NEWS REPORT
...
7:26 P.M.
A villain attack occurred in a local Shinjuku mall endangering well over hundreds of innocent lives, already having 12 reported casualties and over 73 injured. Authorities were called into action and bring the villain to justice! From the violent ruckus that can be heard from outside, suggests that heroes have already arrived at the scene. Explosions came one after another for quite some time now, the onlookers seemed quite excited to see who're the heroes that .
———
The news reporters swarmed the officers, their aggressive pursuit of a story reminiscent of a hungry pack of wolves. Ignoring the officers' efforts to maintain order, reporters thrust their microphones into their faces, hindering their work and giving them the unneeded frustration.
Reinforcements arrived as fast as they could— helicopters circled the building, their searchlights illuminating potential escape routes for the villain. Fresh heroes joined the overwhelmed police officers, preventing any potential escalation of violence. However, they couldn't immediately enter the building, a cautious approach was necessary; rushing in could endanger the bystanders who are eager to witness the heroes' confrontation with the villain, transforming the scene into a reckless spectacle. The heroes couldn't allow that risk.
Ambulances and police cars arrived simultaneously. Paramedics efficiently treated the injured, swiftly transporting those with critical wounds to the hospital while others with minor injuries remained with their families. Meanwhile, the heroes with a more offensive role prepared to storm the building, among them the number two hero, whose fiery quirk blazed brighter than the choppers' spot lights above, the flames flowing like phoenix wings from his back, his powerful physique was clearly defined beneath his armored suit. Displaying his full authority and responsibility over the whole operation.
"Are things clear on your end, Cinder?" with a gruff in his voice, he spoke clear on his communication device.
"All clear Endeavor, awaiting for your signal." A voice answered with a hint of excitement. "What about Eraserhead and his team?" Endeavor inquired. "They had already infiltrated the building to provide back-up. They should be engaging the villain within this time."
Like a passing thunder, the ruckus seemed to land on a sudden halt. Endeavor's curiosity grew, never wanting to let the sudden change of atmosphere get away from his grasp, the hero turned on his radio and dialed-in the signal of Eraser's communication device. "Eraserhead, has the villain been apprehended?" he waited for a response to come to him, however for what seemed to be a couple seconds of pure silence, there came no reply from his radio. Perhaps the rookie has been knocked out and couldn't answer his communication device? with this in mind— Endeavor called Eraser's teammates, hoping that the others would answer, but it was still completely silent.
"...Cinder, we're going in. Tell the others to enter the building, and to remain vigilant. We Still don't know what quirk the villain has." His voice turned serious as his ever fixed serious face. Endeavor steeled himself as his feet guided him to enter the building, the onlookers caught notice of this, and began their relentless flash of their cameras as if their lives depended on it, Endeavor didn't bother looking back as he knew that his ire would only grow if he decides to humor those pesky reporters.
He arrived at the lobby, and what awaited him was heroes lying on the floor— Four dead, and the rest barely alive. Eraser was passed out whilst being embedded into the wall in a small spider web like crater, Endeavor wouldn't be surprised if Eraser suffered some broken bones. Midnight was knocked out with her suit barely covering her important bits. Present mic remained bloodied in the ground with bruised that would take up weeks to fully heal. And lastly, the worst of all, a hero that he doesn't know the name of — was skewered by the rebar that sticking out from the concrete, his limbs were twisted to the point where his shattered bones mixes with his flesh. He was barely alive, only being kept from his spirit leaving his body by the steel that's piercing him.
Endeavor's face paled from what he had just seen. What sort of sick fuck would do something this horrible? he asked himself that question. To think that a villain did such damage to his fellow heroes like some wild animal. it took a moment for him to regain his usual composure, Just in time for the others to come barging in, and what followed was a series of expressions that formed to fit in to the horrific scene that they just now witnessed. Taking a moment to digest the horrible sight that was presented in front of them, they slowly regained their calmness and their alertness are now in full throttle knowing the villain might pop out around the corners. They could clearly see what Endeavor had just stumbled onto, blood was splattered everywhere you look, and large pieces of debris being scattered and electrical wirings ripped from their original tracks. Thankfully, it was far from any flammable objects that could set fire to the entire building— The place was completely turned into ruins.
