement was in the air.
"Yep."
"Yeah."
"Got it."
"Good." He folded his arms. "Today marks the beginning of your first true contact with the reality and daily life of being a Pro-Hero. Obey your hosts, but do not forget that you are providing them a service in turn. Do not forget your own value. And in all cases, do UA proud. Plus Ultra!"
"Plus Ultra!"
We scattered, each heading for our own destinations. I was about to begin walking towards the exit, when I heard a voice speak out from behind me.
"Tatsuma."
I turned my head around to see Shoto Todoroki standing behind me, holding his own briefcase with one hand. His mismatched eyes looked up at me, a look of complete dispassion on his features. Behind him, some distance away, I could see 1-A similarly dispersing towards outbound trains.
"Yes?"
"I was ordered by my father to accompany you to the Endeavour Hero Agency's headquarters." Even his voice was carefully neutral, giving away nothing.
"Um, thank you, but I know the way-"
"Regardless, it was his order." He interrupted me, before turning to walk towards the train platforms. "Come."
I sighed, but followed, catching up to him with a couple of rapid strides. "I can't fit into a train. I am going to have to walk there."
Todoroki paused, the tiniest pursing of his lips betraying his annoyance as he reversed his course towards the exits.
"Then we walk."
I followed him out through the main doors of the train station and into the streets, struggling to keep up with him in the crowd without knocking into anyone.
"So, are you interning with Endeavour as well?" I asked him after a few moments. It had never occurred to me before now, but it seemed so obvious in hindsight.
"Yes." He bit out, not sounding too pleased, and that was that.
The remainder of the trip was awkward, to say the least. Todoroki marched on in sullen silence, and I didn't see a point in trying to strike up a conversation when he clearly had zero interest in it.
Thankfully the distance was relatively short, and in less than an hour we had reached Musutafu city center. If I thought I drew in stares then Todoroki was in another category altogether, and it felt almost like every other person stopped to gawk at us, much to his obviously mounting displeasure.
Finally, we pushed through the last crowd, and found Endeavour Hero Agency towering before us. It was a massive building, an entire skyscraper devoted solely and exclusively to the Number Two Hero and his staff.
Todoroki strode up to the entrance, a pair of massive wooden doors no less than eight meters tall, with a stylized flaming "E" mounted above them. An automated security system blinked a couple of times as it scanned us before turning green, and the doors clicked open of their own accord.
The inside of the building was a hive of activity. The first floor was a lobby of enormous proportions, clearly designed to overawe visitors. Costumed sidekicks and other staff were passing to and from the rows of elevators, and the intercom was crackling with announcements.
"Squad 3 prepare for departure in T-minus four minutes..."
"We have a situation in Mygeeto Hotel, who's the closest to respond?"
"Where's Burnin'? I've got an urgent message for-"
While I struggled with the sensory overload Todoroki kept going, ignoring greetings and well-wishes as he marched past the rows of secretary desks towards the largest of the elevators, at the far end of the building.
I, on the other hand, wasn't able to make such a good time through the busy lobby, slowly navigating my bulk through the crowd while trying to avoid bumping into anyone. Just as I thought I was in the clear I felt something hit my tail followed by a yell and a crash. I whipped my head around to see a young-looking Sidekick sprawled on the floor with a box of papers similarly spilled everywhere.
"Watch where you're going ya damn lumphead!" He yelled as he jumped to his feet, a tall man with spiky black hair and a pair of heavy gauntlets on his hands. "You tryin' to cause trouble, new guy?!"
"Hey now, that's Endeavour's new intern, we don't want to keep her." A man wrapped in bandages put a hand on the other man's shoulder, before looking up at me. "Move along now, Shoto's waiting."
"Endeavour's training someone who isn't his kid?" I heard the man I'd tripped mumble behind me. "Don't see that every day..."
Todoroki waited for me with a silent look of judgement on his features, to which I responded with as blank of a face as I could muster. The doors shut as soon as I pulled my tail through, the destination already keyed in, and soon enough we were rocketing towards the top level.
I was glad to be out of there, as the doors opened into a small waiting room decorated with couches and a sign telling visitors to wait to be called in, but Todoroki strode past it and pulled the immense mahogany door open, glancing behind himself to make sure I was following.
I felt immensely awkward as I stepped into what had to be Endeavour's office, a huge room with windows overlooking the city taking up an entire wall. A single desk dominated the room, as did its occupant.
Endeavour. On anyone else the whole "The upper half of my body is permanently on fire" shtick would have looked silly or extravagant, but he had the sheer presence to make it work. His icy-blue eyes glared right through us as we approached, and I recalled back to Yoarashi's many, many rants about the man in front of me. The look in them was the furthest thing from warm.
There was another man standing before him, clad in a heavy, padded grey costume, who also turned to look at our interruption. He was probably in his early twenties, quite average-looking with short-cut brown hair and a pair of high-tech goggles pulled onto his forehead. Another one of the sidekicks, I guessed.
"Shoto." Endeavour acknowledged his son, before turning to look at me. "Tatsuma. It is good to see you made the right choice."
"Thank you. I was, um, honoured."
Endeavour nodded his head, but didn't conceal the curl of his lips in distaste at the slight stutter in my voice.
"You will be staying with us for the rest of the week: all necessary accommodations have been taken care of." He said, before leaning forward and placing his hands on the table, causing a slight creak. "While here, everything you say and do acts as a reflection upon the Agency and myself. While at UA you may have gotten used to a more relaxed atmosphere, but here we expect discipline, rigour, and excellence in all aspects. You will conduct yourself appropriately."
I did my best to not allow my nerves to betray me, and nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Good. Strikethrough here will show around and introduce you to the Agency." He indicated the other man, who'd been standing quietly by his side. "Shoto, you will remain here. We are going to have a discussion"
His tone left no room for argument, and so I turned towards the man identified as "Strikethrough".
"Come on then, let's go." He said as he began walking towards the door, gesturing for me to follow.
"Name's Rokuro Abe, aka Strikethrough." He said, sticking out a hand at me as we entered the lift, his demeanour visibly relaxing upon leaving the office. "Welcome to Endeavour Hero Agency, on behalf of us Sidekicks. We don't often get to see interns 'round here."
"I think I encountered some of your fellows downstairs. Big guy with gauntlets, tripped on my tail and yelled at me."
