NOVEL WEB Issue #9: Stepping In!
Air slowly left my lungs after I casually dropped the large rock I was holding onto my back during the usual late night exercises in the woods. Normally I'd stay in the shelter with the rest, but I found an opportunity to get away and train in the wilderness once I discovered the old man who's been following me around decided to tail 'Smiley' these past few days.
I made my way to the pond next to my camp at a leisurely pace. I made sure to send one of my clones here from time to time to take care of the place and see if the crops and trees are ready for harvest. From the looks of it, the apple trees needed a few more days. And some wild animals had been getting real close to my crops. I guess I need to do another hunting round to drive the wildlife away from my territory.
I found myself once again sitting on the old log stool I carved as a child, eating a not quite ready, yellow apple with red spots still forming, a vacant stare on my face as I reflected on my training, my friends and… my life.
It's hard to find the time to think, with the whole drug investigation thing going on, the hero schtick I keep delegating to Jin's clones, taking care of both shelters and training. Sometimes it feels like I barely leave time for myself.
Not that I'd know how to use it. If it wasn't for the shelter, the only activities I'd be doing would be hunting my own food, patrolling the city and training until I fell asleep. Waking up three hours later to start again.
Directing my gaze towards my left hand, filled with scars and calluses I began to wonder. How many years has it been since I started this path? How many years did I invest into training my ass off so I could become a hero? How many years has it been since I woke up all alone in that dark alley?
I didn't have an answer.
I don't even recall my old birthday, or the 'birthday' from this world for that matter. I know I am a teenager. But what's my real age?
Sometimes I can recall mundane details of my old life, such as the porn I used to watch before sleeping or the type of youtube videos I'd put in the background while I ate dinner. But, important memories such as faces of friends I used to hang out with or family members began to slowly fade with each passing day.
Forming a fist, I let out a sigh after swallowing another bite of the sweet apple in my right hand.
I guess it didn’t really matter anymore. My old life wasn't something I felt particularly proud of.
Even with all the mistakes I've made, I felt like I've done more good this month than anything I've ever done in my old life. My old self would never put up the energy or the time to help people on the streets or cook for anyone else but himself for that matter. I was a selfish person, with no real goal in mind besides self indulgence.
It took me a long time for me to stop yearning for that life back. What was the point of enjoying the pleasures in life if I didn't have anyone to share them with? I had a family, a real family, but I never truly connected with any of them.
I don't think they truly knew… me.
Why did I yearn for that life back? Was I really that happy back then?
I didn't have an answer.
Once done with the apple, I take the seeds off and throw the remains in the opposite direction of the garden, the bugs or animals close by will take care of the rest. Falling back into my habitual breathing pattern I shift my gaze towards the moon reflected into the unperturbed lake. I breathe in and then out as I admire in silence the beauty of this world.
I always wondered what could've been of my life If I was reborn in the body of someone with living parents instead of… Gu-... me.
Probably the same boring dude with no ambitions, going to school and trying to land a girlfriend, with no thought of entertaining the possibility of becoming a hero and make a difference.
What a depressing thought.
…
That's it. I'm not staying here any longer.
I stood up from my seat, giving up on sight seeing. I needed to relax, and the only place I know that I felt truly at ease besides the shelter is the waterfall a few miles up the stream. Giving one last look towards the almost abandoned camp, I made my way towards my relaxation spot.
As I walked, my gaze lingered on trees close to the camp filled with finger sized holes. Some old, some new. The older puncture 'wounds' I gave to those trees became home for wild mushrooms to grow while others started to grow green moss.
To this day, I silently questioned the reasoning for conditioning my body for years to learn 'Killing Moves' or as martial artists in anime call them: 'Forbidden Techniques'. The enthusiasm of harnessing moves that can only exist in fiction triggered a chain reaction, from utilizing training methods taken straight out from anime and manga as a 'joke', to seriously focusing my training sessions around the methods I didn't take seriously to begin with.
As comical as the beginning of my training was, I didn't see the errors of my way until that fateful day when my actions… potentially killed a man.
I wanted to say I've learned my lesson after the events of that day and ceased all physical training of those techniques so I could never use them on people again.
But…
My gaze shifts to a rock formation with carvings of spirals, ovals and circles next to a few rough chunks of trees and rocks lying around on the grass. Further proving the slow refining of the same 'Forbidden Techniques' I decided to acknowledge as too dangerous to use as a hero.
I still thought those techniques were unsafe to use. If I were to utilize them now on a 'rampaging' quirk user, they would surely die by my hand. Even to this day I wince at the carvings I've done to some people with 'metal' hardening quirk when nothing else worked. The knowledge that most of them were just victims of experiments or were under the influence of a drug made everything worse. Yet I pursued improvement on what I've learned and continue to do so.
Even if they're dangerous, lethal combat skills can still be used for good.
The characters of Bang and his brother Bomb from 'One Punch Man' utilized their prowess and techniques with the intention of saving lives. It's not what those techniques can do, but how I use them.
'Water Flow' remained my go-to for martial arts, while 'Whirlwind Storm' was delegated for tougher opponents and debris control, same goes for 'Storm Leg'. That just left 'Finger Pistol' as a training method for a better grip on surfaces.
Well, It's not like I'm going to be using those techniques soon or whatever.
Once at my destination, I began to undress myself, leaving my clothes in a neat pile on top of a rock. Any other place I'd swim to the end of the waterfall, but this stream is known for its shallow waters, an interesting contrast to the lake I decided to live close to and other waterfalls spread out through the forest.
As I laid there under the strong current of water crashing onto my naked back I remained motionless while tensing and relaxing my muscles as a way to squeeze more training into my routine.
I inhaled and then exhaled, the sound of my thoughts were replaced by the loud splashing sound of the water hitting the rocks at my sides.
Hm. It's been a while since the last time I've been here…
It feels nice.
“Hey,” I said, trying to shift my face into a smile, but it ended up becoming an awkward expression. “Sorry for the wait, last time we got interrupted, remember?”
“...”
“Yeah, yeah. No need to remind me. Hehe,” my expression fell a little bit at the lack of response. I remained silent for a few minutes and then I decided to initiate a conversation again. “Um, where did we leave off… ?”
A boy. No older than four is in front of me. Unkempt and dirty whitish hair, bloodshot green eyes, greasy skin filled with grime and filth. Dressed in only an oversized and worn All Might t-shirt.
We sat in the cold ground looking at each other, dim lights illuminating an alleyway.
A familiar sight.
“... and this old man keeps following me and my family around, I think he's onto something. Is my secret identity truly safe? I don't know. Last time Jin almost blew our cover,” I said after recalling recent events I haven't shared before, the boy blinked in response. “Sometimes I wonder why I care so much about secret identities. It only serves me to buy groceries and drive noisy people away.”
“...”
“It's not that I hate this face, but sometimes it feels weird not to cover it with a mask,” I continued ruffling my messy whitish hair. “You know what I mean?”
“Of course you do!” I said, laughing awkwardly. “It would be kinda disrespectful to insult this… uh… our face, wouldn't it?”
My expression fell as well as my mood.
'Why do I even try to pretend the kid can understand anything I say?' I thought as my face contorted into a sad frown. 'He's supposed to be dead. There's now way he'd be here with me right now. I'm dreaming.'