"What happened here?" Cinder sounded in concern, jumping down to Endeavor's floor. He wore a simple brightly colored spandex, highlighted with a bright hue of orange accent. Wearing a mask that covered his face, save for the mouth area, "Call in a detective here." He said to the radio. He has been working as Endeavor's side-kick for a few years now, so he had already gotten used on what to do when dealing with a big problem in his line of work. His action caught Endeavor's eyes, who gave a moment of satisfied look before focusing his attention back to the gruesome scene.
While Cinder busied himself with contacting the authorities, and calling for the paramedics and heroes with support type quirks outside, Endeavor took it upon himself to follow the trail of destruction the villain left. He entered at a eerily silent hall; as he rounded the corner, the stench of blood came to him like a punch in the gut. Another seven bodies lying on the floor mercilessly crushed and disfigured to the point where they couldn't be recognized anymore, Endeavor felt his stomach churned, it was like he had gotten food poisoning. And at the trail's end, a hulking mass of a headless corpse laid unmoving in it's pool of blood.
Not far from it's place, was the missing head of the said corpse. An alligator's head faced him blankly, it's slit iris' stared on the horizon as if waiting for the grim reaper to come to it. With furrowed brows, frowning, Endeavor walked up to the head— wanting to do his own investigation, he began to inspect of what he presumed to be the villain's head from the reports he got, with utmost critical eyes. As there were some burn marks and dried up blood all over the headless corpse's scales, and the bits of flesh that's stuck between its nails.
He knelt, though the head was the approximately the size of a car's, he still has to in order to have a closer look of what dealt the killing blow. The head was cut rather roughly, as if it was cut by a dull object instead of a sharp one, though it could also be because of the scale. His frown deepened and his brows furrowed even more, something at the back of his mind told him to immediately call the others and quickly search the parameters of the building as there is still chance that the one is still near or within the premises of the building, which he did so gladly. Upon another closer look the head was also covered is light cuts, and a bloodied mouth, suggesting that the perpetrator handled a possible sword or a knife judging by the shallow cuts on the head.
Heroes arrived after a calling-in with his radio, along with a few officers who had their eyes widened, almost puking from the carnage they had witnessed. Endeavor got up from his position with the most fearsome frown and eyes they had ever seen, he walked in towards them, making some of them shake from their position. As Endeavor came closer to them, he spoke with a hidden fury "Get me Detective Naomasa, now! And search the parameters for any suspicious individuals."
His authoritative tone could be heard by everyone present as he walked past them without looking back, they watched as his large back starts to gain distance from them before following Endeavors orders.
———
5:58 P.M. (hour and a half ago)
The loud roar of the villain stunned the unsuspecting shoppers, giving the villain a chance to pounce on them. Being near the incident, the Banners family wasn't spared from the villain's wrath as it came running at them like a mindless rampaging zombie. Haruki noticed the villain first, readying himself for the confrontation but a firm hand took hold of his shoulder. He couldn't move as his freedom was held by Elly's grip, his eyes darted to his aunt, widened in surprised. The ground shook, the villain's footsteps came ever so closer as his aunt pulled him back with force unto his grandmother who caught him gently into her arms.
Instinct overtook Elly's train of thoughts as she charges forth and intercepts the villain's path, she charged up her quirk as she winded up for a punch. The air itself seemed to dance around her fist as it spun around, pulsing with invisible energy.
The villain lunges forward with a bite, threatening to swallow the family whole, Elly planted her feet firmly on the ground before stepping a foot forward as she twisted her body to throw a powered punch to the villain. Her fist hit the alligator-man's abdomen, sending shock waves through the building. The villain was sent flying back into a wall, forming a large spider web like crack. Unfortunately, though the collateral could be considered big, the same could not be said for the damage against an individual, as the villain got up and shrugged it like nothing happened. Elly's eyes widened in shock, normally during her hero days, the move that she just gave would at the very least knocked a buffed villain that specializes defense out cold. If her enemy is able to withstood being ripped apart from her quirk infused punch, then they better pray to their god that they'll survive an almost Mach speed knock-back and not hit a dense wall or else the insane energy that is carrying them— due to the fact that heavier objects always carry more kinetic energy than a light object travelling at the same speed which will leave them splattered on a wall like a bloodied art work.