"Yeah, that's Sparkfist for ya. Quick to anger, quick to cool. I know you're probably not gonna believe me, but he's actually a pretty nice fellow, once you get to know him." He rubbed the back of his head. "I hope him and Endeavour haven't totally ruined your impression of the place, we're not that bad."
"Endeavour did seem… standoffish." I ventured.
"He's like that with everyone." He shrugged. "You're Ryukyu's sister, right? I saw your performance at the Festival- those were some sick moves, by the way. People are still talking about that Seismic Toss."
"Thank you." I mumbled, a little embarrassed. "And yeah, I am."
He nodded. "You're probably more used to dealing with your sister, but let me tell you, Endeavour ain't like her- let's just say none of us are here for his glowing personality."
"..."
"Look, I ain't trying to scare you away or anything, just telling you to manage your expectations. So long as you don't expect him to be your pal, you'll be fine. With Endeavour, it's best to think of it as a business relationship, because that's what it is. You gotta figure out what he's getting from you and what you're getting from him, and so long as both of you are getting what you want he can be a great boss."
That seemed awfully cynical, but I didn't voice my thoughts aloud.
"That's the thing, I don't really know what he wants from me." I said instead.
"He probably thinks you've got potential, kid. And with your Quirk, he probably ain't wrong. I know I'd be real glad to have a dragon backing me up when I go up against a villain." He said, as the elevator finally hit ground level. "Anyways, we're here."
We stepped back out into the busy lobby, still bustling with people back and forth. I was careful to watch my tail as we walked across the room, while Strikethrough kept talking.
"This is the lobby, and yeah, it's pretty much always like this. We've got over thirty Sidekicks working here at the Agency, and there's a constant rotation of at least one squad out on patrol and one responding to calls or standing in readiness, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred and sixty-five days a year. You don't seem the type anyway, but don't piss off the secretaries or dispatchers just 'cause they ain't Pro-Heroes: they can make your life hell, and the good ones, good enough to run this whole machine without any snags, are worth their weight in gold and they know it."
"Right." I nodded along as he led us to another wing of the building, adorned with more equipment than three gyms put together.
"This is the training areas, they're freely available to all Sidekicks to use, but since you're here as an intern Endeavour is probably going to set your training schedule."
"Do you know anything about what my schedule is going to be like?" It wasn't like I was worried- well, that was a lie, I was, but it was more that I disliked not knowing what was to come.
"Well, he told me to bring you to his private training area in… two hours or so. Beyond that, well, I wouldn't want to speak for him, but you'll probably get brought along to patrol. At least with us sidekicks, Endeavour doesn't usually take new blood with him. But then again he doesn't usually take in interns, so who knows?" He shrugged his shoulders. "Let's finish the tour, and then grab something to eat."
He took me around the Agency, showing me its various wings. There were entire command centers of dispatchers, working around the clock to coordinate various teams out on the field. A wing with entire living quarters available for employees, including a room set aside for me. Then we moved on to the PR department. Merchandise department. Medical department. Administrative department.
It was what I'd seen at Ryuko's Agency, just… multiplied. A job that was handled by a single person there was the responsibility of an entire department of over two dozen people here. I was slowly starting to appreciate the scale of the Endeavour Agency, and maybe a part of how he had managed to climb to the very top. He went all-in on absolutely everything.
Even the mess hall was of top-notch quality, as evidenced by the veritable mountain of meat waiting for me, all of it cooked and seasoned to gourmet standards. Even as I got to work on eating it, I had to wonder how much it had cost, and to question once again why Endeavour had gone through all of this trouble to get me here. 'Endeavour doesn't often take on interns', that was what I had been told over and over.
Yet, for some reason, he'd chosen me, out of all of the contestants at the Festival. Why? Had I really impressed him that much? That answer didn't quite feel right, and yet it was the only one I had.
Maybe… that was just my own demons talking. I should just accept it for what it was, before I twisted myself into knots and sabotaged my own progress.
"So, Did ya have any questions before we head back to Endeavour?" Strikethrough asked he finished his own cup of noodles, shaking me out of my thoughts.
"Well, I did have one." I began, a little hesitantly. "You don't have to answer, but… earlier, you said that nobody is here for his personality. Can I ask… why are you here? If that makes sense?"
"No, no, I get what you mean." He waved off my concern. "Well, can I turn that around on you? Why are you here?"
"Well, I was hoping to learn some new skills." I mumbled. "He is known for being pretty skilled."
Strikethrough snapped his fingers. "That's exactly it. Endeavour's the best in the business. Well, second best, but All Might's not taking Sidekicks. If you want to get stuff done, nobody's solving more cases or fighting more villains than Endeavour, and in terms of experience, publicity and salary, you're not going to find a better place for that. Even if you don't stick around forever, a couple of years here can set you up for your own Hero Agency. And for me, well- My Quirk's called Scan, and it lets me see through solid objects, analyze their structure and composition. I ain't a fighter, and certainly not someone with prospects of going solo. But here, working with some of the best sidekicks in the nation, I can make a difference I couldn't do alone."
-----
I entered the training room Strikethrough had directed me to before leaving, with no small amount of trepidation. It was a simple square-shaped room, maybe a hundred meters across and around five meters tall. The floor was featureless metal panels, while the ceiling was adorned with orderly rows of lamps projecting white, clinical light down upon the room's singular occupant.
Endeavour stood with his arms folded at the center of the room, his flames flickering ever so slightly in the airflow as the door clicked shut behind me.
"This marks the beginning of your real training. You have potential, but it is being wasted." He spoke as he eyed me up and down. "Over the next five days we will see whether you are up to the task of remedying that."
I nodded warily, unsure what else to do.
"First, I wish to take a measure of your abilities first-hand. Come at me, with any means within your disposal."
I eyed him for a few heartbeats, hesitating, before accelerating into a charge, clawed feet thundering on the metal floor. I threw myself forward and swiped a paw at him, but in one fluid motion he ducked underneath the massive limb. I swung my head sideways but the angle wasn't good, and Endeavour was able to simply step back and avoid the horn, a cold look of dispassion on his features. I lunged at him but he went under my armpit, evading my wing and tail with precise, measured movements.
"Slow."
He punched the air and a gout of flame washed over me, harmless as a breeze. I took a little bit of pride in the slight rise of his eyebrow. I charged him again, but when he avoided my claws I used the momentum to spin my body around and swing my tail at him. At that range, he had no room to dodge.