This was a somewhat normal occurrence for me. A dream of a kid who was sitting in front of me. Looking me straight in the eyes. No words, just watching me as he remained completely still. The only reason I know I wasn't talking to a corpse was because the kid would often blink a few times through the dream.
There was a time I used to sleep for eight hours straight, sometimes more than that on weekends, and every time I would dream of something different, imaginary worlds, possible or impossible scenarios, nightmares even. Some of them I would eventually forget once I woke up and others I'd recall perfectly to the very last detail.
But that was before I… inhabited this body.
Now my sleeping schedule goes from two hours to three, some other times less than an hour.
Living in the woods permanently hindered the way I rested. An extra minute of rest was another minute wasted. Truth be told, I would barely sleep if it wasn't for Jin's help.
I sighed.
“Sorry… I just… I'm… ” I began, but words got stuck on the back of my throat. “I-I just… this was supposed to be you. Not me.”
“...”
“You were supposed to train hard and become the hero you wanted to be. Not me.” I told him, feeling tears fall down from my cheeks. “You were supposed to find these people and call them your friends. Not me!”
I stood up.
“Why am I the lucky one? Why did you have to die for me to live?! What makes me so fucking special?!” as I screamed and cried I felt a wet sensation run through my entire body, like tears flowing from each pore of my skin. “I was a loser! I had no goals! I had no dreams! I had a family! Why do I get another opportunity in life over you?!”
My hands met my face as I openly cried.
It's not fair…
The boy never moved. He just stood there and watched me break down with a blank expression on his dirty face.
Until he wasn't.
His mouth began to move, but no words left his lips.
I blinked in surprise. But by the time I took notice, my vision was bathed in darkness.
My ears perked at the explosive sound of water falling down and crashing against the rocks around me. Water fell on my back as I remained in the same position I was before falling asleep.
I let out a long sigh.
The feeling of comfort I felt before falling asleep was gone.
“I didn't know you had so much money on you, boss! Not like you're rich or anything, dumbass,” I heard Jin say as we took a slightly longer route through a heavily populated street of Naruhata towards the shelter after a visit to the grocery shop. Bags full of meat, noodles, rice, spices and other special goodies filled the bags we carried.
We managed to get our hands on a working fridge. It was thrown into the trash because of an easily fixable malfunction in the main electric cord, and the interior was covered in mold. Nothing like a cord replacement, duck tape and cleaning to get a nice place to keep leftovers, vegetables and raw meat cold.
“Thank goodness we have so many wealthy heroes ready to help their local homeless shelter,” I graciously lied.
At this point almost everyone in the shelter knew I took the wallet of heroes away after a scuffle or encounter. There were a few who didn't see my actions in a good light, but they immediately quieted down as soon as I offered the alternative of everyone pitching in for the weekly grocery shopping.
“If it wasn't for their service, we would've to resort to searching in the trash again. Heh.” I continued, paying close attention to the sounds of the street.
Jin blinked.
“Eh? But I thought you stole from them boss! Cheap ass bastard!!” Jin said, giving me a small heart attack in the process.
“Let's use our internal voices from now on, ok?” I responded, sporting a strained smile.
“Ok boss! As if!” his companion half shouted, half whispered.
My eyes shift from side to side then I let out a sigh of relief. One of the good things of living in a self-centered society prone to ignoring people less fortunate, is that they're more likely to not pay attention to anything unless it involves them directly. Such as 'villain' encounters.
Good thing today I was taking a day off with the intention of doing chores, cooking, practicing my fist against the steel pillar, and taking a nap afterwards. While my clones took care of crime in the streets. That only leaves the old man following me and Jin around.
My ears perk at the faint but familiar sound of a chant in the distance. Which brings me to the reason why I decided to take a detour instead of returning to the shelter straight away. The chant only became stronger as we kept moving towards it, making me smile slightly.
“pop!” “pop!” “pop!” “pop!” “pop!”
PopStep, a small-time street idol of Naruhata who often did shows at noon, really close to sunset in different streets, but for some reason her shows are becoming a regular sight in this street specifically. I wouldn't call myself a fan, but I truly enjoyed her… uh… revealing performance.
So I decided to take a blind shot and see if she was in the vicinity. Not like we had anything better to do than restock on groceries and cleaning utensils. There's shows I've missed because of training or taking care of the shelter, and I wasn't sure if our path would cross with the idol. But as the chant became stronger I gave Jin a look as soon as the view of a jumping girl with pink hair appeared in the distance.
“Hey boss! It's a street idol doing a live performance! Oouuhh!” Jin shouted, his eyes comically bulging at what he saw, almost dropping the bags he was carrying.
How can someone showcase so much emotion behind a mask?
“Yeah, last time you talked about how much you like idols, and it reminded me of this particular show I watch from time to time on this street,” I replied while shifting the bags in my hands. “I wasn't sure if she would be here, so I didn't say anything earlier.”
“Pop!” “Pop!” “Pop!” “Pop!” “Pop!”
More people than last time, but the same amount of guys chanting her name. So that means they're like her super fans or something?
I don't get idol culture.
“You're the best boss ever! Like hell you are!” Jin shouted before he started to speed walk directly to the show.
Now people are watching us, what a pain…
Sighing. I slowly made my way to the back of the crowd watching the show, a little away from the people chanting her name, but it didn't matter anyway because Jin joined soon after at my side, making me wince at the volume of his voice. Not even five minutes and he became a super fan too.
“Pop!” “Pop!” “Pop!” “Pop!” “Pop!” “Pop!”
'Well, whatever. At least he's happy,' I hummed in amusement as I saw Jin go with the flow. He's been feeling a little down lately because of his lack of involvement in actions he considers 'dangerous'. I've tried to assure him constantly that the help he does around the shelter and at the stand is enough but for some reason it isn't enough for Jin.
A smile crept up on my face as I saw him forget about his daily troubles, chant the idol's name and appreciate the view with me. Heh.
Talking about the view… yeah… her costume is definitely better from up close.
No wonder her shows amass such a large following considering her slightly above average singing. I guess the flashy super power of 'Knock-off Moonwalk' also helps in her favor.
I felt my pants get slightly tighter as the idol hops and flashes me and the audience her barely covered rear. I let out an annoyed grunt while I tried to concentrate my breathing and blood flow from my lower region in an attempt to avoid public embarrassment.
'Is this going to become a common occurrence every time I see a cute girl?' I questioned myself, folding my arms and shifting my gaze towards my covered friend who's shamelessly screaming at the top of his lungs in tandem with the idol's superfans.
Before I could attempt to resume my… respectful observation, the faint sounds of screaming reached my ears.
'How annoying, and just when the show was getting good.' I thought with a grimace, guiding my gaze towards a few people at the end of the street who began to rapidly move away from what appears to be a large man dressed in a white no sleeves t-shirt and grey sweatpants while holding a large bike and… eating it?
'What a pickle, no heroes on sight. Two of my clones are in different cities and I left my walkie talkie charging in the shelter.' Once I had the situation figured out I bumped my right arm with Jin, who was in his own little world. He gave me a side glance and pointed out the commotion a few streets away.
“Boss… is that?”
“Trouble, yeah. Did you bring your walkie talkie?” I asked while shuffling the groceries in my hand and made a gesture for Jin to follow me, which he did, not before glancing one more way to PopStep. “We need to call the shelter and let them know we need help.”