Granted, Elly is long passed her prime as a hero but still, the move that she just performed couldn't even make the villain fly faster than 200mph. Which would've been enough to leave a villain like the alligator she just punched struggle to stand, however, the hard skin she felt upon contact with her fist spoke otherwise. The fist that she just threw felt like it's been seared, she stared at her red hand briefly before turning her back to force her family to run by pushing them back with her quirk, controlling it with precision so she wouldn't hurt or give them the effects of her quirk, as they're sent towards near the exit.
Even though Elly had already retired the hero mantle and hid her costume behind the closet, her heroic spirit still flared up, refusing to die down. She knew that if she leaves the villain alone, many others would suffer. She could hear Haruki, and Nikko calling out to her as they are being held back by her mom, her churning heart felt like a stab in the heart.
The villain got on all fours towards Elly with an animalistic charge, blinded with its own insanity. Elly had barely enough time to react as it's speed had increased tremendously, as if not being hindered by the hulking body mass that it carried. Not being allowed to dodge as it would endanger those at the back with the speed Elly judged to be too great for it's size to stop within a few meters even if the villain stops accelerating.
Tensing her legs to the limit, gritting her teeth, and activating her quirk, she repelled the raging villain to the side with a devastating hook kick. Sending the villain's momentum to a nearby electronic store, generating a noise of sharp glass breaking and a thunderous boom upon crash landing on the wall.
Flinching at the harder skin she felt on contact. A dry laugh escaped her mouth, before letting out a controlled breath. Carefully lowering her adrenaline down— she could not allow herself to fall because of a heart problem that forced her to give up the hero profession, no, even if it's not much, all she has to do is to buy enough time for the pros to arrive to stop the rampaging villain, and for the nearby civilians to evacuate the area.
Launching forward with great speed, with it's claws out, aiming to crush Elly's entire body. Roaring with a dangerously high decibels, breaking nearby windows by the sheer force alone. Stunned by the sudden ear destroying sound, Elly couldn't dodge nor launch a counter attack, thus taking the full force of the blow.
A gash appeared on Elly's body, running across her chest and stomach, it was a miracle that her guts didn't come flying out of her stomach as she was sent skidding back and rolling on the ground with an open stomach. But she didn't took the blow without paying it back two folds. With every bit of her rapidly fading strength, she focused her quirk to the tips of her right leg in desperation and threw it towards the villain's jaw in an upwards motion, catapulting the villain upward and away from the current scene. Elly gave a satisfying manic smile of a battle junkie before she felt herself hitting the ground and slowly falling into unconsciousness.
Meanwhile, Ellen's firm grip on the twins as they escaped the building wavered for a moment allowing Haruki to slip from her hands, allowing him to quickly return back to the building and help Elly in fighting the abomination that [Great Sage] described. Without Haruki's order, [Great Sage] put his two family under hypnosis without them knowing something was a miss.
Haruki stood a few meters away, panting as he was a bit out of breath. He had bolted away from his grandmother's grasp upon seeing the opportunity to slip away. He could feel the palm of his hands being penetrated by his own finger nails, his eyes couldn't get anymore wider as his heart started beating like a hundred drums being played on repeat in every beat.
With his legs becoming more fragile as it shook, he forced his feet forward, making a beeline to his aunt, who is practically his second mother. Each step he took reverberated in the entire area, along with his ever increasing volume of his drumming heart. It was as if the world had turned silent in his increasing multitude of emotions, afraid that it might further Haruki's already building anger.
Haruki's legs finally gave out in front of his bleeding aunt. "[Great Sage]" he called out, and without fail, it answered.
// Notice, subject's vitals are at critical levels. Without immediate aid, the life expectancy of Elly Banners is massively shortened to 10 minutes at maximum. //
"Tell me, how do I save her." His voice, cold and commanding. Contrary to the roaring waves that is going through inside his mind, he couldn't allow himself to be consumed by it. Not when there's still a chance to save her.