But before it could connect, a spear of fire slammed into the metal beneath my right hind foot, melting it instantly and causing me to lose my footing. With my leg sunk half meter into molten steel, I stumbled and tripped, landing on the floor with a crash. He was on me in an instant, and a flame-covered fist jabbed into my throat with immense force, right where my jaw connected to my neck. He had to be using his fire to enhance his strength somehow, because the blow left me wheezing and gasping for air.
"Your durability is impressive, but you rely on it." He stated coldly as he stepped away, arms folded. "You have yet to use your greatest weapon. Why?"
I grunted, drawing a deep breath. I tapped into that well of resentment and frustration within me, and felt the heat ignite within me, gathering in my chest and travelling up my throat. A few seconds later a wide cone of fire poured out of my mouth and at him, warping the metal floor with its heat. At the last second he clapped his hands together and the stream of flames parted either side of him.
"Your flames have power, but no control whatsoever. In a real combat situation against a villain, it would be practically useless."
"That's… why I don't use it."
"Hm. It is triggered by emotion?"
"Yes. Anger, mostly."
"Unfortunate." He stated coldly. "You can ignite the fire, but instead of controlling it you allow it to control you. An unrestrained eruption like that might be useful for a villain, but if you meant to become a Hero it is worse than useless."
I said nothing. While it stung, everything he'd said was the truth. I hadn't been able to make any progress by myself, and that was why I was here. To learn.
"Has nobody taught you how to breathe?"
"..."
"Hn. You have no idea what I'm talking about."
"...No?"
I got the distinct impression of disappointment from him as he looked at me, before turning his head and shouting. "Burnin'!!!"
A few moments later the door to the sparring chamber was thrown open as a young woman marched in, wearing a grey military-issue jacket and a domino mask, though her most distinguishing feature had to be her bright, flame-like hair. This was Burnin', Endeavour's top sidekick and quite famous in her own right.
"Sir!" She said, saluting Endeavour with a grin on her face. "What do you need?!"
"You will teach Tatsuma here to breathe properly, then bring her back to me." He instructed her. "There is no point to us continuing here, until then."
Her grin wavered. "But I have other assignm-"
"Others will take care of them." He shut her down, walking up to the door without looking back. "This is important."
As the door clicked shut behind him Burnin' turned her attention to me, looking me up and down. She didn't appear impressed. "Fine. Let's get this over with, then. I've got places to be."
-----
"No, focus!" She jabbed a finger at my snout. "Even, slow breaths! Control it! How many times do I have to tell you this?!"
"I'm trying." I bit out. It would be easier if she didn't constantly disrupt me.
"Not hard enough!" She folded her arms, surveying my progress. Such as it was. "You are the slowest person I've ever taught. Most would have picked up on this long ago."
Yeah, I fucking know. You've told me that already.
At least that's what I wanted to say, but I held my peace. I wasn't here to enjoy myself, I was here to learn. So I bit my tongue and went on in frustrated silence.
We had been at it for hours on end, alternating between running laps around the room and undergoing various breathing exercises, while Burnin' critiqued and needled my every move.
I mean, I could see the point of the training, once it had been explained to me: learning to control your breathing even under pressure is the first step in learning to control fire breath. But that didn't mean I liked being shouted at. Burnin' seemed to subscribe to the 'yell at them until they sort themselves out' school of teaching.
Finally, she pinched her nose and raised her hand, indicating for me to stop. "That's enough. It's already past nine in the evening, and Endeavour's left a while ago now. Your progress is nowhere near where it should be, but it'll have to do for now." Burnin' said as she turned to leave, sounding frustrated. "Get some sleep, because we're continuing tomorrow."
I sighed.
I lumbered over to the door after her, and found my way to the quarters Strikethrough had shown me. They weren't anything luxurious, just a simple, large room with some decorations on the walls and a large mat for me to lay down on. But the view out of the window was nice, and they had turned the thermostat up to the max.
It didn't take long for me to drift off once I closed my eyes.
-----
"If you're really a hero… choose your last words carefully."
"No, don't! Pleas-"
Chizome Akaguro, better known as the Hero Killer Stain, watched the terror in the man's eyes as his blade descended and decapitated him neatly at the neck, his lifeblood spilling onto the cold asphalt of the abandoned sidestreet.
"A poor decision." He wiped his sword clean with a rag. "At least in death, you will contribute to society's betterment where you failed to do so in life."
"He went in here!" A voice shouted from the main street, signalling the arrival of more Fake Heroes. Too many for him to fight, from the number of footsteps.
With a grimace, Stain kicked up the wall and leapt onto a fire escape ladder, clambering up towards the rooftops just as a quartet of figures burst onto the scene.
"Is that… Metallophase?"
"Oh god… I'm going to puke."
"Hey, up there! That's- that's Stain!"
"Get him!"
Stain threw himself to the side at just the last moment, gripping onto the ladder with just one hand as sharp quills the length of a man's arm whistled past, embedding into the wall where he had been just a moment ago.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the Fake Hero with a Porcupine Quirk preparing another salvo, while more Heroes were running towards them. He needed to get out of there. If he could get to the rooftops he knew he could lose them.
He began to haul himself up with his right hand, but suddenly pain flared across his bicep. It felt as if his entire upper arm was on fire, and his grip almost slipped. As he struggled, he felt a sharp pain lance across his back as quills hammered into him, penetrating into flesh.
But Stain would not give the Fake Heroes the satisfaction of crying out. Instead he grit his teeth and let go of the ladder, pushing with his legs to jump to the opposite wall, kicking off of the concrete again and leaping up onto the rooftops.
-----
Slowly, one by one, he plucked off the quills, dropping them onto the floor of his hideout with a slight clatter. The room was one of several he'd staked out, hidden in the attic of an old apartment building.
The back of his shirt had been shredded and stained with blood- he'd have to acquire a new one soon. He was skilled enough at first aid, but treating wounds on one's back was no easy matter. It wasn't as if he could walk into a clinic without being recognized- at best, he could steal medical supplies, like the ones he was using at the moment to wrap a bandage around his torso.
Once he was done dressing the fresh wounds, Stain turned his attention on to the old ones. He hissed as he pulled the bandage around his upper right arm off, revealing blistered red skin, still raw to the touch. Even now, over a month after his battle with Endeavour… it still hadn't fully healed.
…
Stain jumped to his feet and his sword was in his hand in an instant, pointed at the spot of inky black mist that had appeared out of nowhere at the corner of the room. It expanded and grew, a pair of yellow eyes igniting in the darkness.