“Oh… I'm so sorry boss. I left it with Cream. She wanted to use the batteries on the tv you bought for us. Cheap ass fucker,” he replied with a frown, making me sigh in the process. I knew I shouldn't have brought that tv to the shelter to begin with.
Jin alternated his view from PopStep, who was still singing unaware of the commotion slowly approaching, to me. He made a sound, similar to a whine, then blinked.
“Wait, why can't the boss go all Smiley and take care of it?” he said, making me panic a little.
“Jin! I told yo-!” I directed my face towards the man in front of us who was giving us a side glance, but quickly shifted his face towards the show. Suppressing a snarl I turned back to Jin who looked like he was about to apologize. “Jin. You promised to keep quiet, remember?”
“Boss… I'm so sorry I-”
“It's fine man, don't worry about it,” I said, patting Jin's back. The sound of people's startled screams began to increase with each passing second, until I made up my mind. “But, you're right. I need to do something.”
Air filled my lungs as I visualized my options. The old man is close by, hidden a street away, probably noticed the commotion before me and is trying to estimate if I'm going to do anything about it.
I could jump in and deal with the problem, but that would just put a big target on my head. Especially with the old man and the Ingenium guy snooping around really close to the shelter.
I could run really fast to the shelter, contact one of the clones or change into my hero costume and hurry here. But that option would leave everyone here defenseless.
Jin could…
I looked at Jin who was in the middle of a panic attack. I offered him a reassuring smile.
“Jin, I need you to do me a big favor.” I said, while offering him my bags.
“Um, you want me to hold the groceries? Not gonna do it, asshole!” He took em' regardless.
“I need you to go to the shelter and try calling for backup. I'm going to distract him until a hero arrives,” I winked. It only took him a second before he got my message. With a nod and a 'right away boss' he ran towards the shelter as fast as he could.
I sighed watching him go.
Then my expression hardened.
Before I could go towards the problem I directed my gaze to the singing street idol. Better let her know to guide these people away from danger.
“Hey Pop!! A villain!!” I screamed. The pink haired idol immediately directed her eyes towards me while still in the air. “A villain is on his way here!! Evacuate the civilians!!”
“A villain? But I was in the middle of my song…” she whined to her mic, but quickly realized the implication of what she just said. “Wait, what?!”
“Ehhhh?!” “A villain?!” “Right here?!” “Where?!” “Ah! I see it!” “Oh man, this is bad.” “And just when the show was getting to the good part too…”
“E-everybody! Remain calm!” The idol swiftly gained some semblance of control, considering she had the only tool to get the attention of the people and get them away from trouble. “Please follow this direction to get to safety! Quick!”
'Well… that's a way to do it.' I thought with a deadpan watching people start to scramble and push their way to 'safety', making a mess in the process. At this point the rampaging quirk user is going to be here before they know it.
My ears perked at the whistling sound of something approaching at the people running away. My feet moved on their own, kicking the ground ten times in less than a second and moving my body just in time to intercept with my hand a tire that was about to hit the back of one of PopStep's superfans.
What a pain… he's already here.
“Ghrk! Look at my teeth! Aren't they sparkly and perfect?!” The weirdo said once he was in my vicinity, almost three times my size. In one swift motion, he took a bite of the bike he was holding in his arms, motor oil and scraps of metal falling from his chin. The crunching noises being drowned by the screams of civilians. “They're so strong and powerful! These are the teeth humans should strive for! Don't you think so?!”
“Gah! That was my bike!” “Run! Run! He's gone berserk!” “Someone, call a hero, quick!” “Move it asshole!”
Before the big dude could bite another chunk of the vehicle in his hands I threw the tire I was holding onto, crashing into his face, bouncing once it hit the floor.
“Isn't it a bit rude to take other people's things without asking first?” I said, face stoic, trying really hard not to fall back into the Smiley persona I've crafted and perfect with time. “Dental hygiene is really important, but come on man.”
I tsked as I heard the people and the street idol 'guiding' them quiet down at my quip. Weren't they trying to run away a few seconds ago? Why is it so quiet all of the sudden?
“Uh?! You mocking my teeth?! You make fun of them?!” the hulking guy shouted slowly approaching my direction. “Teeth are life! Anyone who mocks them…”
“They don't look that special to me,” I replied, carefully watching all of his movements as I slowly circled around him. “For someone who prides themselves on their teeth it doesn't look like you clean them often.”
The man in front of me sneered, but didn't take any actions besides following me with his eyes and glaring holes into my being.
Good, my intention wasn't to instigate a confrontation, but to get his attention, distract him or talk things out, unless of course he gets violent, in which case one of my clones will take care of the problem.
Eventually.
There's another reason why I would immediately use my words before jumping to action, and that is the small glimpse I saw when he opened his mouth to talk, and it was a pink tongue. The man in front of me is just a weirdo with no common sense.
My nose perceived the stench of the stalker old man a few meters to my right. Got close during the commotion.
“I mean, from this distance, I can see some green stuck in your upper teeth. Right here,” I lazily said, pointing to the same general direction. “Did you ever clean them before coming here?”
Normally, in any serious situation involving a violent individual, this method of misdirection I was using wouldn't be a viable option. Especially because the guy who was standing in front of me had motor oil all over his face. But that's one of the interesting aspects this world has over the world I'm used to.
Which is why I'm not at all surprised as the hulking man with huge teeth directed his left hand to imitate the place I pointed out to be 'dirty'.
“Yeah, that's the place, big guy. Yep, keep scratching, you almost get it,” I drawled while inspecting the people surrounding us, looking at the spectacle like they weren't just running away a few seconds ago.
Why are they still here? Shouldn't they be three streets away by now?
“Why is he cleaning his teeth?” “What about the oil? Doesn't it bother him?” “That worked?” “D-Did someone called for a hero yet? I'm worried for the kid” “He fell for that? What an idiot!” “Y-Yeah”
The man in front of me quietly slowed down until he became completely still.
A second later I was in front of a group of frightened civilians, muscles tensed, hand in the air while holding onto a piece of metal junk that used to be a bike.
Can't these people take a hint? I hate this world so much.
“Why are you mad all of the sudden? We were just talking a few seconds ago.” I asked, sporting a small frown on my face. Quick calculations flew through my mind as I let the scrap metal fall to the concrete. It seemed he had superhuman strength but it was pretty average for my usual encounters, the only distinct feature seems to be his teeth, but even if they're stronger than steel, they should be connected to slightly less strong jaws.
A good 'Iron Body' enhanced kick would do.
That would be the plan if I could change into Smiley to begin with, sadly that wasn't the case. Which means I needed to improvise to buy Jin more time.
No martial arts.
“I won't forgive anyone who mocks my perfect teeth! Man, woman or even kids! Grk!” the man screamed before charging toward me specifically.
Air filled my lungs as the world slowed down around me. My eyes landed on the junk on the floor. Four pellet sized metal scraps, five bolts, three nuts and the remains of the bike. As the man was about to take another step, I quickly kicked the crumbled piece of metal to the space his foot was going to land.
Just as I predicted, the metal junk met his foot, tripping him down, which gave me a small window to gather my ammunition and make my way towards the tire that laid on the ground a few meters away.