// Affirmative //
Tearing the fabric of his clothes in a way that it became a precise strip, turning it into a makeshift bandage.
A loud screech came from the distance in the direction of where the villain was sent flying into. The ground rumbled a bit before turning still like it was a moment ago.
Without minding the environment around, and the ruckus that followed after the impactful display of lungs that generated the noise. He carefully followed [Great Sage]'s instructions, first he had to stop the bleeding, and to do that he had to apply pressure to the wound, but with great care to not worsen and make the fractured ribs stab his aunt from the inside.
For the big gash in her stomach, he scrambled around trying to find the best possible material to use as a needle, but it was all dusts and rubble, leaving him to think for himself.
Time began to tick, and panic started seeping in as his heart began to pump faster. Though it might be thanks to the extra blood going through his brain that he suddenly got a life saving inspiration.
An image popped out of his mind giving him a hint of what to do, making him put up a small grin on his face. "I guess those damn hero propaganda shows aren't useless after all." He muttered, and with a strong tug to his aunt's jeans to rip out a knee length fabric of her pants in her right leg. He began to rip the torn fabric with ease and carefulness as he wanted extract the threads that held the cloth together.
With the help of his two types of Haki, acquiring the materials needed for the emergency procedure was quite easy. Taking a deep breath, he reminisced of a hero with a certain quirk that handles jeans like ropes and using them with finesse as he captured villains left and right. With a clear image in mind, he imbued the threads on his hands with [Armament Haki] His nerves shook a bit as he was still unfamiliar with this application of Haki, so a lose of focus might do more damage them he intended to be.
The tip of the thread stiffened to the point comparable to a needle and penetrated Elly's skin, carefully manipulated by Haruki's shaken hands could handle. Another loud crash echoed, it seemed that another fight broke out not far from Haruki's location. Forcing him to act fast, coming into the conclusion for a chance that the villain might return to this very spot. Casting away all distractions, he fully immersed himself into the situation at front, a clear mind is what he needs right now if he ever wants to save the member who has been keeping the family together since that incident. Without her in their lives, everything Haruki knew, will begin breaking, Haruki knows it, and the rest knows it.
So after tying a knot, securing the stitched up wound with imperfect stitches, Haruki carried Elly with his two arms cloaked in his [Armament Haki] before setting off immediately towards the exist, in which each step is followed by the continues ease of tension within his bones and slowly calming his mind the closer he got to the glass doors.
A current of cold air is what greeted Haruki after going through the doors, the wind danced around him in a somewhat gentle and peaceful love of mother nature, contrary to what is transpiring within the mall. His [Observation Haki] flared in a radius, scattering his senses in a rather large vicinity before pinpointing to the nearest help he could find. He didn't need to stand still for long after locating the medics, he rushed, not fearing if anyone was watching since it won't be even a blink before he could alter their perspective of him into someone else.
The paramedics took Haruki's aunt into their care, but not before giving Haruki a silent praise. For even though the stitches he had done, seemed mediocre at best with uneven, rough, and hastily executed. If the wounds were left unattended and opened, then Elly would have been walking towards the light by now. And thanks to his immediate first aid, Elly Banners can without a doubt survive.
Being seen as an adult instead of a child carrying a grown woman spared him from getting any weird attention that could have dragged him to being questioned, and undesired annoying lectures. After the ambulance faded from his sight, he let out a silent breath, finally feeling at ease.
Left alone by himself, Haruki flared his [Haki], focusing his observation towards the rumbling building. The obvious large presence couldn't be more noticeable to him, it's body spoke of raw power flowing out like a broken dam. His arms tensed and relaxed for quite a while as if debating the next action that he should take.
Haruki then took off to return to his previous destination, with a determined look on his face in the same way as being convinced by cunning imp resting on a person's shoulder.