"Kurogiri."
The mist thickened as two shapes stepped through it, and Stain's expression twisted with distaste. The first one was Tomura Shigaraki, the leader of the so-called League of Villains. He'd met the young man before, when he had attempted to recruit him into his pesky little gang. The other was yet another of the Nomu creatures Shigaraki commanded through unknown means, a black-skinned brute not unlike the one unleashed on Hosu. He wasn't surprised that he had brought one along, after how close they had come to blows the last time they'd met.
"Shigaraki." He growled, pointing his sword at the man, pacing back and forth. "What do you want?"
"What, no pleasantries? Not even a thank you, after we pulled you out of the fire at Hosu? Quite literally." The blue-haired man said, nodding at Stain's burns. "You owe us."
"You expect me to believe you did it out of altruism?" He scoffed back. "I told you before, I'm not joining your petty little League."
"Good, because I didn't come to ask." He scratched his neck. "I need you to track someone down for me. There's a certain someone I want to get my hands on, but all I got is a name and a city. But you're great at tracking down Heroes, aren't ya?"
"Why would I help you?"
"Like I said, you owe us. But if that ain't enough for you…" Shigaraki leaned forward, gesturing around at Stain's hideout. "You're in the shitter right now, aren't you? Ever since Hosu and your loss to Endeavour, you've been on the back foot. Struggling with even the small fish, while the noose keeps tightening 'round you."
"And what do you think you could do about it?"
"Simple. You help us track this guy down, we help you kill Endeavour."
…
For the first time in the encounter, Stain paused in his pacing. "What?"
"You know, get a couple of Nomu to help take him down. Maybe even get you some medical treatment, this place reeks. Not that you would know."
"I don't need your help." He spat out.
"I'd say that it's pretty clear that you do, based on how things have been going." Shigaraki threw back. "You can still be the one to cut his neck if you insist, but if you couldn't do it uninjured, what makes you think you can do it now?"
Stain grit his teeth. "Who is it that you need tracked down?"
Shigaraki smiled. "The name's Gran Torino, and his Agency's located somewhere in Kofu. We don't know anything more than that, it's not listed publicly. We just need you to find him, and we'll take care of the rest."
"And what do you need him for?"
"What's it matter? Just another Fake Hero taken off the streets, you should be happy.
Stain paused for a moment. Working with the League was distasteful, but… the prospect of finally ridding society of Endeavour was tempting. The Flame Hero epitomized everything he stood against, and removing him would do more towards his goal than he could accomplish in a year of going after the small fish.
"Fine." He finally replied, lowering his sword.
Shigaraki gestured at the Nomu, which lumbered over to Stain, dropping a small communicator on his hands. "Use that to call us, once you've located Gran Torino."
-----
The fog gate closed behind them as Shigaraki and the Nomu stepped through, shrinking back and resolving itself into Kurogiri's normal, humanoid form.
"Are you sure you got the right name? Because I ain't explainin' to Stain that we messed it up and need him to find another target."
"Rest assured, Tomura Shigaraki, the information we received from our source was very clear. Izuku Midoriya will be interning with the retired Pro-Hero Gran Torino in the city of Kofu until the end of the week."
"Hmph. All this skulking around… we shoulda gone directly for that little brat. Track down his address and have you drop a buncha Nomu right on it."
The electronic speaker mounted on the wall of the bar crackled to life, an old, rough voice emanating from it.
"You must learn the value of patience, Tomura. Striking directly at All Might's successor would risk revealing that we are aware of him. If they caught wind of it, the Heroes would surely move him beyond your reach. But to strike at his mentor instead, who simply happens to be housing the boy at the time? Give them a more plausible explanation, and they will miss the true threat hidden beneath."
He grunted in annoyance, but didn't disagree. "Yeah yeah, attacking without playing any of your cards. I get it."
"Good, good. You are learning." What might have been a laugh emanated from the speaker. "Even if you fail here, you will try again, with renewed vigour. And once you have the boy in your possession… you will shatter All Might's legacy forever, by seizing the power of One For All."
I have been considering writing Part 2 to that AU Omake I wrote a while back, but I also kinda want to keep advancing the plot. Choices, choices...
How exactly does this work?
Because One for All can't be stolen.
And while you could theoretically torture Midoriya until he transfers it to Shigaraki, you'd need some way to suppress it until then or Midoriya could go One For All: One Quintuillon Percent or similar to blow himself and his surroundings up.
How exactly does this work?
Because One for All can't be stolen.
And while you could theoretically torture Midoriya until he transfers it to Shigaraki, you'd need some way to suppress it until then or Midoriya could go One For All: One Quintuillon Percent or similar to blow himself and his surroundings up.
Well, first of all, if anyone's going to be reading fanfiction about a series that they haven't fully caught up on, in my honest opinion it's a little silly to complain about spoilers.
Well, first of all, if anyone's going to be reading fanfiction about a series that they haven't fully caught up on, in my honest opinion it's a little silly to complain about spoilers.
And I think anyone who describes a dragon like a hamburger and then is upset that people want to eat it is silly
I was pretty much already spoilered to this, however I was more referring to the fact that you referred to Kurogiri as a Nomu consistently, rather than the description. Although I guess I am curious if I'm the only one who hadn't previously known Kurogiri is a Nomu, the level of intelligence displayed always seemed pretty different.
I was pretty much already spoilered to this, however I was more referring to the fact that you referred to Kurogiri as a Nomu consistently, rather than the description. Although I guess I am curious if I'm the only one who hadn't previously known Kurogiri is a Nomu, the level of intelligence displayed always seemed pretty different.
But I, uh, don't refer to Kurogiri as Nomu at any point? The Nomu referred to in the meeting with Stain wasn't Kurogiri, it was a black-skinned Nomu like the one seen in Hosu.
The other was yet another of the Nomu creatures Shigaraki commanded through unknown means, a black-skinned brute not unlike the one unleashed on Hosu. He wasn't surprised that he had brought one along, after how close they had come to blows the last time they'd met.
I thought I was being pretty clear with the language, the Nomu is stepping through the gate, rather being the gate. Kurogiri doesn't walk through his own portals.
But I, uh, don't refer to Kurogiri as Nomu at any point? The Nomu referred to in the meeting with Stain wasn't Kurogiri, it was a black-skinned Nomu like the one seen in Hosu.