I jumped over the dude with strong teeth. A big hand flew towards me, almost catching my foot in the process but missing at the last second.
Landing next to the tire, I directed my sight to the man who slowly stood up and sneered at me, grinding his teeth so hard it almost looked like they were releasing sparks.
My foot slid, got a hold of the tire and immediately threw it to the man's face as soon as he took a step in my direction. His head was knocked back while the tire flew in the air, spinning in place. Before the man could recover I threw one of the bolts at his forehead, making him flinch back, putting him in the ideal position.
I threw four projectiles, which ricocheted against the spinning tire, landing on the weirdo's face and chest, two of them hitting on the same tooth, but to no clear result. Not that I threw them with the intention of causing some serious damage, but to measure the man's toughness. Which appears to be pretty high, considering he seemed more annoyed than hurt.
My attack ended with the tire smashing the dude's face against the pavement, bouncing once and wheeling away. Air left my lungs as the world returned to normal.
'Hm. Three minutes. Two and a half of them were spent on just talking,' I thought without leaving my eyes of the disoriented man sprawled on the asphalt. A frown marred my face as I heard the people around us, talking among themselves, taking pictures and recording me with their cameras or cellphones. 'What a pain, if they weren't here I think I could have de-escalate the situation by talking to the guy. At the speed Jin was running, it's going to take him four to five more minutes before he arrives at the shelter. Which means I need to slow down and wait for a miracle.'
I let out a sigh as I bent down to pick up one of the scattered bolts on the ground.
“H-Hey! Look out!”
Without missing a beat, my feet moved and stomped the head of the guy obsessed with his teeth, who tried to tackle me to the ground. Jumping over him I throw another projectile to his head with more strength, making him faceplant into the pavement.
Hm, four minutes now.
I took two steps away from my position and retrieved the tire from the ground. As the man started to stand up my eyes briefly met the surprised stare of the pop idol who tried to warn me about the approach of my assailant.
Didn't I tell her to evacuate everyone? What is she still doing here?
'Not important,' I thought before lightly throwing the tire I was holding onto at the guy's teeth. A smile crept up to my face as soon as he caught it with his right hand. My feet moved and this time the man followed me with his eyes.
Before he could react, I threw the three remaining pellets, who ricocheted against the tire and landed directly against his teeth and nose, drawing a few droplets of blood. But it wasn't enough to knock him down.
'Not if I do something about it,' I thought, letting a great amount of oxygen fill my lungs. My foot kicked the ground twenty times in less than a second and while in the air towards my intended destination I relaxed and contracted every muscle of my leg. In one fluid motion, similar to a wave, my foot struck the leg of the hulking guy, tripping him over.
'Water Flow, Shaving Rock.' I said in my mind once I landed a few meters away. I had to bite my own tongue to not outright say the technique out loud, especially after all the times I practiced it while doing so. The application of the martial arts I developed, 'Water Flow' and 'Shave' from the 'Six Skills'. Which consists of performing a parry with my foot as soon as I move at high speeds.
I winced after I put pressure on my right foot. It felt like I had tiny needles all over my leg. 'Water Flow' was a technique I've been practicing and using for a while, but it wasn't until recently that I decided to try it with my other two extremities just in case. To anyone watching me perform it, they would just think I ran and tripped the guy before he could retaliate.
That would give me a minute and a half.
Wincing, I made my way to the discarded pieces of junk on the floor without taking my eyes away from the 'teeth guy' who was trying to burn holes into my head while struggling to stand up.
I heard people making fun of him from my back, but as I quietly moved out of the way to see his reaction, this time, his anger was directed to me. Something I was grateful for.
“You know, you talked a lot of smack about your teeth, but I'm starting to think those teeth ain't that special. You barely used them,” I said to him after picking up a bolt I threw earlier. “Are they even real?”
His only response was to shake in anger.
Until finally he quickly stood up and sprinted towards me. My body tensed in anticipation, ready to use his size to my advantage.
“Grk! Stop MockING MY TEETH YOU LITTLE PIECE OF-!!”
“I am-!”
It happened in an instant.
One moment the weirdo, who I'd been trying to stale before one my clones made their way here, was running towards me with murderous intent. And then a large figure impacted his body from behind, driving him to the asphalt, creating a huge crater.
“Here!” “BWAHH!!”
Teeth, spit and blood mixed with motor oil flew from his mouth. I winced in sympathy. The poor guy won't be able to eat again, not with half of his teeth removed. With the sound of cracking I heard during the impact, his lower jaw must be shattered.
“Woah! It's All Might!” “Amazing!” “Oh thank god!” “Done in one hit!” “That's All Might for ya!” “He looks better in person!” “I was rooting for the kid, but thank goodness All Might is here”
My expression remained unfazed just as I pocketed the remaining projectiles on my hoodie, so I could throw them away later. But internally it was another story.
'I barely saw his movements. I didn't notice him until the last second, and the only reason he stopped his momentum was to land a punch to knock him out.' I thought, sporting a blank face. A single bead of sweat made its way across my face and fell down from my chin, staining my clothes. I tried to remain unbothered but as I replayed the event in my head my expression only hardened.
'So that's the Number #1 Hero, huh? That's the wall I need to climb,' I thought with a dark expression, tightening my fists. As people got more loud and the hero started to ask questions to the audience about their safety, I turned around and silently made my way to the shelter. Mood soured. 'It seems I've been taking my training lightly. I've become content with my current state. That only means I need to increase the intensity of my training again.'
'I'll use All Might's presence to get away. My job here is do-'
“Young man.”
A large hand landed on my shoulder. It took everything from me to not lash out immediately. I was so bothered by his sudden appearance that I didn't pay attention to my surroundings.
“I don't condone your actions here today. But if you hadn't stepped in, more people would've been hurt before my arrival. And for that, you have my thanks!” All Might laughed. With a pat in the back and a quick scribble on my hoodie, he jumped away. “Thank you for your support!”
A frown marred my face once I was a few streets away. My ears caught the swift explosions of air generated by 'Moonwalk'. The clone arrived a minute late. My gaze landed on the figure on the rooftops, our eyes met for a second, but I kept walking and disappeared through the crowd. Hoping my clone would take a hint and move on.
So much for waiting.
'Hm… he's taking the route to the second warehouse,' he thought, sporting a small frown. Iwao Oguro observed as his target took a turn a few streets away from his position and disappeared through the sea of people.
It's been a few weeks since he decided to kickstart this so-called 'investigation'. In any other situation he wouldn't waste his time on tracking people down and jotting down their routines for future use. He retired from that lifestyle a long time ago.
But, recent developments brought him back to the game, unwillingly.
The recent loss of his wife, and now his daughter is missing.
All because of his carelessness.
His hand found its way to the front pocket of his green trench coat, stopping as soon as his hand landed on one of the hand-made brass knuckles. With a grunt he immediately squashed the thoughts regarding the “weapon” he requested a long time ago just in case. His hand found the lighter and lit the cigarette perched on his mouth. His lungs burned as he took a long drag.
At a slow pace, the retired hero chose to follow his target to what he initially thought to be Smiley's 'secret hideout'; he would later find out it was just an illegal homeless shelter that Smiley visited quite often.
Once every few streets he would hide or take an alternative route to keep his target unaware of his tailing.