On his way, he spotted a stray pipe laying along side the piles of debris as he entered the building. Deciding that it would have to do for now as he doesn't have access for a better weapon. Holding the pipe in a firm grip, he ran his other hand along the pipe before coating the said hand with his [Armament Haki] before tightening his grip and began flattening the pipe and strengthen it with his [Haki] which came to him in surprise.
"My proficiency increased?" he concluded, for a mere whim of turning the pipe into a makeshift sword, he didn't expect it to be achieved immediately.
The news didn't stop him from returning to his journey though, as Haruki continued his way towards the rampaging berserker.
He reached the corner of where the action has been taking place, and what greeted him was a sight that came straight out of a horror movie. Bodies of civilians were either bitten in half, swatted like a fly, crushed by debris, or were done in by blunt force.
His heart raced, at the sight. He wanted to puke his entire stomach out but something isn't letting him.
// Report, Calibration complete. Desensitization of Negativity has been constructed. //
[Great Sage] reported with the ever systematic response.
// Activation of Desensitization of Negativity complete. //
"What did you do?" Haruki inquired, his tone low, and devoid of emotion. "?!" Which caught him off guard, he clutches his mouth, his voice felt colder even to him.
// Report, By blocking the neural pathways of negative emotions such as fear, anger, sadness, and disgust. Combat effectiveness is increased. //
He swore [Great Sage] sounded proud of it's own work. He took another look at the gruesome sight in all it's twisted glory, and he felt… nothing. He doesn't even feel a least bit surprise. Just… detached, and clear of mind. He doesn't even want to avenge his aunt, his emotions were just a way to deceive himself from what he truly wish to accomplish in facing the villain, and that was—
His musing was cut by a black blur that passed by his vision, followed by a loud thud as it forced to a stop. He saw a familiar outfit that he seen clips with in his previous life, a figure that everyone calls homeless because of his costume, Eraserhead.
The ground shook as Haruki got overshadowed by a moving small mountain of a form. He looked back to the suspect that caused it, and stared directly to it's eyes.
The crocodile head towered over him, the hard muscles and scales barely have any scratches even after all the time fighting those heroes. Haruki couldn't help but smile at it, completely calm, and unfazed by the invisible Aura it's radiating.
"You've grown stronger." As he finished his sentence, the beast of a man took action and slammed it's humongous claw towards Haruki, only to be met with nothing but air. Before it could even react, his back was slashed open horizontally by Haruki. Causing the monster to stumble forward on all fours, before realigning itself.
"Regeneration?" Haruki could see the damage he inflicted was being turned to naught, which started a headache that he wished didn't exist.
The crocodile growled and lunched itself with it's mouth wide open to take– no swallow Haruki whole, only again to be met with nothing but air. Then like earlier a slash appeared on it's body, but in a different places, it's chest. In retaliation, the crocodile berserker spat acid at a distance towards Haruki. And again another slash appeared. It was like seeing ghosts, one moment the boy was their, then the next second disappears like he wasn't even there.
However what bothered the thoughtless berserker more was his armor-like skin failing to stop these invisible attacks from happening. As if being fed up by Haruki's tricks, the monster villain roared so loud that a shockwave formed and spread throughout the building, so loud that it could erupt a normal man's ears.
The effort of such action however did not go unnoticed, as Haruki stumbled back, seemingly stunned by the loud shockwave. The crocodile took this chance and lunged at Haruki's vulnerable figure, biting him halfway, and readying itself to swallow him whole. Blood was dripping on it's mouth, savoring the taste of the annoying prey.
"… Sorry." A voice came from behind, it was Haruki. His arm gripping tightly on his makeshift haki coated black sword. Confused, the berserker feels around it's mouth using it's tongue, only to be met with nothing.
Raising the hand that wielded the makeshift sword, he continued. "You aren't to blame for this." a sad tone left his mouth as he launched the strike, sharpening it with his haki, making sure that it will cut cleanly and painlessly.
Then the world on the monsters vision turned upside down as it's head left it's body. Even in it's mindless state, Haruki could see it's emotions, the emotions of a liberated soul. For a few moments, Haruki stood there, staring at the large beheaded body of the villain silently, contemplating.
———
(A/N: I'm back! Here's a chapter!)