I thought I was being pretty clear with the language, the Nomu is stepping through the gate, rather being the gate. Kurogiri doesn't walk through his own portals.
where the fog gate is the still the subject?
Not sure who would be correct, or if this might be a case where English is a bad language and both are grammatically valid readings.
I read that as the Nomu was the subject of the sentence at that point but I guess you intended it to be read as
where the fog gate is the still the subject?
Not sure who would be correct, or if this might be a case where English is a bad language and both are grammatically valid readings.
I guess Stain is supposed to look down on his luck and a bit desperate here, but its hard to buy when he just decapitated a hero and got cleanly away (even if it wasn't as fast as he'd prefer).
I guess Stain is supposed to look down on his luck and a bit desperate here, but its hard to buy when he just decapitated a hero and got cleanly away (even if it wasn't as fast as he'd prefer).
I blinked blearily as the shrill noise penetrated the fog of my dreams. I raised my head, slowly, and glanced at Burnin', standing by the doorway with a hand on her hips.
"No time for sleeping when we've got work to do! You have fifteen minutes to eat breakfast and meet me at the training room." She turned on her heel and marched out, leaving me to glare at her wake.
With a titanic effort I rolled to my feet and shook myself like a dog, chasing off the last vestiges of sleep as I glanced down at my wrist.
05:00
I felt a newfound hatred building up in my chest. But there was nothing to it, but to follow orders.
Thankfully I had no need to get dressed, so I trundled over to the cafeteria, where a meal had been laid out waiting for me. There were other people there, civilian employees and Sidekicks alike, some looking like they had just woken up as I had, while others seemed to be on break. I guess Strikethrough wasn't kidding about this place being active around the clock. None of them came up to talk to me, but I did get a handful of friendly waves which I did my best to return.
Fifteen minutes later, not a moment later or earlier, I lumbered back into the training room I'd already grown to resent. Burnin' was waiting for me, eyeing the clock.
"Thought you were never going to show up." She told me. "You know the drill. Fifty laps, on the double!"
I accelerated into a dead run, feet thumping against the hard metal floor. Fifty laps at full speed wasn't enough to exhaust me, but it was enough to get me breathing heavily, which was the whole point.
Then, if the pattern held from yesterday, would follow a series of breathing exercises while Burnin' needled and told me how terrible I was at this. It felt like I was hitting my head against a brick wall.
But if that was what it took, then so be it. The other option was humiliation, and admitting that I wasn't cut out for this. And I wasn't going to give that smug bitch the satisfaction. I was going to learn this, no matter what, if only to spite her.
-----
Hours passed by in something of a haze as I grappled with the breathing techniques with renewed sense of purpose, clawing each inch of progress at a time.
And, eventually, even Burnin' ran out of issues to yell at me about.
"Enough." She finally told me, raising her hand to call me to a stop.
I glowered down at her.
"It's still not at the level that I would want, but it will do, if barely." She turned on her heel again, marching towards the door. "Head to the cafeteria for lunch, then come to Endeavour's office. You have twenty minutes."
Just like that.
I acknowledged her with a huff and stomped off to the cafeteria, still fuming. Who does she think she is?
By the time the allotted twenty minutes had passed I had calmed down a little, though the shimmer of resentment had yet to fade as I headed up the elevator once more. The door to Endeavour's office was slightly ajar, and I could hear Strikethrough's voice coming within.
"-ou can't just apply the same methods to everyone and expect to get the same results. People are different."
"It worked in the end, didn't it?" I heard Burnin' reply.
"Only took you what, ten hours?"
"It ain't my problem she's a slower learner."
"Enough." Endeavour's cold voice cut in. "Your bickering sets a poor example."
I knocked on the door with a little more force than I'd meant to, causing it to open.
"Right on time. Good." Endeavour said, striding over to me. "Your costume includes a communicator, correct?"
"Yes." I nodded, tapping the device around my wrist.
"Use this code to plug into the Agency network." He ordered briskly. "Do not misuse it. Listen in, but do not clog the lines unless you have a genuine emergency. The code changes daily at 0300."
"Understood." I nodded again, doing my best to conceal my foul mood.
"Good. Follow me." He said as he began walking towards the elevators, the others following in his wake, Strikethrough flashing me a quick smile.
"It is time to proceed to the next phase of your week here." Endeavour went on as the elevator descended. "Theoreticals and training are all well and good, but they are no substitutes for experience. It is time for your first patrol."
I felt my pulse quicken a little as I heard those words, igniting a flame that had been smoldering for a while now. Field work. The primary reason for this whole thing. My bitterness at Burnin' was forgotten in a flash.
"Endeavour Hero Agency primarily specializes in taking down villains, though we won't turn down rescue or evacuation jobs either." He continued. "Yesterday, we went over your combat skills, and identified what you need to work on."
I glanced at Todoroki- well, I suppose I should refer to him as Shoto to differentiate from his father- who grit his teeth at the remark. Whatever it was that they had talked about, he didn't seem happy.
"Both of you still have a long way to go in that regard, but the focus of this internship isn't just on fighting. 'Battle' is simply one part of the whole that you must master."
The elevator doors dinged and opened, as Endeavour led us out onto the street.
"Tatsuma." He suddenly said, pointing a finger at me. "What is the most important quality of a Hero?"
"...Their ability to inspire people?" I could guess that it wasn't what he was looking for, but it was what Ryuko had taught me.
"Incorrect." Endeavour stated, turning towards his son. "Shoto?"
"...Speed."
"Speed." Endeavour nodded. "That is the most essential quality of being a Pro-Hero, when you boil it down to the basics. The faster you are, the less people get hurt, the less damage is caused, and the more cases you can solve."
All well and good. If you are fast.
"You doubt me." Endeavour said without turning to look at me, taking me aback. How had he-
"Well… what about if you cannot move fast?"
"An excuse, nothing more." He stated bluntly. "There is more to speed than just moving fast. If you are slow in physical movements, you must begin moving before anyone else. Do not simply react, anticipate. If you cannot respond to your enemy in time, be proactive instead. Go on the offense and force the enemy into scenarios that are favorable to you." Endeavour said, slamming his fist into his palm. "If you are slow to accelerate, never stop moving. You must be always three steps ahead, smoothly transitioning from one move to another. Master the art of multitasking, parallel processing and taking in every detail at once, so that you do not have to pause to think. You cannot afford to be just as good as everyone else, you must be better."
...That was… I-
...He wasn't wrong.