'Not that it matters, the kid has sharp senses. He probably knows that I've been following around,' Iwao thought as he saw his target move his head slightly to the side to appreciate a street cat feeding on a leftover takeover close to the trash and then kept walking without a care in the world.
So far he was the easiest to follow around. His routine seems to be feeding the people at the shelter, train in the park with a few kids, buy groceries once a week and an almost daily run through the streets, alone.
Smiley is another story. He often soars through the skies, going from villain encounter to the next, never stopping to take a break, it almost seemed like he would be at two places at once.
The other two from the… interrogation that took place a month ago, didn’t leave the shelter all that often, which made him believe they weren't vigilantes to begin with. Especially the guy in a gray mask that usually helps the kid with the cooking on the stand next to the first warehouse.
He took another drag from his cigarette and decided to take another route to the warehouse his target was aiming for. At this point, he didn't need to follow every step his target made.
Once he was two streets away from the warehouse. Iwao noticed a shadow move, it was as if a shadow crossed from one street to another. He quickly directed his gaze up just in time to see a brief glimpse of a pink haired girl. It was the same girl who was just performing a song in front of an audience. The same performance his target was attending a few minutes ago before a villain interrupted.
'So, I'm not the only one tailing the kid, huh?' he thought, amused. A small smile crept across his face.
A dark thought crossed his mind, but he snorted as he exhaled a small smoke cloud that quickly dispersed in the wind. He ignored the possibility of any other parties or associations actually doing the same as he or the girl he just saw. Going by the investigation he's been undergoing since that fateful encounter with the vigilante, nobody knows who these people are.
Any other organization like the 'Hero Public Safety Commission' would be too busy trying to pin down Smiley's location because the vigilante moves erratically through cities helping people or taking down villains.
They wouldn't waste resources on some kid from the streets. But the illegal shelter could pose a problem down the line, he might have to pull some strings to keep the lawmen away from here.
'Hm… is that guy still the head detective? Gotta pay him a visit soon,' he mused once he arrived at his usual spot, just a few meters away from the warehouse.
From his vantage point he saw the pink haired girl jump from rooftop to rooftop, probably trying to find a nice place to watch from. He took another drag from his cigarette, threw it to the floor and stomped it.
'A young boy filled with passion to do good in a world that shuns him, and has connections with the vigilante Smiley who is doing his own investigation on the same drug that ruined my life,' Iwao thought with a grimace. 'Decisions. Decisions… I'm confident they'll eventually stumble upon the drug trade with the intention of dismantling it. But I can't in good conscience let them approach that man.'
A brief memory of a disfigured man dressed in a suit shapeshifting into an abomination of bones, muscles and flesh, flashed through his eyes.
He stayed there in complete silence, observing his target talk with a few of the residents of the warehouse sporting an easy going smile. His hand hovered over a piece of cloth hidden in his breast pocket. A mask. His mask.
Decision made, Iwao Oguro took another cigarette from his pocket and lit it as he settled into his spot. He watched the warehouse, his mind cycling through different plans on how to approach the boy.
Salt decided to be a dick like always and sent me back to the store the same day I went to buy groceries. A few cans of cheap beer, a few smokes and toilet paper all crammed in a bag. Worst part of all is that I can't be mad at the guy because he put some of his own money to pay for it. He probably had to beg for it on the streets again, even after I told him to keep his distance because of the kidnappings.
As I exited the store and turned down a corner, a familiar face graced me. Bright pink hair tied into twin tails, pink colored eyes, pink lipstick, tons of makeup and a black eye mask made of cloth. Dressed in an oversized hoodie to hide her distinct outfit.
I would've been delighted to meet the idol in person, even after what happened when I brought Jin to enjoy her show. If it wasn't for this small detail.
And that is…
“Ah, you're PopStep,” I said with a straight face, trying not to outright show the annoyance I felt. She has been following me around after the encounter with the weirdo from this morning. “What are you doing here all of the sudden? Isn't it a bit too late for a street concert?”
Two. Now I have two weirdos following every step I make. An idol and a dirty old man. Joy.
She smiled and winked at me.
“Yup! The one and only!” the street idol said, striking a pose and holding a peace sign. “And you're the weirdo who told me to guide those people and held off that villain in my concert before All Might showed up!”
'I'm considered a weirdo for… helping others? At least it's better than being labeled as a hero and getting some lame name like White Hood or whatever,' I thought, a bit of amusement at the thought of a hero name centered only on what I look like.
“You're also the guy who picks up the litter and serves free food next to the abandoned warehouse a few streets away.” As soon as those words left her mouth I felt my left brow twitch. I knew she was tailing me, but she also knows what I do and where I live now. Is she…? “And you also protected a few of my fans during the attack. So I wanted to Step in and say thanks.”
I let out a long sigh, feeling my negative emotions go away.
I'm overthinking this, she's just an teen idol. There's no way she's involved in any of that crap.
“You were following me the whole time just to say thanks?” I asked, a bit unnerved by the commitment she took of chasing me to my home, watching me cook for two hours, serving people and then following me to the store just to create this scenario. Who does that?
“Yup! After the attack I got curious and followed you around. You work in an underground homeless shelter, right? How lame! But I won't tell anyone, hehe.”
“Thanks… ?” I breathe in and then out. if she wasn't so cute we wouldn't be having this conversation to begin with. This girl is too much.
“Your secret is safe with me as long as you play your part as my bodyguard, what do you say?” PopStep continued, sporting a dangerous glint in her eyes.
The nerve of this girl.
“Eh? Come again?” I said while making a gesture of cleaning my right ear with my pinky. “Now you're blackmailing me into a job position? I thought you were thanking me.”
“W-Well… I am thanking you, but after I saw you keep the villain at bay while keeping my fanbase safe, I thought you could be perfect for the job!” she said with a not so innocent smile, before she got into my personal space. “It's not a hard job. I just need someone reliable to protect me… and keep my webpage updated, set-up venues and sell merchandise… ”
So, not only am I being hired as a bodyguard, she wants me to fill in as a manager too. What a pain in the ass…
At my blank expression she batted her eyelashes and her lips got really close to mine.
“There are a lot of benefits of working for me too,” she whispered. My nose picked the scent of the strawberry flavor of her lipstick and strawberry shortcake she probably had a few hours ago.
“Such as…?” I asked, small droplets of sweat forming at the top of my forehead at her close proximity.
“You get to spend a lot of time with yours truly! And a 20% off from any purchase of the PopStep merch, hehe. So what is it going to be?” the idol said, clapping her hands and smiling sweetly as soon as she took a few steps away.
Guh… there's no benefits to this partnership whatsoever. And why am I even considering it to begin with? Because she's hot? Come on man…
I felt my entire spirit leave my body as I sighed.
No fucking way. Be a man and just tell her you're not interested.
“In… any other situation I'd be delighted to help you,” I began, hoping to god that I wasn't blushing when I said that. “But you see…”
A faint gunshot interrupted my response, making me go completely still. It came from four streets away. The same place I got my groceri-
“Oh come one! I promise I'll allow you to hold my hand as a re-'' she started to banter but I immediately shut her up by covering her mouth. Her expression went from surprised, to alarm, to panic. She tried to say something but her muffled protests and exclamations were the least of my problems.