Damn it, that was actually good advice.
I bowed my head in acknowledgement and Endeavour nodded at me, before turning away. "Good. I'm giving that to you as your assignment for the week. I want you to observe those principles in practice as you accompany us and internalize them."
"As for you, Shoto, you will watch my Hellflame in action. Perhaps then you will appreciate what you are missing."
What was he- that's right.
Todor- Shoto can produce ice from his right side and fire from his left, but for whatever reason he won't use the latter in combat. That was what Midoriya had told me.
But why?
Yoarashi maintained that it was arrogance, that he thought himself too good to use his full strength. But that didn't quite seem right to me. I mean, I could see him as arrogant, definitely, but that exchange just now...
Well, in any case, it wasn't really any of my business in the first place.
We continued our patrol across the city, taking a roughly circular path around the headquarters. Endeavour's flame-wreathed figure drew an immense amount of eyes upon us, but it also easily cut a path through the crowds, as people kept well clear of us.
It didn't take long for the first incident to occur, as we were crossing the marketplace.
One moment, Endeavour stopped in his tracks and, in a flash, a thin stream of fire exploded from his raised finger, streaking across the plaza. It snaked through the crowd, causing a ripple of startled gasps and hasty back-steps, until finally dipping down where I could not see, but the loud curse was clearly audible. I saw a slight figure bolt into the crowd, catching glimpse of a wallet dropping from red, blistered fingers.
I hesitated, unsure if I was supposed to give chase. For all of Endeavour's talk of speed, there was no way I could run into the crowd without people getting seriously hurt, and the Pros didn't seem to be moving-
"Shoto." Endeavour grunted impatiently.
The other intern growled, but stomped his right foot on the ground. A thin line of ice spread through the gap in the crowd, catching the fleeing pickpocket by the leg and freezing them in place.
"Strikethrough, Burnin' get her and call it in." Endeavour ordered and turned to us. "Tatsuma. You have superhuman senses, yet I noticed the pickpocket before you did. Why?"
"...Because you're more experienced than I am."
He nodded, a little to my surprise. "Because I know what to look for. Even the most powerful of senses are useless if you cannot read the signs. You, especially, must be able to discern a criminal even before they make their move or an accident before it happens, or you might be too late to stop it." He finished, before turning to look at his son. "Shoto. What do you think the purpose of these patrols is?"
"To boost your ego." Shoto mumbled defiantly.
I saw a muscle tug on Endeavour's cheek and his eyes narrow, but he turned to me. "Tatsuma."
"To reassure people." I swallowed. "That's why you went for the flashy Quirk usage. To draw attention."
"Yes. To reassure the civilians, but more importantly the criminals, that we are watching." He said. "We cannot catch every pickpocket and petty criminal in the city, not even if we had a hundred times the manpower. But if we can get them to believe we can, we can deter far more crime than we could catch. Intimidation and psychology are important tools in a Hero's arsenal."
It did not take long for a pair of uniformed police officers to show up, to take the pickpocket away. I could see her clearly for the first time; a teenager, not much older than Shoto and I. Her clothes seemed oversized and worn, but she stood straight-backed as she was escorted to the squad car, giving us a glare over her shoulder as she was taken inside.
Feeling uncomfortable, I averted my eyes and drummed my claws against the asphalt until we were ready to continue our patrol.
It followed roughly the same pattern, long hours of monotonous walking intersped by brief seconds of blindingly quick action. A couple more pickpockets, a mugging, and two traffic near-accidents. Endeavour continued to take the lead, precision fire blasts rocketing out before anyone else had even noticed the issue, often followed by an order for Shoto's ice to capture any fleeing subjects.
The sheer efficiency of those two Quirks working together coupled with Endeavour's ability to seemingly almost smell criminals from the crowds, honestly made me feel a little superfluous and out of place. For their part, if Burnin' and Strikethrough had any feelings of that order, they didn't show anything externally.
When the voice of the dispatcher team back at the HQ crackled in my ears, I almost welcomed the break in the monotony, though I rapidly regretted it.
"Robbery in the Neimoidia Bank. Assistance needed urgently."
Endeavour turned to me instantly, pointing a finger up at me. "Tatsuma! Can you carry us?"
I was taken aback by the swiftness of the change in situation, but cast my eyes on the crowd around us. "Need more room to take off or the civilians will be hurt by the backdraft."
Before the sentence was even fully out of my mouth, a stream of fire circled us, causing the crowd to shy back even as Endeavour was jumping onto my back, grabbing a hold of the harness mounted on the back of my vest alongside Shoto, Burnin' and Strikethrough. I could appreciate the truth of what he told me: He was using his flames with precision to scare off the civilians without harming them, while also climbing on and clipping himself in, and talking to his communicator all the while. No wasted movements, parallel processing.
I tensed my rear limbs and, the moment everyone was on, leapt into the air with a mighty beat of my wings. The wind buffeted the crowd, but the fire had forced them back just enough that nobody was hurt, and not an inch further.
I soared into the air, only to find my path marked by a thin stream of fire from Burnin', a faster and more reliable way of conveying the directions than trying to yell at me over the wind. I accelerated, and in only a few minutes I was already landing in front of the Bank, a landing zone cleared for us by the police officers surrounding the building.
An officer was waiting for us, wearing a bulletproof vest over his uniform.
"Four hostages, four criminals, armed. They've locked themselves in the vault, and are threatening to kill them if their demands aren't met."
I could almost hear the collective intake of air, even from the typically stoic Shoto. Hostage situation. What a way to start, for our first patrol.
Endeavour, for his part, seemed the only one unaffected as he simply pressed on. "Have the villains been identified?"
"We've pulled footage from the security cameras, and our analysts are working on it as we speak." The officer pulled out a tablet and gave it to Endeavour, who glanced at it once before handing it off to Strikethrough.
"Pass this onto our support team, they are faster."
I swallowed slowly as I followed the rapid-fire exchange. Everything seemed to be happening so quickly.
And now people's lives were on the line. It was terrifying, yet… this was also the reality of this career. This was what I had chosen to get myself into.
"Is the inside of the building secure?"
"Yes." The officer replied. "We've swept the building, aside from the vault."
I eyed the front doors of the bank. "Should I wait outside, or…?"
Endeavour didn't even turn to look at me. "You will observe us. And I might have a need for you."
I sighed.
In the end, I had to crawl down on my belly and wiggle like some sort of landworm to get through without completely demolishing the doorframe. A little undignified, but I wasn't about to complain.
The building itself was relatively large, though I still had to keep my head low to stop my horn from scratching the ceiling. We entered the bank's reception area, many of the cubicles overturned and papers scattered on the floor, while more police officers were swarming over the scene.
"Detective Masao Yamashita. I'm in charge here."
Endeavour nodded gruffly. "These are my sidekicks Burnin' and Strikethrough, and my interns… Shoto and Ryuuzaki." I could tell that he didn't approve of our choices in Hero Names.
Yamashita's gaze snapped back to me for a moment, probably surprised about my age, before turning back to Endeavour. "This is no place for children."
"They are here under my supervision and responsibility." Endeavour grunted. "They stay."
The Detective looked like he wanted to argue the point further, but relented. "We don't yet have the full story, but based on the surveillance footage we know that the four villains entered the building seventeen minutes ago and took three employees, including the shift Manager, and a fourth bystander as hostages before locking themselves into the bank's vault."
"I was told they've been making threats?" Endeavour questioned.
"Yes. We got the cell phone number of one of the hostages and have been able to make contact with the villains. I've been working with our negotiators, but the villains' behaviour so far has been… erratic. Making threats, moodswings, changing demands- how much money, how it's delivered, how many hostages they'll release for it. We can't get a read on what they actually want.
"They haven't asked for safe passage out?" Strikethrough asked.
"...No, I don't believe so." Yamashita's brow furrowed.
"Something doesn't add up." Burnin' noted. "If they were after money, why would they lock themselves in, rather than grabbing the cash and running?"
"Maybe they panicked?" Strikethrough offered.
"They would have had to have planned this ahead of time." Burnin' said. "Bank vaults are time-locked. You can't get in unless you come at just the right time."
"Could be coincidence?" He replied. "Just to play devil's advocate here."
"It's never coincidence until proven otherwise."
"Has the analysis team gotten back on the footage we sent them?" Endeavour interrupted.
Strikethrough put a finger to his ear, muttering something. A moment later, he nodded. "We have names. All confirmed or suspected members of the Broken Circle. Pro-Mutant extremist group known for making terror attacks."
"Thought so. Cleaved too close to their MO." Endeavour folded his arms, turning to look at Detective Yamashita. "That's why your negotiators can't make heads or tails out of them. They're not after money, they just want to draw things out until the media gets here."
"They want attention." Yamashita mused with a note of realization.
"Exactly. You can't negotiate with someone who's not interested in a peaceful resolution." Endeavour stated firmly. "I've seen it before. They'll have come in fully knowing none of them are walking free after this. They won't hesitate to hurt hostages."
"So what do we do?" Strikethrough asked.
"We don't give them what they want, of course." Endeavour grunted. "It's been less than twenty minutes, even the worst vultures won't have caught wind of this yet. We nip this in the bud and it won't be more than a footnote in tomorrow's newspapers."
"Now hold on a second." Yamashita raised a hand. "We can't just rush in guns blazing. Our first priority is to think of the men and women being held hostage."
"I am." Endeavour said, glaring down at the smaller man. "Understand, Detective, that we are talking about a cell of unstable extremists whose only goal is to create spectacle. The vault will have to be stormed, either now or tomorrow, and it's better to do it before they start killing off hostages."
"I understand." Yamashita deflated. "But there is still the matter of the locked vault door standing between us and them."
"All the better, they'll think themselves invulnerable behind it, allowing us to take them off guard." Endeavour stated. "Take us there."
"...You do have a plan, right?"
"We'll see."
With each word of the exchange, I had felt myself more and more out of place, here. I glanced at Shoto as we followed Detective Yamashita deeper into the building, but his face was as coldly dispassionate as ever. Strikethrough though, looked more than a little out of it.
"Do you guys… deal with this kind of situation often?" I asked him, hoping Endeavour was far enough away not to hear.
"What? Oh, yeah, of course, all the time. This is nothing out of the ordinary." He assured me, even though his heart rate told an entirely different story.
Yamashita brought us to the back of the building's office area, in front of a massive, circular vault door. Several thick wooden desks had been dragged into the space in front of it and upturned, with several police officers with guns drawn guarding the vault.
"This here is the main vault. We're trying to get in contact with off-shift bank workers to get an idea of the layout, but-"
"No need." Endeavour grunted. "Strikethrough?"
"Right!" He walked up to the door. "Behind the door there's a hallway that splits off into six ancillary chambers. They're all in the far left one, four hostages and four villains, exactly as in the footage."
"Weapons?"
"Three pistols and one submachine gun." A bit of sweat ran down Strikethrough's forehead. "One of them is talking on the phone. The others are watching the hostages."
"And the hostages?" Yamashita asked.
"Alive, but battered. I think one of them tried to fight. He's… bleeding pretty badly."
"We're going in." Endeavour announced. "What about the door, can we melt through it?"
"No." Strikethrough said after a moment, rubbing his eyes. "Not even all… three of you. Not fast enough. It's designed against plasma cutters."
"Hm." Endeavour grunted, before casting his eyes my way, causing me to take a step back. "What about her?"
"...You can't be serious."
"Yes or no, Strikethrough."
"...No." He shook his head. "Still too slow. They'd notice, and then..."
"What about both?" I heard the words spoken, but it was only when all eyes in the room turned to me that I realized it was me who had said them. It was like my tongue had moved on its own.
"I-I mean, soften it with heat while I hit it?" I swallowed dryly. "W-would that work?"
Endeavour looked at Strikethrough, who sighed. "It… could work."
"Not good enough. Will it, or won't it?"
He took a deep breath. "It will." He walked up to the vault and turned to look at me. "Just get as much of a run-up as you can, and hit it right here." He tapped a finger to a point just underneath the handle of the enormous door.
"That still leaves the bits of superheated metal lying around." Burnin' noted. "We'll need to get past to subdue the villains."
"I can deal with that." Shoto noted calmly, the first time that he'd spoken since the whole situation began. "My ice can cover the metal and allow you to pass safely."
"The steam will also disorient the villains, making our job easier." Burnin' snapped her fingers. "Not bad, squirt."
"Fine." Endeavour grunted. "We have a plan, then. Burnin' and I heat up the door, Ryuuzaki breaks it down, Shoto clears the way, Burnin' and I disable the villains. Strikethrough, I want a detailed floor plan of the vault and the exact positions of the villains."