They're getting closer.
The hurried sounds of footsteps and the smell of gunpowder put me on edge. I turned back just in time to see three people running straight to us. It took Popstep two seconds to understand the situation we were in.
“V-Villains? Uwah!! Why is this happening again?!” she loudly whispered.
So much for keeping quiet.
My lungs expanded with air. The world slowed down to a crawl.
'Why are they coming directly to us? Is this their escape route? What should I do? Should I jump in and stop them? What about PopStep?' I thought, analyzing the situation and thinking of possible actions. 'Two guns. An amphibian looking dude, a reptilian man and the last one is the muscle of the group, seems to be a power enhancer quirk by the looks of it. Shit they're almost here, I need to make a decision now.'
“Get behind me” I whispered to the idol. I didn't even give her the time to think and put myself in front of her just in case.
“Eek!”
“Get away from our car you stupid fuck!” “The fucker called the cops! Just shoot them!”
The street was bathed in light. My ear rang by the sound of two loud explosions. Two projectiles directed to my left cheek and my right lung.
“AHH!!!”
The groceries fell from my grasp as my right and left hand flew at unison and positioned on the trajectory of the fast bullets approaching.
'Water Flow: Catching Flies!' it took so much from me to not outright say it. My right hand captured the projectile, while my left hand only managed to grasp it. In a panic, my entire body hardened, the bullet bounced against my skin and ricocheted against the nearby wall. 'If it wasn't for Iron Body…'
“What the-!” “Eh?!” “Holy shit!”
More air filled my lungs and my vision sharpened.
I let the bullet in my hand fall to the ground. Their movements were slow, so that meant they were likely just common thieves. Before anyone could react, my hand blurred towards the remaining pieces of junk I decided to keep, hidden in the front pocket of my hoodie and quickly threw two of them to the armed robbers.
This time, without restraint.
Both of them hit the mark. The first one went to the index finger holding the trigger of the gun that shot me, exploding in blood, bone and cartilage on contact. The other went in the direction of the other gun on sight, destroying it before they could use it, hurting the user's hand.
The man in front of me screamed in pain. My feet blurred, pushing me forward. A long appendage came straight at my face. I directed my gaze to the culprit who had his mouth open, tongue extended, a surprised but enraged expression on his face. And the last person of the group was moving forward to intercept me.
Unfortunately for them, they were far too slow.
As soon as I was in range, the palm of my right hand met the torso of the man who shot at us. His body flew away from me, spit and blood shooting from his open mouth. The slimy appendage was swiftly parried with a fluid motion to the side. Ten quick kicks in a row and I was in front of the reptilian looking person. My hand was already moving.
At the last second I changed the position of my fingers to land a less lethal strike than what I intended to.
'Water Flow: Stream,' I thought, striking once, twice, thrice. My expression remained calm and collected as multiple hits landed on the assailant's body pushing him back. It felt extremely satisfying to hear them contort and scream in pain at my attacks. But I still held back. 'I almost used 'Finger Pistol' on them.'
'Water Flow: Smash!' a small opening presented itself and my hardened fingers immediately struck the reptilian's lower jaw, teeth and blood flew from his mouth. His unmoving body fell a few meters away from us.
“EHH?!” my ears perked at the voice of PopStep coming from the building above me. Meaning she was safe.
That leaves…
“YOU WHITE HAIRED BITCH!! I'LL STOMP YOU FLAT!!”
Air left my lungs, the world returned to its original speed as I saw the last of the bunch run towards me, fist raised.
But before he could get two feet in, another voice interrupted his charge. Followed by a fast approaching figure falling through the night sky.
“Good timing! Thanks for the distraction, kid!” and directly followed by a fist colliding with the face of the last standing assailant, sending him sprawling to the asphalt.
My eyes landed on the newcomer, who swiftly got up and striked a combat pose while inspecting the downed combatants. He was dressed in a green trench coat, gray cargo pants, a tight black t-shirt, black fingerless gloves and a black bandit head scarf. My gaze shifted to his 'weapons' which consisted of plain brass knuckles, probably made of steel. Then to his belt, I picked the scent of gunpowder and the familiar smell of the same oil I use to treat the ropes I utilize to capture quirk users.
Our gazes briefly met.
I tried. I really did try to keep a neutral expression. But my face morphed into an unimpressed frown instead.
This asshole stalker has been following me around for so long and now he's trying to act like a hero all of the sudden?
If it wasn't for the fact that I owe him for taking away one of his teeth and putting him through one of the most embarrassing moments of my life, I would've flipped the fuck out.
“W-Who is that?” PopStep screamed from the roof above us.
“Hrng. Who am I? I'll answer that gladly!” the old man in costume responded, tightening his fist. If you could ever call that a costume to begin with. “Name's Knuckleduster, the janitor these streets need.”
'Oh my god, that was so corny,' I thought with a grimace while remembering every one liner I came up with for Smiley back in the day. 'Someone is paying him to mess up with me, there's no way this man is saying things like that unprompted.'
“Hmph! I had my own questions too, but it seems they're all out cold,” the man said while relaxing his muscles and calmly walking to the downed robbers. Just like me, he immediately came to the same conclusion that nobody here was on the drug. “Tsk, another dead end, so much work for nothing… Hey kid, work with me.”
Huh????
“What?” my mouth said before my mind could catch up to that statement.
“You've got promise, kid. And I'm in search of an assistant to help me on the job,” the man told me, he stood up from his position and directed his gaze towards mine. “I'll make a hero out of you.”
This guy has gone completely insane.
“Ehh? What's with all these job offers?” I responded, picking up my ear while sporting a bored expression. Trying desperately to hold onto my sanity. “Where does this even come from? What does that have anything to do with me?”
“Y-Yeah! I came here first!” PopStep made herself known, still perched at the rooftop above us. She blushed and looked the other way as soon as I directed my unamused expression towards her.
Real smooth Pop.
“You hold a lot of respect for Smiley, you volunteer at a homeless shelter and you try to do good deeds in your spare time. Am I wrong?” the man questioned me with a sneer. My fists tightened in response. “Do you expect me to believe you ain't interested in hero work? Don't we both share the same goals towards true justice?”
“Hm, and what goals do we share?” my face hardened at the mention of Smiley and the common goal. I'm starting to figure out the full picture. It all started when we shared our common goal with this specific problem affecting us both that day. And that is…
“The drug that plagues this city of course!” Knuckle-whatever said while flexing his muscles. “You know that feeling very well, don'tcha? When the situation looks bleak and you know what needs to be done, do you take action or not? That's the spirit of a hero, and you my boy, have the qualities of a true hero. So, what do ya say?”
I stayed in silence, at least for what it felt like a minute. Not out of respect but of bafflement. Any other day before today I would've been interested in the possibility of any help in the drug investigation even if it came from the man in front of me.
Unfortunately for him, I was annoyed that day, and my mind was more preoccupied with a more pressing matter.
“Was that the reason why you've been following me and my family around lately? As in for the last three weeks?” I questioned him as I began to slowly pick up the discarded groceries from the ground and put them back on the paper bags.
Good thing I didn't pick any liquids besides the beer this time.
“Feh… how did you know it was me?” I didn't know if I should be relieved or mad that he didn't try to hide it.