"Got it." He unclipped a drawing tablet from his belt and began sketching with rapid strokes.
"You think it wise to use students, who don't even have their Provisional Licenses yet?" Yamashita raised an eyebrow.
"A provisional license is only required to act without the supervision of a Pro-Hero." Endeavour crossed his arms. "I am here, aren't I?"
"I know the law as well as you do." The Detective replied. "Just because it's legal doesn't make it a good idea."
"They will be acting in a support role only, opening a path into the vault." He leaned forward slightly, looking down at the Detective. "Do you disagree that we can trust them with that?"
'Do you have any better ideas?' went unsaid.
After a moment's stand-off, Yamashita backed down. "Very well."
"Good." Endeavour said before turning back towards us. "We will go over the plan step by step, until there is no room for error. We have only one shot at this."
-----
I was crouched at the far end of the office area, my back almost touching the wall, my muscles tensed and ready to uncoil with explosive force at a moment's notice.
"Now!"
The words seemed to hang in the air. I almost feared that my muscles would refuse to obey me, my own flesh betraying me, but then in an instant of clarity all of that tension was released.
I charged.
Flames blasted out from either side of me, blue and green fire from Endeavour and Burnin' mixing together as they washed over the door. Such was the intensity of the heat that the metal began to glow almost immediately, warping in its frame.
Afew seconds later my horn hit the vault door like a sabot round, every bit of force my frame could muster focused into that singular, sharpened point. It punched into the white-hot metal, sinking deep as I threw my entire body against the door.
That moment of impact seemed to stretch into an eternity. It almost felt like my neck would snap from the strain. Then, with a terrible, thunderous clang the vault door cracked vertically, two halves clattering onto the floor beyond.
I threw myself to the side even as four laser-thin streams of fire zipped past me, curving to the left, and I could hear curses from deeper into the vault, as the villains found their weapons melting and warping in their hands.
All around me, ice covered the molten remnants of the door, filling the air with hissing steam. Endeavour and Burnin' were only a step behind me and leaped through without hesitation. I could not see through the thick haze, but I could hear more cursing and thuds, followed by a loud and crisp voice.
"All clear!"
I breathed a sigh of relief as I pulled myself to my feet. Police officers flooded into the vault while I did my best to not stand in the way- a difficult feat, considering my bulk. They ushered the hostages out first, looking like they'd just had the shock of their lives, but unhurt.
All of that had taken place over a timespan of less than twenty seconds. It almost felt surreal. But I had done it. I hadn't found a way to screw up.
Moments later, the villains were escorted out of the vault in thick metal cuffs. The first thing that struck me as I glanced at it over his shoulder was that each of the attackers had a Mutant-type Quirk- a leopard and a goat, one had a mechanical pincer claw in place of his left and the last seemed like some kind of fish.
The second was that the last one… seemed oddly familiar. He was a huge man with the head of what I'd guess to be a grouper, his clammy skin colored green.
And the third was that he seemed to recognize me, as well.
"You..." He hissed. "Do I know you?"
"...No?"
"You're… Kenshin's kid, right?" He said, his milky-white eyes peering at me.
"Hey, move along!" The police officer escorting him shoved the man forwards, and they passed out of my view. I watched after him for a few moments, before turning my eyes back to the scene in front of me.
"Hey, you alright?" A disheveled-looking Strikethrough asked me as he approached.
"You look like somebody should ask that of you."
"Nah, man, I'm a licensed Pro-Hero." He waved it off. "This was your first time right?"
"I'm fine." I breathed out. "It was terrifying, but…"
"But?"
"I was just thinking about how much worse it must've been for them." I nodded in the direction of the hostages, who were being checked over by paramedics. "I'm sure you guys would have figured out another way in eventually, but… I'm just happy to have been able to help them."
I thought back to what I'd told Nedzu, months ago. These people were where I had been. Held at gunpoint. Terrified. Helpless.
But unlike me, someone had come for them. Me. Thanks to me, even if only in part, these people did not have to go through what I did.
Even if I accomplished nothing else with this life that I'd been given… that, alone, made it all worth it.
The building itself was relatively large, though I still had to keep my head low to stop my horn from scratching the ceiling. We entered the bank's reception area, many of the cubicles overturned and papers scattered on the floor. More police officers were swarming over the scene
Afew seconds later my horn hit the vault door like the sabot of a tank round, every bit of force my frame could muster focused into that singular, sharpened point.
"Hey, move along!" The police officer escorting him shoved the man forwards, and they passed out of my view. I watched after him for a few moments, before turning my eyes back to
"Hey, you alright?" A disheveled-looking Strikethrough asked me as he approached.
"Okay, if you don't want to say, then you don't have to."
"You misunderstand. I wasn't listening to what he said, he entered the room and I started seething preemptively. It saves time. He could've been explaining a cookie recipe for all I cared."
I almost feared that my muscles would refuse to obey me, my own flesh betraying me, but then in an instant of clarity all of that tension was released.
Within the body of this timid teenager, there beats the heart of a dragon!
...and the spleen, and the muscles, and the scales, the claws, and don't forget the teeth...
Really, the timid teenager part is all in her head.
"Okay, if you don't want to say, then you don't have to."
"You misunderstand. I wasn't listening to what he said, he entered the room and I started seething preemptively. It saves time. He could've been explaining a cookie recipe for all I cared."
He's right, but Ryuuzaki's also right - no matter how fast, one hero can only be in one place at a time. Inspiring others to become heroes in their own right is also quite important, arguably more so.
Endevour may be a truly shitty person when it comes to his personal life, but there's no-one who can deny that he can be a hero when he's on the clock.
Endevour may be a truly shitty person when it comes to his personal life, but there's no-one who can deny that he can be a hero when he's on the clock.
Overview Gallery Synopsis Relationships Inasa Yoarashi (夜 (よ) 嵐 (あらし) イナサ, Yoarashi Inasa?), also known as Gale Force (レップウ, Reppū?), is a first-year student at Shiketsu High School training to become a Pro Hero. He was the top-recommended student for U.A. High School before withdrawing his...
Overview Gallery Synopsis Relationships Inasa Yoarashi (夜 (よ) 嵐 (あらし) イナサ, Yoarashi Inasa?), also known as Gale Force (レップウ, Reppū?), is a first-year student at Shiketsu High School training to become a Pro Hero. He was the top-recommended student for U.A. High School before withdrawing his...
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