“I could recognize the smell of that knock-off cigarette brand anywhere,” I responded once I had all the groceries back in my arms. “I just bought a pack for a friend of mine.”
The old man blinked in surprise then grunted.
“Huh. I knew that salesman was ripping me off,” the hero wannabe said while scratching his head.
“Is it safe to come down now?” PopStep asked from the same position from before, taking small peeks at the downed assailants.
She's still here?
“Not yet. One of them is still conscious,” I said, switching my gaze from Pop to my groceries, but I stayed alert regardless. “He's trying to get up as we speak.”
“How could you tell?” the old man grunted then directed his gaze to the man in question who was struggling to move but failing at it.
“I can hear them from here. Hm, no wait. Another one of them just woke up,” I elevated my gaze just in time for the big guy of the group to stand up and run toward us sporting a crazed expression across his face.
“L-Look out!!”
When the situation looks bleak and you know what needs to be done…
Do you take action or not?
'Man get the fuck out of my head,' I thought as my hand found the last bolt at my disposal and threw it to his feet, tripping him in the process. 'First Salt with his dumb speech and now this dude's lame hero pitch.'
I'm getting pissed off.
The man began to fall, but I was already moving, positioning myself underneath him.
'Iron Stamp!' I thought as my body contorted into a perfect split, months of workout and stretching finally paying off… into keeping my groceries from harm. My foot met the musclehead chin, sending him upwards, just in time for the old man to jump over me, a hungry smile plastered through his face, fist cocked back.
Brass knuckles impacted the assailant's head, creating a strong and meaty sound that resonated through the deserted street. Without missing a beat, my foot kicked the man's body, sending him flying at his accomplices, who were trying to get up and escape, sending them all to the ground.
We both admired our work. It felt so weird. As soon as I saw his muscles flex in anticipation, I knew where I needed to be and what I should be doing to get the end result. It felt like my brain created the perfect path for that setup and delivery.
The old man with the mask directed his attention to me, interrupting my thought process.
“Felt good, didn't it? C'mon kid. Starting today I'm going to teach you what it takes to be a hero…” Knuckleduster said, a bloodthirsty grin splattered across his face, fist raised high, small droplets of blood staining the custom made brass knuckles. “And how good it feels to pound villains to the ground.”
You can't be serious.
Good? Did I hear that right?
Does he… enjoy this?
My frown deepened. I was about to tell him off but I stopped as my ears caught the faint sound of police sirens from a distance. The perfect opportunity to get as far away from here as possible without explanation. The sound of the approaching sirens drowned whatever PopStep tried to say as they both took notice of the flashing lights at the distance.
Before any of them could move a muscle I directed my attention to the masked man.
“I refuse. Stop following me around, old man,” I told him with a sneer, before jumping to the rooftops, surprising PopStep in the process. “And stay away from my family!”
As I jumped away from rooftop to rooftop, one single thought crossed my mind, souring my mood further.
He's going to follow me until I agree, isn't he?
I twitched as my nose catched the familiar but foregein smell of tobacco and beer coming from the warehouse in front of me. My eyes widened.
No. It can't be…
The bag of pork buns I was holding onto, fell to the floor as soon as I passed through the door of the shelter.
There was no way to prepare me for the image of the same old man from yesterday who tried to play hero to impress me and recruit me as his assistant, sitting on a chair sharing a beer with Salt of all people while they talked like nothing.
No fucking way.
“Oh, Gure is here!” “Did you bring me the buns?” “Someone clogged the toilet again!” “Um, sorry but we're out of dish soap, can you buy some next time?” “Hum! Since when do we get family visits?”
I ignored every single word around me and walked in a straight line to my surrogate shithead uncle and the person who has become a torn on my side for the past month. I felt a huge relief when the day after we took care of the armed robbers the old dude stopped following my early routine, it was like a huge pressure from my shoulders disappeared all of the sudden.
Now he's here at late noon, that means he slipped insine after Jin and I cooked lunch together, and I went for a quick patrol before calling it off.
No wonder I got two clicks when I tried to call back.
After an incident with one of the clones on the job, we decided to implement a clicking system. It was extra important for everyone in charge of the walkie talkies to learn it. Especially because there's been a suspicious man snooping around the shelters.
One click meant it was safe to call. Two clicks meant it wasn't safe to call. And three clicks meant danger from any side.
“Hey brat! Did you get the packs I asked for?” I heard Salt ask me as I calmly made my way to them, an irritated expression plastered across my face. Straight away Salt took notice and lowered his drink a little. “What? Did something happen?”
“What are you doing here?” I questioned the man next to Salt, who simply grunted in response, making my frown deepen.
Salt released a small burp and looked between me and the man next to him. A look of realization appeared on his face, but was immediately replaced by an expression that clearly showed the smug feeling of 'told ya so brat'.
“Hmph. What does it look like? I have no home kid.” the man responded after he took a swig from his beer. “After the death of my wife I lost everything, so I decided to crash here until I'm back on my feet.”
I'm mad that I don't know if this guy is telling me the truth or not.
And who let him in anyway?
A small movement from the peripheral of my vision garnered my attention. In the distance Jin was trying to look smaller than what he already was.
Ah.
“Hrn. Fine. Stay if you want, see if I care,” I gave up, throwing the cigarette pack to Salt, who almost dropped his beer in the process. “But, if you put any of these people in danger… I'm killing you myself.”
I didn't even give him time to respond before I stormed as far away from that man as possible. I passed a few people while giving away a few pork buns, but leaving a few for the people that requested them.
Speaking of which.
“Didn't you tell us to be careful around strangers? What happened?” the sarcastic teen questioned with a smile as I approached them after my talk with the old man. I quickly gave each kid and teen a pork bun and gave a bag filled with bread for Cream to distribute around the shelter. “Now the same guy from the interrogation is here in the shelter. What should we do?”
Cream snorted and the kids giggled between bites. A sigh escaped from my mouth as I saw Kon's smile grow slightly larger.
What a drag…
Hm, I can still salvage this.
“Yes… yes I did tell you that. Now listen to me while I say this” I replied, completely calm. “Everyone in the training program is going to add 20 more reps to every exercise and two extra kilometers to their run. I feel you guys are ready for the real training to begin!”
The kids immediately stopped laughing and Kon's smile dropped.
“See you guys tomorrow, six in the morning. Don't be late, or I'll be mad,” my grin only increased as I saw their faces slowly pale. I waved at them and walked towards Jin.
“I-I'm so sorry boss! No I'm not you bastard!” Jin exclaimed me as soon as I stood next to him. “He told me he was homeless and he was seeking shelter and, and-”
“It's fine Jin. I'm not mad.” I'm furious, but I knew it wasn't his fault. It was mine. I should've broken one of the old man kneecaps to leave me- no, us alone. “Next time, if someone suspicious tries to approach the shelter, contact me.”
“Or make a clone of me and let him take charge, ok?” I whispered, knowing full well that the old man still talking with Salt was trying to hear me from his position.
“I-Ill do that, thank you boss. Already knew that dumbass!” Jin half spoke, half whispered, bringing a tired smile to my face.
“And stop calling me boss,” I said, my smile dropping at the mention of that title.
“Ok boss!”
Ugh, whatever.
I tried to give him a reassuring smile but I could tell it wasn’t convincing. Regardless, I gave him the last pork bun from the bag, which he accepted. With a sigh, I made my way to the last person who slept close to the communal bathroom.
“You look tired, boyo. Too much time in the streets isn't good for your health,” an old woman said as soon as I got close.
There she was, still reading a book from the comfort of her own bed, one of the nicest ones too considering a few of the beds in the shelter were still made of recycled parts, while her own was almost brand new.
“Hello to you too, Ena,” I tiredly said, slipping onto her bed a small container of the coffee she specifically told me to get. Thank god it was an American brand, because I wouldn't be able to distinguish the Japanese ones. “Brought you what you asked me for. It was very expensive, two weeks of meat by the way. Our patrons will have to settle for veggie soup and veggie stew until we get the funds back.”
Not that I actually cared about the meat shortage. Meat or not, they would eat whatever I cooked for them. Besides, I was getting something out of this deal.
“It's not the 'New England's Coffee' but this will do,” she responded dismissively, adjusting her glasses to read the contents labeled on the container. “I just know it's not the same.”
'If you didn't want it to begin with, why did you ask me to get it?' I thought sporting an expression of defeat. 'There was a huge sale on meat products too, we could have pork, chicken and meat bones for stock.'
“Thank you for the coffee brat,” I heard the old woman say after smelling the inside of the container, giving a sigh of satisfaction. “Be a dear and bring me a cup of hot water.”
“Yes ma'am,” I replied.
“Oh, before I forget,” I stopped right on my tracks as soon as I heard the old woman speak. There was a reason why I would entertain random requests from Ena for free. “Hmph. Your… new clothes, if you can even call them that, are ready. I don't know why you asked me for such a dreadful design, but it's done.”
It took her less time than the last one.
The special suit I secretly requested for 'Red Dragon' is ready. This time the design was all me. I really liked Ena designs, but all of them had this old school feel. Ena was really fond of patterns, so when she showed me the ideas she had for the new costume I was a little concerned with the similarities with the Smiley one, even though the colors were completely different.
In the end I decided to shift the idea into something more modern. Something from my time. Clothes I would want to wear if I went out at night to serve justice.
She reluctantly agreed.
“Thank you for your hard work Ena. I'll repay you one of these days” I turned back and gave her a slight bow before returning to my original task.
“Don't even mention it boyo.”
“Hmph… Huff… ”
'My popularity skyrocketed again,' she thought with a shit-eating grin as she did her usual reps of weightlifting. She'd been on an emotional high ever since she saw the updated hero billboard chart ranking that morning in the news, her name nearing the top ten. 'It's only a matter of time until my name is in the top ten.'
“Huff… Hng… Heh…”
Her left ear twitched in annoyance. Her phone was vibrating again, she could hear it even from where she left it in the changing room, meters away from her personal gym.
It was the third time this morning too.
“I could swear… I told those fuckers… from the mobile company shit… I'll hunt them down… if they ever call me again!” the female hero said through gritted teeth, adding reps to the original count for each vibration. She ignored it like the other two times before, there's no reason for her to talk to anybody. What's even the point anyway? It's a waste of her time. Time wasted on people is time wasted on the streets.
The phone suddenly stopped, and so did her annoyance.
“Hm… Hrng… Huff…”
Once she arrived at the last of her reps, with a grunt of exertion Rumi Usagiyama threw the barbell away, which fell right onto the floor, cracking it again.
“Feh. I think I'm getting used to the new added weight,” Rumi said after getting up from the bench, using the back of her hand to wipe the excess sweat from her face. “I'm gonna be needing a heavier set soon enough.”
The heroine got up from her seat and made her way to the showers, taking a towel from a rack nearby. But before she could enter the shower her phone rang again.
Her annoyance came back full force as both of her ears twitched. The phone only rang a third time before she forcefully picked it up and kept it away from her head.
*click*
Good afternoon, miss-
“Listen to me fucker. You've been calling all morning, well you have my attention now. You got five seconds to explain: 'why you decided to ruin my morning' before I break this piece of trash phone and then you!” she immediately interrupted the man on the other line. She heard the man inhale sharply and try to apologize, but once again she cut him off. “One.”
U-Um, uh. I'm calling from the 'Hero Public Safety Commission' HQ, as the 14th ranked heroine as of da-
“Two.”
Yes! Um. T-The hero commission is offering you the beneficial job opportunity of working with us-
“Three”
Capture! I-I mean! It has come to our attention the illegal activities of a vigilante that seems to be causing troubl-
“Alright, stop. You're pissing me off,” she interrupted, this time of distaste. There's nothing worse in the eyes of Mirko than weaklings, and this conversation was getting on her nerves like no end. “Get to the fucking point.”
Y-Yes. Right! I'm sorry! Have you heard of the vigilante Smiley, miss Mirko?
The fleeting memory of an average sized, yellow masked man knocking out a villain with a kick before she could even make her entrance was still fresh in her memory. The vigilante didn't really leave the best impression on her eyes. He sounded young when he directed his attention to the public, but experienced at the same time for his age, as if it wasn't his first time on the streets. But all of those traits were pushed back by the irritation she felt back then, which surged again tenfold at the mere mention of his name..
“Yeah… What about him?” she asked, sporting a forced smile trying, keyword trying, to not grind her teeth. It wasn't their only 'meeting' either. Two weeks ago he beat her to the punch again. The worst part was that he was long gone before her arrival. “Speak up dammit!”
The 'Hero Public Safety Commission' is issuing a call for the capture of the vigilante Smiley due to, and I quote: 'illegal quirk use in public on numerous occasions', 'vigilantism', 'brutal use of force on public', 'threaten the saf-
“Wait, hold up. Are you telling me you're paying me to capture Smiley?” she asked with a serious expression, her free hand tightening in response.
Uh… I-Is that a problem, Miss Mirko?
Her frown was replaced by a shit-eating smirk.
“Heh. When do I start?”
A/N: I am now writing this at the beginning of November. With luck I'll be posting this the same month instead of taking more than what I anticipate and moving the schedule for December (Edit: lmao (Edit 2022: LMAO)). Writing in a language you barely grasp is really hard, but I recommend it, it becomes a really interesting experience. I hope more people will give it a try.
Some of these scenes I had to come up on the spot and some others were planned since the conception of the fic. But like any plan they never turn out like you first envisioned them to be. My notes for Iwao Oguro, aka: Knuckleduster, were totally different from what I'm currently developing in this fic. My original plan was for them to meet in the street and then later keep meeting from time to time, instead Gure fought a drunk Iwao Oguro, fucked up an interrogation and now he has his complete attention.
This brings up my favorite part of the fic, which is PopStep inclusion. I love her character and I hope I managed to get her character right.
The idea of the bounty was created with two scenarios in mind: Mirko chasing Gure like some looney tunes/tom and jerry cartoons and a future encounter with a particular hero who has a reputation for their ruthlessness. Looking up to that lol
Last edit. So this chapter was supposed to be released by the end of November, early December. But I've been getting bad news one after another. Depression ain't pretty. Worst part is that the chapter had to be revised multiple times, earlier scenes I had for encounters and moving the plot forward went from too slow to too quick. So I had to scrap scenes and move a few of them for the next chapter (which has four scenes planned).
Either way, thank you so much for your continuous support.